Choosing Us

When Small Touches Saved a 12-Year Marriage Rarely does a single moment on a treadmill change the course of a marriage, but that is exactly what happened here. After two years of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, one half of this couple had a quiet, honest realization: she hadn't been meeting her husband Brad's emotional needs, even while managing the household and keeping everything running. Wha...

In this epsidoe, Brad and Michaela recap some learnings from their 12 years of marraige. Now, If you find this episode valuable, please share with your significant other, friends, and family. We love you! Listen in! Thank you for listening to this episode of Choosing Us.

Choosing Us: Touching Your Dreams and Living With Intention Supergluing a finger shut instead of going to the doctor is either impressive or deeply stubborn, and honestly it might be both. The Drapers bring this same unfiltered energy to every corner of their conversation on "Choosing Us," making this episode genuinely hard to put down. Quickly moving from laughter into substance, the hosts explor...

When the Weight Doesn't Get Lighter, You Get Stronger Rarely does a single weightlifting session crack open a life philosophy, but that is exactly what happened when the speaker attempted a double bodyweight rack pull somewhere between 260 and 280 pounds. The bar moved slowly, not explosively, and yet lifting it changed everything about how they understood difficulty. The Drapers, hosts of Choosin...

Building Family Bonds That Actually Last What happens when you marry someone and suddenly inherit an entirely new family culture, one that looks nothing like your own? The Drapers, Brad and Michaela, tackle this question head-on in this episode of Choosing Us , recorded live from Michaela's grandparents' patio in Idaho. Honestly, the personal stories here are what make this one worth your time. Br...

What You Say Shapes What You Feel and Who You Are Rarely does a single phrase carry so much weight, but the difference between "I am tired" and "I feel tired" could be quietly reshaping your relationship without you even realizing it. Michaela and her partner Brad, hosts of Choosing Us, explore how the words we repeat become what our brain accepts as truth, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and...

Choosing Your Partner Every Single DayRarely does a couple make the daily, conscious decision to truly choose  their partner feel this tangible and real. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," bring nearly thirteen years of marriage experience to a conversation that challenges the modern throwaway approach to relationships. After 12 years of marriage, the Drapers have built something worth examining...

You Are Who You Surround Yourself WithImagine sitting at a pool party with a wealthy real estate developer, only to have your dinner suggestions completely dismissed in favor of luxury steakhouse chains. That humbling moment changed everything for the Drapers. Best friends and married couple Michaela and her husband open up about their early marriage struggles, from living in their parents' baseme...

Finding Your Footing: Intentional Motherhood and the Power of PartnershipRarely does a conversation about motherhood feel this honest and this grounding all at once. In this episode, the Drapers and their guests get real about what it means to parent with purpose, not perfection. Five months postpartum with her third child, one mother describes feeling like she's "treading water" without routine o...

Choosing Us: Showing Up Every Day, Even When It's Hard Consistently choosing your partner, even on your hardest days, might be the most radical relationship act you can do. The Drapers from Choosing Us  get real about what it actually means to show up, authentically and imperfectly, in marriage and life. What does it look like when your best keeps changing? The couple explores how comparison and s...

Keeping Promises When You're Running on Empty Honestly, the most powerful moment in this episode comes down to a simple choice: show up tired or cancel. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," chose to show up and took their sons to a pump track after school despite being exhausted and pressed for time. That decision ripples into something much bigger than an afternoon bike ride. What does it actuall...

Choosing Us: Family Trips, Messy Marriages, and Why Struggles Make You Stronger Rarely does a single episode cover sand-filled arches, prison ministry, and marriage advice with this much heart. The Drapers are back with a raw, honest conversation that challenges the idea that life should feel easy or comfortable. Their spring break trip to Moab  with three kids, including a baby, could have been a...

Survival Mode and Independence   The Drapers are navigating life with a four-month-old while their two older kids adjust to a non-traditional school—and honestly, they're just trying to keep their heads above water. (Sleep deprivation is real, folks.) Their four-year-old son initially claimed he "couldn't" do basic tasks like putting on shoes or blowing his nose, when really he just didn't want to...

Have you ever wondered where self-love actually ranks on your list of life's priorities? The Drapers dive into this transformative question after a recent home emergency involving a burning smell and a failed heater motor reminded them how crucial it is to trust your instincts (Mikaela's quick thinking to call 911 saved the day).  Through honest reflection, one speaker shares the eye-opening momen...

When your four-year-old asks for a pizza date, you know something's working. The Drapers aren't just talking about relationship priorities—they're living them with four kids, packed sports schedules, and the kind of chaos that makes "me time" feel like a distant memory. Here's what strikes me about their approach: they've been together twelve years, and they're still showing up for each other, eve...

Celebrating two nights of their three-month-old sleeping eight to nine hours feels amazing, but the Drapers know better than to expect it to last. (That dreaded four to five month sleep regression is lurking around the corner.) The hosts of "Choosing Us" dive into why unrealistic expectations can sabotage your relationship and how comparing your marriage to Hollywood's version nearly derailed thei...

How do couples navigate intimacy when hormones turn everything upside down? The Drapers open up about a reality many new parents face but few discuss openly. Three months postpartum, their intimate dynamics have completely reversed—roles they've held for years suddenly flipped because of hormonal shifts that can last up to twelve months (and full recovery can take two years). Michaela, who histori...

Authenticity might just be the most exhausting thing you're not doing in your relationship. The Drapers dive deep into why we waste so much energy creating personas for others when genuine connection demands we show up as ourselves. Brad points out something fascinating: everyone sees a different version of your mask anyway, filtered through their own experiences, so why bother maintaining the fac...

When your partner keeps growing and you're standing still, the relationship starts to feel off-balance. Brad and his co-host wrap up their mini-series on Napoleon Hill's relationship principles with a discussion about intellectual and spiritual companionship (while managing their teething daughter's brief nap window). They introduce their "bike analogy"—the idea that both partners must keep pedali...

The Drapers return from their week away to share something that saved their relationship during a particularly rough afternoon. Three months into parenting three children, they're figuring out how to stay connected when life gets overwhelming (and it definitely does). Brad sticks to his daily to-do list religiously—his wife supports these commitments even when they conflict with her own preference...

Why Your Parents' Relationship Might Be Sabotaging Your Marriage Here's something you probably haven't thought about lately: the patterns you witnessed growing up are quietly running your relationship right now. Brad and Michaela Draper dive into the uncomfortable truth about inherited relationship behaviors and why waiting for the "perfect time" to work on your marriage is basically just an excus...

When your spouse says "just a minute" and returns thirty minutes later, does that count as a lie or just a miscommunication? The Drapers tackle this exact scenario in their latest conversation about Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements and how they apply to marriage. Being impeccable with your word isn't just about grand promises (it's also about those small daily commitments like callbacks and time...

When the Drapers started planning their first Masogi, a year-defining difficult activity completed during winter's slack season, Brad was shocked to learn he'd be tackling it as a team. What began as nighttime 35-mile endurance walks evolved into marathon-distance family events where even their newborn joined in a stroller. (Michaela and their children have consistently surprised Brad during final...

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, most people abandon them within days. The Drapers tackle why this happens and what actually works instead (spoiler: it's not just writing a wish list). Breaking goals into daily actionable steps matters far more than grand January declarations, they explain. Supporting your partner's goals means understanding exactly what those goals are and the specific st...

When a newborn forces you to slow down, something unexpected happens. The Drapers discovered that stripping away the holiday chaos revealed what Christmas was really about all along (and it wasn't the endless shopping lists or packed schedules). After years of financial stress during the season, they're now celebrating simply with their family, choosing to skip the Santa promotion entirely and foc...