The Bucketwish With ERICKA NICOLE MALONE

Welcome back to another inspiring episode of The Bucket Wish with Erica Nicole Malone! What started as a documentary has officially become a movement to help you uncover parts of yourself you never knew existed. This week, Erica tackles a powerful truth: None of us make it to the other side of our dreams alone. We are all a tapestry of the wisdom, tough love, and guidance poured into us by others....

Welcome back to The Bucketwish Podcast—which started as a documentary but has officially become a movement. This week, Erica dives deep into a profound truth: science and life show us that every five years, we constantly evolve into entirely new people. Yet, so many of us are trapped in the daily rhythm of the "rat race," living a life mapped out by routine, keeping up with the Joneses, and forcin...

Welcome to a deeply moving episode of The Bucket Wish, hosted by Erica Nicole Malone. What began as a documentary has transformed into a global movement—a weekly space dedicated to helping you uncover your dreams, embrace the impossible, and connect with a community that lifts you up. In this special episode, Erica sits down with civil rights royalty: Valerie Nero, the niece of the legendary, worl...

What is that one thing you always find yourself starting, but never quite finishing? In this deeply personal and honest episode, Erica Nicole Malone pulls back the curtain on her own life to talk about a hurdle we all face: procrastination. From writing scripts in record time to facing total mental paralysis while trying to write her new book, Erica shares how the pursuit of absolute perfection ca...

In this deeply moving episode of The Bucket Wish, host Erica Nicole Malone sits down with an extraordinary woman who completely changed her life: minister, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Valerie Nero. As the niece of civil rights icon and "Queen of Gospel" Mahalia Jackson, Valerie shares intimate, never-before-heard stories from her childhood. Step inside Mahalia's vibrant home as...

Vulnerability, Healing, and Comedy with Susanna Spies Welcome back to The Bucket Wish—which started as a documentary but has officially blossomed into a movement! Each week, host Erica Nicole Malone takes you on a journey to uncover hidden parts of yourself, face the seemingly impossible, and fearlessly chase your dreams. In this episode, Erica Nicole Malone is joined by her brilliant friend, vete...

With guests Tara Punzone & Debra Mars "It was all a dream..." This week on The BucketWish Podcast, Erica Nicole Malone sits down for an intimate, soul-stirring conversation with two absolute powerhouses who are redefining what it means to live a multifaceted, audacious life. Meet Tara, the thick-headed rebel who stood as part of the resistance to keep her LA vegan Italian restaurant alive duri...

Everyone has the idea. Almost no one implements it. In this episode of The Bucketwish, Ericka Nicole Malone sits with the question of why — and lands on creative courage as the missing variable. Not confidence, not capital, not a Rolodex. The willingness to jump into deep water knowing you can't yet swim, trusting you'll figure it out once you're in. She traces it through her own path: a Black wri...

In this week’s episode of The Bucket Wish, Erica Nicole Malone sits down with a true "change maker" and culinary rockstar: Tara Punzone, the visionary chef behind the renowned West Hollywood restaurant, Pura Vita Tara shares the deeply personal journey behind her new book, Vegana Italiana. It isn't just a cookbook—it’s a classy, story-filled tribute to her Southern Italian heritage and her Brookly...

"I am so excited to have with me some of the most incredible women I have ever met." In this episode of The Bucketwish, Ericka Nicole Malone welcomes two dear friends who have paved impossible paths. First, the visionary Tara Punzone, owner and operator of Pura Vita in West Hollywood—the first 100% vegan Italian restaurant in the country. Tara shares the heart behind her journey, from her grandfat...

Protecting the Little Girl Inside In this deeply moving episode of The BucketWish Podcast, Erica Nicole Malone sits down with the luminous Deborah, an entrepreneur and creative whose life story is a masterclass in resilience, boundaries, and the pursuit of joy. Deborah opens up about her personal evolution—from the rigid world of corporate suits and "church lady hats" to her current "Bohemian" era...

What if the path to your biggest dreams starts with a cupcake, a solo dinner, or flowers you sent yourself? In this episode, Ericka gets real about the tiny, overlooked acts of self-love and self-celebration that quietly build the courage to keep going — even on the days you're crawling out of bed. Ericka  shares why we have to unlearn the "go until the wheels fall off" mindset we inherited,...

Guest: Satema Nali (Former New England Patriot, Speaker, and Coach) In this moving episode, Erica is joined by Satema Nali, a man who traded the grass of the NFL gridiron for the stage of human potential. Satema opens up about his journey from being "the worst player on the team" to winning a Super Bowl, and the subsequent "wilderness" of the 2008 recession that stripped away his wealth but reveal...

The Bucket Wish began as a documentary. It became a movement. A bucket list is what you want to do before you die. The Bucket Wish is something different — it's what you dare to want right now, while you're still here to live it. Hosted by writer, playwright, and storyteller Erica Nicole Malone, The Bucket Wish is a weekly podcast for anyone who watched the rug get pulled out from under them and w...

In this powerful episode of the BucketWish Podcast, Erica Nicole Malone shares a masterclass in intentional living. Drawing from her high-stakes experience as a filmmaker and researcher—including the nine months of meticulous preparation required to tell the story of the legendary Mahalia Jackson. Erica reveals why your life deserves the same rigor as a hit screenplay. Are you moving forward with...

Butterfly Girl" — A Conversation with Alexia Faith This week on The BucketWish, Ericka Nicole Malone sits down with someone very close to her heart — her daughter, singer-songwriter Alexia Faith. Alexia has been quietly ascending for years, and this conversation is your chance to truly meet her. She opens up about the pivotal moment that sparked *Butterfly Girl* — her breakout single with over hal...

I want to tell you about a memory from my childhood — laying out in the sun with my friends, not one of us thinking about who was white, who was Black, who was Latina. Just kids. Just happy to be together. That kind of innocence stays with you. This week on The Bucketwish, I'm holding that memory up against the world we're living in right now — full of pain, full of chaos — and if you're an empath...

"We are everyone else’s number one cheerleader, but sometimes we aren’t the number one cheerleader for ourselves." In this soul-stirring episode, Erica Nicole Malone invites you to redefine what it means to live in excellence. Moving beyond the "hustle," Erica explores excellence as an act of integrity, character, and self-love. From the surprising lesson she learned from her handyman, Jose, to th...

In this soul-stirring episode of The Bucketwish, Erica Nicole Malone dives deep into the transformative practice of manifestation—not as a fleeting trend, but as a lifelong movement for self-discovery. Drawing from her own journey—from a teenager in Louisville with a lack of  resources  and a big vision to a successful creator— Erica shares how the simple act of writing down your dreams...

It’s easy to be motivated when things are going well, but discipline is what carries you when the initial excitement evaporates. Why This Mindset Matters The "Hard" is the Filter: Most people quit when things get difficult. If you keep going, you’re already outperforming the majority by default. Endurance as a Muscle: You don't just "have" endurance; you build it by staying in the game longer than...

Recognizing How Far You've Come There is a unique kind of strength found in the quiet moments of realization. It isn't found in pushing forward blindly, but in the elegant bravery of stopping, looking at your path, and admitting: This isn't the one. This week, Ericka Nicole Malone opens up about the times she had to be ruthlessly honest with herself. She explores the art of recognizing when a vent...

In a world that demands we broadcast every win and announce every arrival, there is a profound, untapped strength in moving quietly. In this episode, Ericka dives deep into the art of the "silent pivot." This isn’t about hiding; it’s about protecting your energy and honoring your growth before the world gets a chance to weigh in. Ericka explores how to navigate major life transitions—whether in yo...

The Bucketwish with Ericka Nicole Malone Episode: Write Your Own Story Who holds the pen to your life? In a world filled with noise, expectations, and unsolicited advice, it is all too easy to drift away from our true north and start living a script written by someone else. But today, we are taking the power back. In this transformative episode of The Bucketwish, host Ericka Nicole Malone explores...

In this episode, Ericka opens up about a deeply personal chapter of her life and a lingering "what if": an invitation to the legendary Groundlings that she didn't pursue. For years, that missed opportunity remained a regret—until she decided to reclaim it as a Bucketwish. Ericka explores how comedy became more than just a performance; it became a vital tool for her own survival. She is joined by t...

We often think of endurance as a battle—something we have to fight against. But what if "pushing through" is actually a form of surrender? This week on Bucketwish, we explore the space between our resistance and our resilience. It is easy to love the journey when the sun is shining, but who do we become when the path gets dark? We discuss how to honor your exhaustion while still honoring your comm...