Her Layered Life

What happens when the dream you're building requires you to become someone new? Kilee Nickels, founder of Nickel & Suede and mom of five boys, joins me to talk about twelve years of building a brand and who she became along the way. I've followed Kilee for about ten years, so I tried very hard not to fangirl. We go back to her mom-blogger days, the gold leather teardrop earrings that started a...

Cherie Hager: Building SALT, ending period poverty, and designing work-life integration Cherie Hoeger, founder and CEO of SALT, shares how a personal family need turned into a purpose-driven company creating reusable period care products. This conversation covers the origin story of SALT, the impact of period poverty worldwide, and how Cherie has built a business, family life, and leadership rhyth...

She started Pink Desert with $500, a baby on the way, and a one-bedroom apartment. Sixteen years later, she sold it. 💛 Darci Schurig built Pink Desert into one of the most recognized names in modest fashion — and then made the courageous decision to let it go. In this episode, we talk about what happens when the thing you've spent years building is no longer yours, and who you are when the title...

Nobody ever really arrives — we're all just becoming. This week, Amanda talks with 22-year-old teacher and content creator Riley Meckley (@alwaysrileymeckley) about growing up online in real time: building confidence through speech and debate, landing a teaching job right out of college, and why she just rebranded her page to make room for more than fashion. ✨ How speech and debate built Riley's...

What happens when the thing you spent years learning for yourself becomes something you give away? Today I'm sitting down with Rae Pito — model, modeling coach, and connector extraordinaire — to talk about confidence, representation, and what it actually looks like to teach someone to believe in themselves. Rae grew up in Long Beach, California, never imagining modeling would become part of her st...

She was 35 weeks pregnant with her third son when a flu that should've cleared in four days turned into organ failure, an induced coma, and a fight to breathe on her own. Today, my friend Tesiah Frame is back on Her Layered Life — and this time, we're finally telling the full story. The first time Tesiah was on Her Layered Life, we only scratched the surface: business, motherhood, a life she loved...

I am so excited for this conversation because I think every woman, no matter her age or season of life, has wrestled with this question: Am I becoming the woman I was created to be? It's easy to spend so much time looking around that we forget to look within. We compare our lives, our bodies, our families, our businesses — and before we know it, we're chasing someone else's definition of success i...

Season 2 kicks off with a conversation that is raw, hopeful, and honest all at once. I sat down with Maddie — a mom of two young daughters who got married at 18, moved 14 times in five years, and is now navigating separation and starting over at 23. Maddie opened up with me about growing up as one of eight kids in Highland, Utah, choosing motherhood young and without regret, and the moment she fou...

Season 2 is here! Instead of bringing you a guest this episode, I wanted to open this season by sharing what an incredibly full few months has taught me. Between a wedding, becoming a grandma for the first time, leading Trek for nearly 300 youth as a trail boss, and welcoming my son home from his mission, life has been layered in every sense of the word. Here are 4 lessons God's been teaching me t...

It's our Season 1 finale — and we're going out with everything we've learned. After 9 months and dozens of incredible interviews, I reflect on the lessons, stories, and moments that defined this season before heading into a maternity pause. 🎉 THE BIG LESSONS FROM SEASON 1 ✨ God orders our steps. Trust the timing, even when it doesn't make sense. (Thank you, Alyssa, for a phrase that carried us a...

What if a piece of clothing could remind someone in their darkest moment that they are still worth caring for? That's the question behind today's guest — and the answer she's building her entire business around. I'm sitting down with Lauren Bean, founder of Unfinished Apparel, and I went into this conversation knowing very little about her brand. What came out of the next hour completely moved me....

Growth doesn't always feel like growth when you're in it. Sometimes it feels like stretching, doubt, or wondering if you're doing enough. This episode is for every missionary, every mission mom, and every family walking through that sacred, layered season of becoming. I sat down with Jennie Dildine — missionary coach, mental health advocate, and host of the LDS Mission Podcast — for an honest, dee...

Modesty, Halftee, & 14 Million Views Charlee and I read through the viral comments on our Halftee video — and unpack what "modesty" actually means. Episode description After our Halftee transition video hit 14 million views on Facebook, my daughter Charlee and I sat down to go through the wildest, funniest, and most thought-provoking comments we received. From G-string comparisons to Dickie de...

In this episode of Her Layered Life , I sit down with Mimi Bascom —a faith-driven content creator known for her modest fashion, motherhood content, and honest conversations around belief, identity, and community. Mimi’s content feels grounding, intentional, and real—and in this conversation, we go far beyond social media. We talk about what it actually looks like to balance motherhood, creativity,...

Before we begin, a content note: this episode includes discussion of sexual assault and sexual violence, which may be difficult or triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If you or someone you know needs support, resources are included below. Today’s episode is different—but it’s one of the most important conversations we can have. April is Sexual Assault Awarene...

In this episode of Her Layered Life , I’m joined by Celeste Dahl , founder of Desert Sage Swimwear , a brand rethinking what modest swimwear can look and feel like for real women in real life. Celeste shares how her journey into entrepreneurship began after becoming a mom and struggling to find swimwear that felt both functional and flattering. What started as a personal problem turned into a grow...

In today’s solo episode of Her Layered Life , I’m sharing one of the layers of my life that has shaped me deeply— coaching girls basketball . Basketball has been part of my story for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing sports, eventually earned a full-ride scholarship to play college basketball, and now I’ve spent nearly a decade coaching young women at the high school level. But this epi...

What if getting dressed could change how you show up in your life? In this episode of Her Layered Life , Amanda Barker sits down with Lucy Hutchins (Lucy Bergström) — personal stylist, thrifting advocate, and founder of a style community built around intentional fashion. Lucy’s work focuses on something deeper than clothes. She helps women reconnect with confidence, navigate changing bodies, and b...

In this in-person conversation, we sit down with Lindsay White , founder of The Little Milk Bar —a woman who embodies the “layered life” mission through entrepreneurship, advocacy, athletics, and community leadership. Lindsay shares the moment that sparked her brand: the isolating reality of early breastfeeding, the pressure to “go somewhere private,” and the confidence shift that changed everythi...

What if the reason your New Year’s resolutions don’t stick… isn’t lack of discipline — but bad timing? In this episode of Her Layered Life , I share why I don’t set my goals in January — and why I wait until spring instead. January has always felt heavy to me. It’s dark. It’s cold. Nature is resting. And yet culturally, we’re expected to reinvent ourselves overnight. That disconnect never felt rig...

What does it look like to rebuild your life from absolute zero—and still choose softness? In this powerful episode, Amanda sits down with Brandi Leifso, founder of Evio Beauty , whose entrepreneurial journey began while she was living in a women’s shelter after leaving an abusive relationship. Brandi shares how escapism became education, how YouTube tutorials turned into a self-taught crash course...

In this episode of Her Layered Life , Amanda sits down with Shannon and Ashley, founders of House of Foils , to talk about what it really looks like to disrupt an industry that hasn’t changed in decades. What started as a simple idea—making salon foils actually fun —turned into a fast-growing brand known for high-performance foils, monthly limited-edition drops, and a community hairstylists genuin...

If you’ve ever set New Year’s resolutions that didn’t last, this episode is for you—not because you didn’t want it badly enough, but because you may have skipped the most important foundation. In this solo episode, I’m sharing why morning routines matter, especially for women and mothers whose lives change season to season. I talk about why motivation isn’t reliable, why systems matter more than g...

In this episode of Her Layered Life , I sit down with Kimber , the founder of Pearl Pop , to talk about the beginning —the quiet season of building that doesn’t always feel impressive, but matters more than we realize. We talk honestly about what it looks like to start small, to build before anyone is watching, and to trust that growth can still be meaningful even when it feels slow. Kimber shares...

In This Episode What does it actually take to build a product-based business that can scale, earn retail trust, and stay rooted in purpose? In today’s conversation, I’m sitting down with Brynn , founder and CEO of Slate Flosser —a design-forward oral care brand rethinking flossing through innovation and sustainability. Brynn shares how Slate went from concept to securing a Target launch , what ear...