Best of Both Worlds Podcast

This new season is all about risk/benefit calculation and understanding trends and analyzing data - not exactly quick or easy, especially when we are busy doing other things! Laura and Sarah discuss how they are handling it, and then are joined by an expert guest today on this topic -- Dr Kelly Fradin, a pediatrician who has been working on making the analysis easier and more understandable for th...

Rebecca is a mother to 8 month old Miriam and also the owner of a small business (a yarn shop specializing in hand-dyed varieties, based in Cary NC). Rebecca took both plunges very bravely: leaving the corporate world to open her own business and also choosing to pursue the path of having a baby on her own. Sarah and Rebecca tell a few fun stories, and then Rebecca opens up about what the journey ...

In this Laura & Sarah episode, the first discussion is about foundation habits -- what are the habits that seem to sustain everything else? Sleep definitely . . . and there is quite a tangent on baby sleep in the discussion as well! The discussion then segues to talking about fall favorites, from weather changes to pumpkin flavors and other fun aspects of the season (even Halloween and what th...

Friendship certainly looks different these days . . . but it doesn't mean that connection is any less important! Author, speaker and connection expert Shasta Nelson joins Laura and Sarah to discuss the value of making true friend connections at work, as well as some tips on building these important relationships. In the intro, Laura and Sarah discuss their current friend situations and the Q&A...

Larissa Maloney is a mother of 2, teacher, and now business owner, running Active Kids 2.0 -- a virtual training studio for kids, from toddlers to teens! In this episode, Sarah shares her woes about getting her kids the activity they need (hot September weather in FL doesn't help!). Larissa offers lots of great advice and resources, and shares a fun day-in-the-life. She also offers her own thought...

School is about to start for some and has been in session for a few weeks for others! Laura and Sarah discuss some of the interesting remote education solutions they have seen arise in their areas. Laura then gives a detailed description of how a two-career couple might make things work if childcare is not an available option -- including specifics on a potential schedule. Then, the two delve into...

This year has been rather . . . different than expected (understatement of the century). But, setting and reviewing goals can still be helpful to some. At the same time, it's also okay to have seasons with fewer goals or to reevaluate prior plans! Laura discusses still feeling in the thick of it with Baby #5 while Sarah has spent time thinking about how to modify prior goals to fit 2020 constraint...

Sarah and Laura open with their own stress management strategies, including a book rec. Then, meditation teacher and mother of 5 Josephine Atluri joins in to share her journey into learning about meditation as well as some of her favorite techniques for managing stress and coping with difficult times. She also delves into her own family building experience, including international adoption, IVF, a...

Laura and Sarah open with a brief discussion of Sarah's wardrobe makeover, and then Riche Holmes Grant joins in. In this fun interview, Riche describes her career journey, including how she went from Columbia Law graduate to business owner to professional influencer & Martha Stewart design collaborator! She shares inspiration on how to create a beautiful tablescape and also gives us a glimpse...

Sarah's podcast dedicated to all things planning launched yesterday (let's hope it went well!) and now that Best Laid Plans is here, she takes a moment to talk about this fun new project -- structure, ideas, and more! (Don't worry - this is in addition to BOBW, not a replacement!). Then, Laura and Sarah dive into more listener-submitted Q&A. Topics include home workstations, pandemic-related h...

In this episode Laura and Sarah answer your questions submitted through Instagram, including one that seemed to come up multiple times: what are we planning to do with our kids in the new school year? The topics in this episode range from practical to frivolous so join us as we dive into time blocking, appearance tips for video meetings, kids & chores, and much more. Learn more about your ad c...

In this episode, Sarah interviews Laura on the hottest work-related topic of the moment -- how to work effectively from home! Laura's new ebook The New Corner Office is out today, so in honor of the release we have the answers to 8 of your most burning questions related to working remotely. From Zoom fatigue to finding focus,this episode is chock full of practical tips and tricks!  Learn more abou...

Before Sarah and Laura introduce Lisa Canning (of HGTV fame!) they have a brief discussion about a new Netflix favorite -- The Babysitters Club! Then Lisa brings her fantastic energy to the interview, where she describes her career path -- a particularly fascinating one as she had 8 children along the way! Lisa also talks time management and practical strategies for managing a large family househo...

Both Laura and Sarah read Joy at Work, a guide to decluttering your work life to find more joy by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein. As might be expected, they had different takes on some of the ideas (though agreed on some others!). Listen to hear a discussion about clean desks, clutter propagation, digital clutter, calendar clutter, time for deep work, and more. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah an...

Celeste Headlee is a journalist, author, speaker, and musician. That sounds quite busy, but she also passionate about the idea that humans should make a point of taking more time to do . . . well, less! Her recent book, Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving, is all about how and why to find this space in our lives. Laura and Celeste discuss leisure -- even in t...

Description: In this episode, Laura and Sarah discuss their rather long-running blogs. They share advice and tips on how to start a blog or website, whether everyone should have one, and what their biggest rewards and challenges have been so far. Listen in and then check out their sites if you haven't already at  lauravanderkam.com  and  theshubox.com   :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

 Professor Susannah Quinsee runs the educational technology and development team at a London-based university, and as one might imagine things got more than a little hectic for her recently! However, she and her partner managed to make things workout without childcare -- and she learned some interesting lessons along the way. She shares her experiences with us in this fascinating episode. Join us...

This episode was recorded prior to current national coverage of events which brought to the forefront the racial disparities present in this country.  We support efforts against racism. We are thrilled that this week's guest happens to be a Black woman succeeding at making work and life fit together. This was entirely coincidental but we hope to continue to feature more Black women and non-Black w...

It's an all Q/A episode! Laura & Sarah took 10 of your juiciest questions from a recent call on Instagram, and answered each one. Topics discussed include: pros/cons of age gaps, ways to manage energy when you get the 'afternoon' work shift, habit-building tips, a skincare starting point, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

In this fun episode, Sarah & Laura chat a bit about their summer reading plans, and then they REALLY get into book talk with author KJ Dell'Antonia! KJ's latest release is a novel  The Chicken Sisters , and along with that she recommends and describes a slew of other titles, many with instantly attention-grabbing themes and features. There is a reading recommendation for everyone in this episo...

This episode is inspired by a certain podcast host who is turning 40 tomorrow! Laura looks back on her 40th and Sarah discusses feelings -- physical & emotional. Physical changes, goal-setting, reflection and celebrations - all are covered! Plus, Sarah shares what she was planning to do for her 40th and their new revised version. In the Q&A, a listener writes in about an exciting temporary...

These are unprecedented times . . . and sometimes it is helpful to seize the lighter moments. The cleverly-riffing duo from What Fresh Hell will hopefully help you to do just that in this episode. Along with Laura & Sarah, they discuss the evolution of Lockdown Parenting, current thing keeping us sane, and much more. In the intro, Laura & Sarah discuss shifting timetables in their househol...

In this episode perfect for the current times, yoga therapist Stephannie Weikert joins Laura and Sarah to talk about dealing with stress. She is a yoga therapist who provides online yoga therapy for "smart, stressed out men and women" - which may be widely applicable right now! She shares some of her favorite breathing techniques and postures for relaxation, as well as some of the deeper non-movem...

This is a traditional Laura & Sarah conversational episode, with a discussion of things currently keeping our spirits up as well as lessons/changes that may stick even when the pandemic is (eventually) behind us all! Plus, Laura reveals her newest project (exciting!) and Sarah shares a much more minor but notable blog-related achievement. In the Q&A, they answer a listener question about c...

We can all use a dose of humor right now -- and well-known author Jen Hatmaker provides a just that, with a fresh burst of energy in her interview today. Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of their current diversions, and then guest Jen joins Laura to talk about her brand new book, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a listener question about maintaining frie...