When I first visited Stable Recovery, I knew something meaningful was happening there: not just treatment, but transformation. In this episode, founder Christian Countzler shares his journey from addiction to building a place designed to remove the barriers he faced when trying to get well. Alongside him are Sandy and Dave Schimizzi, my aunt and uncle, who speak openly about losing their son Alex and the heartbreaking gaps they encountered while trying to help him.

Together, we talk about the individuality of addiction, the pressures families aren’t prepared for, and the moments that make long-term recovery so difficult without real support. This is an emotional episode, but it’s also hopeful, a reminder that change is possible when communities, not just individuals, show up.

What struck me in this conversation with my husband, Craig Melvin, was how creativity shows up in the most unexpected corners of our lives. For Melvin, candlemaking isn’t about building a brand or launching a product. It is about finding quiet moments in the middle of busy days and having something that doesn't depend on deadlines or breaking news. 

In this episode, Melvin shares the early missteps, the science he had to learn from scratch, and the almost meditative rhythm of getting each detail right. But beneath that is something deeper: the memories tied to fragrance, the mission to support cancer organizations close to our hearts, and the courage it takes to create something that feels personal. 

We also talk about what happens emotionally when you share that creation with the world: the nerves, the hope, and the moments you wonder if it will resonate.

When I sat down with Lauren Stephens of Dudley Stephens, what struck me most was how many beginnings sit inside her story: the career she thought she’d have, the infertility journey that shifted her path, and the unexpected moment she realized she had an idea worth betting on. In this conversation, Lauren shares how she launched a family business before she felt ready, and why signing a formal agreement early on became one of the smartest decisions they made. Lauren also opens up about the parts no one prepares you for: managing people for the first time, staying steady when customers or employees aren’t happy, and learning where to draw boundaries so the business doesn’t swallow the rest of your life.

This season always pulls me back to the voices and moments that shaped me most. This week, we’re bringing back a special conversation from a couple of years ago, one that feels especially meaningful during the holidays. It’s a visit inside my Grandma Vee’s home in western Pennsylvania, where three generations sat down to talk about life: my grandmother, my mom Terri, and me.

What unfolds is a warm, funny, deeply personal look at family stories, the lessons that stay with us, and the unexpected moments that help us understand who we are. My grandma talks about building a life from scratch, raising kids in a one-bedroom house, finding her own strength after loss, and the quiet bargains she made with herself to stay grounded.

From coal-mining memories to the quiet strength of a 95-year-old woman reflecting on love, loss, and presence, this episode is all heart.

If you follow Allison Kuch online, you probably know her for her humor, her honesty, and the way she makes real life feel a little less lonely. She’s an influencer, podcast host, interior designer, and NFL wife whose career grew from one simple idea: tell the truth.

In this episode, Allison and I talk about the stories behind the highlight reel: what it feels like when your husband loses his job in the league, how motherhood has changed her, and why she keeps sharing even when she’d rather log off. 

From marathon training to postpartum depression, Allison opens up about the tension between gratitude and exhaustion, love and growth, public life and private moments.

When the Colts shocked the NFL world by trading for All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner, quarterback Daniel Jones found out like the rest of us, on his phone, between meetings. Shortly after the news broke, he sat down with me to talk about what that moment meant inside the building.

In this episode, Daniel opens up about what big moves like that say about a team’s belief in itself, and how he’s learned to lead through constant change. From the chemistry he’s building in a new locker room to the art of resetting after both wins and mistakes, this is a candid look at Daniel’s composure, leadership, and belief.

What happens when the interviewer becomes the interviewee?

In this behind-the-scenes episode, Things No One Tells You producer Ashley Dickson-Ellison turns the mic toward me for a candid Q&A. Ashley asks me some audience questions including how the concept of TNOTY came to be, who the women are behind it, and what imposter syndrome really feels like when the cameras stop rolling. 

From the Super Bowl to family life, Ashley asks me audience questions about the moments that have had an impact on me. I share a little bit about what I’ve learned about confidence: it isn’t pretending to belong. It’s daring to ask.

If you’ve ever heard “just survive the middle school years,” this conversation will make you rethink that advice. Bridget KerMorris is a parent coach and relational therapist who believes these middle years can actually strengthen connections, as long as we learn how to listen differently.

She walks us through her Steady + Connected Parenting framework and shares simple, science-based ways to stay grounded when kids start pushing for independence. From screen-time battles to those late-night heart-to-hearts, Bridget offers language that helps parents move from fear to steadiness.

You probably know Chris Barron as the frontman of the Spin Doctors, the band behind iconic songs like the anthems “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.” 

But in this conversation, Chris opens up about the life behind those songs: what it feels like to perform them decades later, how his relationship with music has evolved, and why he still finds magic in the moment the lights come up.

Chris joined me at home along with my neighbor John Nunziato, a branding and creative‑strategy expert. Together we talked about staying creative, the parallels between art and business, and what it means to love the work more than the fame.

You’ve seen the photos. The dresses. The headlines. But what is it really like to report on the royals for a living?

In this TNOTY episode, Kristin Contino, senior royal and celebrity editor for Marie Claire, joins me to talk about the surprising realities of royal journalism. Kristin shares about balancing public interest with palace access to what it’s like to pitch royal stories when the royal family is on vacation.

Stephanie Szostak has played unforgettable roles on screen, but in her newest film Soul on Fire coming out October 10, she steps into a true story about a mother whose tough love helped save her son’s life. It’s a story that hit home for Stephanie, not only as an actress, but as a mom.

Stephanie opens up about the moments when love has meant letting go or taking a risk, whether in parenting, friendship, or even in her own journey of becoming an actor at 29. She shares about the teachers who pushed her, the mentors who challenged her, and the delicate balance between comfort and courage.

When you meet Marisa Peters, her energy fills the room. She’s a mom of three boys, a performer, and now the co-founder of the Be Seen Foundation. But behind that brightness is a story of survival that changed everything.

At 39, while still nursing her youngest, Marisa learned she had late-stage colorectal cancer. What followed was months of treatment, a body she barely recognized, and the constant challenge of being present for her kids while fighting for her life. She’s honest about the hardest nights, the fear that never fully disappears, and the humor that sometimes kept her family afloat, like naming her tumor “Earl” so her kids had language to understand what was happening.

This is a story about illness, yes. But it’s also about marriage, music, and the ways we find ourselves again after everything has been stripped away.

I noticed that some players were implementing their spirituality openly around the facilities and also after games meeting at midfield to kneel and pray with their competitors. had just ended.  I also was introduced to the concept of the team chaplain and saw that work in full force in 2007 when Washington safety Sean Taylor was killed and his teammates leaned on eachother and Pastor Brett Fuller through grief and healing.  

When Bills safety Demar Hamlin suffered a life threatening cardiac event on the field December 2023, I was watching at home like millions of other football fans as the team and the nation seemed to be collectively praying for a miracle.  During shots the cameras were getting on the sidelines, I caught a close up shot of the Bills team chaplain Len Vanden Bos praying alongside a player on the bench.  That moment made me want to understand more about how faith and belief might play more of a role in the sport than we think and that’s when I decided I wanted to reach out to Len in hopes he would share his story.  Here we are a couple years later. I’m grateful Demar Hamlin is back playing and I’m grateful the Buffalo Bills were open and helped share this story. I appreciate Lorenzo Alexander for being willing to sit with us and share the players perspective as well as his personal story about the impact of the death of his friend, star safety Sean Taylor. 

Some of the most powerful moments in sports happen away from the playing field. That’s what struck me in this conversation with Buffalo Bills team chaplain Len Vanden Bos and former linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. I became really interested in learning more about the role faith plays in the NFL because I started to observe things on the sidelines, after games, during the course of the weekly schedule covering NFL teams in Miami and Washington,D.C. 

I noticed that some players were implementing their spirituality openly around the facilities and also after games meeting at midfield to kneel and pray with their competitors. had just ended.  I also was introduced to the concept of the team chaplain and saw that work in full force in 2007 when Washington safety Sean Taylor was killed and his teammates leaned on eachother and Pastor Brett Fuller through grief and healing.  

When Bills safety Demar Hamlin suffered a life threatening cardiac event on the field December 2023, I was watching at home like millions of other football fans as the team and the nation seemed to be collectively praying for a miracle.  During shots the cameras were getting on the sidelines, I caught a close up shot of the Bills team chaplain Len Vanden Bos praying alongside a player on the bench.  That moment made me want to understand more about how faith and belief might play more of a role in the sport than we think and that’s when I decided I wanted to reach out to Len in hopes he would share his story.  Here we are a couple years later. I’m grateful Demar Hamlin is back playing and I’m grateful the Buffalo Bills were open and helped share this story. I appreciate Lorenzo Alexander for being willing to sit with us and share the players perspective as well as his personal story about the impact of the death of his friend, star safety Sean Taylor. 

Sometimes a community starts with just one person showing up. For Olivia Santelli, a whole community movement started with a simple invitation in Chicago: bring a mat to the shore of Lake Michigan for a free Pilates class. Twelve people came. Then hundreds. Then thousands. That single invite grew into Rise Pilates Club, a thriving community rooted in connection, consistency, and care.

Now, Olivia is also building Within, a digital platform offering tools for both physical and mental wellness. In our conversation, she shares the lessons of following your spark, how she stays grounded while leading others, and why saying yes before you feel ready can change your life.

Elise Hart Kipness knows the rush of live TV: the countdown, the red light, the adrenaline. For years she reported from press rooms and sidelines, covering everything from the NBA lockout to the U.S. Open. But when she stepped away to raise her kids, the quieter lifestyle felt overwhelming. 

What Elise didn’t expect was that silence would lead her to something new: thrillers. Today, Elise is a USA Today bestselling author whose Kate Green series takes readers deep into the worlds she once covered.

In this conversation, Elise shares what it really means to reinvent yourself midlife, how she found courage in being a beginner, and why a pause can sometimes be the doorway to a bigger purpose.

When you think of a Super Bowl champion, you probably picture confetti, rings, and a perfect ending. But for Alex Okafor, the story was much more complicated.

There’s a part of Alex’s story that gave me chills. It happened during the national anthem at the Super Bowl. He wasn’t suited up—an injury had taken him out of the game. But in that moment, sitting with his family, Alex’s mom wrapped her arm around him and reminded him that he’d already helped his team get there. Months later, she was gone, taken suddenly by leukemia.

In this conversation, Alex talks about what it’s like to go from the highest high to the lowest low in the span of weeks. He opens up about the uncertainty of draft day, the grind of an NFL career, and the grief that nobody really prepares you for. And he shares how he’s taken that pain and turned it into purpose: mentoring kids, serving his community, and helping families impacted by blood cancer.

You may know Rebecca Lowe as the sharp, unflappable voice of Premier League mornings on NBC. But what struck me most in this conversation wasn’t just her broadcasting skill; it was her candor about what it really feels like to sit in that chair, live, with millions watching.

Rebecca opens up about mom guilt, nerves, and the kind of preparation that doesn’t always silence self-doubt. She’s been at the center of some of sports’ biggest stages, yet she’s refreshingly honest about the pressure, the mistakes, and the ways she’s still learning to breathe through it all.

I’ve told a lot of stories over the years, but watching Jen Welter tear up while reading a handwritten note from one of her linebackers? That one stuck with me.

Jen was the first woman to coach in the NFL, but what makes her story unforgettable isn’t just that milestone. It’s what it took to get there. No guidebook. No road map. Just a clear plastic bag, a heart full of determination, and the guts to cold call the Arizona Cardinals.

She opens up about the good, the gritty, and the completely unexpected parts of being “the first”—and why those handwritten notes might’ve mattered more than any play she called.

You may know Eric Church as a country music icon and Chase Elliott as a NASCAR champion, but what happens when two high performers sit down to talk, not about the spotlight, but about what keeps them steady behind the scenes?

Because rising to the top is one thing. Staying there? That takes a different kind of strength: the habits, the anchors, the quiet choices no one sees.

In this episode, I revisit one of my favorite conversations, which was originally recorded during my Lunch with Lindsay podcast series in partnership with FamilyMade. I joined Chase Elliott and Eric Church at Eric’s writer’s cabin for a special conversation.

Eric and Chase may seem like an unlikely pair, but sit with them long enough, and you’ll see the parallels run deep. Both have built careers in high-pressure arenas. Both have learned to tune out the noise. And both know the challenge of staying grounded when the stakes are sky high.

Chase and Eric open up about the moments that changed them, the pressures of being seen, and the quieter choices that shaped their careers. From Chase’s early days trying to outrun expectations to Eric’s defiant decision to tour solo after getting kicked off the Rascal Flatts stage, this episode is a deep dive into identity, legacy, and the kind of grit that can’t be taught.

When I think about the people who shaped the world of horse racing, D. Wayne Lukas is at the top of the list. But what struck me most in this conversation wasn’t the trophies; it was the tenderness. And the truth-telling. In this special moment, recorded in June of 2024, I sat down with the Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne alongside Jena Antonucci, the first woman to win a Triple Crown race, for a conversation that spanned decades of horse racing history, personal transformation, and powerful mentorship.

D. Wayne opens up about what it really takes to be great, and how powerful it is to open the door for someone else. Jena shares what she has learned about how actions outpace words every time. We talk about what it really takes to build a lasting legacy, how to know when someone’s got what it takes to really make it, and why making space for others is just as important as crossing the finish line first.