Harley Malarkey Podcast: Old Dog New Tricks

This week’s episode starts with a conversation about how to have more meaningful interactions with strangers… and then goes a little deeper. We recap our Costa Rica trip and why we love the Pura Vida life so much. We also talk about discovering Danielle’s bossy inner child “Rosie” on this trip and how Brian’s near death experience still impacts our relationship today.

We’re 10 months into trying to conceive and still very much in it. This episode is about that in-between phase where nothing is technically wrong, but nothing is happening either. We talk through what this has looked like for us so far, how it’s felt day to day, and Brian shares what it’s like going through this in his 50s and thinking about having young kids again.

We’re engaged! This isn’t a polished, fairy-tale recap. We get into the week leading up to the proposal, the hard conversations, and the moment Brian almost backed out of marriage entirely. We also talk through the pros and cons of marriage for each of us. Then we end with the full proposal story and how it all came together. Sweet, funny, and perfect.

Before modern society, sensitivity wasn’t a weakness — it was survival. We needed to read the weather, sense danger in the forest, feel shifts in our tribe, and attune to one another for safety. The most sensitive people were often the most perceptive, intuitive, and protective. Somewhere along the way, “you’re too sensitive” became an insult. In today’s episode, we explore how sensitivity is actu...

This week we’re diving into the biggest wellness trends of 2026 and giving our honest yes or no. From GLP-1s and peptides to fiber, protein, and personalized medicine, we discuss what actually works and what might be overcomplicating health. We also share the five wellness habits that have genuinely changed our lives, and why consistency beats trends every time.

This week, we’re choosing a perspective shift. When life gets heavy, it’s easy to fixate on what’s not working, and once you do, the negativity compounds fast. In this episode, we talk about why appreciating the little things matters more than we realize. The people who love you. The listeners who do show up. Your health. The small wins that quietly hold your life together. Gratitude isn’t about i...

Our phones are taking more from us than we realize. In this episode, we get real about how Instagram nearly ended our relationship, the quiet ways our attention has been hijacked, and what it’s like to be a teenager who has never known life without a screen. We talk honestly about how social media fuels comparison and conflict, why teens’ mental health is suffering more than ever, and our own stru...

You may have seen the news on social media, but Brian has made the difficult decision to shut down Chefs Life. In this episode, we cover it all: how Chefs Life started in Brian’s kitchen during Covid, why the brand meant so much to him, and what ultimately made it unsustainable in today’s marketplace. We talk honestly about razor-thin margins, rising costs, and how hard it is to build and maintain...

This episode is a look back at 2025, our highs, lows, and buffalos, complete with storytelling, laughs, and a few hard-earned lessons. We chat about our favorite trips and hotels, unforgettable moments like my brother’s wedding, and what made this year feel so full. 2025 brought major year of the snake energy with growth, recalibration, and shedding old skins. We also talk about our intentions for...

Brian openly admits he’s a big “should-er” - my brother should’ve bought that, my kids should’ve done this, Harley should’ve done that. While these thoughts often come from love or wanting the best, they can subtly undermine relationships and create shame. We explore how “should-ing” on yourself or others is really a form of arguing with reality - and how that never actually helps anyone move forw...

Today we’re talking about Mary Magdalene Revealed and the lost gospel that never made the biblical cut because the early church clearly wasn’t interested in hearing from women. With men mentioned by name around 1,700 times in scripture and women only 93, the imbalance speaks for itself. We explore what Christianity might have looked like if the divine feminine hadn’t been edited out. Harley has a...

We’ve officially decided it’s time to get back into the Christmas spirit. In this episode, we unpack our childhood Christmases - the magic, the traditions, and the moments that made us step back from the holiday cheer for a while. We dive into the great Santa debate (should you lie to your kids in the name of Christmas magic?), the glory and the chaos of Elf on the Shelf, and why, after a few grin...

We start off this episode a little lighter, recounting the adventure of getting Harley's Dad to Cabo for her brother's wedding and discovering that weddings are the Super Bowl for singles. Then we shift into Brian’s latest therapy realization: what he long thought was anger was actually guilt running the show. We talk about how guilt shaped his reactions, his parenting, and his internal...

In this episode, we dive into the follow-up you’ve all been asking for. After Brian’s near-death experience made its way into People Magazine, we’re sharing where things actually stand now - the doctor’s appointments, the lingering fatigue, and the very real ups and downs of the past five weeks. Harley finally hits her emotional wall mid-recording (yep, we paused and came back two days later), and...

As painful as it is to relive the terrifying day we faced in Italy, we’re opening up about Brian’s unexpected health scare - what happened and the lessons we’re still learning. Our hope is that by sharing this experience, it resonates with anyone who’s had to navigate a similar situation in their own lives.

This week, we’re recapping the first half of our Italian adventure where we found paradise. We dive into our dreamy days on the Tuscan coast, one of our favorite hotels ever, and the story of how we politely declined a yacht invite from a couple wild old Italian men. We also talk about being open to synchronicities and a crazy run-in with a very famous chef. Don’t miss next week’s episode… when he...

We’re digging into the gold digger convo. After some comments on our age gap relationship reel, we decided to break down what actually makes someone a gold digger - and why that label gets tossed at women way more than men. We talk about how both sides usually benefit, the importance of keeping your own identity (even if you step into a more traditional role later), and how women’s roles have evol...

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what “raw dogging life” really looks like. You’ll hear us in real time - frustrated, vulnerable, and working through it. For the first time in 40 years, Brian is facing his emotions without the buffer of substances, and it’s revealing the deeper layers of healing still to come. Recorded across two days, you’ll hear the evolution - from high tension to d...

Malarkey just hit 53 - and also marked 3 years (mostly) alcohol-free! We talk about his one slip-up, the surprising gifts sobriety has brought him, and how quitting booze led him to drop other numbing habits like weed, caffeine, nicotine, and antidepressants (have a time & a place - no shame!). Plus, a quick dive into Harley’s experience with the other side of addiction: how some people are dr...

Our first episode on age-gap relationships was one of our most popular - so we’re back, answering the questions you really want to know. We talk about our different music tastes, what our friends and family actually thought about our age difference, and why we believe love defies age (with a few exceptions). Plus, Malarkey coins a brand-new term of endearment for Harley to call him - her ol’ nut d...

First booze, then coffee… and now the gummies?! Brian just dropped his last vice and is officially running on water and oxygen. In this episode, he gets real about why it was time to say goodbye to his beloved weed gummies, and how ditching them has already leveled up his mood, focus, and energy.

This week’s episode dives into both big and small questions through a couples card game called Tales . From “What was your favorite game at recess?” to “Who inspires you?” and “What do you want to do when you retire?” - we cover it all. We share a cautionary story about why waiting until retirement to enjoy your life is a bad idea, and give our thoughts about how to win at the game of life if SIM...

Harley and Malarkey share practical strategies for navigating life with a narcissist. Drawing from their own experiences with narcissists and borderlines, they reflect on the hard lessons they've learned along the way. They explore where these personality disorders may originate - both from a psychological and a spiritual perspective and offer concrete tools to help you avoid getting pulled i...

Missed it the first time? We’re back with our Instagram Etiquette episode. We get into the do’s and don’ts of navigating social media with a partner, how alcohol fueled some of Malarkey’s not-so-great choices in the past, and why being honest with yourself matters most. 

Who are five people who are no longer with us that you’d like to spend some time with in eternity? The similarities between your choices can reveal the qualities you might be seeking to develop in yourself. Malarkey’s list shows he’s craving more peace, while Harley’s picks prove she’s ready to shake things up and make the world better by challenging the status quo.