The Radiant Badass with Elizabeth Holmes

I almost didn’t record this week. Told myself it was fine to skip, that everyone needs a little vacation. Then I read two stories in one morning that changed my mind. A saliva test for endometriosis is finally in development — now that scientists know men can get it too. Same morning, a retired guy turned “cleaning up the highway” into a personal discovery project, unaware of how the state’s exist...

Before I was cynical, I was a kid with a Miss America lunchbox and a genuine belief I’d grow up to wear a red, white, and blue hoop skirt. This week: the full machinery of the 1976 Bicentennial — Little House on the Prairie priming me for pioneer life, a Martha Washington biography that rerouted me straight into colonial gowns, the Miss America pageant’s bicentennial opening number, and every vari...

It started with a Toy Story 5 trailer and a hunch that the tablet is the villain. It ended somewhere more serious. This episode, Elizabeth follows the thread from a Leap Frog product placement rabbit hole to something that's been sitting with her: for the first time in history, there will be kids who grow up barely playing with toys — not because they don't have them, but because something more ad...

My youngest graduated last week. I insisted it wasn't bothering me — even as I lost the ability to focus, retain any information, or sleep like a person with a working nervous system. Real goldfish situation. Turns out smooshing down grief doesn't make it disappear. It just relocates. This week: what happened when the relief finally hit, a decluttering project that turned into a reread of Gretchen...

It's grad season and I am in my feels — which means this week I'm sharing some actual stuff that worked for me as a parent. Not advice. Just stuff. I talk about getting off the treadmill of aspiration, why parenting is a verb and not a status, and the one thing my aesthetician said to me when my kids were teenagers that completely changed my approach. That line? It applies to every relationship in...

Get the bangs. Write the play. Drop the volunteer gig you've been dreading. Move to Europe if you want to. Elizabeth's answer to the creative impulse is the same every time: do it. This episode is one long permission slip — and she's not subtle about it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

For all the reasons, a quick trip to British Columbia resulted in Elizabeth’s media feeds being jammed with all kinds of indigenous art and culture content. Not mad about it, she was curious about the medicine bundles and if she could find something similar derived from Celtic ancestry. And there was, a crane bag. What might you find in Elizabeth’s Riot Crone Crane bag? Tune in to find out. Also,...

A quick trip to a foreign country has Elizabeth exhausted and wondering how it works out that on her travel days the airports are always full of people who are experiencing their first ever day on earth. That has to be the explanation for all these behaviors, right? She's also talking about glimmers and joy, so it's kind of a ride. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

Always on the hunt for a glimmer of joy, Elizabeth’s found a consistent source in the mid 80s/early 90s show, Murder She Wrote. In a world where there’s a dearth of healthy role models for women of a certain age living fully into their whole life, but there IS Jessica Fletcher. Passing the Bechtel Test before it was a thing, MSW is an excellent choice as a comfort watch. Listen in and see if it mi...

After reading Cory Doctorow’s book about how everything is getting worse, Elizabeth just couldn’t unsee it. This week she’s got a few items  to cover in this first Dispatch from the Enshittification Files. Tune in. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

During a trip to the coast, Elizabeth read ANOTHER book about life transitions, but this one was helpful. Well, it was shining a light on her inability to stop clinging to what was in order to move into what is unfolding now, which is painful to realize and helpful. Turns out moving forward is always the only option. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscriber...

When life gets rough, Elizabeth just reads more books. This episode has  her sharing some thoughts on the state of popular fiction and some of the advice found in books about life transitions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

We’re taking a little walk down memory lane this week - back to the days pre- MTV when rock stars weren’t always good looking but their music slapped. Elizabeth’s having a break room conversation with herself about which bands made the jump to MTV and which ones kind of stalled out. Video probably did kill the radio star. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subsc...

The world may be cuckoo banana pants crazy town right now but let’s all agree that soap operas are finally getting their due as an art form. If you’ve listened to the show for a while,  you know Elizabeth is a strong supporter of the soaps and appreciates their impact on society. She’s chatting about it again today. And let's just admit, no soap opera writer would come up with the storylines we're...

It’s important to have those friends in your life that hype you up - your Hype Men, if you will. Also consider the importance of having “Corner Men”, those friends that provide clarity, direction and advice that keeps you moving towards that connected, fulfilling life of your dreams. This week, we’re talking all things Corner Men. Oh, and also, Dude Wipes. This is a public episode. If you would li...

After an inspiring pilgrimage to the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, NV, Elizabeth is feeling compelled to spit some facts, speak some truths, say the things Somebody Has to Say, if you will. Tune in for unfettered thoughts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

In the absence of an actual slide show of her travels, Elizabeth’s prepared an auditory slide show talking about Five of the Highlights of the trip and threw in a playlist for schizz and gigs so you can better get the vibe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

This week you can tune in to hear a (more than) slightly jet lagged Elizabeth weigh in with some thoughts on travel. Like, it’s hard. Right? That's the deep thought when you're running on 43% of capacity. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

Since Elizabeth keeps referencing the Emperor’s New Clothes, the fairy tale that you may or may not be familiar with, she’s taking the opportunity in today’s episode to expand on it a bit. What if what you were taught to believe you needed to achieve to be “happy” were the wrong metrics? What if the most counter culture thing you could do is create your own metrics? This is a public episode. If yo...

Back in the 90s, Elizabeth found belonging and liberation in the Riot Grrrl movement out of the PNW and Washington, DC. Now, all these years later, she finds herself back with a bellyful of simmering rage. Just like the old days. Today, she’s piloting a periodic series within the show reflecting the rage and the coming of age, please give a warm welcome to Riot Crone. This is a public episode. If...

Recognizing that we don’t all share the same cultural touchstones, Elizabeth is offering up Six Movie Soundtracks from the 80s/90s That Could Be Something You’re Not Aware Of and Might Enjoy. It’s her version of “Top 5 Can’t Miss Movie Soundtracks’, she’s just not going to pressure you like that. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...

Elizabeth noted something a little funky after TikTok did their little sale agreement a few weeks ago. Her FYP (that's a For You Page for those who aren't into the Tok) turned into a stream of garbage. So, she experimented with getting off the app. Tune in to see how that went. Also, there's some A$AP Rocky conversation, as you do. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

A "glimmer" is a term meaning a spark of joy or a moment of kindness - you know the ones where you feel a little energetic thrill - but in a good way. This episode Elizabeth is sharing recent glimmers she's experienced and some she's just heard about. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

Elizabeth is visiting familiar territory in this episode - more things she might have been wrong about. You can catch her other musings on this topic in episode 71 and episode 138. Episode 71 episode 138 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com

What's a preference in fizzy water brand have to do with existing within late stage capitalism? Turns out, more than you think. Elizabeth's talking about Trader Joe's parking lots, insider land use stuff and the luxury of time on this week's episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.radiantbadass.com