French Kissing Life

It’s Christmas week, and there’s a certain hum in the air. A quiet pressure to keep everything moving, everyone happy, and yourself composed, even when you’re running on fumes. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susie Amato-Henderson for an honest conversation about creating real zen during the holidays, not by escaping the chaos, but by meeting it differently. We talk about her journey from caret...

We’re stepping into one of the most potent thresholds of the year. The winter solstice. The shortest day, the longest night. That quiet hinge in the season when the world slows, the light thins, and many of us feel heavier without quite knowing why. Because creativity can be a lantern in moments like this, I wanted to devote an entire episode to the rituals and tiny practices that help us feel hel...

The holidays come wrapped in sparkle and expectations. Joy! Magic! Gratitude! But if we’re honest, it can feel more like running a marathon in heels and a sequined dress. In this festive episode, I’m joined by body and life coach Courtney Gray for a soulful conversation about rewriting our holiday narratives. We talk about what really happens in our bodies when we override ourselves, how to stop p...

Well, butter my biscuit and cue the confetti cannons. This is our 100th episode, and I’m joined by one of my favorite humans (and former guest), Hillary O’Dell, to mark this wild, wonderful milestone. It’s tender, it’s unhinged, it’s full of heart, and it’s exactly what I hoped it would be. We reminisce about how we met (spoiler: it involves embarrassing confessions before hitting “record”), and w...

As the holidays get closer, I always feel that familiar mix of excitement and pressure. The menus, the timing, the tiny details that somehow turn into big feelings. Hosting can so easily slip into performance mode, and I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. So in this episode, I wanted to explore what it looks like to bring the heart back into gathering. I’m joined by Faith Kenzler, an...

Have you ever walked into a party and felt your chest tighten, or skipped an event entirely because it felt too overwhelming? Even as someone who leans more extroverted, I’ve been there, and I learned so much from this conversation. As the holiday season ramps up, so does the pressure to be on, to mingle, to make conversation that doesn’t always feel natural. In this episode, I’m joined by Coach L...

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is survive. And sometimes surviving becomes the doorway to something extraordinary. In this episode, I talk with Zach Tidwell, a Marine Corps veteran who lost his sight in a suicide attempt and then rewrote the story of his life. From relearning how to navigate the world to becoming an award-winning software developer, Zach shares how he built purpose from pa...

There’s something magical about this time of year when the air turns crisp and we reach for our softest sweatshirts. But cozy living isn’t about adding more; it’s about noticing more. In this episode, I’m joined by interior designer Sabine Hayes of Georgette Marise Interiors, who believes that design can bring peace, purpose, and joy to everyday life. We talk about the emotional side of home, the...

When was the last time you truly dressed up, not to impress, but to express? This week, I'm joined by my dear friend Kristin Gredys Ihm for a conversation that’s part Halloween fun and part soulful exploration of self-expression through style. From Mickey Mouse cowboy boots to go-go boots in Catholic school, Kristin has always used clothes as a canvas for creativity and confidence. We talk ab...

We’re told retirement is a golden reward, a never-ending vacation filled with ease and leisure. But what if it doesn’t feel that way? What if the structure, the purpose, the rhythm of your days quietly vanishes, and you’re left wondering who you are without the title, the routine, the responsibilities? In this episode, I’m joined once again by Monique Rhodes, a happiness strategist and the wise gu...

Every year that passes, I feel more permission to be fully myself. And what better way to celebrate another trip around the sun than with the person who knows me best? It’s my birthday episode, and this year I’m joined by my Canadian bestie Serena for a laughter-filled catch-up that’s equal parts meaningful and mildly ridiculous. We took a playful spin on Vogue’s 73 Questions, think less red carpe...

Some months arrive like a whisper, others like a whirlwind. Lately, I’ve been craving a little more steadiness in the swirl. So in this episode, I’m sharing five simple rituals that have become my non-negotiables; tiny anchors to bring more ease, clarity, and joy into each month. These aren’t grand gestures or expensive habits. They’re gentle practices for resetting your space, soothing your nervo...

Sometimes the smallest spark can light the way to something much bigger. When chef Tina McCard posed for a professional headshot, she didn’t just see herself; she saw a whole community of women who deserved to be seen too. That moment became the beginning of Our Table Chefs, a growing movement empowering women in food and hospitality to step into their craft with confidence and pride. In this conv...

It started with a text: “You have to have us on the podcast for National Family Day.” So, here we are. My nieces, Sarah and London, are taking over the mic for a no-holds-barred, completely unfiltered family roast. In this episode, we dive into the strange and delightful things only families understand. We unpack their wild devotion to our dad (a.k.a. Papa, a.k.a. the local heartthrob), debate the...

We’ve been drawing on cave walls longer than we’ve been talking. That little fact alone hints at just how primal and healing art can be. In this episode, I’m joined by mindful arts coach, author, and app developer Susan Day for a conversation that is full of heart, color, and quiet revelation. We explore the healing power of creativity, not as something performative or polished, but as a deeply pe...

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you’re stuck in the thick of things, swamped, strung out, and nowhere near the finish line, this one's for you. In this solo episode, I’m sharing what it’s like to live through the messy middle. That foggy, frustrating stretch where you’ve started something, maybe a business, a healing journey, or just a new season of life, and suddenly it feels lik...

Have you ever cried to a song and wondered why? Or felt completely transformed after hearing just a few chords? In this conversation with the brilliant and hilarious Molly Lord, we explore how music taps into the deepest parts of who we are. Molly is the creator of Tuned In Productions and author of Holy Dirt , a memoir about walking 500 miles across Spain’s Camino de Santiago. She shares how our...

If your brain doesn’t thrive on traditional productivity hacks, it doesn’t mean you’re broken; it might just mean you have a spicy brain. In this conversation, I’m joined once again by Dr. Rebecca Block to explore how to work with your brain instead of against it. We talk about procrastination as emotion management, why low dopamine makes “helpful” tools harder to use, and how creativity and empat...

What if the recipe for joy was as simple as a smile, a little movement, and saying no to one more draining obligation? In this episode, I’m joined by Nathalie Botros, the radiant psychotherapist-turned-coach behind The Happiness Cocktail and the Bon Vivant Girl lifestyle. Her story is one of deep reinvention; from chasing happiness across countries and careers to realizing it was within her all al...

Sometimes the simplest tools can be the most powerful, and for me, journaling has always been one of them. In this conversation, I sit down with Pamela Byrd, who has been putting pen to paper since she was eleven years old, to talk about how writing can help us heal, grow, and truly know ourselves. Pamela shares her remarkable story, from navigating deep childhood trauma and the heartbreaking loss...

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to say yes to something new, this might be it. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Anna VanAgtmael, founder of Wandering Roots, who shares how a car accident became the catalyst for a completely different kind of life. What started as a season of healing slowly turned into a life built around intention, courage, and connection. We talk about effortless adventure, ho...

In a world that too often forgets how to play, today’s episode is your permission slip to remember. I’m joined by the radiant Melquea Smith, a Black, Queer, multi-award-winning children’s book illustrator and certified kid at heart, who also creates joyful clip art for educators, authors, and entrepreneurs. We talk about what it means to be a "certified kid at heart", how to feel wonder...

If last week’s episode was about hot takes and summer sass, this week’s is a long, slow exhale. We’re shifting into something quieter and deeper...something that touches all of us, even if we don’t often name it. In a world addicted to instant gratification and easy answers, what does it mean to stay with the discomfort? To resist the urge to fix and instead let healing unfold in its own time? I’m...

You know how summer has a way of bringing out the most random opinions? You're either all in, outside with iced coffee and sunscreen, or you're absolutely not. And people get very passionate about their preferences. So I thought, what better way to celebrate the season than with a full-on summer hot take showdown? Naturally, I had to bring in my partner in spicy opinions, my hilarious fr...

Happiness isn't just a fleeting feeling; it’s a skill we can learn and a practice we can live. In this episode, I’m joined by Monique Rhodes, host of the “In Your Right Mind” podcast, for a warm and inspiring conversation about joy, suffering, and the inner work of becoming who you are. After traveling the world to study the habits of the happiest people, Monique discovered something beautifu...