Chiming In

“I thought it was real.” That is exactly what so many victims of today’s scams say after losing money to someone who sounded official, urgent, and convincing. In this episode, we have an important conversation about the growing world of scams — from people posing as government officials to fake companies demanding immediate payment. We discuss why even smart, careful people can be manipulated when...

Do influencers inspire us, connect us, and help us discover new ideas — or do they quietly leave us feeling like we’re somehow falling behind? In this episode, we take a thoughtful look at influencer culture and the role social media plays in our lives today. We explore the pros and cons of a world where strangers influence everything from how we decorate our homes to how we think about success, b...

What creates a tipping point in our lives? Is it planning, vision, luck… or simply taking action? In this episode, we explore the surprising relationship between momentum and decision-making. David shares the story of launching a virtual reality business in just one week to prepare for a trade show and how the experience revealed something important: action often comes before clarity. We discuss t...

What happens as we get older, reconnect with people who’ve known us forever? 🤍 We start with a funny birthday story, the movie "The Fifth Element" and the idea that humanity can feel both beautiful and painfully unkind at the same time. Reconnecting with childhood friends and reflecting on the comfort of being fully known by people who have witnessed every version of you — like Russian...

What happens when we stop protecting ourselves and allow ourselves to be fully seen? 🤍 In this episode, we take a deep dive into vulnerability as one of the most intimate and transformative experiences we can share with another person. We talk about the (perhaps unnecessary) armor we wear to protect ourselves and why it can feel so risky to take it off. True connection  begins the moment we start...

Graduation. Mother’s Day. Big moments that somehow sneak up on us no matter how much we prepare 🎓🤍 In this episode, we talk about the emotional whiplash of milestones — how quickly time moves, how surreal it can feel watching our children grow, and why these transitions can leave us asking, “Wait… how did this happen so fast?” We reflect on the beauty, grief, pride, and disbelief that often live...

Do the people we love ever send us signs — even when they’re not physically here? ✨ In this episode, we share stories from a recent road trip that took us through six hotels in ten days — reconnecting with family, stepping out of our comfort zones, and finding unexpected moments of connection along the way 🚗 As we moved from place to place, we began noticing something deeper: the feeling of bein...

What does it actually feel like to experience the world differently? 🤍 In Part 2 of the “Normal does not exist” conversation, we move beyond the idea of what’s normal and into the lived experience of being neurodivergent — including autism, masking, high sensitivity, and the unique ways people navigate everyday life. Elyse reflects on how her mind works — from extraordinary pattern recognition an...

What does “normal” even mean — and who gets to define it? 🤍 In this first part of a two-part conversation, we explore neurodivergence, late-diagnosed autism, and the idea that “normal” may not exist at all. Elyse shares her personal challenges and reflections, including what it feels like to move through the world with heightened awareness, sensitivity to energy, and a tendency to observe more th...

Some labels help us feel seen. Some labels help us understand each other. And some… feel like a cage. In this episode, we talk about what happens when there’s no single word that fits who you are. When being labeled feels more like being reduced. We explore: ✨ When labels are helpful vs. harmful ✨ Why invisible differences can feel as hard as visible ones ✨ Whether sharing your “differences” is...

How much of what we believe is actually true? 💭 By popular request, we’re taking a deeper dive into self-talk, the inner critic, and the stories we tell ourselves every day. In this episode, we walk step by step through Byron Katie’s method known as The Work — a simple but powerful framework for questioning stressful thoughts and shifting perspective. We share real-life examples (both personal an...

Why do so many of us feel like we’re running out of time? ⏳ In this episode, we take a trip down memory lane — from childhood candy 🍬 and Little Debbie treats to the commercials and moments that shaped how we remember growing up. But what starts as nostalgia turns into something deeper: the idea of “phantom urgency” — that constant feeling that we need to hurry, do more, and somehow keep up befo...

What happens when travel completely falls apart? ✈️ In this episode, we share a recent spring break travel experience that didn’t go as planned. Do they ever? As well as finding the beauty in cruising 🛳️. There’s something to be said for having your accommodations move with you wherever you go. But beyond the story, we reflect on how easy it is to lose our empathy and sense of calm when things fee...

What if your body is trying to tell you something? We talked about how physical pain can shift our mood and how the body often holds the emotional stories we haven’t fully processed. When we learn to listen — and share what’s really bothering us — healing can start to happen.

In this episode we reflect on growing up in the 70s and 80s and Elyse’s remarkable ability to recall vivid details from her early life. Those small moments — the sights, sounds, and feelings of childhood — have become the foundation of her memoir writing. As we explore how memory turns into story, another theme begins to surface: many girls of our generation Gen X weren’t taught to recognize red f...

Trigger Warning: We discuss the loss of a beloved pet. Not every friendship is forever. Most aren’t … But are they worth pouring your heart into anyway? 🤍 In this episode, we reflect on what it means to share all the hard, sacred, and happy moments with close friends—knowing nothing is permanent. We talk about why some people don’t think they need or want deep friendships, and whether that’s true...

What happens when our children choose a life that looks different from the one we imagined for them? In this episode, we respond to a thoughtful listener question about raising older kids — especially when their success and  happiness looks entirely different than what we expected. Many of us were raised with strict ideas about achievement and independence.  How do we let go of those expectations...

What is love — really? 💭🤍 In this episode, we talk about our first loves, the relationships that shaped us, and how those experiences informed the way we love each other today. We reflect on the ups and downs especially the hard years when the kids were so young… Of course, we couldn’t resist diving into the five love languages… and debating which ones we think we are. This conversation is about...

In this episode, we talk about childhood dreams, laser focus, and a belief that doesn’t bend— even when doors close, even when you’re told “you’re not good enough.” Elyse shares how she always knew she would become a dancer, even when the road was rough and the feedback was discouraging. That certainty — that deep, unshakeable knowing became the fuel that carried her forward. We explore whether su...

Why is it so hard for some people to say “I’m sorry” — even for the small stuff? 💭 In this episode, we dig into the emotional layers behind apologizing and why it can feel so different from one person to the next. David shares how, for him, apologizing can feel like admitting failure or getting something fundamentally wrong — while Elyse talks about why saying sorry feels like a natural, everyday...

In this episode, there is lots of laughter as David shares a realization about himself—that he doesn’t always fully listen. Not out of a lack of care, but because focus can slip and attention can wander. Elyse and David talk about how noticing a struggle is the first step toward changing it, while at the same time—working on it doesn’t mean it was broken—just that you’re paying attention. A conver...

If our job isn’t who we are, then who are we? In this episode, we talk about identity and how deeply it’s tied to careers, productivity, and what we “do” in the world. We question the idea that not working outside the home means we’re failing, and we explore whether reinvention is possible after raising a family or stepping away from paid work. We also talk about passions, interests, and the thing...

There’s so much heaviness out there right now — wars, crises, politics, social tension — and it can easily pull us out of the present and into overwhelm. In this episode, we talk about how we’re trying to stay sane and bring our best selves without getting completely swallowed by the news cycle and stress of the world. It’s an honest conversation about how we are dealing with the news around the w...

What if getting older isn’t the problem — but how we think about aging is? 🧠✨ In today’s episode, we talk about why mindset matters more than the number of candles on the cake… and yes, we also tell the story of the moment someone mistook David for Elyse’s father😅 (Enter: Papa Dave.) A conversation about aging, perspective, and staying curious, alive, and connected — no matter the number. E-mai...

New Year’s resolutions can feel motivating — or they can quietly suggest that something about us needs fixing. In this episode, we talk about the tension between growth and self-acceptance. David shares why traditional resolutions can feel like a necessary reset, while Elyse offers a different perspective — one rooted in positive affirmations and honoring who we already are. We explore how intenti...