What if friendship belonged on your health checklist right alongside movement, sleep and everything else we’re told to do as part of our overall wellness?

I have thought about friendship differently ever since meeting Dr. Sue Varma. Because as much as I love my friends, I also know the feeling of wondering whether I’m doing enough, and I know how easy it is for friendship to take last place as a priority. Has life gotten so busy that friendship keeps sliding to the bottom of the list?

Dr. Sue is a board-certified psychiatrist and author of Practical Optimism, and she makes a compelling case that friendship is not simply something that makes life better. Connection matters to our health, too.

In this episode, we talk about loneliness, friendship guilt, why small talk counts, how to reconnect after time has passed, and what actually helps us make friends as adults.

What does it take to stay completely focused when you’re driving more than 200 miles an hour?

For Katherine Legge, the surprising answer is that the race car may be one of the places where her mind feels clearest. In this episode, Katherine takes us inside the physical and mental demands of professional racing. 

I had a chance to talk with Katherine shortly before she became the first woman to attempt the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, joining an incredibly small group of drivers to attempt “the Double.”  We talk about the differences between NASCAR and IndyCar, the role of women in motor sports, and the way that the e.l.f. sponsorship has changed things for her as a driver.

Jalen Brunson knows what it feels like to achieve the dream. He also knows what it feels like to be told, in one way or another, that people expected less from him.

That tension sits at the heart of this conversation with Jalen and his mom, Sandra. They talk about becoming a champion, staying the same person while everything around you changes, and the second-round draft experience that eventually inspired their family’s foundation. Sandra also shares the parenting side of success, from making sacrifices when Jalen was young to thinking now about how to protect his balance as a husband, father, son, and athlete.

Season 3 is here, and before jumping into a new round of conversations, I wanted to take a minute to catch you up on what’s ahead and what’s been happening in my own life.

I share a preview of some of the guests coming this season, plus a look behind the scenes of two new chapters for me: working on Game Day Murders, a true crime and sports series executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal, and joining CBS Sports HQ.

But the bigger theme is something I didn’t fully recognize until a life coach pointed it out years ago. Nearly every major career opportunity I’ve taken has involved some kind of risk. The uncertainty terrifies me, but somehow it also lights me up.

There are wins, and then there are wins that feel like they carry generations with them.

In this episode, I sit down with Daisy Phipps Pulito and Cherie DeVaux to talk about Golden Tempo’s Kentucky Derby victory, a race that made Cherie the first female trainer to win the Derby and gave Daisy’s family a deeply meaningful win in the Phipps Stable silks. 

Cherie and Daisy talk about the hours before the race, the signs Golden Tempo was ready, the pressure of stewardship, and the way one horse seemed to grow up right in front of them. They talk about what the future looks like and what future races could hold.

There are sporting events that feel bigger than the result, and the Indy 500 is one of them. In this episode, I had a chance to sit down with Felix Rosenqvist the morning after he crossed the bricks and became an Indy 500 champion in the closest finish ever.

Felix takes us inside the final lap, the split-second risk that changed everything, and the feeling of winning his first oval race at the biggest oval race in the world. He also opens up about becoming a father earlier in the month, how it shifted the pressure he carries, and why this win felt like a reflection point after some difficult seasons.

Felix’s story is a reminder that the biggest wins are rarely just about one moment. What he shares shows the human side of a once-in-a-lifetime win: the nerves, the gratitude, the family piece, and the years of hard work behind one unforgettable finish.

I’m really excited about this year’s Indy 500 coming up, and seeing Álex Palou secure the pole position reminded me of our great conversation right after he won last year. I wanted to share that interview with you all ahead of this year’s race.

After Álex Palou won the Indy 500 in 2025, I watched through the glass that separates the broadcast booth with victory circle, as Álex and his racecar were lifted up to the celebratory stage where professional photographers snapped countless rounds of images of Álex and his team celebrating the moment that no doubt changed their life. 

I loved watching his wife Esther hand over their daughter Lucia to celebrate with her dad and I found myself wondering what he would do next – after this portion of pomp and circumstance was over. What would his reaction be behind closed doors? I knew he’d be exhausted, rolling in on a couple hours of sleep if he was lucky, but I was so grateful to sit down with Álex  the next morning; hours after winning the Indy 500, I expected adrenaline and exhaustion. What I didn’t expect was how much heart he’d bring into that conversation and what his answer to the “thing no one tells you” highlighted about his family commitment.

This episode is about more than speed. It’s about the quiet sacrifices. The money burned on tires and fuel, the long days chasing a dream across continents, and the people who made it possible. 

From the stands inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway packed with Spanish flags to the emotional moment his father ran toward him on the track after his win, Álex opens up about the power of team, tradition, and staying level in the moments that matter most.

Season 2 of Things No One Tells You turned into something I didn’t fully expect.

Yes, we talked to Olympians, musicians, broadcasters, athletes, and entrepreneurs. But underneath all of those stories was a much bigger conversation about presence, connection, and what success actually means once you finally get there.

In this special season wrap-up episode, I revisit some of the moments that stayed with me most. Angela Ruggiero shares why life works best when we’re fully present and “playing jazz.” Joan Lunden reflects on navigating motherhood while building a groundbreaking career. Jeff Francoeur opens up about helping kids feel valued in sports and in life. Vernon Davis shares the hard truth that success alone doesn’t guarantee happiness or stability. And Ani DiFranco reminds us that authentic connection may actually be the whole point.

What happens when something you’ve relied on for decades suddenly disappears? For Tricia Caliola, it was her signature pink hair color. A specific shade she had worn for over 20 years, something that made her feel like herself. 

When her favorite product was discontinued, she didn’t just accept it. She went looking for answers. And that’s where this story takes a turn.

In this episode, Tricia walks us through the journey that followed and that continues to this day. It’s an adventure filled with dead ends, determination, and moments that honestly feel more like a detective story than a beauty trip. But at its core, this journey is about something much bigger.

It’s about identity. It’s about confidence. And about the quiet ways we build ourselves over time.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from pushing harder; they come from leaning into the simple thing you already love.

In this episode, I sit down with Isabel Klee, a writer and content creator whose journey started with fostering dogs and sharing their stories online. What began as a passion project quickly grew into something much bigger, with a loyal following, a book, and even a TV series in development. But at the center of it all is something surprisingly simple: authentic storytelling rooted in love and authenticity.

We talk about how Isabel combined her two biggest passions, writing and animal rescue, and what she’s learned along the way about relationships, patience, and connection. From navigating her twenties to building a career that feels aligned, Isabel’s story is a reminder that you don’t always need a perfect plan to create something meaningful.

If you’ve ever watched the Kentucky Derby, you’ve seen the gorgeous hats. What you may not realize is the level of thought, storytelling, and emotion that goes into each one.

In this episode, I sit down with Christine Moore and Blake Seidel, the couple behind CAM Hats, the brand that has become part of the Derby tradition. From their beginnings in theater to building a thriving business together, their story is full of creativity, resilience, and honest insight into what it takes to grow something meaningful.

We talk about how Christine designs with intention, how they navigate working together as a couple, and one of the biggest lessons no one tells you about leadership in the arts.

This month is my cousin Alex’s birthday, and it’s also when Stable Recovery hosts their spring gala. It felt like the right time to revisit this powerful conversation I had with Christian Countzler of Stable Recovery, along with my aunt and uncle, Alex’s parents, Sandy and Dave Schimizzi.

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

If you had told me as a student at JMU that one day, decades later, I'd be waiting to go onstage for a conversation with Ani DiFranco, I would've LOST MY MIND. This live conversation prompted me to think about so much, and the powerful connection within the room was palpable. Many thanks to the Westport Library and Verso Studios who hosted this conversation as part of VersoFest 2026.

We spend so much time thinking about where we’re going, we rarely stop to ask if we’re already where we need to be. Ani DiFranco has spent decades doing exactly that, choosing presence over pressure, connection over convention. 

In this conversation, Ani reflects on building a career rooted in independence, turning down the traditional music industry, and learning to trust her instincts from a young age.

What I loved most is how honest she is about the process. The exhaustion, the doubts, and the realization that fulfillment isn’t waiting somewhere ahead, it’s in the moment you’re in.

We’ve all been told that resilience is the key to getting through hard things. Keep going. Don’t break. Handle it all. But what if that’s only part of the story?

In this episode, I sit down with organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich, who shares why resilience, while helpful, isn’t the full solution. Through years of research and real-world coaching, she found that resilience keeps us from falling apart, but it doesn’t necessarily help us build a life that feels fulfilling.

We talk about the pressure so many of us feel to hold everything together, and the simple, science-backed shifts that can help us move beyond just coping. Tasha shares a different approach, one rooted in understanding our core needs and making small, intentional shifts that can change how we experience our daily lives. 

When you think about making it to the NFL, you probably picture success, stability, and being set for life. But what you don’t always see are the challenges that come with that journey.

In this episode, NFL former tight end Vernon Davis shares a side of his journey that most people never hear. Vernon opens up about the parts of success that don’t get talked about. The relationships you have to navigate when your life changes. The financial mistakes that can happen when no one teaches you how to manage what you’ve earned. And the way grief can cloud your judgment in ways you don’t expect.

There are so many take-aways from this conversation, but what stood out most to me is how Vernon reframes failure: he sees failure not as something to avoid, but as something necessary. Something that shapes you, sharpens you, and ultimately moves you forward.

For nearly two decades, Joan Lunden welcomed millions of viewers into their mornings as the longest-running woman host of Good Morning America. But behind that familiar presence is a story filled with unexpected turns, bold decisions, and a lot of learning on the fly.

I was honored to talk with Joan at an event at The Westport Library, and I am thrilled to share our conversation from this live event with you all here at Things No One Tells You.  In this conversation, Joan reflects on how she stumbled into television at a time when women were barely represented in the newsroom. What began as a chance opportunity quickly turned into a career that would help reshape the industry.

Joan shares the lessons she learned breaking into a male-dominated field, the mindset that helped her grow into one of television’s most trusted voices, and why sometimes the best career advice is simply to say yes before you know how it will work out.

We also talk about the deeper moments that shaped her life beyond the studio, including motherhood, resilience, and how facing breast cancer changed her perspective.

We talk a lot about transformation. We don’t talk enough about what it takes to sustain it.

Michael Chernow thought he was going to die at 24. After years of addiction and a near-fatal overdose, he didn’t believe he could stop. He couldn’t imagine a different life. What changed everything was structure after hitting rock bottom. A mentor who gave him an hour-by-hour plan. Small wins he could control.

In this episode, Michael opens up about addiction as a disease, the fears and misconceptions of sobriety, and how fitness and nutrition became the tools that rebuilt his confidence. He shares the story behind Kreatures of Habit and why he created Sober Fit Dude to help other men find mission and community in recovery.

There’s the moment you win gold. And then there’s everything that got you there.

In this episode, I sit down with Angela Ruggiero, four-time Olympic medalist and Hockey Hall of Famer, to talk about what it really feels like when everything comes down to one final moment. We were together broadcasting women’s hockey during the winter Olympics, and being beside her as the gold medal U.S. versus Canada game played out in overtime was unforgettable.

We talk about nerves that never fully go away, the weight of representing your country, and what it takes to help build a league and a future for the next generation. We also discuss how women’s hockey is entering its most powerful era yet.

The Olympics are about more than medals. They’re about mindset and meeting the moment.

In this special post-Olympics episode, I sit down with my producer Ashley to answer your questions and to reflect on what it felt like to step inside the Olympic world once again, this time covering live events throughout the games from the USA network studio.

We talk about the pressure athletes face, the power of preparation, and the humility required to work as part of a larger team. I share what surprised me most, what moved me, and what I’m still processing now that the lights have dimmed.

I’ve been around sports my entire life. I’ve covered some of the biggest games on the biggest stages. But there’s something uniquely intense, and uniquely tender, about youth sports. Because when it’s your child out there, everything feels different.

Jeff Francoeur knows that shift firsthand. Jeff has seen the game from every angle: 12 years in the majors, a World Series appearance, and now a career in broadcasting. But the most revealing perspective? Watching his own daughter look toward him after a strikeout.

In this episode, Jeff opens up about youth sports culture, early burnout, and the mental side of athletics we don’t talk about enough. He shares the moment his daughter told him he crushed her confidence, and how that changed everything about the way he coaches. Jeff also shares about how these experiences led to Pure Athlete and a passion for helping others focus on what matters in youth sports.

We talk about travel teams, unrealistic expectations, the pressure parents feel, and why middle school is a pivotal turning point. Most of all, we talk about letting kids develop a love for the game before layering on performance.