Brains Gone Bold Podcast

What starts as a question about death turns into one of our most honest conversations yet. Are we actually afraid of dying? Or are we afraid of getting older, losing our independence, becoming a burden, or leaving the people we love behind? This week, Maria and Jeanine talk about all of it. They share their very different feelings about death, the experience of losing parents, and what it means to...

Ever notice how one small moment can make you question everything you believe about yourself? In this episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria and Jeanine start with a conversation about laughter, work, and showing up as your authentic self. But the discussion quickly turns into something much deeper. Together, they unpack perfectionism, shame, intelligence, vulnerability, and the stories we carry abou...

This week on Brains Gone Bold, Maria and Jeanine sit down with Patrice Matamoros for a conversation about courage, confidence, creativity, and why some of life's biggest lessons come from stepping into the unknown. The conversation starts with a story from Patrice's teenage years, when she was taken into the wilderness and expected to find her way. That experience sparked a discussion ab...

No one talks about how networking can feel absolutely awful. In this episode of Brains Gone Bold, Maria and Jeanine get brutally honest about the pressure of meeting new people, making small talk, and pretending networking doesn’t drain the life out of you. Jeanine shares that she’s literally driven to networking events, sat in the parking lot, and left without ever going inside. More than once. A...

Sometimes the hardest relationships to leave aren’t romantic ones. In this episode of Brains Gone Bold, Jeanine and Maria tackle the messy, emotional, deeply human question: How do you know when it’s time to walk away from a relationship? From friendships that quietly fade… to family estrangement… to values that no longer align… to the pain of being ghosted by someone you genuinely loved… this con...

Quitting sounds simple… but it never feels that way.   In this episode, Maria and Jeanine dig into a question most of us quietly wrestle with: when is it actually okay to quit? They grew up hearing, “don’t be a quitter.” Finish what you start. Push through.  But now? Life looks different.   They talk about jobs, parenting, relationships, and the pressure to stay… even when something clearly isn’t...

What would you do… really? Not the polished answer. Not the “right” answer. The real one. In this episode, Maria and Jeanine start with a heavy story, a tragic accident, a split-second decision, and a question that doesn’t have a clean answer. Then they follow it somewhere unexpected. Because once you start asking “what would you do if…,” it turns into everything. They talk about intention vs. con...

Can you lie… and still be a good person? This episode starts simple, but it doesn’t stay that way. Maria and Jeanine dig into a question that gets real, fast: can two things be true at once? They talk about what it means to trust someone, why lies hit so personally, and whether intent really matters. Along the way, they explore everything from “harmless” lies to the ones that completely change how...

In this episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria and Jeanine start with a simple breakfast question, should couples sit on the same side of the booth, and somehow end up talking about pet peeves, table manners, dating dealbreakers, love languages, and why water flossing apparently matters a lot more than most people think. Jeanine is firmly on team “sit across from me so I can see your face,” while Mar...

We say it all the time. “I have anxiety.” But what does that actually mean? In this episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria and Jeanine take on a topic that a lot of people talk about, but not always with the same understanding, anxiety. Jeanine admits she doesn’t experience much anxiety herself. Maria shares what it feels like living closer to it. That difference sparks a thoughtful conversation abou...

Your Nose Has Secrets How One Sniff Changes Everything Have you ever smelled something and suddenly felt like you were six years old again? In this episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria and Jeanine talk with scent scientist Dr. Rachel Herz to explore something we all have… but rarely think about - our sense of smell. They dive into why the smell of popcorn can take you straight back to a childhood m...

Do people really change? And if they do… do they deserve another chance? In part two of this Brains Gone Bold conversation, Maria and Jeanine continue their honest discussion on change, second chances, trust, and forgiveness, joined again by Jeanine’s mom, Cathy. This episode goes deeper, and gets more complicated (in the best way). They talk about the difference between people changing and wantin...

Change is supposed to be normal. So why does it feel so heavy? In this special episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria and Jeanine welcome their first-ever guest: Cathy (Jeanine’s mom) for an honest, multi-generational conversation about change, control, and what it means to grow through life’s biggest transitions.  Maria opens up about recent changes that hit deeper than expected like selling her chi...

This episode starts with leadership… and somehow ends up in online dating.  So yes - it’s another Brains Gone Bold ride. On this episode, Maria and Jeanine talk about expectations and how they sneak into everything: work, relationships, leadership, even what we think people “should” do or say. Maria shares a moment from a leadership talk that hit her hard: we’re always teaching managers how to sup...

The holidays are supposed to feel magical… so why do they sometimes feel like pure chaos? In this Brains Gone Bold: Holiday Edition , Maria and Jeanine keep it real about what the season actually looks like as adults. You know - the stress, the money, the “what do I buy my teenager?” spiral, and the pressure to have a picture-perfect holiday that doesn’t exist.  They talk about what does bring joy...

If you think your workplace is wild… just wait. In this episode of Brains Gone Bold, Maria and Jeanine discuss real HR stories and workplace nightmares that prove leading people is never boring. From an employee clipping her toenails at the office to a memorable (and very awkward) bathroom incident caught on a work call, these HR tales are equal parts hilarious, shocking, and painfully relatable....

Ever felt like your brain hijacked your day? You’re calm one minute, spiraling the next, and suddenly your heart’s racing over something that didn’t even happen? Yeah, us too. In this episode of Brains Gone Bold , Maria shares something that’s been genuinely life-changing: what she learned from Dr. Bill Crawford’s Life from the Top of the Mind. It’s neuroscience meets real life and it might explai...

Why is friendship so hard as an adult? In this episode, Maria and Jeanine open up about the messy truth behind connection - from work besties who disappear to the quiet ache of realizing your circle’s gotten smaller. They share real stories, laugh at their own contradictions (“I want to be invited… but I don’t want to go”), and remind us that everyone’s craving community, even if we’re bad at admi...

What’s scarier than ghosts or goblins? Trying to figure it all out. In this Halloween-inspired episode, Maria and Jeanine dig into the fear behind choosing a path, from college majors to midlife pivots. They share stories of plans gone sideways, career “hauntings,” and the moments that remind us nobody really has it all figured out. It’s real talk about pressure, purpose, and giving ourselves (and...

Think bold means loud? Think again. Maria and Jeanine hit record with sweaty palms and big honesty. From a too-rowdy wine bar to real talk about boundaries, they show how bold can show up in unexpected places. “Sometimes bold is the simple move.” And Jeanine adds, “Bold is saying what needs said, even when no one else will.” What you’ll hear: The “quiet confidence” version of bold Brave vs. bold (...

Okay… we finally did it. After a year of talking, dreaming, overthinking, and wondering if we were totally crazy—we hit record.  In this very first episode, Maria and I (hi, I’m Janine!) get super real about what it took to just start. And spoiler alert: it wasn’t all smooth sailing. We talk about nerves, self-doubt, and what it feels like to do something bold when you’re used to playing it safe (...

Hey there! We’re Jeanine and Maria – two curious minds who love to go off-script and talk about everything from leadership to love, and all the messy stuff in between.  This show is for anyone who likes to laugh, learn, and maybe even cringe a little (in a good way). Sometimes we’ll make you stop and think. Other times? You’ll be laughing out loud. We don’t have all the answers—but we do ask big q...