Podcasts about Smart Girls

In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay talks with Heather Quick, founder and CEO of Florida Women's Law Group, about helping women navigate divorce with clarity, confidence, and support.This episode explores: • Heather's journey into divorce law • Why women stay in or leave unhealthy relationships • Navigating divorce with confidence and clarity • The importance of financial wellbeing • How trusted legal support can make all the differenceThis conversation is a reminder that every woman deserves the freedom to choose a future that honors her wellbeing, dignity, and self-worth.Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Heather Quick is the founder and CEO of Florida Women's Law Group, where she leads the firm's vision and strategy while helping women navigate divorce and family transitions with clarity and support.A graduate of Stetson University College of Law, she began her career as a prosecutor before founding the firm in 2006. Outside of law, Heather is also a certified yoga instructor, author, and podcast host.Connect with Heather Quick:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherbquick/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherquick_/ Learn more about Florida Women's Law Group:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4womenlaw/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4womenlaw/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq20tDugi9N2Sgvf13RUh6Q About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychologist and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.Dr. Robyn McKay holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas and is the co-author of the award-winning book Smart Girls in the 21st Century. Her work focuses on human development, positive psychology, and spiritual intelligence, drawing deeply from the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Robyn is a coach, speaker, and advocate who enjoys hiking in Sedona with her husband and their dog, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook Your 90-min IntensiveKnown. 90-min private intensive

Loop in your teens! Get some life advice from Meredith Walker who founded Smart Girls with Amy Poehler in Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice and then laugh along with Adam Mansbach whose unorthodox parenting “advice” has gotten me through a lot. Now he's back with Go the F*** to College.** If you enjoy recommending things you love and even earning from it, you have to become a creator on ShopMy! You'll be able to see that your recommendations matter. Click my referral code here to learn more! ***** Want another secret podcast? If you sign up for my Z.I.P. Membership program, you'll get access to an exclusive podcast called Zibby's Show Notes, the behind-the-scenes of everything! Head to zibbyowens.com/subscribe to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicole is joined by journalist and podcast host Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, for a crossover episode! This is a shame-free conversation about the money questions we're all holding in, starting with perhaps the most loaded one of all: should you buy a home? Nicole breaks down the 5% rule for renting vs. buying, why she personally chose not to buy, and how to strip the emotion out of a decision that's usually anything but. She also answers common questions about debt, HSAs, growing generational wealth and more. Plus, Nayeema and Nicole talk about which expenses are worth going into debt for, and what Mark Cuban told Nayeema about how money can make you feel poorer the wealthier you become. Listen to Nayeema's podcast Smart Girl, Dumb Questions Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram Here's what Nicole covers with Nayeema:  00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?  01:17 Nicole's Controversial Take on Homeownership  04:44 The 5% Rule: Rent vs. Buy Math  08:37 Why Nicole Chose to Rent (And Invest the Difference)  12:30 How the LA Fires Changed Nicole's Relationship to Home  17:00 Not All Debt Is Created Equal: Good Debt vs. Bad Debt  20:02 What Rich People Know About Leverage  24:03 How Nicole Got Into (and Out of) Credit Card Debt  25:51 Avalanche vs. Snowball: Which Debt Payoff Method Wins?  28:09 The Shame Cycle Keeping People Stuck in Debt  29:18 The Debt Game: What's Worth It?  34:35 Investing in Your 20s: Nicole's Biggest Regret  36:27 Nicole's Daughter's Investment Portfolio  37:15 HSAs, 401(k)s, and Where to Put Your Money First  38:39 How Do You Know If You're Rich?  41:26 Mark Cuban on How Money Can Make You Feel Poorer  42:34 Nicole's "Dumb" Question  All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay introduces an ancient Catholic practice that completely reframes what meditation is actually for. Drawing from her return to Catholicism and her discovery of Ignatian meditation, she explores what it means to stop chasing outcomes in your spiritual practice and simply be with God instead.This episode explores:What Ignatian meditation is and where it comes fromHow to use biblical imagination to insert yourself into scriptureWhy this form of meditation offers no big aha momentThe difference between meditation for outcomes and meditation for communionHow the wellness industry keeps us chasing spiritual highs that never lastThe Catholic practice of offering your suffering as a prayerWhy allowing is not passive but an active choice to make meaningHow Ignatian meditation differs from mindfulness and guided meditationWhat it means to be an active participant in your own healing and spiritual growthYou have been trying to let go. What if the move is not just to release it, but to actively offer it, and trust that it has been received?Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychologist and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.A PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas, Robyn's academic formation is rooted in vocational psychology and the psychology of gifted and talented people across the lifespan—a body of work she contributed to as co-author of the award-winning Smart Girls in the 21st Century: Understanding Talented Girls and Women (2014). That foundation extends into positive psychology, creativity research, and optimal human development, and culminates in the study of spiritual intelligence. Where mainstream wellness culture borrows loosely from spiritual concepts, Robyn draws from a more exacting source—the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition, and the saints who mapped the interior life long before psychology had a name for it.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate trainings, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook Your KNOWN 90-min Intensivehttps://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/known

What do we really mean when we tell young people to "be yourself"? In this episode, Tricia Friedman speaks with Meredith Walker, co-founder of Smart Girls with Amy Poehler and author of Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice. Together, they question one of the most common phrases young people hear from adults: "be yourself." It sounds kind. It sounds simple. But for many young people, especially those still figuring out who they are, the advice can feel vague, confusing, or even impossible. Meredith invites us to slow down and ask better questions. What does it mean to become yourself? How do young people sort through the noise of expectation, comparison, performance, and pressure? And how can adults offer support that feels more useful than a slogan? The conversation also explores one of Meredith's favorite mottos: "get your hair wet." It is an invitation to join in, to stop waiting until everything looks perfect, and to enter the messy, joyful, human parts of life. For educators, caregivers, and anyone who works alongside young people, this episode is a reminder that becoming yourself is not a polished final product. It is a practice. In this episode, you'll hear about: How Meredith Walker thinks about the phrase "be yourself" Why some well-meaning advice can leave young people without enough guidance What adults can do instead of offering vague encouragement How Smart Girls has helped shape conversations about curiosity, courage, and identity Why "getting your hair wet" is a powerful metaphor for participation, joy, and self-discovery How young people can begin defining identity on their own terms  

In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay sits down with Tamara Thompson, co-founder of Broadcast Your Authority and Women Unlocking Wealth, to discuss identity, intuition, and transformation. Tamara shares her journey from addiction and reinvention to building a multi-million-dollar business, revealing how trusting her inner knowing shaped her path.This Episode explores:• Tamara's journey from addiction to entrepreneurial success • Why honesty and integrity create aligned action • The power of intuition, discernment, and letting go • How identity and relationships shape your growth • The impact of midlife hormonal changes on decision-making • Using inner wisdom to navigate uncertainty • What Tamara and Dr. Robyn are building through Women Unlocking WealthYour soul already knows the way—the challenge is learning to trust it.Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Tamara Thompson is the CEO, and co-founder of Broadcast Your Authority™ and Women Unlocking Wealth, and a trusted consultant to high-performing entrepreneurs. Known as “The Connector,” she has helped build and grow an eight-figure podcast and content marketing agency. She is also an active investor in 33 companies. Today, she mentors CEOs and experts on turning their message into a market-leading platform.Connect with Tamara Thompson!Website: https://www.broadcastyourauthority.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarathompsonofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarathompson-serioustakepro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirectorTamaraT/ X: https://x.com/_tamarathompson TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tamarathompsonofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@broadcastyourauthority About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychologist and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.Dr. Robyn McKay holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas and is the co-author of the award-winning book Smart Girls in the 21st Century. Her work integrates vocational psychology, positive psychology, human development, and spiritual intelligence, drawing deeply from the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate training, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook Your KNOWN 90-min Intensive:https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/known

The protein fix for women over 40 that doesn't require tracking, measuring, or losing your mind. Most protein advice was literally designed to make you fail. And the studies it's based on? Done on young athletic men. Not you. What nobody tells you about protein in midlife, the real talk on why you're not absorbing it, how much you actually need, and the fix that doesn't require an app or a food scale. Chalene Johnson spent years obsessing over macros, scanning every package, and still feeling like she was failing every single day. At 57, she's leaner than she was when she was exercising four to five hours a day. She doesn't track. She doesn't restrict. And she finally understands why none of that old stuff was ever going to work. Here's what most protein advice leaves out. Once you're in perimenopause or menopause, your body stops producing the same digestive enzymes. It literally can't break down protein the way it used to. So even if you're hitting your numbers, you're probably not absorbing what you think you are. This is called anabolic resistance, and it changes everything. Why the protein studies everyone quotes were done on young athletic men, not you Why feeling bloated and gassy after eating protein is not a coincidence Why women in midlife actually need more protein than they did at 35, not less Why processed protein products are creating inflammation and working against you Chalene also shares her Smart Girl method for eyeballing protein without a label, app, or calculator, the digestive enzyme tip that was a total game changer, and the one habit every woman she knows who looks amazing at 50, 60, and 70 actually does.  

Send us Fan MailMeredith Walker has spent her career helping tell stories that make us laugh, think, and occasionally spit coffee across the room.She's an award-winning television producer who worked during what I personally consider one of the greatest eras of Saturday Night Live—an era that gave us unforgettable characters, legendary sketches, and enough quotable moments to survive every awkward family gathering ever since.But that's just the beginning.She is also the co-founder of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls alongside her best friend, chosen sister, and podcast royalty herself, Amy Poehler. Amy even wrote the foreword to Meredith's brand-new book released earlier this month—Today we're talking about friendship, creativity, storytelling, building communities around vulnerability, humor and grace. And Yall know we need more of ALL THREE.So grab a beignet... if you're lucky enough, pour yourself a cup of CDM coffee, and try not to accidentally audition for Saturday Night Live while listening. lolol #guiltyBe Yourself and Other Bad Advice: A Teen Girl's Guide to Unlearning the RulesBeing a teen girl can be confusing and frustrating—luckily Meredith Walker created this guide to show how to dig deep, find what's important to you, and use that authenticity to make the world a better place.                                                   Published by our friends at Workman Pub Kids.From us and our friends at Cafe Du Monde, it's my pleasure to welcome producer, author, storyteller, and all-around force of nature…Meredith Walker! ☕

In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay takes a deep and discerning look at the angelic realm, spiritual guidance, and the very real need for clarity about who we are actually communicating with. Drawing from her clinical background, her own spiritual journey, and the teachings of Father Ripperger and Doreen Virtue, she offers a grounded framework for navigating the spiritual landscape with wisdom, intention, and peace.This episode explores:How to discern your guardian angel's voice from other influencesWhy free will is the real spiritual battlefieldThe felt sense of peace as a signal of true divine guidanceWhy impulsive, exciting spiritual promptings deserve more scrutinyThe three biblically confirmed archangels and why that distinction mattersDoreen Virtue's conversion and what it reveals about the wider spiritual spaceWhy not everything that calls itself angelic actually isHow to use your guardian angel as a trusted advisor in your career and lifeProtecting your spiritual life from deception and darkness in disguiseThe most sophisticated spiritual practice is not the newest one or the most exciting one. It is knowing exactly who you are talking to and exactly why they were placed in your life.Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychology and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.A PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas, Robyn's academic formation is rooted in vocational psychology and the psychology of gifted and talented people across the lifespan—a body of work she contributed to as co-author of the award-winning Smart Girls in the 21st Century: Understanding Talented Girls and Women (2014). That foundation extends into positive psychology, creativity research, and optimal human development, and culminates in the study of spiritual intelligence. Where mainstream wellness culture borrows loosely from spiritual concepts, Robyn draws from a more exacting source—the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition, and the saints who mapped the interior life long before psychology had a name for it.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate training, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook Your KNOWN 90-min Intensive:https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/known

In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay explores the distinction between your guardian angel and the wider spiritual guides many of us have been taught to seek. Drawing from the teachings of Catholic exorcist Father Chad Ripperger and her own journey back to Catholicism, Dr. Robyn shares why coming home to your guardian angel is the most grounded and trustworthy spiritual practice available to you.This episode explores:Why a third of the angels fell and what they becameHow your guardian angel was created specifically for youHow guardian angels communicate through your imaginationHow demons access your imagination and why discernment mattersHow to know who is really speaking to youOur guardian angel knows us better than almost anyone except God. Learning to listen is where healing begins.Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychologist and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.A PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas, Robyn's academic formation is rooted in vocational psychology and the psychology of gifted and talented people across the lifespan—a body of work she contributed to as co-author of the award-winning Smart Girls in the 21st Century: Understanding Talented Girls and Women (2014). That foundation extends into positive psychology, creativity research, and optimal human development, and culminates in the study of spiritual intelligence. Where mainstream wellness culture borrows loosely from spiritual concepts, Robyn draws from a more exacting source—the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition, and the saints who mapped the interior life long before psychology had a name for it.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate trainings, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook your KNOWN 90-min Intensive:https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/known

Virginia's new gun law isn't just controversial — it's a full-blown Second Amendment firestorm. Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed sweeping gun control legislation targeting so-called “assault weapons” and large-capacity magazines, and now Virginia is staring down a legal and political battle that could have national consequences. We're talking AR-15s, constitutional rights, Supreme Court precedent, and […]

Fairfax County voters are getting a front-row seat to what happens when sanctuary policies collide with public safety. In this episode, we break down Steve Descano's explosive Capitol Hill testimony, where Republican lawmakers grilled the Fairfax County prosecutor over his approach to illegal immigration, criminal justice, and sentencing. We also look at the heartbreaking story […]

Being a teen girl can be confusing and frustrating—luckily, Meredith Walker , brings us BE YOURSELF AND OTHER BAD ADVICE. Co-founder of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, an organization that is dedicated to young people cultivating their authentic selves through online community, Walker has created a funny, interactive self-help book to show young people how to dig deep, find what's important to you, and use that authenticity to make the world a better place. Teen girls learn rules all the time, even if many of them go unsaid. Be yourself! But don't be weird! Hustle hard—your future depends on it! You're only young once—enjoy it! But no one talks about the life skill they need to navigate all those rules: how to think for themselves.   As the co-founder of Smart Girls and producer for Nick News Meredith Walker has spent years speaking directly to young people and leading workshops for teen girls. Now she's written a witty guide for teen girls to discover who they are, feel their feelings, develop their confidence—and figure out what to do next. Compact, insightful, and full of warm big-sisterly advice, Be Yourself and Other Bad Advice is for any reader letting go of the old rules.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

What if the healing process itself is keeping you stuck? In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay challenges the structure of the wellness industry and invites you to consider what comes after healing: integration, identity, and creation.This episode explores:The healing industrial complex and the loop it createsWhy emotions are not the only indicator of your healing progressHow consciousness gets fragmented through trauma and how it is restoredThe three pillars: retrieval, integration, and creationHow to recognize when you are ready to graduate from healingWhat it means to come home to yourself and your identityHealing was always meant to be a path, not a destination. When you understand that, something shifts -- and you finally have permission to stop processing and start creating the life you were designed for.Your healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning psychologist and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.A PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas, Robyn's academic formation is rooted in vocational psychology and the psychology of gifted and talented people across the lifespan—a body of work she contributed to as co-author of the award-winning Smart Girls in the 21st Century: Understanding Talented Girls and Women (2014). That foundation extends into positive psychology, creativity research, and optimal human development, and culminates in the study of spiritual intelligence. Where mainstream wellness culture borrows loosely from spiritual concepts, Robyn draws from a more exacting source—the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition, and the saints who mapped the interior life long before psychology had a name for it.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate trainings, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataBook your KNOWN Intensive:https://robyn-mckay.myflodesk.com/known

Virginia Democrats' gerrymander scheme just blew up — but the story may not be over. In this episode, we break down 7 hard truths about the failed Virginia redistricting push, the so-called “lobster map,” and the national Democratic machine behind it. From Hakeem Jeffries and Barack Obama weighing in, to dark money groups flooding Virginia, […]

Here's what nobody tells high-achieving women about healing: it isn't harder because you're damaged or because you're bad at it. It's harder because you've been treating your exhaustion like a personal failure. It's not—it's data.In this episode, Dr. Robyn McKay explores why emotional healing looks and feels different for high-achieving women, what burnout is actually signaling, and why returning to what you've always done is never the real answer.This episode covers:Why accomplished women approach burnout as another problem to solveThe two nervous system types common in high-achieving womenHow to distinguish what truly belongs to you from environmental factorsThe overlooked, hidden cause of burnoutWhy your perceived weaknesses pinpoint your next breakthroughThe deeper meaning of burnout recoveryHow your personality provides crucial data for your healing journeyLinkedIn: Robyn McKay, PhDFacebook: Dr. Robyn McKayInstagram: @burnoutisdataTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdataYour healing potential isn't blocked—it's simply misdirected. Understanding exactly where you are in the journey from burnout and moral injury toward identity, authorship, and calling is crucial. That's why I've created the KNOWN 90-minute Personality Intensive—to give you precise clarity on your personality and the next right steps in your healing.Book your KNOWN session here →Love what you're hearing? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts!About Dr. Robyn McKayDr. Robyn McKay is an award-winning counselor and authority on spiritual intelligence, informed by Catholic mysticism and counseling psychology. Her work bridges clinical rigor, personality research, and identity-level transformation.With more than 20 years of practice and study, she is known for helping gifted, high-functioning women read burnout as information rather than failure, accurately name moral injury, reclaim original identity, and return to work as calling—the co-creative contribution they were made for.A PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas, Robyn's academic formation is rooted in vocational psychology and the psychology of gifted and talented people across the lifespan—a body of work she contributed to as co-author of the award-winning Smart Girls in the 21st Century: Understanding Talented Girls and Women (2014). That foundation extends into positive psychology, creativity research, and optimal human development, and culminates in the study of spiritual intelligence. Where mainstream wellness culture borrows loosely from spiritual concepts, Robyn draws from a more exacting source—the Catholic intellectual and mystical tradition, and the saints who mapped the interior life long before psychology had a name for it.Robyn advises high-EQ executives and leaders at Fortune 500 companies, as well as elite performers in entrepreneurship, sports, and entertainment. She is sought after for her ability to meet people where they are—and for her discernment in navigating the intersection of ambition, identity, and calling.Her work is delivered through private retainers, intensives, keynote addresses, corporate trainings, and small group labs. Outside of her practice, she is an advocate and steward for wild horses, and can most often be found hiking the red rocks of Sedona with her husband of ten years and their goldendoodle, Cooper Mack.Connect with Dr. Robyn McKay:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynmckay1Instagram: https://instagram.com/burnoutisdataFacebook: https://facebook.com/robynmckayphdTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnoutisdata

Virginia Democrats thought they had this one in the bag — until the Supreme Court of Virginia hit the brakes. In a stunning one-sentence order, SCOVA refused to let Attorney General Jay Jones rush forward with certifying Virginia's controversial redistricting referendum, dealing a major blow to the Left's gerrymander power grab. And while the ruling […]

Virginia's gerrymandering fight is exploding in Virginia politics, and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is here to break down the legal battle over Virginia redistricting, the controversial referendum, the Virginia Supreme Court, and the constitutional problems surrounding the Democrats' heavily gerrymandered congressional map. We get into the election law showdown, the court challenge, the […]

Virginia's gerrymandering fight just ripped the mask off. In a state that's still politically divided, Democrats are pushing maps that could lock in nearly 90% Democrat representation, and a lot of Virginians are waking up to what looks like a straight-up power grab. In this episode, we break down the Virginia redistricting vote, the legal […]

Virginia's redistricting fight is exposing what a lot of voters already suspect: this was never about “fairness.” In this episode, we break down Tim Kaine's jaw-dropping admission, the gerrymandering battle rocking Virginia, and why Democrats are fighting so hard to redraw the map in their favor. From legal challenges to media spin to the bigger […]

Virginia voters, this should make your blood boil. In this episode, I break down the shocking move by Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Virginia Democrats to sign Virginia into the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact — a move that could mean Virginia's electoral votes go to the national popular vote winner, even if Virginians voted for […]

Virginia gun control is escalating fast, and if you care about the Second Amendment, gun rights, assault weapons bans, magazine bans, or your constitutional freedoms, this is an episode you need to hear. What's happening in Virginia right now could become the model for anti-gun lawmakers across the country, and law-abiding gun owners are directly […]

Abigail Spanberger is moving fast on gun control in Virginia, and gun owners have every reason to pay attention. In this episode, we break down Spanberger's gun control agenda, the Virginia assault weapons ban, and the sweeping anti-Second Amendment legislation that could change life for law-abiding citizens across the Commonwealth. If you care about gun […]

Unlock the shocking truth behind Virginia's political chaos in this eye-opening episode. Abigail Spanberger, once hailed as a “moderate Democrat,” is exposed as a far-left radical with ambitions that threaten your safety and freedoms. You'll discover how her flip-flops on critical issues like gerrymandering, crime, and gun laws reveal the dangerous game of federal power […]

If you missed the dramatic details behind one of the boldest rescue missions in recent history — a story that combines daring, deception, and unwavering loyalty in the face of Iran's turbulence – we've got you covered. Imagine a rescue so secretive that Iran thought they had the location of a downed airman, only to […]

Many “conservative” voices in the podcast world have turned into chaos merchants, chasing clicks and clout rather than truth. Think Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly. But there's a growing movement of genuine, honest voices that are cutting through the noise— voices who refuse to pander to the latest trends or youth-obsessed fads. In […]

As we wrap up March and Women's History Month, remember that women and girls are still making history today and changing the world. I want to highlight a few modern sheroes in hopes that they will inspire you to pursue your passions:Shanya Gill, invented a fire detection system to warn of house firesCatherine Drysdale, the first woman to win the Antarctic Ice MarathonTejasvi Manoj, created a website and app to protect seniors from online scamsBohlale Mphahlele, invented the “Alerting Earpiece” to protect women and girls from attackersCécile Hernandez, the oldest medallist ever in Para snowboardJordan Sucato, raised money to protect homeless dogs' paws from the heatMckenna “Mak” Whitham, the youngest player in National Women's Soccer League historyMadhvi Chittoor, helped pass legislation to protect people from PFAs.   .   .A full transcript of this episode is available in the 10 for Teens + Tweens Ep. 146 show notes on EmpowerfulGirls.com.

This episode takes a hard look at the dangerous consequences of policies that put teenage girls at risk in the name of politics and ideology. I break down the disturbing case of a 19-year-old illegal immigrant who was allowed to remain in a Fairfax County high school and is accused of groping at least nine […]

Showrunner, producer and all around news polymath Nayeema Raza on her hit pod "Smart Girl Dumb Questions." We discussed finding her voice; journalism and foreign affairs during Trump II; and the inspiration she draws from her late father's curiosity and generosity.

Sazan visits LA and opens the Beauty Hotline with someone she's trusted for nearly a decade — Dr. Zara of Zavant Aesthetics. This conversation is for the women who want to age well… without going overboard.They're breaking down:• Botox do's and don'ts• Where to start in your 30s and 40s• Beginner treatments that won't change your face• How to choose a safe injector• What's worth it — and what's notPlus, the Beauty Hotline is open! They'll answer listener questions about beauty standards, aging like a queen, and what's actually worth investing in.LINKSIFN Hotline: hereWatch on video: hereFollow Zara on IG: @doc.zaraFollow us on Instagram: @imfunnow.podcastFollow Saz on Instagram: @SazanVisit the website: here Shop Sazan's Amazon Storefront: here I'm Fun Now finds: hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we're playing you an episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, a show hosted by journalist and frequent Open to Debate guest moderator Nayeema Raza. She speaks to Andrew Ross Sorkin about some highly-debated topics, from a looming market crash to AI battles to … whether we actually learned anything from past recessions (especially that one in 2008!).  Get more Smart Girl Dumb Questions on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts. Nayeema has compelling conversations with Mark Cuban on if billionaires can save us, Paul Krugman about whether we're counting the economy wrong, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye about what happened to expertise and science guys and Esther Perel on why it's harder to fall in love in 2020s vs the 1980s. Guaranteed to make you laugh & learn every Tuesday.  For more insightful conversation, visit Open to Debate's Substack—share your perspectives and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow Open to Debate on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.  We also highly recommend Andrew Ross Sorkin's bestselling book 1929. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we're discussing things we watched together in January: The Traitors UK, Heated Rivalry and musicals Hercules, and Just For One Day. Caitlin also talks about The Devil Wears Prada and The Mousetrap.For your convenience, here's everything else we mentioned in this episode:Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances and The Love Contract by Steph VizardCaitlin's rom-com recommendations The Work and Seed by Bri Lee (our interview)Do We Deserve This? by Elinor Elliot Thomas (our interview)The Unexpected Mess of It All by Gabrielle TozerThis Stays Between UsEras: ABBA (BBC podcast)Enjoyed this episode? Please share it with a bookish friend to help spread the word.We've ⁠got a Substack publication⁠. At the end of the month, we share recommendations for two things we reckon you should read/watch/listen to. The beauty of Substack is you can revisit all our old editions and comment on our episode updates to share your thoughts. ⁠Come say hi!⁠Connect with us on Instagram: ⁠@betterwordspod

Choice Classic Radio presents The Whistler, which aired from 1942 to 1955. Today we bring to you the episode titled "Smart Girl.” Please consider supporting our show by becoming a patron at http://choiceclassicradio.com We hope you enjoy the show!

Subscribe to our Substack for full, linked shownotes: https://thatromcompod.substack.com/BookRiot's reading logAustralian Society of Authors free webinar: Understanding readers and their habits, with Australia ReadsDymocks Sydney Books in Bars Valentine's Day romance author panel with Karina May, Josh Hortinela, Natalie Murray, Leesa Ronald and Amy Andrews. Save the date – Thursday, February 12, 2026Dangerously Modern Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940 at The Art Gallery of NSW until 15 February 2026 (Spotify Playlist, Coffee table bookOne Golden Summer, Carly Fortune (2025)Love & Other Scores, Abra Pressler (2023)After the Siren, Darcy Green (2025)Power Moves, Leesa Ronald (2025)Engaged, Apparently, Amy Andrews (Coming January 2026)In Spite Of You, Patrick Lenton (2025)Hate You to Love You, Josh Hortinela (Coming September 2026)Heart the Lover, Lily King (2025)Table for One, Emma Gannon (2025)Chosen Family, Madeline Gray (2025)A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances, Steph Vizard (2025)Lights, Camera, Love, Natalie Murray (2025)Love Overdue, Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus (2025)Your Friend and Mine, Jessica Dettmann (2025)Ghosted, Amy Hutton (2025)The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial, Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein (2025)Chosen Family, Madeline Gray (2025)The Hiding Place, Kate Mildenhall (2025)Heart the Lover, Lily King (2025)The Heir Apparent, Rebecca Armitage (2025)The Light Years, Elizabeth Jane Howard (2024)How to End A Story, Collected Diaries, Helen Garner (2025)Everyone and Everything re-read, Nadine J. Cohen (2023)Almost Life, Kiran Millwood Hargrave (2026)Consider Yourself Kissed, Jessica Stanley (2024)Better Than the Real Thing, Brooke Crawford (2026)When the Party's Over, Katie Hoskins (2026)Writers and Lovers, Lily King (2021)Loved One, Aisha Muharrar (2025)The Time After Now, Anne Freeman (2026)Side Character Energy, Olivia Tolich (February, 2026)The Boyfriend Clause, Bridie Blake (March, 2026)People We Meet on Vacation premieres 9 January on Netflix!Recorded on Gadigal land. | Editing: Joshua Broadbent, Marker Creative Co. | @thatromcompod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE end of year checklist to set yourself up for success in 2026, the hidden ways we self-sabotage our goals & how to finally become a morning girly with the Habit Tracker queen Bec Stewart. Plus, Bec shares a hack to help you kick your phone addiction that has completely rocked our world.

This week on Planetary Radio, we’re sharing a special conversation from our friends at the Smart Girl Dumb Questions podcast. Host Nayeema Raza sits down with The Planetary Society’s Chief of Space Policy, Casey Dreier, to explore one of the most common questions in space exploration: Why does space matter, and is it really worth the cost? Casey breaks down how space exploration impacts daily life, from GPS and weather forecasting to cutting-edge technologies and scientific discoveries that could reshape our future. Together, Nayeema and Casey unpack the big ideas behind NASA’s ~$25 billion budget at a moment when U.S. national priorities are shifting. Stick around after the interview for a special U.S. Thanksgiving-week edition of What’s Up with Chief Scientist Bruce Betts. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-smart-girl-dumb-questionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're sharing a very special episode, and I'm actually the one being interviewed! I was a guest on Nayeema's show, Smart Girl Dumb Questions, where we talked through all her big beauty questions like: “Is preventative botox real?” or “What is salmon sperm and why is it in my skincare?” Tune in for a fun conversation between Nayeem and me, and follow Smart Girl Dumb Questions on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.I'll be back next week with a brand new episode! Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you're listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :) Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topicShop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelfStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Nayeema @nayeemaraza Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever catch yourself staring at your overstuffed closet thinking, “How did I spend so much and still feel like I have nothing to wear?” Or scrolling your Amazon order history and realizing half of it is basically regret with free shipping? You're not alone — and you're definitely not the only one tossing money at quick fixes that don't last. In this episode of Everyone's Talkin' Money, Shari breaks down the timeless truth behind “buy it right or buy it twice.” We're tossing out the guilt and rewriting your spending strategy — because you deserve purchases that actually hold up and hold meaning. From shoes that save your back to greeting cards that should never cost seven bucks, this episode is your permission slip to blend value and values, spend intentionally, and stop wasting your money on stuff you secretly hate. You'll walk away knowing:  Where it makes sense to splurge so you're not replacing junk every year  When “cheap and cheerful” is actually the smarter move  How to build a personal spending filter you'll actually stick with  Why buying better is really about your future self — not the price tag Ready to spend with confidence and stop the “buy it twice” cycle? Press play — your wallet will thank you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello! Welcome to/back to the Doll Mom Podcast! In this episode, I have on Nancy Holyoke! Ms. Holyoke has written several of A Smart Girl's Guide advice books and was the founding editor of the American Girl Magazine! In this episode, Ms. Holyoke discusses how she became an author for American Girl and why she wanted to become an author in general. We also discuss the behind-the-scenes process of writing books for American Girl. Later, we talk about how she was the founding editor of the American Girl magazine and what her role entailed! Thank you so much, Nancy, for coming on the Doll Mom Podcast! I really appreciate it and had SO much fun making this episode with you! Be sure to check out the tenth edition of A Smart Girl's Guide: Drama, Rumors & Secrets! Feel free to check me out as well!My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dolliesandrainbows/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/dolliesandrainbows/?sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Tiktok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dolliesandrainbows⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Make sure that you are following the Doll Mom Podcast on different platforms!Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dollmompodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dollmompodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thank you SO much for listening!! I appreciate you listening to this episode of the Doll Mom Podcast!~Mal

The title fits, but not necessarily for the reasons you imagine. Barbara Leigh grew up in Wisconsin where she attended college and had a successful career. She tells us about her life and discusses getting married, having two children and over time watching her life choices basically and totally destroy her self esteem.   Barbara tells us how she, while growing up, was constantly described as a “smart girl”. She helped many figure out answers and learned along the way how to observe and research to learn whatever she needed to know. In 1995 when the internet was just coming into our sphere of experience, Barbara learned about it and created web pages and websites for the nonprofit for which she worked. Even with all the technical knowledge she amassed it took many years before she realized that even with all her smarts she was becoming a person who was being reshaped by a partner with his own low esteem and who constantly blamed her for everything that went wrong.   Eventually Barbara realized that something was wrong and began to look in ernest at her life and behavior. She realized that she had to make choices and regain her own self confidence and constructive view of herself. She changed her life and outlook and began growing again emotionally. Barbara tells us about her journey and even includes lessons she learned and wants to pass on to others.   In 2024 Barbara wrote and published her book, “Why Smart Girls Get Into Bad Relationships and How Not To Do It Again”. She is quick to point out that the book is not just for women. It is for anyone who may be facing a “bad relationship”. Barbara shares nine conclusions and thoughts from the book that illustrate why her writings can be so important for so many.   This episode is full of many great life lessons and observations. I do hope you not only enjoy it, but that you also gain some positive life choice ideas from it.     About the Guest:   Barbara Leigh grew up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin and was considered in school to be a smart girl. She was not the type to get in trouble or make bad decisions. She was involved in lots of activities and did well in school.   She went off to Ripon College where she majored in Speech Communication and worked in the library. After graduation, she got a job in a library at a nonprofit. While working toward a Masters in Library and Information Science at UW-Milwaukee in 1995, she was taking an online searching class and was recruited to build a web site for her employer, being one of only a few employees that had even heard of the World Wide Web.   From there, Barbara built a career as a web developer and eventually moved to online learning and LMS integrations. In each career step she moved toward content, but eventually was directed back to the technical.   In the midst of all that, Barbara got married and had two children. She entered and contributed to bad relationships in her marriage, career and family until one day she decided to just stop. She has spent the last twenty years figuring out what it means to stop, how to continue living, and how to do it better. In 2024, she published a book, Why Smart Girls Get Into Bad Relationships and How Not To Do It Again, and in 2025, she took early retirement to get fully into content and do more writing. She currently writes the Helpfulmess blog which posts weekly. Ways to connect with Barbara:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbaraleighauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbaraleighauthor Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/barbaraleighauthor.bsky.social Website: https://www.barbaraleighauthor.com     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hello, everyone, wherever you happen to be today, around the world or in space, whatever the case happens to be, we're all in space anyway, so I guess that counts for something. But I'm really glad that you are here, and we're really going to have, I think, an interesting conversation today, because we, we have a person who has written an interesting book, at least. I think it's an interesting book. The title of the book is, why do smart girls get into bad relationships, and how to and how not to do it again. I think that's an interesting title. Smart Girls, I gotta say, though, Barbara, who is our guest, Barbara Leigh, I don't know. I think they're more than smart girls that get into bad relationships or just do dumb things. I don't know. Why is it that most people do dumb things, but that's a different story, and probably not what we're really going to cover today. But anyway, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset, and we're glad you're   Barbara Leigh ** 02:19 here. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Appreciate   Michael Hingson ** 02:23 it. Yeah, well, it is probably true. Why do, why do so many people get into challenges? Ah, but we cope with what we have to right? Yes, we do. Well. Well, I'm glad you're here. Thanks for for being here and being on unstoppable mindset. Really looking forward to having a chance to really chat. Why don't we start? If we can by you telling us a little bit about kind of the early Barbara growing up and all that. Alright, well, I grew up. How's that for a great way to start.   Barbara Leigh ** 02:52 That's a great, great way to start. I grew up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin. I had two brothers and a sister, mom and dad and, you know, cats and a dog and cows. I lived in a small community. Everybody knew each other. Nothing really exciting about my childhood. I was in 4h and I was in lots of activities in school. I did great in school, and I was wildly shy as a small child, but I managed to get comfortable enough with that by being a 4h officer and being in in leadership positions in the activities that I was in. I went to off to college in Ripon, and I been busy working on being me ever since,   Michael Hingson ** 03:56 well, so you, you, you don't sound like you're very shy today,   Barbara Leigh ** 04:06 like I said, I tried to get past that. I'm still wildly introverted, but I'm at least, you know, able to speak in public. That's a   Michael Hingson ** 04:15 start. Well, that's a good you know, I'm I've always been amazed, and I hear it so often that the top fear today is public speaking. And I've never really, I know it's me, but I've never understood why it is, because I've always been somewhat used to doing it, but I think that people approach public speaking oftentimes with kind of the wrong idea, because I find that if people fear it, what they're really saying is they're afraid of the audience and what the audience might do. But I find that audiences generally don't tend to really want to view a speaker as being bad. They want speaker. To succeed. So it's always been a puzzlement to be as to why people are afraid of public speaking.   Barbara Leigh ** 05:07 Yeah, that is true. I was a Speech Communication major in college, and had to take public speaking as a course, and we had a guy in there that was just shook. His whole body. Shook it when he started out, and he by the end of the course, he was the best speaker there. I think he just needed to practice doing it and find out it's not so bad.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 Well, what did he do? What do you have any notion of what what really eliminated his fear?   Barbara Leigh ** 05:41 I think he just got better each time. I think it really was just just getting up in front of people and finding out, yeah, they aren't gonna do anything. They're trying to do the same thing as me. They're trying to learn public speaking, and they're fine.   Michael Hingson ** 05:56 That's cool. Well, I know when I was a program director at our campus radio station at UC Irvine, I wanted everyone to listen to their their own shows. So we we wanted them to record the shows which they wouldn't do. So the engineer and I arranged for that to get done, and we made people listen to their shows, take the cassettes home and listen to them. And as I think about it, I think that probably more often than not, some of these people were in radio because they didn't have to stand up in front of an audience, and they didn't think about being in front of an audience and speaking so much. And so they did what they did, but when they were compelled, if you will, to listen to themselves, they got better. And they got better because they then heard what everybody else is hearing, and they taught themselves that they could really do better than than they thought they were doing, and that they thought that they could do. And I think that really makes a lot of difference. And some of those people actually ended up going into broadcasting as a as a career,   Barbara Leigh ** 07:01 that's great. Yeah, it really is. It's just a matter of getting used to your own voice. I mean, some people just really got annoyed, I guess is the word at their own voice, and they were like, I don't sound like that. Well, you don't sound like yourself inside your head. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 07:27 yeah. I know that when I hear myself talk, I do know that I sound different than I think I sound. And so again, that's part of what I work on. When I listen to recorded speeches, and I listen to what I say and how I say it, because I know what audiences like when they hear a speaker, so it gives me something to work toward. And that's a good thing. Yeah. So it is kind of fun. So you went off to school, you were in high school and all that and and did what? What people do in high school, I assume,   Barbara Leigh ** 08:07 yep, lots of groups. I was in library club and let's see Spanish club and music, musical and choir and various things. Yeah, normal stuff, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 08:23 yeah. I did some of that. I was in the science club, and there was a math club. Wasn't in too many clubs, but I was in those two and and had a lot of fun with that. So it's, it's a good thing. And then, of course, as many of us do, then you went on to college. Where did you go to college? Ripping College. I've never heard of that college,   Barbara Leigh ** 08:49 very small liberal arts college,   Michael Hingson ** 08:52 which is all the better I am. I'm a fan of smaller colleges. I read in the book David and Goliath, the guy who invented the tipping point, wrote this book, and he talks about the fact that if more people would go to small colleges, they would discover that they could actually be kind of a larger fish in a small pond, rather than being a fish that isn't necessarily as large a fish in a very large pond. So the value of people going to to places that are smaller adds a lot of value, and you do get a lot more attention. And that's why, one of the reasons I think I went to UC Irvine, we had 2200 excuse me, 2700 students when I went there. Now there are 32,000 freshmen. My gosh, I can't believe how large it is. No, it's University California, Irvine UCI, which they always say lovingly, really, truly means under construction indefinitely. They're always building new things on the college. So.   Barbara Leigh ** 10:01 Yeah, ripen is, is under 1000 students total. And   Michael Hingson ** 10:07 what did you major in? I knew all my professors. It   10:09 was great. And   Michael Hingson ** 10:10 that's, that's cool. And I did as well. I and I got to know some of them very well. Actually, a couple, one of them even came to my wedding when my wife and I got married. Some, seven or eight, well, eight years after I graduated, or, well, six years after I graduated, but he, we invited him, and he came to the wedding. So that was kind of cool. What did you major in   Barbara Leigh ** 10:33 speech communication with a religion minor? All right.   Michael Hingson ** 10:37 Wow, that's an interesting combination. Why? Why a religion minor with with that religion   Barbara Leigh ** 10:43 has always intrigued me. I guess it's I am interested in people, and religion has such a strong effect on people, and so I really just wanted to learn more about various religions and and how they work.   Michael Hingson ** 11:01 So what do you what do you think about religion and our world today, and how much of an effect it it has?   Barbara Leigh ** 11:11 It's probably very big question. Yes, yes, I have that's like, one of the ideas for one of my next books is to dig into that I'm I have several ideas of things I want to cover, and that's one of them. But, yeah, it just it floors me that there can be so much variation in people who seem to believe the same things.   Michael Hingson ** 11:44 Yeah, yeah. It is. It is fascinating. I I've said ever since escaping from the World Trade Center on September 11, that what happened, no matter what those terrorists say, was not a reflection on the whole world of Islam and the Muslim faith, those were thugs who decided that they wanted to try to make the world bend to their will, if you will, and and they they did a pretty good job for a little while, but it wasn't a religious war, because I think most Muslims are not that way. That's true, and we shouldn't demonize that religion as such, especially since we could always go back and talk about the crusades in, you know what, 1066, and so on. And if we want to talk about Christianity and what it did, yeah, the reality is, everybody tries to do things in the name of religion, and it just doesn't make sense at all. It doesn't. But people try to justify anyway, which is, which is truly unfortunate. Well, so what did you do after you got a degree?   Barbara Leigh ** 12:47 Oh, let's see. I went off to Well, I got married. There you go, after graduation, and moved to the town where my my husband was living, and we I started working at K Mart, and from there, I went to outlet mall. I was the retail store manager, and then I got my job at a nonprofit, and I've been at that nonprofit for 34 years, until I retired, just not too long ago.   Michael Hingson ** 13:24 Wow. What's the nonprofit? Or can you say   Barbara Leigh ** 13:28 it's the international foundation of employee benefit plans? Okay,   Michael Hingson ** 13:33 well, that sounds pretty useful. You were there a long time, huh? I was wow.   Barbara Leigh ** 13:39 I moved around to multiple departments, but I was able to keep growing later, so I stayed   Michael Hingson ** 13:46 so you you were there 34 years. Wow, that is a long time. What? What did you What did you learn about life being there for so long? Wow, I was out for a general question, yeah.   Barbara Leigh ** 14:06 Well, I learned, boy, so many things I have. The foundation is an Educational Association. So I learned the actual benefits. Part of it, I have a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation, but also I learned a lot about people and work environments and and getting along with people, and I learned a lot about technology when I started at the foundation the the World Wide Web was not public yet, and while I was there, I was going to graduate school at UW Milwaukee. I. For library and information science. And while I was doing that, I was taking a an online searching course. And my boss, well, I worked in the library, so my boss asked me if I would create a website for the foundation, because nobody else in the building really had even heard of the World Wide Web yet. Yeah. So I learned all about web development and programming and all of that, just because I happened to be the only one that   Michael Hingson ** 15:40 knew, and using tools like Netscape, remember Netscape? Oh, yes, absolutely,   Barbara Leigh ** 15:50 yeah, wow. So yeah, I learned a lot of that, and then from from the library, I went to it, and was in a web developer for many years, and then from it, I went to educational programs where I was working with our learning management system and the integration with with our association management system. So I was, I was doing integrations, basically and but the things that I learned in technology careers that have helped me thus far have been I was doing a lot of troubleshooting. So I would, you know, a lot of times, you know, if you're in technology, no garbage in, garbage out. So when I get to a problem, I say, you know, there's this, there's garbage coming out, or there's nothing coming out at all. And I work back word through the process to get to the source data. And learning that you finding the source data and making sure that the source data is correct is really important. So I learned about a lot about working my way through systems to find that and also making sure that the systems work. So that has helped me a lot in in my life, because when I got into the situation where I needed to write this book about I managed to work my way back to the source of of the problem. And so the the source of the problem was my beliefs about me, about relationships, about other people. And so it was really helpful for me to have that process already in place in my brain, that I could just work my way back to that and Okay, now I can start from better data.   Michael Hingson ** 18:13 Yeah, do you think that working a lot in technology and perhaps some of the other areas where you worked. Do you think that that taught you more about how to observe and look at things and better be able to analyze them and and remembering them? I just find that so often people don't observe things. And I think learning to observe is extremely important to do   Barbara Leigh ** 18:45 absolutely yes, yes, when that's that's like all of my career was observing and and like you said, analyzing, being able to put what I've observed into what I want to happen, or what I would I need to communicate with other people. I think a lot of my career was, was connecting the right people to the right either technology or the or the other people, or just get making those connections.   Michael Hingson ** 19:30 But you had to learn how to observe people and draw conclusions and get that information to make that happen.   Barbara Leigh ** 19:38 Oh yes. And, you know, it's a process, just in growing up and watching people in general. Like I said, you know, religion was, was my thing, because people fascinate me. So I I've always been a people watcher, not like, go sit at the mall and watch people, but, I mean, yeah. I just really try to understand where people are coming from. And I think once I was in a technology career, it was even more important, because a lot of times in those careers people don't expect the technology person to be able to do that, and for me, that was the most important part with understanding the people, understanding what they wanted, what they were actually saying was not exactly what they wanted, and to try to get it get to what they wanted, and then to work with the system to be able to get what they wanted to come out correctly.   Michael Hingson ** 20:53 How did you discover that? How did you discover that people weren't necessarily saying what they really wanted, or that somehow it wasn't being articulated on it. And I understand that's a really tricky sort of thing. I know in asking myself that I just kind of respond by saying, it's just something you gain from a lot of experience, but you have to think about it. But you know, what do you think   Barbara Leigh ** 21:21 exactly? It's trial and error. You keep having people ask you for one thing and then expecting something else, until you figure out that you know what that's really not what they want, and to get them to verbalize, okay, what is it you want coming out of this? Is it? It's tricky.   Michael Hingson ** 21:47 Yeah, yeah, it is and, and it is something where you got to be pretty careful about how you do it and, and to whom you you focus your attentions to make that happen. Or if you've got some people who are difficult to deal with, and again, I guess that that helps you stretch and grow and you learn how to even deal with those people a little bit better, so that they're comfortable in interacting with you.   Barbara Leigh ** 22:14 Yeah, absolutely. But a big part of my job is making people feel comfortable enough to talk to me and, you know, and a lot of times when I would get a project, I would go to the person that that's using, whatever it is, and ask them, okay, you know, where are you getting this data? What do you want it to look like? And, you know, and ask them deeper questions. And, and these are often the people who are, you know, low man on the totem pole, and don't ever get asked, but those are the people that I needed to get to to find out what you know, where things were coming from, to actually give them what was going to work for them.   Michael Hingson ** 23:10 And that's interesting. You're saying, like, the low person on the totem pole doesn't get asked, and they're the ones that would love to be asked to be able to offer their opinions, so that that opens up whole new opportunities when you convey that you're you're willing to listen, and of course, that also then deals with the whole issue of trust. Because if they tell you something and say, Well, I want this incompetence, and you have to keep it that way. Yes, absolutely, trust is, is such a fleeting thing today, even though it's all around us, everywhere we go And everywhere we look. I mean, we trust that the roofs on our houses aren't going to collapse while we're doing this interview, this well, this conversation, and we trust that the internet is going to continue to work. It might, we'll see. But, but we trust in so many ways, but yet, unfortunately, we also confront, or are confronted by situations that try to teach us not to trust and to be close to trust, which is too bad. Yeah, one of the things that, that, that I talk about, actually, in my latest book, live like a guide dog, is trust. I talk about the fact that, in general, the difference between a dog and a person is while dogs love unconditionally, and I think that's true, although they can be taught not to, obviously, but while dogs love unconditionally, they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between a dog and a person is that dogs are much more open to trust because we have just learned, or we've drawn the conclusion that we can't trust people, and so we lose that skill of being open to trust and trust. Truly learning how to determine whether we can trust any individual or not, rather than just saying we're not going to trust   Barbara Leigh ** 25:07 Right, absolutely, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 25:10 which is, you know, which is so unfortunate? Well, I'm sure you've, you've encountered that a lot.   Barbara Leigh ** 25:17 I have, indeed, and you know that's that was part of my process, was learning how to trust again. And that's a slow, slow, hard process.   Michael Hingson ** 25:31 What, what caused you to start to learn not to trust? What? What happened in your life?   Barbara Leigh ** 25:38 Okay? Well, I want to talk about it, but, well, I won't go into too deep a detail, but yeah, I I was in a relationship where, you know, I was with a very a person has low self esteem, and because of that, I would get told that things were my fault, or things were if I hadn't done this, or if anything That happened really was was somehow brought back to me and as a person with higher self esteem, I took that as my personal responsibility, rather than looking at it as no, that's really Your choice, not, not something that I could cause, and that just kept eroding away at my confidence, and it ended up with me having no self esteem whatsoever. Wow. And then we, you know, I hit a point where an event happened, and I, you know, my brain went, nope, I don't deserve that. And that's where the light switch flipped, and I was to, you know, then I started looking around and going, you know what? I didn't deserve that, either or that, and that was not about me. And so then I started to measure against that, and go, Okay, I can set up boundaries now, because this is behavior that I won't accept anymore. And I was able to start making boundaries, and I was able to start standing up for myself. And, you know, as as that process went on, I was able to, I guess, it was motivate myself just by connecting, reconnecting with that higher self esteem person that I had been earlier. And so I would, you know, it honestly took a very long time, because I was at nothing, and at that point, I made a conscious effort to be gentle with myself and to be patient with myself and to accept myself and so with those being kind to myself thoughts, that's how I was able to move forward. And like I said, moving forward started motivating me, and I was able to bring myself back up to a higher self confidence.   Michael Hingson ** 29:02 Did you get? Oh, go ahead. Oh,   Barbara Leigh ** 29:04 but yeah. The the trust being gone was a trust for not just the person I was in a relationship with, but for so many things around me because I didn't trust myself. I didn't trust what I was believing about myself.   Michael Hingson ** 29:28 Did you hate yourself?   Barbara Leigh ** 29:31 I would not say that. I would say I just didn't understand myself. I would like I said, when I got to the bottom, I was able to say, I don't deserve that, so I wouldn't say hated myself. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 29:48 that's why I asked the question, because that was my impression of what from what you were saying. It wasn't a hate or a dislike, it was a recognition of what should be and what. And then how to deal with it?   Barbara Leigh ** 30:02 Yep, I was, you know, because I got there and, you know, the light switch went on, and I was like, how did I get here? How did this even happen? You know, it just, I couldn't understand.   Michael Hingson ** 30:18 But as you, as you progressed and as you learned about yourself, and that, of course, was part of it, is that you were learning about yourself and bringing yourself back the person you had a relationship with you weren't able to to, I gather, make positive steps to get them to to be a lot better than they were.   Barbara Leigh ** 30:43 That was not my focus. My focus was no boundaries, so that they couldn't hurt me anymore,   Michael Hingson ** 30:52 right, right? It wasn't a matter of you're trying to heal them, but setting boundaries and it would have it would have been nice if they had recognized what was going on. But that was the difference, is that you recognized and they did not right.   Barbara Leigh ** 31:06 And honestly, once I got to a place where I was back to being who I felt like me, he was able to look at that and take some motivation from that, and he actually went and got help through therapy as well. So it actually turned out way better than than expected, but   Michael Hingson ** 31:41 yeah, so are you guys still married? Yes, we are. Well, there you go. Okay, and that was what I was curious about. So he he did. It wasn't you can't, you can't fix everything because people have to fix themselves. But he was able to recognize that which was, which is so cool,   Barbara Leigh ** 32:02 yeah, honestly, I moved out twice. So, I mean, like I said, I set boundaries, yeah, but we made it work. I mean, like, like I said, when I first made the change I did. I was not strong enough to move to be on my own. I just wasn't. And so, you know, I just tried to be as patient with myself as possible, and and I just kept, kept those boundaries and okay, you can't talk to me like that. That's just not going to work. And as I moved forward, he kind of came along with me   Michael Hingson ** 32:47 well, and it sounds like you're both the better for it today.   Barbara Leigh ** 32:54 Oh, absolutely, yes, we've come a long way. I wouldn't say we're perfect for sure, but   Michael Hingson ** 33:01 it's a it's a process. Yes, it is. So what does he do for work or for a living?   Barbara Leigh ** 33:08 He is a sales person for a home improvement company.   Michael Hingson ** 33:11 Ah, ah, Home Improvement. Tim, the tool man, Taylor, but that's another story. Oh, gosh. Well, that's pretty cool. And does he do well at selling?   Barbara Leigh ** 33:25 Yes, he does that. He had his own business for for many years, and so it just comes pretty naturally to him.   Michael Hingson ** 33:34 Well, at the same time, if you're going to be good at sales, you have to learn to observe and and not take things too personally sometimes as well. I learned a lot about sales when I was confronted by needing to go into sales or finding another job, and then I took a Dale Carnegie sales course, and one of my favorite observations about sales is that the best salespeople are really counselors. They're teachers. They guide you in and help you make the right decision, rather than just trying to force something on you, which doesn't mean that they're not trying to make $1 and sell products, but you can also find that your product might not be what somebody wants, and if you push them into buying it, that's going to cost to cost you in the end anyway,   Barbara Leigh ** 34:24 right? And that's why he makes a good salesman, because he was he, he did the work for for 15 years, and at at his own company, and then he went, moved to sales, and just because his body was wearing out, and for because he knows how the product works, how it goes on the house or whatever, he can explain that to the customer, and that makes it so much easier for them to understand, you know, why they need what they need, and how it works.   Michael Hingson ** 34:59 Yeah. Yeah, and I have found that the better sales people really do understand how the product works, and they take the time to keep up with things, because that's going to make them better at what they do. Yes. So now you have children. How many children?   Barbara Leigh ** 35:16 Two, girl and a boy, and how old are they? 29 and 25   Michael Hingson ** 35:23 oh, they're just kids.   35:24 They're just kids   Michael Hingson ** 35:28 and and I know if they've gone into sales just checking no okay,   Barbara Leigh ** 35:36 and have no interest in doing that, what do they do? My daughter works in customer service, and my son is Air National Guard   Michael Hingson ** 35:47 member. Oh, okay, so it's hopefully it sounds like both of them have some really decent self esteem. Yes, they they learned that along the way from the two of you, which is good, which is a positive thing, which is, which is pretty cool, yeah. So you have retired from being with a nonprofit. You said you were there for 34 years, and what caused you to retire   Barbara Leigh ** 36:17 writing this book, I was, I'm looking at writing more and, you know, doing marketing and doing all the things book has been a lot to do and work full time, yeah, so I decided to give, give it my all.   Michael Hingson ** 36:35 Did you self publish or does the publisher publish it? Okay, yeah, which makes even more of a marketing responsibility for you. Although I think publishers are pushing more for most authors to do more to market their own books, rather than the publishers helping as much as perhaps they could. But nevertheless, well, tell us about the book. Then tell us, if you would tell us about that.   Barbara Leigh ** 37:01 Oh, it's why smart girls get into bad relationships, and how not to do it again. I started out with, well, basically the book is for people who want better relationships, not just women, but I. I started out with a smart girl title, because that is something I identify with. I think of it as an identity, because a lot of books on relationships are books written from the perspective of therapists or the perspective of people who have been abused or some kind of trauma or have addictions or something like that, and that's not, that's not who I am. And so I was trying to give a voice to, you know, average people have these problems too. So the smart girl identity is more about, really, like in high school, people would you know, who didn't know me? Well, what time I yearbook? You're so smart. Or people at work, thank you for fixing that. You're so smart, right? And I believed that. And what I believed was that reasonable humans make reasonable choices, and that's not always true, and so when I wrote the book here, or actually when I when I hit the bottom and I started looking back, I was like, I don't know how I got here. So how did I get here? I went through the process. I figured out that my beliefs weren't quite right, and they sounded good, but when I actually put them to action. They really didn't work. So the book is my process of of getting from bottom of the barrel self esteem back up to high self esteem, and looking at those beliefs and rewriting them.   Michael Hingson ** 39:23 So, um, how so like some of your beliefs that that didn't work. For example,   Barbara Leigh ** 39:28 I will read you a few of them if you don't mind. Okay, so, so you get the idea of where, where this goes. So Belief number there's nine of them. Belief number one, I can trust myself became, I can trust myself when I am being honest with myself, because I was lying to myself quite a bit of the time. It turns out, number two, I am a good helpful person became, I am a good helpful person, but that is not where I find my. Value, and that kind of blew me out of the water when I figured that one out. Number three, I'm smart, but I can't appear smarter than my partner. And that's where the focus on women comes in. It's kind of looks at the social oppression of women and how that affects your beliefs. You know, if you believe that stuff so, number three, became, I am smart and I don't have to hide it. Number four, I must guard my relationship, not only from outside, but from inside to became, I must guard my own boundaries to maintain my mental health and stay true to me. Number five, it is important to keep things steady and stable became keeping things steady and stable doesn't allow me to grow. Fear blocks my growth. Embracing the uncomfortable for a time helps me become better. That one was a hard one to learn how bad number six, self care is indulgent and not a priority. Became, self care is a high priority if I don't care take care of me, I can't be good at caring for anyone else. Numbers seven, I have emotional muscle, and I can muscle through anything became I have emotional muscle and I can use it to pull out of negative thoughts. I don't need to deny my emotions or wallow in them. Just recognize them, feel them, and continue to move all the way through them, and this one kind of hits home for my daughter. My daughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 20 months, and she used her emotional muscle to muscle through her pain, because she didn't want to see the reaction of people feeling sorry for her, and so she had a lot of of using that emotional muscle to just not show people her pain and and that has been something that we've had to work on for a long time.   Michael Hingson ** 42:33 What did she discover? What did she finally do?   Barbara Leigh ** 42:37 Well, it's been a process, but she's finally actually showing her pain. She because, like she's had a cyst that burst in it. It wrapped around some things, and she couldn't tell the doctor in charge that that she was having that much pain. She she didn't make it a 10 on the pain scale. So the doctor didn't think that she was that, that these complications had happened, because most people couldn't even walk with this pain, but she could, because she's super high pain tolerance. Yeah, and, you know, she learned that she doesn't need to hide her pain, which was, which was pretty life shaking for her, and she's learned that, you know, she can actually tell her doctors, yes, I'm, I'm actually having some pain, and I I really need to have you work on this or or give me medication for this, or whatever. But, yeah, she's she's really come a long way as far as being honest with herself and with other people. Yeah, let's see. Number eight, I can rely on my smartness to figure it out became I can rely on my smartness and problem solving ability. But life isn't always logical. Sometimes I'm starting starting from a faulty belief I don't have to be perfect. It's okay to ask for help when I don't understand and get stuck. And that one it, it seems very obvious, but that one was really ingrained and kept coming up in different ways. Number nine, partial is enough, I can and should fill in. The rest became I am a whole person with my own thoughts, emotions, talents, hopes, dreams and goals. So if I want to be in a relationship, my significant other should see me as a whole person and should be a whole person themselves.   Michael Hingson ** 45:10 Wow, some pretty deep concepts, needless to say, Yeah, but by the same but by the same token, you were willing to step back and observe and think about yourself, so you were able to to create these conclusions and make these changes, which is what it's really all about?   Barbara Leigh ** 45:36 Yeah, I think that's what's different about my book, is that it's not written by a therapist or somebody who's at the other side. It's somebody who's actually in it, um, digging through it and and feeling it and it makes the, you know, it. I pulled apart the process and was, you know, you have to hit all of the things that the you know, the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, all, all of the things to hold those beliefs out of all of the different places in your life where they stuck.   Michael Hingson ** 46:23 You think that people really have to, how do I say this? Go to the bottom or hit rock bottom before they can really start to learn?   Barbara Leigh ** 46:33 I hope not.   Michael Hingson ** 46:38 You did and I but I hear it a lot you really don't know until you hit rock bottom. And I'm not sure I totally buy that. It really depends on what you're able to learn and what you're able what conclusions you're able to draw. But a lot of times hitting rock bottom, if you will, maybe emotionally at least, brings people to where they need to be. But I am with you. I hope that it isn't always that way, and it doesn't need to always be that way,   Barbara Leigh ** 47:06 right? I think there's, there's different rock bottoms, you know? It's I got to the point where I needed to learn, and I learned, and that may not be what you and I would view as rock bottom to someone else, you know, but it's, you know, I finally, I finally flip the switch. And that's, you know, somebody else may have a switch at a different level than   Michael Hingson ** 47:40 or they may not see that there's a switch to flip which is, which is all about choice, yep. So what got you started down the road of writing the book?   Barbara Leigh ** 47:54 To be honest, I never thought I would write a book that was never, you know, a big goal in life for me, and I think it's totally a God thing, because I was, you know, my my daughter's been telling me, you need to write a book. You need to write a book for, you know, years. And I was like, yeah, yeah, sure, no product. And then all of a sudden it was time to write the book. And I was like, I don't know why it's time to write the book, but it's time to write the book. And honestly, it it flowed. I mean, I had all these great ideas for a book, and they went poof out the window when I wanted to start writing. I I just kind of sketched out an outline that was terrible, and showed it to a few people, and they're like, sure, you go. And I threw it away and just started writing. And once I started writing, it, it flowed. It actually just came out. And once I was in it a little, you know, a few chapters in, then I was able to organize it and figure out what I wanted to say and make an outline. But I couldn't do any of that until I just started writing. So I don't know, it was odd. And then I gave it to my son. I gave, like, the first two, two chapters, probably, to my son, and he read it, and he pushed it back over the table at me, and said big words. And I was like, okay, so I took it and I took out all the big words, and I made it more conversational. And now everybody who who has read it and and talk to me is like, you know, it just feels like a conversation with a good friend over a cup of   Michael Hingson ** 49:57 coffee. There you go for   Barbara Leigh ** 49:59 a glass of. Wine. So that's where it   Michael Hingson ** 50:03 got, yeah, it's, it's about not preaching, but presenting and teaching in a in a non confrontive way, which is what it's really about, which is what sales is about, Yeah, but that was very observant on his part to say that, yeah,   Barbara Leigh ** 50:24 you made it so much better.   Michael Hingson ** 50:28 When I wrote thunder dog, my first book I was I wrote it with someone. We collaborated. I had worked on it for a long time, or at least worked on ideas. And then Susie Flory called one day and she wanted, she was writing her own book, and she said, Tell me your story. And after I did, she said, You should write your own book, and I'll help you do it. And she did, one of the things that we had was that the book is about being in the World Trade Center, but it's also a lot about my life. And when we got it to the editor, because her agent, who became my agent, Chip McGregor, was able to sell it to Thomas Nelson publishing, which is now part of HarperCollins. But the editor said, My problem with this book is the transitions. And kind of said, well, what do you mean? He said, Well, you talk at the beginning of each chapter about an event on September 11, and then you you go back in your life, but you don't transition between the two. And then when you come back, you don't transition. And I get lost. And when he described that, it just immediately clicked what he was saying. And I actually then spent a weekend putting transitions in every chapter at the right places. And when he read that, he said, this is perfect. This is exactly what I was talking about. And when one of the major reviewers of the book, Kirkus, which reviews books for publishers and libraries and so on, when they reviewed it, they said one of the most powerful parts about it were the transitions. And so I appreciate what your son said, because sometimes the unexpected thing that someone says is what sends you down a road to make it a much better thought process and a much better book or a much better whatever than it would have been otherwise.   Barbara Leigh ** 52:22 Yeah, absolutely. I had a friend from college read it from an author perspective. So she's, she's written five books, and she gave me just, you know, really, she wrote fiction books so they weren't the same, but she gave me just really good authoring advice. As far as you know, you were used this word too many times, you know, things like that. And that was really, really helpful too to just, oh, okay, I get it. That would make it much more smooth. And you know, that was really helpful for me too, and it's just just to get feedback in any capacity is so helpful, I think,   Michael Hingson ** 53:12 well, and all of those comments that people give you help teach you how to write better. Yeah, absolutely. How has writing the book changed your perspective?   Barbara Leigh ** 53:24 Wow. Well, first thing, I had no idea about writing books or publishing or marketing or any of that, so that's been a whole big learning curve. But as far as you know, even even writing through the book helped teach me some things about the process as well. Just as far as relationships go, and talking through it with I had about a dozen people reading it at chapter by chapter as I got them done and and having getting that feedback from them, as far as you know, how it how it affected them, and it was really just so, I guess, helpful for me to learn what other people were were thinking when they're reading it. Because, you know, some of the things had never occurred to me, some of the things were for from friends who had been through some kind of childhood trauma. And I was kind of looking at, okay, I get what you're saying, and I think this that what you're telling me is you. This part is coming from your childhood trauma, but this other part is definitely something that I could add to my book, and I didn't want to make my book about trauma, because it really in my mind, was for the person that was just an average person, living an average life, having average relationship. However, my friends who have had childhood trauma have actually been the most affected by my book, which I find fascinating.   Michael Hingson ** 55:42 That's that's interesting, but it does make sense, because clearly you're trying to help people be more open about themselves, to themselves. And the people that that do that are the people that have been in situations where maybe they haven't, and they maybe intellectually realize that they need to grow and change, but they hadn't totally emotionally adopted that stance, and so you help them with that, which is cool.   Barbara Leigh ** 56:11 Yep, that's something I was expecting for sure.   Michael Hingson ** 56:15 No, understand. Now you have a blog also right, called helpfulness. Why is why is it called helpfulness? And what is it about?   Barbara Leigh ** 56:24 It is called helpful mess because when I was writing this book, I was writing about helpfulness and how that kind of steered me in the wrong direction, because that's where I was finding my value, and I had a typo that made it helpful. Mess, mess. Yeah, I said related to that mess. Yeah, it's like, that messy part. That's me. I So related to that that I ground onto that word. I was like, Okay, this word is mine,   Michael Hingson ** 56:56 well, and it really goes right along with the book and everything we've talked about today. Needless to say, Have you thought about doing things like starting a coaching program? Or do you do any of that?   Barbara Leigh ** 57:12 I do not. My daughter is, she is a life coach, and she has started a holistic nutrition program. So she's kind of doing that, that thing and, and I've never really been interested in doing that kind of thing. So I like you go. I will help you.   Michael Hingson ** 57:33 Okay, well, that's fair. I think we, we all do what we we feel we're best at, and it may come to the time where you'll suddenly discover that you're really better at it than you think, and that you could, you could coach people, or maybe not, but that's really something to look at.   Barbara Leigh ** 57:55 Yeah, I do want to focus on my writing for a while, but you know, when she's done with her program, maybe we'll get something   Michael Hingson ** 58:01 together. Well, there you go, and she lives close to you. Yeah,   Barbara Leigh ** 58:08 she's a half hour early, all right, so   Michael Hingson ** 58:10 Wisconsin home to everywhere, which is pretty cool. Well, so what would you advise? What kind of advice would you give to someone who's going through a lot of the things that you've gone through and so on? What would be the first thing that you would say to them to hopefully get them started down a different path of of life, rather than thinking so little of themselves and not really wanting to move forward,   Barbara Leigh ** 58:39 I would tell them they have options. You can leave your your value is not in how helpful you are, and be gentle and be kind to yourself and accept that you may not be coming from a belief that is true. And look, you know, try to see when you feel something that right, kind of off. Kind of look at your beliefs and you know, where is this coming from? Because a lot of times you can find it if you look hard enough, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 59:31 it's about teaching people to truly develop the skill of self analysis, if you will. Yeah, which is something that we, we all ought to do more of we, we tend not to really look at ourselves. And it goes back to the same thing as the whole concept of the fear of public speaking, if we, if we step out of ourselves and look at what happened, we beat up on ourselves rather than recognize. Amazing. This is a teaching moment, and we can learn from it, rather than allowing it to just be something that beats us   Barbara Leigh ** 1:00:07 up. Yes, absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:10 which makes a lot of sense. Well, I want to thank you for doing this. We've been we've been at this about an hour. Can you believe it? But I really enjoyed having you talk about it. Do you have any kind of last minute thoughts that you want to convey to people?   Barbara Leigh ** 1:00:30 Well, let's see. I guess if you think reasonable humans make reasonable choices, maybe rethink that. If you want to find my book, you can find it at my website. Let's see   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:48 and what's your website?   Barbara Leigh ** 1:00:51 Barbara Lee, author.com and Lee is l, e, i, G, H,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:56 so it's Barbara Lee, author.com, yeah, cool. Well, I hope people will find it, and we'll, we'll read it. Is it's available? Is it a hard copy or ebook, or both, or both? Okay,   Barbara Leigh ** 1:01:16 and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble Ingram, Apple, Google, not all the places   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:24 they're they're an audible version or an audio version,   Barbara Leigh ** 1:01:27 not yet something to work on asking, yeah, absolutely. I know I have two people that have been asking, and I well, I have to start making money before I can spend money on that.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:43 Yeah, I hear you well, unless you read it yourself, which cuts the cost way down.   Barbara Leigh ** 1:01:49 Yeah, try that. I have no idea how to do that either, so that, you know, has added to my my pile of things I need to learn.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:56 There you go. It's an adventure.   Barbara Leigh ** 1:01:57 Yes, absolutely, it's on the list. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:00 Barbara, thank you for being here. I really appreciate it, and I want to thank all of you for listening. I hope that this has been not only enjoyable, but educational and worth your time. Love to hear your thoughts. Love to get your your thoughts about this. So any of you who would we'd love to hear from you, please email me at Michael H, i@accessibe.com that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, wherever you're listening, please give us a five star review. We really appreciate those reviews, and especially we love five star reviews. We want positive reviews, but you give us your honest thoughts. We love that. We appreciate it, and we value your comments very highly. If you know anyone who you think ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, please let us know. And if, by the way, you aren't sure how to review or whatever, or you want to find another place to hear more podcasts in addition to wherever you're listening to it, today, you can go to Michael hingson.com/podcast that's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o n.com/podcast, and all of our episodes are there, but we really value your time. We value that you like what we're doing. We'll always love to hear from people, so please let us know and keep the emails coming and again. Barbara, I just want to thank you. We really appreciate your time and are so glad that you came and spent this time with us.   Barbara Leigh ** 1:03:32 Thank you, Michael, it's been great. I appreciate   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:40 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Welcome, writers and book lovers. The Bleeders is a podcast about book writing and publishing. Make sure you subscribe to the companion Substack: https://thebleeders.substack.com/welcomeToday's guest is Dedeker Winston, author of The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory and co-author of Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships. In this episode, Dedeker talks us through her publishing journey—from landing an agent to selling two books, including one co-written with her former polycule and podcast co-hosts. She opens up about the challenges of collaborative writing, the perks of working with more than one agent, and the emotional highs and lows of being on submission. Follow Dedeker on Instagram @dedekerwinston.The Bleeders is hosted by Courtney Kocak. Follow her on Instagram @courtneykocak and Bluesky @courtneykocak.bsky.social. For more, check out her website courtneykocak.com.Courtney is teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business: https://writingworkshops.com/products/start-a-newsletter-to-supercharge-your-platform-network-business-zoom-seminarLand Big Bylines by Writing for Columns: https://writingworkshops.com/products/land-big-bylines-by-writing-for-columns-zoom-seminarThe Multi-Passionate Writer's Life: https://writingworkshops.com/products/the-multi-passionate-writers-life-zoom-seminar-with-courtney-kocakHow to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought: https://writingworkshops.com/products/how-to-build-a-platform-for-writers-who-shudder-at-the-thought-zoom-seminarCreating Your Podcast: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/products/creating-your-podcast-0Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast: https://writingworkshops.com/products/podcasting-for-writers-how-to-start-sustain-grow-your-podcast-4-week-zoom-workshop

The Uplift app is here! Try it free for 30 days.   Welcome back to Smart Girl Summer! Today, I'm sitting down with the incredible Annie F. Downs, a best-selling author, podcaster, speaker, and Enneagram enthusiast, for a powerhouse conversation you won't want to miss.   We're two Enneagram Sevens pulling back the curtain on what it really looks like to build a thriving business and grow a platform, without losing yourself in the process. You know those glossy success stories that make it all look effortless?    Well, we're here to talk about the real journey, the bad advice we ignored, the behind-the-scenes realities no one tells you about, and the lessons that shaped us.   So, if you love business and you need a fresh shot of motivation and wisdom, this one's for you. Buckle up, friend—it's going to be a good one! Timestamps: (08:05) - Why 2025 Is the Best Time to Start a Podcast (11:02) - What Actually Grows a Podcast (And What Doesn't) (25:15) - Find Your Lane and Run Fast (32:02) - Don't Just Dream—Get in the Room with People Who've Done It (39:22) - What's Really Working on Social Media Right Now   WATCH ALLI  ON YOUTUBE Links to great things we discussed:    Annie's Favorite Skin Care Product - Cattle + Comb Tallow Lotion I hope you loved this episode!

This week on SUPERWOMEN, I'm joined by Nayeema Raza, creator and host of the newly launched podcast Smart Girl, Dumb Questions. With a background spanning global consulting, documentary storytelling and top-charting podcasts, Nayeema decided it was time to create something entirely her own. In this episode, she shares how a childhood shaped by constant change made her comfortable with reinvention, and why staying still has always felt more foreign than starting over. For Nayeema, comfort has never been the goal. It's the cue that it's time to move on. Her path has been guided less by long-term plans and more by instinct: when something starts feeling too safe, that's her “clue to unlock the next thing.”She opens up about what drew her to launch a show built on curiosity, and why asking the “dumb” questions out loud matters more than ever. We talk about what it means to redefine ambition on your own terms, the pressure of being both the business and the brand, and the surprising freedom that can come from a failed milestone. Whether it was ending a long-term relationship, starting over in New York at 31, or launching a podcast from scratch, Nayeema's path proves that reinvention isn't just possible, it can be joyful, curious and entirely your own.From navigating the realities of running her own show to reshaping what mastery looks like, Nayeema is creating a space where not knowing isn't a weakness, it's the starting point. This episode is a reminder that sometimes the smartest thing you can do is ask the question everyone else is too afraid to say out loud. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to order my book, “Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success.”Follow SUPERWOMEN (@rmsuperwomen) and Nayeema (@nayeemaraza) on Instagram.Support this podcast: https://bit.ly/rmsuperwomen 

Nayeema Raza brought us the same curiosity and knowledge she brings to her Smart Girl, Dumb Questions listeners. Her early life was spent globe-trotting, so hearing her firsthand perspective on the similarities in beauty standards and practices is fascinating. Nayeema proudly detailed some of her favorite aspects of Pakistani beauty culture, especially how it has been shaped by powerful Islamic women and their preference for natural beauty treatments. We ended with a great discussion about all that she's learned about her body while freezing her eggs and dating in NYC.Tune in as we discuss:Pakistani Beauty Culture's unique history and strong cultural rootsThe difference between anti-ageing and longevity cultureWhat we should be asking about perimenopause and menopauseWhy freezing her eggs made her feel powerfulStay in touch with me: @brookedevardFollow Nayeema @nayeemaraza and listen to Smart Girl, Dumb QuestionsShop this episode: Oribe - Shampoo, Conditioner, Mirror Rinse, Foundation Mist, HairsprayGiorgio Armani FoundationChanel Liquid Lip RMS Eye PolishHourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nayeema Raza describes her podcast as “a curiosity party.” In this episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, she asks chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt whether cooking is an art or a science — and whether brunch is a scam.

In an age where media often feels oversaturated, Nayeema Raza is boldly carving out a space for genuine curiosity and fearless inquiry through her podcast Smart Girl, Dumb Questions. On this week's FOMO Sapiens, Patrick J. McGinnis dives into Nayeema's journey—from producing at top outlets like The New York Times to launching her own independent show. Nayeema shares how she's turning “dumb” questions into an essential tool for sparking deep, meaningful conversations. This episode explores the art of creating content that isn't just accessible but also thought-provoking—engaging everyone from astrophysicists to everyday individuals. They also dive into the challenges of building a digital media brand where AI isn't just a threat but a tool. Nayeema's ultimate mission is to democratize knowledge and prove that sometimes the simplest questions lead to the most profound insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Allie's dad is here to give us the latest on Trump's tariffs and the escalating tensions online. Is a trade war on the horizon, or is Trump's plan to eliminate our trade deficit actually working? And is Kevin O'Leary right in saying that we should quadruple our tariffs on China? Ron is here to answer all of our pressing questions, and he gives some free advice on how much people should worry about the stock market. And we also talk about the recent American Girl post celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr as part of its "Cultural Celebrations" outfit line. Of course, all cultures and religions are represented ... except Christianity? What's up with that? Share the Arrows 2025 is on October 11 in Dallas, Texas! Go to sharethearrows.com for tickets now! Buy Ron's book, "Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon: 15 Ways to Take Charge and Create a Path to Success": https://a.co/d/3Qyj0T8 Buy Allie's new book, "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://a.co/d/4COtBxy --- Timecodes: (04:25) American Girl Eid al-Fitr Post (15:25) American Girl holiday posts (19:38) American Girl's other woke dolls (22:35) Smart Girl's Guide to Body Image (30:33) Ron Simmons on tariffs and the stock market  --- Today's Sponsors: We Heart Nutrition — Get 20% off women's vitamins with We Heart Nutrition, and get your first bottle of their new supplement, Wholesome Balance; use code ALLIE at https://www.WeHeartNutrition.com. Good Ranchers — Go to https://GoodRanchers.com for their Spring Into Action special, and subscribe to any of their boxes (but preferably the Allie Beth Stuckey Box) to get free bacon, ground beef, seed oil free chicken nuggets, or salmon in every box for a year. Plus, you'll get $40 off when you use code ALLIE at checkout. EveryLife — The only premium baby brand that is unapologetically pro-life, and praying for more babies in 2025. If you and your spouse are believing for a baby in 2025, now through April 11th, sign up at EveryLife.com/Pray to request prayers. Lumen — If you want to take the next step in improving your health, go to https://www.lumen.me/RELATABLE to get 20% off your Lumen. --- Related Episodes: Ep 1127 | The Islam-LGBTQ Alliance Taking Over the West — and Targeting Christianity | Guest: Andrew Sedra https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1127-the-islam-lgbtq-alliance-taking-over-the/id1359249098?i=1000685075483 Ep 720 | American Girl Betrays Girls & the SEL Trojan Horse | Guest: James Lindsay https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-720-american-girl-betrays-girls-the-sel-trojan/id1359249098?i=1000589293861 Ep 1155 | School Choice Lies: What's Really Happening in Texas | Guest: Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1155-debunking-the-biggest-school-choice-lies/id1359249098?i=1000698938321 Ep 1135 | My Reaction to Lily Collins' Surrogacy Announcement & Trump's Tariffs Explained | Guest: Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1135-my-reaction-to-lily-collins-surrogacy-announcement/id1359249098?i=1000689433386 --- Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're bringing you an episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, the new podcast by one of our frequent guest moderators, Nayeema Raza. Nayeema asks the questions we're all thinking to big thinkers in this new show. It is brimming with curiosity, open-mindedness and a willingness to learn – values we hold dear at Open to Debate.  As fertility rates plummet, and Millenials and Gen Z increasingly cite climate change and the state of the world as reasons they're not having children, Nayeema asks: is the future really too bleak to have babies? Her guest is journalist Cleo Abram, a YouTuber who has amassed over 5 million subscribers as she tells optimistic tech stories. Nayeema and Cleo break down quantum, the rise of robots and how technology shifts from IVF to artificial wombs will change not just if, but how, we have babies. Also on the agenda: the media's bias – not toward left or right, but toward negativity and the opportunity for more curious, independent and fact-based journalism. If you like this episode, you'll enjoy Nayeema's episode with Mark Cuban about capitalism, Neil deGrasse Tyson about physics, and two members of Gen Alpha about screen time. Follow Smart Girl Dumb Questions on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.  The Guest: Cleo Abram, an independent tech journalist behind Huge If True The Host: Nayeema Raza, journalist and host of “Smart Girl Dumb Questions”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get A Copy of "Smart Girl" on Amazon! -  https://a.co/d/gJR2hIhTo finish off July Book Club we are ending with Rachel's novel "Smart Girl". Brilliant designer Miko Jin is a bookworm (just like all of you at the end of this month) and with novels as her guide, and her best friends by her side, she is hoping to fan the flame of love with dreamy Liam Ashton. But Will Miko get her own happy ending? Will she find the strength to stand up for what she deserves…even if it means breaking her own heart?We hope you've had a great summer and we can't wait to dive back into conversation next week!00:34 The Girls Series: An Overview01:25 Miko's Story: The Most Talented Girl03:30 Research and Realism in Fiction Writing04:44 Smart Girl: A Love Letter to Book Nerds05:32 Chapter Three: Miko's Plan Unfolds08:00 Cassidy's Reluctance and Miko's Determination16:23 Landon Joins the Scheme27:06 Miko's Awkward Encounter with Liam38:42 Playful Banter and Deflection39:35 Diving into Liam's Background41:23 Tension and Confessions42:49 A Complicated Relationship47:07 Event Planning Challenges57:58 Unexpected Illness01:11:31 A Hilarious DebriefGet the Start Today Journal - https://starttoday.com/products/start-today-journalHave a question you want Rach to answer? An idea for a podcast episode??Call the podcast hotline and leave a voicemail! Call (737) 400-4626Sign up for Rachel's weekly email: https://msrachelhollis.com/insider/Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelHollisMotivation/videosFollow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MsRachelHollis/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices.

Get A Copy of "Smart Girl" on Amazon! -  https://a.co/d/gJR2hIhTo finish off July Book Club we are ending with Rachel's novel "Smart Girl". Brilliant designer Miko Jin is a bookworm (just like all of you at the end of this month) and with novels as her guide, and her best friends by her side, she is hoping to fan the flame of love with dreamy Liam Ashton. But Will Miko get her own happy ending? Will she find the strength to stand up for what she deserves…even if it means breaking her own heart?We hope you've had a great summer and we can't wait to dive back into conversation next week!00:34 Overview of the Girls Series01:39 Meet Mika: The Most Talented Girl03:30 Writing and Research Process05:33 Exploring Mika's Love Story08:52 Mika's Design Journey13:00 Dinner with Friends and Family16:32 Liam Ashton: The One Great Love27:43 Miko's Accomplishments and Liam's Interest31:37 Awkward Flirting and Tension33:15 A Proposition from Liam34:58 Home with Tosh38:15 Sibling Support and Concerns41:58 Meeting at the Restaurant Location45:17 Designing the SpaceGet the Start Today Journal - https://starttoday.com/products/start-today-journalHave a question you want Rach to answer? An idea for a podcast episode??Call the podcast hotline and leave a voicemail! Call (737) 400-4626Sign up for Rachel's weekly email: https://msrachelhollis.com/insider/Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelHollisMotivation/videosFollow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MsRachelHollis/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices.