Choosing Us

Stop Waiting and Start Living: The Choosing Us Philosophy Unexpectedly spotting a zebra during a simple family park visit might just be the perfect metaphor for what the Drapers are preaching in this episode of Choosing Us . Life's best moments rarely arrive on schedule, and that is exactly the point. The Drapers make a genuinely compelling case that strong relationships and joyful living don't re...

When One Bad Morning Almost Derailed Everything Rarely does a single frustrating morning reveal so much about what makes or breaks a relationship. In this episode of "Choosing Us," Brad and Michaela get refreshingly honest about what happens when emotional regulation falls apart and negative energy quietly takes over an entire household. Brad's difficult day started small, with the dog and toddler...

Building a Life That Actually Means Something What does it look like to open your home, your schedule, and your heart to people who need it most? The Drapers, best friends and co-hosts, are doing exactly that and sharing every honest, messy detail along the way. Currently preparing their basement apartment for a friend navigating a difficult life transition, the Drapers reflect on how their home h...

When Folding Laundry Almost Broke a Marriage What happens when two people love each other deeply but speak completely different emotional languages? Brad and Michaela Draper of "Choosing Us" lived that confusion firsthand, and their story is both funny and genuinely eye-opening. In their 13-year marriage, Brad's primary love language is acts of service while Michaela's is physical touch. The tensi...

150 Episodes and Still Going Strong Incredibly, reaching episode 150 puts The Drapers in the top five percent of all podcasts  since most shows don't survive past episode twenty. That milestone alone makes this episode worth your time. Michaela and Brad recorded this one late into the night, exhausted but committed, because keeping promises matters even when life gets messy. What does it actually...

Choosing Us: Why Doing Less Could Save Your Relationship Surprisingly, the secret to a stronger marriage might be as simple as a walk in the park and homemade popcorn. The Drapers, hosts of Choosing Us, have spent 13 years figuring out what actually makes relationships thrive, and their answer might challenge everything you think you know about date nights. What if the pressure to make everything...

Choosing Us: Why Sexual Intimacy Could Be Making or Breaking Your Marriage What if neglecting sexual intimacy is quietly turning your marriage into a glorified roommate situation? The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," are breaking generational silence around bedroom conversations and making a compelling case for why this topic deserves an honest look. After over twelve years of marriage, the Draper...

Brad and Michaela speak directly to their experinces with holidays and birthdays. They reference tradions and how to create your own, unique traditions, different from what you grew up with. The Drapers talk about merging ideas of how holidays should be experienced and Michaela talks about her love for holidays and Brad's lack thereof. Michaela also speaks directly to her birthday this year and ho...

When Summer Breaks You: Choosing Happiness Anyway Completely losing your grip on family routine can unravel even the most patient parents. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," open up about a summer that genuinely tested them, sharing how three kids without structure created emotional chaos for the whole household. The biggest culprit? Managing their baby's nap schedule, which kept the older boys...

When Your Spouse Is Your Biggest Audience Rarely does a pool party reveal something profound about marriage, but that is exactly what happened to Brad Draper in this deeply relatable episode of Choosing Us . After jumping off a 15-foot cliff and climbing an 18-foot wet rope, Brad realized he was not performing for the crowd. He was performing for one person: his wife, Michaela. What does it mean t...

Choosing Joy When Life Gets Messy What if happiness has nothing to do with your circumstances? The Drapers, hosts of Choosing Us,  make a compelling case that joy is a daily decision, not a destination you arrive at when things finally calm down. It's a choice you make right now, in the middle of the chaos. Frankly, the T-Pain story alone is worth your time. He went from earning $40 million as a s...

Raising Kids Who Can Actually Handle the Real World Consistently following through on consequences might be the single most powerful parenting tool you have. When Brad and Mikayla of Choosing Us  share how their young son told a friend that his dad would absolutely follow through on discipline, it becomes clear that children are paying much closer attention than we think. In this third round of th...

Raising Kids Who Wake Up at 5 A.M. (And Actually Love It) Rarely do parents talk this openly about breaking cycles they never meant to carry forward. In this episode of "Choosing Us," the Drapers get real about modern parenting, from resisting smartphone pressure to confronting inherited habits like yelling that they never wanted to pass on to their kids. What makes this conversation genuinely com...

Raising Exceptional Kids on Purpose Intentional parenting is harder than just hoping your kids "turn out fine" and Brad and Michaela Draper are done with the survival mode approach to raising children. On this episode of Choosing Us , the Drapers get real about what it actually takes to raise confident, kind individuals who make a positive difference in the world. Clearly, two parents will always...

When Did You Last Really Laugh With Your Partner? Somewhere between work stress, pregnancy loss, and caring for a seven-month-old daughter, the Drapers realized they hadn't genuinely laughed together in months. That quiet realization became the spark for one of their most honest conversations yet on Choosing Us. The hosts, including speaker and his wife Michaela, share how a simple daily walk afte...

Relationships Don't Stay the Same, and Neither Should You Constantly evolving, constantly changing, that is the reality Brad and Michaela Draper lay bare in this deeply honest conversation about what it actually takes to keep a relationship thriving. After twelve years together, this couple from the "Choosing Us" podcast reveals that the version of love you built years ago may no longer fit who yo...

When Small Touches Saved a 12-Year Marriage Rarely does a single moment on a treadmill change the course of a marriage, but that is exactly what happened here. After two years of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, one half of this couple had a quiet, honest realization: she hadn't been meeting her husband Brad's emotional needs, even while managing the household and keeping everything running. Wha...

In this epsidoe, Brad and Michaela recap some learnings from their 12 years of marraige. Now, If you find this episode valuable, please share with your significant other, friends, and family. We love you! Listen in! Thank you for listening to this episode of Choosing Us.

Choosing Us: Touching Your Dreams and Living With Intention Supergluing a finger shut instead of going to the doctor is either impressive or deeply stubborn, and honestly it might be both. The Drapers bring this same unfiltered energy to every corner of their conversation on "Choosing Us," making this episode genuinely hard to put down. Quickly moving from laughter into substance, the hosts explor...

When the Weight Doesn't Get Lighter, You Get Stronger Rarely does a single weightlifting session crack open a life philosophy, but that is exactly what happened when the speaker attempted a double bodyweight rack pull somewhere between 260 and 280 pounds. The bar moved slowly, not explosively, and yet lifting it changed everything about how they understood difficulty. The Drapers, hosts of Choosin...

Building Family Bonds That Actually Last What happens when you marry someone and suddenly inherit an entirely new family culture, one that looks nothing like your own? The Drapers, Brad and Michaela, tackle this question head-on in this episode of Choosing Us , recorded live from Michaela's grandparents' patio in Idaho. Honestly, the personal stories here are what make this one worth your time. Br...

What You Say Shapes What You Feel and Who You Are Rarely does a single phrase carry so much weight, but the difference between "I am tired" and "I feel tired" could be quietly reshaping your relationship without you even realizing it. Michaela and her partner Brad, hosts of Choosing Us, explore how the words we repeat become what our brain accepts as truth, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and...

Choosing Your Partner Every Single DayRarely does a couple make the daily, conscious decision to truly choose  their partner feel this tangible and real. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," bring nearly thirteen years of marriage experience to a conversation that challenges the modern throwaway approach to relationships. After 12 years of marriage, the Drapers have built something worth examining...

You Are Who You Surround Yourself WithImagine sitting at a pool party with a wealthy real estate developer, only to have your dinner suggestions completely dismissed in favor of luxury steakhouse chains. That humbling moment changed everything for the Drapers. Best friends and married couple Michaela and her husband open up about their early marriage struggles, from living in their parents' baseme...

Finding Your Footing: Intentional Motherhood and the Power of PartnershipRarely does a conversation about motherhood feel this honest and this grounding all at once. In this episode, the Drapers and their guests get real about what it means to parent with purpose, not perfection. Five months postpartum with her third child, one mother describes feeling like she's "treading water" without routine o...