Pandora’s Box

I almost didn’t go. I had already decided camping wasn’t for me. Then somewhere between an Ice Castle bathroom that required an operations manual, tubing, fireworks, grief, laughter, and realizing nobody needed anything from me for three whole days, I learned something: I had become so busy being responsible that I forgot to participate in my own life. In this About Damn Time Summer episode of Pan...

When the people who carried your family's stories are gone... what happens next? In this deeply personal episode of Pandora's Box: Just Joy , Joy opens up about the passing of her grandfather on his birthday and the unexpected lessons that followed. This isn't just a conversation about grief—it's about legacy, family, kindness, and becoming the next pillar for the people you love....

This week I sat in a nursing home in Iowa watching my grandfather sleep. Somewhere between hospice pamphlets, a fountain Coke I never finished, a story about my dad wanting a Milky Way candy bar, and a cup of coffee with Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice, I realized something: We spend our whole lives acting like we have time. Time to make the call. Time to take the trip. Time to say we're sorry...

This week on Pandora's Box: Just Fucking Joy, we're talking about something nobody prepares you for: The fact that life doesn't happen one emotion at a time. While celebrating the growth of this podcast, I'm also preparing for a trip back to Iowa to spend time with my grandfather as our family faces some difficult realities. One minute I'm checking podcast analytics. The next I...

Tonight’s episode started with one simple question: “What the hell do people even do at 7 PM?” What followed was a late-night realization about grief, survival mode, peace, healing, body acceptance, and finally learning how to just be. Somewhere between watering plants in pajamas, becoming part Carrie Bradshaw and part Mr. Roper, and staring at the same sky my mom used to stare at… something final...

Welcome back to the About Damn Time summer series on Pandora’s Box: Just Joy. This week, Joy gets brutally honest about emotional narratives, family stress, grief, caregiving, boundaries, overthinking, and what happens when people try to define who you are before truly seeing you. From stories about her mom and grandpa to conversations at the local VFW, this episode drifts through real-life moment...

In this kickoff episode of my summer series About Damn Time , I share the journey of breaking old patterns, reclaiming my life, and choosing myself. From a chaotic childhood where waiting was the rhythm of life, to adulthood where fear often dictated my choices, I talk about how I’m finally taking intentional action—one bold step at a time. I reveal the two actions I took this week : one unexpecte...

This episode marks the beginning of a brand new summer season of Pandora’s Box — raw, real, messy, honest, and completely unfiltered. We’re talking: ✨ self-growth ✨ grief and healing ✨ caregiving burnout ✨ learning how to stop waiting and start living ✨ choosing yourself without apology ✨ participating in your own damn life This Mother’s Day episode is deeply personal as Joy reflects on losi...

This episode is raw, honest, and long overdue. I’m talking about situationships, orbiting, and the truth about being the “doormat” in relationships. The kind where someone shows up just enough to keep you hooked—but never enough to build something real. For a long time, I thought it was about them. It wasn’t. It was about the pattern I allowed… and why I stayed in it. In this episode, I break down...

If your life feels loud, overwhelming, and nonstop… this episode is for you. In this raw and unfiltered episode of Pandora’s Box: Just Joy , Joy shares the truth about burnout, emotional overload, and what happens when your body finally forces you to stop. After weeks of chaos—working over 50 hours, going out nonstop, and filling her life with distractions—Joy hit a breaking point. Water retention...

Today’s episode wasn’t planned—but it turned into one of the realest moments I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t just clean my apartment… I let go. After years of holding onto things tied to old versions of myself, I finally realized something: I wasn’t missing anything in my life—I was holding onto what no longer fit. In this episode, I talk about: Decluttering and letting go of emotional attachmen...

You’ve been told how to dress, how to act, how to live… But has anyone ever asked you what you want? In this episode, Joy breaks down what it really looks like to stop performing for other people and start showing up for yourself—messy, real, and unapologetically. From thrift store moments to full-blown identity shifts, this isn’t about fixing yourself… it’s about finally owning who you already ar...

This episode is a little different. It’s faith-based—but I’m not here to preach. I’m here to share what Easter means to me, and what I’ve been sitting with. A few weeks ago, someone told me I don’t “live clean.” Because I don’t go to church. Because I drink, cuss, and live my life out loud. And today—I’m not staying quiet about it. This episode is about: being judged for how you live the weight of...

This one’s personal. This episode is about my grandma—my Mama—the woman who showed me what love actually looks like. Not the kind you talk about… the kind you live. After everything—divorce, addiction, grief, caregiving—you start to see people differently. You start to crave something deeper. Something real. And for me… that started with her. If you’ve ever had someone who showed up for you in a w...

This episode is different. No deep breakdowns. No heavy trauma dives. Just me—unfiltered. From getting mistaken for having a whole baby at Hy-Vee… to biting gummy worms in half and losing everything… to laughing so hard life humbled me in the worst (and funniest) ways… Yeah. We’re going there. I’m sharing the weird habits I used to hide, the embarrassing moments that shaped me, and the real-life e...

Alone Isn’t Lonely For most of my life I thought being alone meant something was wrong. That it meant something was missing. This episode is about the moment I realized that wasn’t true. Sometimes when you raise your standards, people fall away. Not because you’re mean, not because you’re difficult — but because you stopped chasing people who never planned to meet you halfway. In this episode I ta...

Close Google. If someone you love was just diagnosed with dementia, this episode will tell you what the search results won’t. Joy shares the unfiltered truth about caregiving, grief, personality changes, hospital stays, and the strange, sacred gift hidden inside the chaos. This episode is for every dementia caregiver who thought they were losing their mind. You’re not. You’re exhausted. Say the we...

This is the story of the day my life actually began — not when I was born, married, or divorced — but the day I packed a U-Haul with $140 and crossed state lines. I talk about grief, losing my dad, wearing the victim badge too long, and what it took to choose growth over fear. Twelve years later, I’m not rich — but I have clarity and calm. And that’s priceless.

In this episode of Pandora’s Box: Just Joy , I talk about the pressure to rush through life — chasing success, control, and the next chapter without realizing we’re running on old survival wiring. I share personal stories about growing up in a chaotic home, navigating grief, divorce, work identity, and learning that independence doesn’t mean burnout. We talk about time as currency, why red lights...

Valentine’s Day can feel romantic, painful, or somewhere in between. In this honest episode of Pandora’s Box , Joy talks about self-love, emotional growth, and why love without intention creates chaos. She shares personal reflections on mixed signals, walking on eggshells, and the moment she decided peace matters more than potential. This episode covers: • How to stop chasing love that doesn’t fee...

This episode is about my mom, Pam. Not her illness. Not how she died. Her life. She was kind, intelligent, strong, and full of hope. She cooked for strangers, went to church every Sunday, loved deeply, buried a daughter, raised two children to adulthood, and helped raise many more. She showed up. She made room. She kept going. Through stories, photos, and memory, I want you to meet the woman who s...

This episode isn’t about dating. It’s about showing up differently . I’m honoring the women who shaped me, the survival patterns that once kept me safe, and the quiet moment when I realized I don’t need to perform to be present anymore. I talk about influence, grief, identity, and the experiment of staying open without chasing — what happens when you slow down, listen to your body, and stop fillin...

In this week’s episode of Pandora’s Box , Joy checks in while not feeling her best and reflects on her recent birthday and what it really means to show up for yourself. This isn’t a polished episode — it’s a real one. A reminder that even when you’re sick, tired, or foggy, sometimes just showing up is enough. Growth doesn’t always look strong. Sometimes it just looks honest.

Turning 51 didn’t make me smaller — it made me clearer. In this birthday episode of Pandora’s Box , I talk honestly about age, identity, and the quiet shame society teaches us to carry about getting older. I share stories about my mom and grandma, the women who showed me that age is not a limit — it’s a legacy. This is my first birthday without my mom, and instead of shrinking, I chose to show up...

In this episode of Pandora’s Box, Joy dives deep into the real work of waking up to your own life. She shares raw reflections on letting go of old roles, embracing calm over chaos, and discovering that you’re not late—you’re right on time. It’s a journey of witnessing your own truth without preaching, and a reminder that sometimes the quietest awakenings are the most powerful. Join Joy as she navi...