Baggage Claim

Send us Fan Mail New years don’t remake us—honest reflection does. We open the door on our own wins and survival moments from the past year and share a simple, judgment-free way to review your relationship so you can grow without beating yourselves up. Think of it like a workshop, not a courtroom: identify what worked, name what cost more than you expected, and choose tiny steps that add up to rea...

Send us Fan Mail A single mom, $12 in the bank, and a calling that wouldn’t let go—Rebecca joins us to share how Jambos grew from a living-room operation into a 7,000-square-foot hub serving 15–20k kids in foster care every year. The spark was simple and specific: new pajamas for children entering care. The results have been anything but small, fueled by faith, relentless work, and a pivotal momen...

Send us Fan Mail What if the thing you’re best at isn’t the thing you’re meant for? We sit down with our friend Rebecca Black, a single mom of three and the founder of Jambos, to unpack how a six-figure sales career and a season in mega-church ministry led to a radical pivot: providing new pajamas to kids in foster care. The path wasn’t linear. It started with a teenage missions trip that sparked...

Send us Fan Mail Family doesn’t come with instructions, and neither do in-laws. We open up about the moments that almost derailed our trust—a sleep training text that landed like a judgment, a missed message that morphed into rejection—and how we pulled those threads back to the real issue: assumptions dressed up as facts. From the funny detours (holiday gift debates and the legend of drunk Uncle...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt the emotional whiplash of loving your partner and wrangling their family traditions at the same time? We open the door on what “yes” really means—because when you choose a person, you inherit a clan, their rhythms, and the unspoken rules that come with them. From the hilariously uncomfortable “would you rather” of pop-in in-laws vs. a month-long takeover to the real-worl...

Send us Fan Mail What if the real math of marriage isn’t 50-50 at all? We dive into why counting chores and comparing effort creates distance, and how shifting to commitment and service brings couples back to the same side. Instead of aiming for perfect balance every day, we talk honestly about bandwidth: some days you’ve got 10 percent, others you’ve got 90. The key is staying all in, naming the...

Send us Fan Mail The holidays can be loud: budgets stretched, schedules stacked, emotions running hot. We wanted a quieter center, so we started with a playful tour of Thanksgiving—deviled eggs, green bean casserole, and the eternal stuffing versus dressing debate—and followed it straight into the heart of the season: how to choose gratitude when life feels heavy. We open up about a tough morning...

Send us Fan Mail What if one short phrase could make honesty safer and conflict more productive? We share a simple tool we use at home and at work—the “umbrella of protection”—to flag vulnerable moments, lower defenses, and protect each other from knee-jerk judgment while we speak in drafts, not decrees. It’s a small shift with big payoff: fewer landmines, more clarity, and a deeper sense that we’...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel the heat rise in a conversation and think, I don’t even know what I’m feeling right now? We’ve been there. Today we take a fun detour through cereal nostalgia and land somewhere powerful: how emotional intelligence can turn tense moments into real understanding at home, in blended families, and on your team at work. We start by grounding EI in simple terms—recognize, und...

Send us Fan Mail What if ten quiet minutes could change the way you love people? We take a lively room—family, friends, and a few outrageous would-you-rathers—and channel that energy into a candid look at solitude, self-talk, and the hidden ways our inner voice shapes every relationship we touch. We return to a recent challenge and admit the truth: naming one thing we liked about ourselves was sur...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you finally turn the volume down on the world and sit with your own thoughts? We crack open The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter and dive into an uncomfortable truth: many of us would literally rather take an electric shock than face the noise in our heads. That stat becomes our entry point to a bigger conversation about why intentional solitude is not the enemy...

Send us Fan Mail What if the date didn’t define the holiday—and the people did? We pull back the curtain on how we plan a joyful season across multiple homes, in‑laws, adult kids, new babies, and work schedules without burning out or blowing up traditions that still matter. From the “when can we decorate?” debate to the reality of Christmas mornings that look different than they used to, we share...

Send us Fan Mail A ballpark hot dog, a Costco food court run, and a 10 p.m. stress walk might seem like throwaway moments—until they become the blueprint for how we stay close, present, and sane. We invited our friend Mason back for a guys-only mic takeover to talk about the simple, repeatable choices that keep love running long: creating margin, communicating needs without guilt, and choosing rea...

Send us Fan Mail The quiet warning lights in a marriage don’t blare—they blink. A missed look, a week of logistics-only chats, a date night postponed again. We sat down with our friend Mason for a real guys’ night to unpack how those signals show up during the foggy years of parenting, foster care, and busy careers—and how to act before the relationship stalls. We start with the messy middle: long...

Send us Fan Mail Heartbreak doesn’t send a calendar invite. One moment you’re doing everything “right”—serving, parenting, showing up—and the next you’re staring at a truth you never thought would touch your life. Greg opens up about growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father and the vow he made to become a different kind of man, then walks us through the gut-punch of discovering an affair, the...

Send us Fan Mail When did "if you disagree with me, you're against me" become our cultural default? Greg, Jess, and Producer Michael tackle this question head-on in their most profound and timely conversation yet. Sparked by recent tragic events, this deeply reflective episode examines why we've seemingly lost the ability to connect with those who think differently. The hosts s...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when forgiveness isn't just a nice idea but your only path forward? In this raw and deeply moving conclusion to our two-part series on forgiveness, Jess bravely continues sharing her journey after losing her husband TJ in a tragic accident. The story takes us through the impossible decision Jess faced: whether to press charges against the man responsible—someone...

Send us Fan Mail Forgiveness may be one of the most misunderstood yet transformative powers we possess as humans. What does it truly mean to forgive? Is it something we feel, or something we choose? And perhaps most importantly, who is forgiveness actually for? Greg and Jess open this powerful episode with light-hearted banter about daily habits and modern tipping culture before skillfully transit...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know exactly where every dollar in your budget goes, but have no idea where your hours disappear to each day? Time—our most precious and finite resource—often slips through our fingers without the careful attention we give to our finances. In this heartfelt episode of Baggage Claim, Greg and Jess tackle the uncomfortable truth about how we mismanage our most valuable asset....

Send us Fan Mail Choosing who to marry might be the single most consequential decision of your life—more significant than your career path, education, or where you live. In this vulnerable and honest conversation, we explore why this choice matters so deeply and how it shapes everything that follows. The person you commit to can either propel you forward like a rocket ship or devastate your potent...

Send us Fan Mail Leadership is everywhere in the corporate world – books, seminars, workshops – but why don't we talk about it at home? That's the question Greg and Jess tackle in this revealing conversation about what leadership actually looks like within a marriage and family. The truth? Someone is leading in your household right now, whether you've acknowledged it or not. But con...

Send us Fan Mail What draws us to our partners initially, and what makes a relationship last through decades of change? In this intimate conversation, Greg and Jess explore the profound question of how to truly love someone for who they are—not who we wish they might become. The journey begins with attraction, where we discover what initially draws us to our significant others is often qualities c...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you bring a bromance to the podcast table? Pure magic. This episode of Baggage Claim features our son Thomas and his best friend AJ as we explore the fascinating intersection of friendship and marriage. These two young men began as bitter enemies over a girl at the barbecue restaurant where they worked, with "hate" being "a light word" for the...

Send us Fan Mail The dance between loving our children and setting appropriate boundaries can be one of parenting's greatest challenges. This becomes even more complex when guilt enters the equation—whether from divorce, loss, or simply wanting to give our kids "better than we had." Have you ever caught yourself saying yes when you should say no? Buying gifts to compensate for time...

Send us Fan Mail The foundation of any successful blended family begins with intentionality, especially when it comes to involving children in the process. In this deeply personal episode, Greg and Jess take listeners back to the earliest days of their relationship, sharing how they purposefully included their four children from the very beginning. Rather than presenting their new relationship as...