The High Functioning Hot Mess Podcast

What happens when the home you grew up in no longer exists? In this episode, I get vulnerable about losing my childhood home and my grandmother within the same year — and what that's taught me about home being something we have to actively create, not just something we're given. Drawing inspiration from Ma Ingalls and her little china shepherdess, I talk through the small, sentimental prac...

This week on The High Functioning Hot Mess, we're continuing our Little House Summer Series with a conversation about something many of us are craving more than ever: community. Using Little House on the Prairie as a backdrop, I reflect on my own experience moving to Wisconsin during the pandemic, the loneliness that followed, and what the Ingalls family can teach us about sisterhood, belongin...

What if the reason so many of us feel overwhelmed, distracted, and dysregulated isn't because we're doing life wrong—but because we're trying to navigate a world our nervous systems were never designed for? In this episode, Elizabeth explores what modern women can learn from the rhythm, simplicity, and attention of pioneer life without romanticizing the past. From endless notifications...

This week we're wrapping up the book reading portion of our Little House mini series with Little House on the Prairie — and what a book to go out on. We walk through the Ingalls family's journey from the forests of Wisconsin out onto the open Kansas prairie, chapter by chapter. From the heart-stopping creek crossing in chapter two (and the moment we almost lose beloved Jack) to wolf packs...

We’re finally getting into the books! In this episode, I’m diving into the very first installment of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved series — Little House in the Big Woods — and I have a lot of feelings about it. As someone who lives about an hour from Pepin, Wisconsin (where Laura was born!), this book hits a little differently for me. I share about driving past the site of the original log cabin...

In this episode of our Little House Summer Series, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on the upcoming Netflix reboot of Little House on the Prairie — including why I’m excited, why I’m skeptical, and why I think so many of us are craving slower, quieter, more grounding stories right now. We talk about: How I unexpectedly fell back in love with the Little House books and TV show as an adult The surpris...

Before this became a summer series… before it became something I wanted to share… Little House on the Prairie was something that quietly found me in a season where I really needed it. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of how I reconnected with the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder as an adult—and how what started as a nostalgic, late-night read turned into something much deeper. What it looked li...

This summer, we’re doing things a little differently. When I first heard that Little House on the Prairie is getting a reboot on Netflix (coming July 9), I had two immediate thoughts: I will absolutely be watching We need to talk about this Because over the past year and a half, the world of Little House —especially the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder—has become something really meaningful to me. No...

Modern dating can feel like a full-body stress response… and if you’ve ever confused anxiety for attraction or felt exhausted by dating apps, this episode is for you. Elizabeth is joined by Sarah Harkness , founder of Austin Elite Matchmaking and creator of The Frequency of Love method. Together, they dive into what’s actually happening in the dating world right now—and why so many high-functionin...

In this episode of The High Functioning Hot Mess , I sit down with business educator, speaker, and founder of Sister Circle, Stephanie Ross, for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, resilience, and what it really looks like to rebuild your life when things don’t go as planned. Stephanie shares her journey from building a six-figure fitness studio in her early 20s to navigating massive finan...

In today’s episode of The High Functioning Hot Mess , I’m joined by our very first returning guest, Jesie Steffes — and this conversation is every bit as nourishing, thoughtful, and grounding as you’d expect. Jesie first joined me back in episode 3, and after hearing how deeply that conversation resonated with so many of you, I knew we had to bring her back. This time, we’re diving even deeper int...

If you’ve been doing all the things —tracking your food, working out, taking the supplements, trying to follow the protocols—and still not feeling the way you thought you would… This episode is for you. Because the truth is… it’s not that you’re doing it wrong. It’s that you may be skipping the very things your body needs first . In today’s episode, we’re talking about foundations —the pieces of y...

In this solo episode, Elizabeth shares a candid Q1 life and business check-in , reflecting on the seasonal energy shift that spring brings and what’s currently unfolding in her world. She opens up about navigating grief after the loss of multiple family members, the surge of creative ideas that has followed, and what it’s like having a multipassionate entrepreneurial brain . Elizabeth also shares...

In this episode of High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth sits down with fitness coach Jenna Stern, founder of The Philosophy, to talk about finding the “gray area” between diet culture and sustainable wellness. Jenna shares her journey from early-2000s dieting and over-exercising to building a more balanced approach to fitness, nutrition, and body autonomy. Together they discuss gym intimidation,...

It’s my birthday week, so we’re doing something different. For the first time ever, I have a guest with a Y chromosome on the podcast — my husband, Tye. This episode is giving 2016 YouTube boyfriend tag energy… except we’re married, talking about grief, nervous systems, faith, law enforcement, Kwik Trip, and whether egg rolls at the Wabasha Kwik Trip taste superior (they do). We talk about: Our bl...

We love a dramatic transformation story. The before. The after. The perfectly wrapped glow-up. But what if your healing doesn’t come with a headline? In this deeply personal solo episode, I’m sharing the story I used to feel ashamed of — gaining 40 pounds as a dietitian, navigating my parents’ divorce, unresolved grief, chronic pain with no clear medical answers, and realizing that the real work w...

If you’ve ever looked “so put together” on the outside… while privately running on fumes, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. Elizabeth sits down with Holly Lambrecht , founder of Stillroot & Co , where she partners with small business owners to move out of burnout and into clarity, systems, and sustainable growth . Holly shares her story of running a boutique straight into burnout...

In this deeply personal episode of The High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth steps away from the usual format to honor the life and legacy of her Grandma Janel. She shares a heartfelt reflection on love, loss, faith, laughter, and the simple joys that shape who we become—ice cream cones, listening deeply, not taking life too seriously, and living fully even when life is hard. This episode is a lov...

Wedding season can be beautiful… and also wildly dysregulating. In this episode of High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth sits down with Cassie Thomas , a licensed professional counselor (LPC) based in Colorado, to talk about the cultural pressure cooker of being a bride — from planning overwhelm and perfectionism to body image spirals, stress physiology, and the post-wedding crash no one warns you...

In this episode of High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth sits down with registered dietitian, strength & conditioning specialist, and founder of Zoë Schroeder Nutrition, Zoë Schroeder , for an honest, grounding conversation about sustainable fat loss, mindset, and healing your relationship with food — without extremes, restriction, or quick fixes. Zoë shares her own journey through diet cultur...

A Recovery Year, A Return to Self: Healing, Slowing Down, & Trusting What’s Next As the year comes to a close, Elizabeth reflects on 2025 as a recovery year — one marked by nervous system healing, somatic therapy, slowing down, and learning to trust herself again. In this solo New Year’s Eve episode, she shares how stepping away from social media, reconnecting with her body, exploring intuitio...

CGMs, Rucking, and Finding More Fun with Kayla Girgen In this episode of High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth chats with RD + CPT Kayla Girgen about stress (and how it shows up as more than just “work stress”), why tools like CGM + HTMA can make the invisible visible, and how healing often leads from food → nervous system → deeper emotional layers. They also dive into rucking as a burnout-friendl...

Healing Beyond Supplements with Carolyn Krueskamp In this episode of High Functioning Hot Mess , Elizabeth sits down with women’s health dietitian and personal trainer Carolyn Krueskamp for an honest, grounding conversation about healing that goes far deeper than food, supplements, or protocols. Carolyn shares her personal journey through chronic stress, mold exposure, migraines, relationship uphe...

Former Rockette, eating disorder recovery coach, future RD, and fellow highly sensitive gal? Yeah… this one is a GOOD one. ✨ Today I’m sitting down with Alli Bollinger – also known as @ your_spoonful on the Instagram and Tik Tok – to talk about what it really looks like to chase a dream (hello, Radio City Rockette!), walk through an eating disorder, and build a softer, more sustainable relationsh...

In today’s solo episode, Elizabeth invites you into the sweetest, coziest recap of her Year of ✨Hobbies✨ — the experiment that helped her heal, reconnect with joy, and stop living in constant self-improvement mode. What started as a chaotic post-wedding spiral turned into one of the most transformative years of her life… thanks to bread, dirt, yarn, music, glitter, books, and play. If you’ve bee...