What's on Your Bookshelf?

What if the reason you’re struggling to make friends isn’t that you haven’t found your people—but that you’re waiting for them to find you? In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue exploring Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a chapter about how to create the best friendships of your life. Making friends as an adult is hard. Really hard. Between busy sc...

When a friendship starts to fade, why does it feel so personal? In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue exploring Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with Chapter 12: Why Some Friendships Naturally Fade. We’ve all experienced it. The friend who stops reaching out. The invitation we didn’t get. The relationship that suddenly feels like we’re the only one putt...

Why does making friends feel so much harder as an adult? In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo dive into Chapter 11 of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory : The Truth No One Told You about Adult Friendships. Remember when friendships just seemed to happen? You went to school together, played on the same team, or saw each other every day. Then adulthood happened. Pe...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with Chapter 10: How to Make Comparison Your Teacher. We all compare ourselves to other people. Their careers, their businesses, their accomplishments, their relationships, their success. But what if the problem isn’t that we compare? What if the problem is what we do with th...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory and tackle something almost all of us know we’re not supposed to do — but do anyway: Compare our lives to everyone else’s. From careers and businesses to kids, sports, relationships, and success, it’s incredibly easy to look around and wonder: Why are they farther ahead? Why...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a chapter about a particularly difficult kind of courage: What do you do when you know the right decision... but making it still feels wrong? Sometimes it’s leaving a relationship. Sometimes it’s changing careers. Sometimes it’s walking away from a dream or identity that...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a question that shows up everywhere—from the office to the sidelines to our closest relationships: What do you do when a grown-up throws a tantrum? The answer isn’t to manage their emotions for them. It’s learning to let other people have their reactions while getting mu...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo explore one of the most emotionally challenging chapters in Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory : How do you love difficult people — especially when they’re family? From parents and siblings to in-laws and blended families, this conversation dives into the tension between accepting people as they are and protecting your own wel...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo unpack one of the most freeing — and uncomfortable — chapters of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory : What if you stopped living your life around other people’s opinions? Whether it’s changing careers, raising your kids differently, making a bold life decision, or simply choosing a path that’s true to you, this conversation ex...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with one of the book’s most practical chapters: How do you handle a job that’s stressing you out? Rather than focusing on changing your boss, your company, or your circumstances, this conversation explores the one thing you always have control over: your next move. In this ep...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a chapter that feels especially relevant: Life is stressful. Now what? Instead of trying to eliminate stress, this conversation explores how to stop giving it more power than it deserves—and how a simple shift in perspective can help you protect your peace. In this episo...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue their discussion of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory by exploring the second half of the equation: “Let Me.” If “Let Them” is about releasing control of other people, “Let Me” is about taking responsibility for yourself. This conversation dives into the science, psychology, and leadership lessons behind why that shi...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo dive into Chapter 1 of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory and explore a question that sits at the heart of so much stress, frustration, and disappointment: How much of your energy is being spent trying to control things you can’t control? This conversation moves beyond the book’s viral title and into the deeper truth behind th...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo kick off their next book journey with Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory — one of the most talked-about books of the year. Before diving into the chapters, they explore why this book has created so much conversation, what they initially misunderstood about the message, and why it may be about far more than simply “letting peop...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo conclude their journey through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work by exploring what happens after the tidying is done. This final conversation is about more than organizing desks, inboxes, and calendars. It’s about creating space — space for clarity, purpose, joy, and the life you actually want to build. In this episode we discus...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo explore tidying teams — and why creating more joy at work isn’t about having fewer people, but about building healthier, more purposeful teams. This conversation goes beyond org charts and job titles to examine purpose, engagement, trust, growth, and the role leaders play in helping people thrive. In this episode we discuss:...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work with a conversation about a topic almost everyone complains about: Meetings. From calendars packed with unnecessary invites to meetings that could have been emails, this episode explores how to make meetings more purposeful, productive, and maybe even a little more joyful. In th...

Episode Highlights In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work with a conversation about tidying your network — and why the quality of your relationships matters far more than the quantity. In a world obsessed with followers, connections, and online visibility, this chapter challenges us to ask a different question: Who a...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work with a conversation about tidying decisions — and why decision fatigue quietly drains our energy, clarity, and leadership. In this episode we discuss: * Why we make thousands of decisions every day — and how that mental load adds up. * How to separate decisions into high-stakes,...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work with a conversation about one of our most precious resources: time. This chapter is all about tidying your schedule, your tasks, and the way work quietly takes over your life. In this episode we discuss: * Why saying yes to everything can slowly drain your focus, energy, and joy...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo tackle one of the most overwhelming areas of modern work: digital clutter. From overflowing inboxes to endless notifications, this conversation explores how our devices may be quietly draining our focus, energy, and performance. In this episode we discuss: * Why digital clutter (emails, files, apps) creates constant distract...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work with a practical conversation about tidying your physical workspace — and why your desk may be affecting more than your productivity. In this episode we discuss: * Why clearing your workspace can help clear your mind — especially when work already feels chaotic. * How to tidy by...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue their conversation on Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work by digging into a question almost everybody knows too well: Why do we keep falling back into clutter — even after we clean things up? This episode moves beyond tidying as a task and gets into the deeper mindset, identity, and work-life vision needed to actually sus...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo begin their journey through Marie Kondo’s The Joy at Work and explore how clutter at work affects more than just your desk — it impacts your stress, focus, energy, and even your sense of purpose. This conversation is about more than tidying. It’s about creating a work life that feels lighter, calmer, and more intentional. In...

In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf , Sam Powell and Denise Russo shift the conversation from internal mindset work to how clutter shows up in your work and daily life. This discussion explores how mental clutter doesn’t just stay in your head — it spills into your environment, your schedule, and ultimately your performance. In this episode we discuss: * How mental clutter and physical clu...