Because We Said So - Gen X Unfiltered

In part 2, Fran and Scott swap stories about travel, adventure, and the trip that finally convinced Fran to leave her comfort zone and head to Europe. From travel mishaps and memorable experiences to the benefits of seeing new places and cultures, this episode is a fun conversation about stepping outside your routine and saying "yes" to experiences you never thought you'd have. Please follow Becau...

Part 1 of 2. This week, Fran finally got her brother Scott on the podcast. If you were expecting years of sibling secrets, childhood dirt, and complete chaos...so were we. Unfortunately, Scott was running on fumes and brought the energy of a man who'd already mentally gone to bed. It may not have been the wild sibling showdown, but sometimes the best conversations are the ones that feel real, unfi...

Fran and Laura sit down with Steve and finally reveal the truth, or some of it, behind the latest gym Survivor-themed challenge, and poor Steve finds out in real time that he may have been living among complete psychopaths. From hidden idols and strategic deception to fake alliances and absolute gym-wide paranoia, Team Unhinged Savages admits to tactics that leave Steve questioning everything he t...

In this episode, Fran sits down with her friend Katie as she shares what it was like becoming a young mom, a young grandma with fifteen grandkids, and having the strength to survive breast cancer. They talk about rebuilding your identity after life knocks you sideways, finding yourself again in midlife, and saying yes to new beginnings. It’s honest, hopeful, and full of the kind of wisdom you only...

Fran sits down with Steve, and Laura dig into the GLP-1 conversation everyone’s having but no one’s saying out loud. They break down what the drug actually does, the side effects people don’t talk about, and how to weigh real medical benefits against the risks. It’s honest, funny, and grounded in the kind of midlife, Gen X clarity that cuts through the hype so listeners can make informed decisions...

In this episode, Fran looks back on a season where nothing seemed to go right...plans stalled, doors closed, and every path felt like a dead end. But with a little distance, the pattern becomes clear: things were actually falling into place the whole time. It’s a story about timing, redirection, and the quiet ways life works out even when it feels like it isn’t. If you want to see the project that...

In this deeply personal solo episode, Fran opens up about one of the hardest chapters of her life: her son’s journey with P.A.N.D.A.S. What started as subtle changes turned into years of confusion, fear, and frustration—made even harder by the fact that almost no one believed anything was wrong. Except for one extraordinary school counselor who saw what others didn’t. Fran shares the emotional tol...

What started as a drive to Rhode Island for fresh seafood turned into a full-blown business. In this episode, Fran talks with Steve, the man behind Seafood Run, about how it all began, what goes into those early morning runs, and how he built it one customer at a time. If you've ever ordered from Seafood Run, .or just love a good real-life hustle story...this one's for you.

Joy is back...still unfiltered, still very much from Yonkers, and still not censoring herself...Fran wouldn't want it any other way. This episode is marked explicit (again( because when we talk about hormones, hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, and the absolute lack of preparation we were given...we're not whispering. We get honest about  what's happening to our bodies, what no one told us, and...

What happens when two Gen X women "just catch up" and end up talking for two and a half hours? In part One of this unfiltered conversation, Fran is joined by her friend Joy... born and raised in Yonkers, honest to her core, and absolutely not here to censor herself. We dive into growing up in the 80s and 90s, what it's like to move away from where you're from, and how your roots follow you no matt...

Fake bank calls, “Grandma, I’m in jail” scams, tech‑support nonsense...Fran has seen it all from her years overseeing the Consumer Assistance Unit in the banking regulation industry. She breaks down how scammers operate and how to protect yourself, with plenty of Gen X sarcasm and zero patience for fraud. If you’ve been scammed: act fast...contact your bank, change passwords, enable 2FA, watch you...

In this episode, Fran sits down with her friend Fay...a woman somewhere between Boomer grit and Gen X resilience...and she brings both. Fay talks growing up with zero supervision, the soundtrack of her youth, life inside her special ed classroom, and what dating looks like now. Its nostalgic, honest and proof that age is just a number.

In this episode, Fran talks about that quiet nudge you've been ignoring...the thing you've been wanting to try, start, say, or change. The dream you keep pushing to "someday." Here's the truth: someday has a sneaky way of turning into never. This is your little 12 minute reminder that you don't need permission. You don't need to be ready. You don't need everything perfectly lined up. If not now......

In this fun Big Game Sunday episode of Because We Said So: Gen X Unfiltered, Fran tackles one of America's biggst TV traditions...not just the game, but everything that comes with it. Fran is joined by Patriots superfan Steve and Bills fanatic Laura, and whether you care about football like they do (or not at all like Fran), there' something here for everybody...like 3 point conversions. If you li...

Some episodes have a plan...this one did not. In this week's episode, Fran sits down with friends Steve and Laura as they talk about everything and also a whole lot of nothing. They bounce from random observations to real-life moments, laugh a lot and go down a few side roads along the way. There is no neat bow on this episode, no big takeaway, and no carefully curated topic list. Just three peopl...

This bonus episode is a throwback in the truest sense. Fran reads a story she wrote in high school - about being 17, skipping school with friends, borrowing a car, being completely boy-crazy and making the kind of choices that feel harmless at 17. Fran may have been influenced by the trending movies at the time. It seems pretty obvious which movies influenced her writing.  If this episode brings b...

In this solo episode of Because We Said So: Gen X Unfiltered, Fran offers a gentle check-in for anyone feeling tired, overwhelmed, or stuck in that in-between space. No hot takes...just real talk and a reminder that you're not alone. If this episode resonates, I'd love to hear from you. You can follow the podcast on social media and share what you've been feeling lately - messages, stories, recomm...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Steve to talk about finding your people later in life - when you're not in school anymore, your routines are set, and making new friends feels awkward at best and impossible at worst. We talk about how real connections can come from the most unexpected places (yes, the gym), how friendship looks different as adults, and why sometimes you don't even realiz...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dan, we dig deeper into how fitness became such an important part of both of our lives. I share the origins of my own gym journey - how it started, why it stuck, and what it's meant to me beyond physical strength. Dan opens up about his fitness journey as well, it's an honest vulnerable conversation about grief, resilience, and how the gym can become a place of he...

In the first episode of Because We Said So: Gen X Unfiltered, I sit down with Coach Dan for a real, unfiltered conversation about parenting, honesty and growth. We talk about what it really looks like to be honest with your kids about your own past - including mistakes, drinking and the lessons that come with them. We also dive into Dan's journey into Spartan racing, how he got started, what drew...

We raised ourselves. Now we have a podcast. Episode 1 coming soon!