Above Average

When Gabby began experiencing concerning symptoms at six months pregnant with her third baby, she knew something wasn’t right.

What followed was a long and frustrating journey of appointments, questions, and searching for answers before she finally received a diagnosis that would change everything: cancer, with a mass in her colon and lesions on her liver.

In this episode of Above Average, Gabby shares what it was like navigating a life-altering diagnosis while becoming a mother of three, undergoing treatment, and learning just how important it is to advocate for yourself when it comes to your health.

We talk about the symptoms she wishes she had pushed harder on, what she learned about navigating the medical system, conventional and holistic approaches she explored throughout her journey, motherhood in the middle of treatment, and why she now wants other women to trust themselves when they know something isn’t right.

This conversation is about more than cancer. It’s about asking questions, seeking another opinion, advocating for your body, and refusing to accept “everything is fine” when you know it isn’t.

Gabby is now on the road to recovery and using her experience to help other women advocate for their health.

Above Average with Lorissa Violet is a podcast for people who want to think deeper, live intentionally, and refuse to settle for average.

Discover Lorissa’s List at LorissaViolet.com — a trusted search platform for vetted products, providers, resources, and expert-backed research for women and families.

Disclaimer: This episode shares personal experiences and is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your individual health and treatment.

Celebrity makeup artist Niki Metz has built a career in beauty that has taken her from working with names like Tori Spelling and Diane von Furstenberg to Paris and New York Fashion Week—but her story goes far beyond what happens in the makeup chair.

In this episode of Above Average, Niki sits down with Lorissa to talk about her decades in the beauty industry, the lessons she's learned working at the highest levels of fashion and entertainment, and the next chapter of her career: opening NEOS Atelier, her own studio offering makeup, microblading, facials, and elevated esthetic services.

But for Niki, beauty has always been about something deeper: being of service to the person sitting in front of her.

Niki also opens up about one of the most personal chapters of her life—her breast cancer diagnosis and the journey that ultimately led her to some of the world's leading holistic practitioners. She shares how investigating the potential root causes of her illness led her to discover an infection in her mouth that she believes was connected to her breast cancer, and what she learned about looking beyond a diagnosis and asking deeper questions about the body.

Now cancer-free, Niki shares how the experience changed her perspective on health, beauty, purpose, and the kind of work she wants to put into the world.

In this episode:

• Niki's path to becoming a celebrity makeup artist

• Working with Tori Spelling and Diane von Furstenberg

• Behind the scenes at Paris and New York Fashion Week

• Why she decided to open NEOS Atelier

• Makeup, microblading, facials, and her approach to beauty

• Why being "of service" is at the heart of her work

• Her breast cancer diagnosis and healing journey

• Working with leading holistic practitioners

• The oral infection she believes was connected to her breast cancer

• Why asking questions and looking for root causes became so important to her

• How surviving cancer changed the way she sees beauty, health, and life

Explore more from Lorissa:

Discover Lorissa's List, The Ledger, curated products, trusted providers, and more at LorissaViolet.com.

The health experiences discussed in this episode are personal experiences and are shared for informational purposes only. They are not medical advice.

Shayne Lamas has spent nearly her entire life in the spotlight. The daughter of Hollywood icon Lorenzo Lamas, she grew up surrounded by fame, went on to win The Bachelor, starred in reality television, and lived a life that—from the outside—looked quintessentially Hollywood.

But there is so much more to Shayne’s story.

In this episode of Above Average, Shayne opens up about what it was really like growing up in a famous family, being up for the role of Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl alongside Blake Lively, and one of the wildest chapters of her life: meeting Nik Richie in Las Vegas and marrying him less than 24 hours later.

But what I found most fascinating is where Shayne is today.

After a lifetime of attention, cameras and public interest, she has intentionally chosen a much quieter life—one centered around her children, her family and being the best mother she can be.

We talk about fame, identity, relationships, motherhood, walking away from the need to be seen, and what happens when the life you once thought you wanted no longer feels like the life you're meant to live.

Shayne is funny, candid, completely herself, and full of stories you truly cannot make up.

This is such a fun—and unexpectedly meaningful—conversation.

Listen to Above Average now on YouTube and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

And for more of what I’m loving, researching and recommending, visit LorissaViolet.com and join the Lorissa’s List community.

In this episode of Above Average, Lorissa sits down with forensic psychologist Dr. Leslie Dobson for an eye-opening conversation about criminal behavior, manipulation, online predators, social media, and what parents need to understand about the digital world their children are growing up in.

Dr. Leslie brings her experience working within the criminal justice system to break down how predators think, how seemingly innocent online behavior can create vulnerabilities, and why awareness — rather than fear — is one of our greatest tools.

The conversation also dives into the psychology behind high-profile cases and public narratives, including the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal battle, and what Leslie’s forensic perspective can teach us about separating emotion, perception, evidence, and fact.

This episode isn't about living in fear. It's about becoming harder to manipulate, more aware of the world around you, and more intentional about what you share, who you trust, and how you protect your children.

Above Average is hosted by Lorissa Violet and explores the conversations, ideas, experts, and perspectives that challenge us to think differently and live beyond average.

For Lorissa's trusted recommendations, vetted providers, products, resources, and the Ledger, visit LorissaViolet.com.

What if your wardrobe was one of the most overlooked tools for improving your confidence, regulating your nervous system, and helping you achieve your goals?

In this episode, Lorissa sits down with Chellie Carlson, stylist and image consultant, to discuss the powerful connection between personal style and personal growth. Together, they explore how dressing with intention can change the way you feel, how others perceive you, and ultimately how you show up in every area of your life. Whether you're navigating motherhood, growing a business, or stepping into a new season, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can implement immediately.

For more trusted recommendations, educational resources, and a curated collection of vetted products, providers, and restaurants, visit LorissaViolet.com and explore Lorissa's List—helping women make healthier, easier, and more informed decisions every day.

Chellie’s Favorite Bras Found Here

https://shopmy.us/collections/6736702

Description Plastic surgery is one of those topics everyone has an opinion about—but very few people are having honest conversations about it.

In this episode of Above Average, I sit down with Dr. Juan Rendon, an Ivy League-trained, board-certified plastic surgeon and one of the few surgeons in the country to hold both an MD and PhD. Together, we dive into Botox, fillers, facelifts, mommy makeovers, scars, recovery, and how to make informed decisions without fear or pressure. Whether you're considering a procedure or simply curious, this conversation is packed with practical advice, expert insight, and an honest perspective on aging naturally and confidently.

Here is a link for 10% off of all of Dr Rendons favorite product: https://shopmy.us/collections/6646354

If you've ever called yourself the unorganized one, the scattered one, the Type B one.. you're going to relate to this episode!

Madison Fisher came on the pod calling herself Type B. By the rapid-fire at the end, we've learned she's a closet Type A trying to hit a bar she has no systems to reach.

What We Cover

→ Why "Type B" is often the label a Type A woman puts on when she doesn't have systems

→ The Zeigarnik Effect, explained with the waitress-and-the-check story

→ Why the planning session you did on paper ended up in the trash the next day

→ The 1 to 4am nocturnal planning hour almost every overwhelmed woman knows

→ Open loops, why they drain you, what actually closes them

→ The two biggest causes of procrastination (perfectionism + overwhelm = freeze)

→ The "I feel bossy" block that keeps women from setting clear delegation expectations

→ Why your husband will never see the tabs you have in your brain

→ The one thing Madison is doing tonight, and the one thing you should try too

Heard Yourself In This Episode?

If you're ready to close the 89,544 tabs open in your head, CEO Mode walks you through building ONE home for every task in your life (work and home included), in one afternoon. Build it here → go.alexpayetta.com/ceomode

Want somewhere free to start? This free guide shows you exactly where your hours go, and how to get 10+ of them back every week. Grab the PDF here → go.alexpayetta.com/timeback

Lorissa's List

Lorissa's curated list of the products, services, and providers actually worth your time, all vetted to a higher standard so you can skip the search.

→ lorissaviolet.com

Connect With Us

Lorissa Violet

lorissaviolet.com | @lorissaviolet

Alex Payetta

alexpayetta.com | @alexpayetta

Madison Fisher

linktr.ee/madisonbontempo | @madisonbontempo

Timestamps

0:00 Meet Madison Fisher

3:00 Five kids, cheer, dance, brand deals, Wittles

8:00 Why Madison cleans before the cleaning lady shows up

14:00 The Type B reveal and what it actually is

18:00 Open loops, working memory, and why Madison can't sleep

25:00 The planning session Madison and Kyler did once and never looked at again

30:00 The Four Tendencies rabbit hole

34:00 Lorissa's screenshot-to-sister calendar hack

40:00 The review routine that matters more than the system itself

46:00 House manager versus more childcare

54:00 Why Madison feels "bossy" setting expectations

1:02:00 The roles and responsibilities conversation with Kyler

1:10:00 Zoloft and where the anxiety actually lives

1:15:00 Rapid fire and the closet Type A confession

Lorissa spent months trying to optimize every minute, and right before her birthday her body just quit. For the first time in her life she could not power through, and it cracked something open.

This is the monthly catch-up. Two kid birthdays, an anniversary, turning 35, and a real reckoning with where your worth actually comes from, plus a back-to-back run of going viral that turned into a test of handling hate online.

What We Cover

→ The epiphany that hit when being optimized started costing Lorissa the parts of life she actually wanted

→ Why she had to untangle her sense of worth from the number on her paycheck, and the exercise that helped her do it

→ What Alex does the second a hateful comment lands in her nervous system, plus the tool Lorissa swears by for the feelings logic cannot talk you out of

Heard yourself in this conversation?

Not caring what other people think has never come naturally to Alex. Staying steady when it lands takes real work, and the routine that keeps her grounded is what she teaches inside Wake Up Different.

👉 go.alexpayetta.com/wud

Lorissa's List

Lorissa's curated list of the products, services, and providers actually worth your time, all vetted to a higher standard so you can skip the search.

👉 lorissaviolet.com

Connect With Us

Lorissa Violet

lorissaviolet.com | @lorissaviolet

Alex Payetta

alexpayetta.com | @alexpayetta

Timestamps

0:00 A month later, and a big birthday season

0:33 When being optimized starts taking the life out of life

1:22 The week her body refused to power through

1:45 Why she thinks the physical was emotional

3:46 The realization that her worth got tied to her income

5:02 Goals are financial, joy is not, and the gap between them

5:44 Going back to her 20-year-old self to thank her and let her go

7:06 The conscious brain and the subconscious pulling opposite ways

9:26 What systems are actually supposed to do for you

9:55 Bringing her husband into the business

10:31 Alex's month, going viral and the wave of hate that followed

11:06 Can you really just not care, or does it still land

13:47 Alex's reset when a comment gets under her skin

14:19 Clearing what is underneath with NET

18:04 Why the end of the night is when it gets you

21:26 Tapping, and how to actually do it

22:30 Quick catch-up wrap

You've spent years building something people trust with their face. Then somewhere in the middle of running the business, the brand, and the household, the version of you that started it all can get buried under everything you're holding.

Nicole Smith is the injector behind @lipsandlattes and the founder of HēBē Skin Health in Claremont and Laguna Beach, and a mom of three. A routine antibiotic once swelled her brain and took her ability to drive, to read, even to find her own car in a parking lot, and it also took her fear, which is exactly what pushed her to open her own practice. She came on for her first-ever podcast to talk about what it takes to run a luxury, public-facing business as a mom, and which viral beauty trends are actually worth it.

What You'll Learn

→ The insane antibiotic scare that ultimately drove Nicole to start HēBē

→ Why she didn't name the clinic after her viral handle, and what that decision was really protecting

→ The part of the business she finally handed off after years of doing it all herself

→ Where her burnout actually comes from and the small reset she swears by

→ The beauty treatments she says are a waste of money, and the two things every woman should start in her mid-30s

→ What she prioritizes when she hires so her office is a place you actually want to be

Everything you're holding at once

Running a business, a brand, and a household means a hundred things live in your head at any moment, and the ones that matter keep losing to the ones that feel urgent. The fix is getting it out of your head and into one system you actually use, so nothing falls through the cracks. I made a free 15-minute training that walks you through how to build it. Watch here → go.alexpayetta.com/training

Lorissa's List

Lorissa's curated list of the products, services, and providers actually worth your time, all vetted to a higher standard so you can skip the search.

👉 lorissaviolet.com

Connect With Us

Lorissa Violet

lorissaviolet.com | @lorissaviolet

Alex Payetta

alexpayetta.com | @alexpayetta

Nicole Smith

hebeskinhealth.com | @lipsandlattes

Timestamps

0:00 Meet Nicole Smith, the injector behind Lips & Lattes

3:16 Why the brand and the business have different names

7:38 The health crisis that pushed her out on her own

12:59 Losing her fear, and deciding to open a business

13:29 Building HēBē with three little kids and a leap of faith

19:11 Juggling the clinic, the social, the injecting, and three kids

23:08 Handing off the social, and a saturated market

30:24 Her hard line on lip filler and teens

40:10 Burnout, and where it actually comes from

44:41 How she and her husband split the business and the home

58:09 Where to find Nicole

Somewhere along the way, "this is hard" became the highest compliment we paid motherhood.

Lorissa and Alex get into why hard-versus-easy is the wrong filter entirely, what they would put in its place, and why calling motherhood the hardest job in the world might be doing moms more harm than good.

What We Cover

→ The filter Alex uses instead of hard-versus-easy, and why it changes how you see almost every decision

→ Why Lorissa won't call motherhood the hardest job in the world, and the reframe she uses instead

→ The thing a first-time mom said to Lorissa in a group that she still thinks about years later

→ The pushback against discipline, and why Alex isn't buying it

Know it's worth it and still not getting to it?

Alex believes that hard versus easy is the WRONG filter, and the real question is what a thing gives back and whether that's worth it. Her free PDF walks you through the filter she actually uses instead, sorting what's essential from what you're only doing because you should, so you know what to own, delegate, protect and delete. Grab the PDF here → go.alexpayetta.com/timeback

Lorissa's List

Lorissa's curated list of the products, services, and providers actually worth your time, all vetted to a higher standard so you can skip the search.

→ lorissaviolet.com

Connect With Us

Lorissa Violet

lorissaviolet.com | @lorissaviolet

Alex Payetta

alexpayetta.com | @alexpayetta

Timestamps

0:00 Catching up, and the reel that sparked it all

0:48 Why hard-versus-easy is the wrong filter

1:35 "I don't think motherhood is the hardest job in the world"

3:06 The blanket comparisons we use to validate moms, and why they don't hold up

7:18 The comparison trap, and the benefit lens that breaks it

7:51 Why your hardest moments are also your most rewarding ones

10:34 The mom group, the emergency vet, and saying the unpopular thing

14:11 The pushback against discipline neither of them is buying

15:20 When looking for things to be mad about becomes the whole problem