In this episode of Badass Basic Bitch, Brianna sits down with Amanda Kuda, an alcohol-free lifestyle expert, holistic life coach, speaker, and author of Unbottled Potential: Break Up With Alcohol And Break Through To Your Best Life.

Amanda shares how her own alcohol-free journey began not because of addiction or rock bottom, but because she felt disconnected from her full potential. Despite having a successful career, active social life, and doing all the “right” personal development work, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was holding her back. What she discovered changed the trajectory of her life—and ultimately became her life’s work.

Together, Brianna and Amanda dive into the sober-curious movement, the hidden role alcohol plays in the lives of ambitious women, and why removing alcohol can unlock greater self-trust, intuition, confidence, and fulfillment. Whether you’re completely alcohol-free, sober-curious, or simply questioning your relationship with drinking, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what becomes possible when you stop numbing and start living intentionally.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why you don’t need to hit rock bottom to quit drinking
• The difference between addiction recovery and elective sobriety
• How alcohol can quietly block personal growth and self-actualization
• The connection between alcohol, perfectionism, and high-achieving women
• Why so many ambitious women use alcohol to cope with stress
• The rise of the sober-curious movement
• How alcohol impacts intuition, creativity, and self-trust
• The emotional challenges and rewards of going alcohol-free
• Why Dry January isn’t always enough to experience the full benefits
• How sobriety can transform relationships and friendships
• Practical first steps for anyone curious about exploring an alcohol-free lifestyle

Key Takeaways

• Alcohol doesn’t have to be an obvious problem to be holding you back.
• Many women use alcohol as a socially accepted coping mechanism without realizing it.
• Removing alcohol creates space to develop healthier tools for managing stress, emotions, and confidence.
• True self-trust and intuition often become more accessible when alcohol is removed.
• Sobriety isn’t about deprivation—it’s about expanding what’s possible in your life.

Memorable Moments

• Amanda shares how she realized alcohol was the one thing left to remove after years of personal development work weren’t creating the results she wanted.
• Brianna discusses the generational shift toward sober curiosity and how younger generations are redefining their relationship with alcohol.
• A powerful conversation about using alcohol as a “cheat code” for confidence, relaxation, and social comfort.
• Amanda explains why alcohol can feel like it’s helping in the moment while actually keeping people stuck in patterns they want to outgrow.
• The discussion around intuition, authenticity, and learning to trust yourself without external crutches.

Website: https://amandakuda.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandakuda/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda.kuda

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandakuda

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandakuda/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amandakuda

Book - Unbottled Potential: https://amzn.to/3MTmW2S

Podcast - Unbottled Potential: https://www.amandakuda.com/podcast

Quiz - Is Alcohol Blocking Your Potential?: https://amandakuda.com/quiz

Free Mini-Course - Awakened without Alcohol: https://amandakuda.podia.com/awakened-without-alcohol-free-series

In this powerful and insightful episode, we sit down with licensed therapist and mental health expert Jordanne Sculler, LMHC, who brings a bold, relational approach to therapy that blends compassion with candid introspection. Based in New York City, Jordanne specializes in helping individuals and couples uncover patterns, build self-awareness, and cultivate more authentic relationships—with others and themselves.

Jordanne doesn’t believe in staying comfortable—she believes in doing the work. Whether you’re feeling stuck in your dating life, navigating anxiety, or simply ready to confront the parts of your life that need clarity and healing, Jordanne’s guidance offers a path toward real transformation. We talk about how to identify the right therapist, what it really means to grow through discomfort, and why self-awareness is the foundation of lasting change.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why relationships are the mirror for personal growth
• The difference between challenging vs. nurturing therapy styles
• How past experiences shape current behaviors—and how to break the cycle
• Why self-awareness is often the missing link in dating struggles
• What to expect in a first therapy session and how to find the right match
• How therapy can improve everything from sleep and anxiety to work and intimacy

Resources & Links:

• [Jordanne Sculler, LMHC – Website or contact info here if desired]
• Follow Jordanne on @Jordannesculler and Jordannescullerlmhc.com
• Learn more about starting therapy with Jordanne, including a free 15-minute consultation

Jordanne Sculler, LMHC is a New York City-based licensed therapist who helps individuals and couples develop deeper self-awareness, break unhealthy patterns, and create more fulfilling relationships. Known for her warm yet challenging style, Jordanne uses a relational lens to guide clients toward growth—asking the tough questions and offering direct feedback with care and compassion.

Her multifaceted approach explores not just relationships with others, but also the inner dynamics between clients and their bodies, money, work, and personal values. Jordanne specializes in helping clients uncover the root of their struggles through introspective work, and she empowers them to take ownership of their healing journey.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, or personal transitions, Jordanne offers therapy grounded in clarity, honesty, and trust—because real change doesn’t happen in the comfort zone.

In this episode of Badass Basic Bitch, Brianna sits down with Kate Saint Clair, a Human Intuition Expert, Psychic Medium, and Intuitive Advocate who has been teaching intuition as a practical, embodied skill since 2007.

Kate shares how intuition has shaped her life since childhood — from sensing things she couldn’t explain, to suppressing her gifts, to eventually learning how to trust and teach them. Through her grounded and validating approach, Kate helps normalize intuition as something everyone can access, understand, and strengthen.

Together, Brianna and Kate explore the connection between intuition, trauma, self-trust, energy awareness, and the “Clairs” — clear knowing, feeling, seeing, hearing, and sensing. This conversation is both spiritual and deeply practical, offering listeners a fresh way to think about their inner guidance.

In This Episode, We Talk About:
•Kate’s journey from suppressing her intuition to teaching it professionally
•How childhood experiences and trauma can impact self-trust
•Why intuition is a practical, embodied skill
•The difference between intuition, psychic senses, and mediumship
•The Clairs: clear knowing, feeling, seeing, hearing, and sensing
•Why people second-guess their inner guidance
•How energy sensitivity shows up in everyday life
•What it means to move from self-doubt to self-trust
•Common misconceptions about psychic mediums
•How to reconnect with your intuition in a grounded way

Memorable Moments
•Kate shares the moment she realized her toddler sensed the same intuitive warning she did.
•Brianna reflects on how trauma can heighten awareness and intuition.
•Kate explains why intuition is not reserved for a chosen few — it is a natural language of the soul.
•A powerful discussion on grounding, boundaries, sensitivity, and learning to trust what you know.

About Kate Saint Clair

Kate Saint Clair is a Human Intuition Expert, Psychic Medium, and Intuitive Advocate who has been teaching intuition as a practical, embodied skill since 2007.

Her work is devoted to normalizing intuition and helping people trust their inner guidance with clarity and confidence. Through her books, live programs, and communities like The Clair Club, Kate supports individuals in understanding how intuition communicates through the Clairs — clear knowing, feeling, seeing, hearing, and sensing.

Known for her grounded, validating approach and direct insight, Kate empowers people to move from self-doubt to self-trust and live guided from the inside out.

Connect with Kate
•Website: https://www.katesaintclair.com
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katesaintclair/
•TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katestclair
•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014002215835

Follow Badass Basic Bitch on Instagram: @badassbasicbitch

In this episode of Badass Basic Bitch, Brianna sits down with journalist and author Stefanie O’Connell to unpack the hidden double standards women still face in the workplace — despite decades of “girl power” messaging.

Stefanie shares insights from her new book, The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up — and Then Pushes Them Down, exploring how women are often encouraged to be ambitious, confident, assertive, and outspoken… only to face backlash the moment they actually are.

Together, Brianna and Stefanie dive into the systemic realities behind the gender pay gap, workplace bias, leadership dynamics, negotiation myths, and the emotional toll of constantly being told women simply need to “lean in” harder. This conversation is validating, eye-opening, and deeply relevant for any woman who has ever felt punished for taking up space.

In This Episode, We Talk About:
•Why confidence alone doesn’t close the gender pay gap
•The hidden backlash women face for negotiating salaries
•How ambition is perceived differently in men vs. women
•The “girl boss” myth and why empowerment messaging can be misleading
•Why women are often penalized for leadership traits rewarded in men
•Workplace systems that quietly reinforce inequality
•The emotional impact of internalizing professional rejection
•Why collective power and community matter more than ever
•How tokenism in leadership affects women at every level
•The difference between individual empowerment and systemic change

Memorable Moments From the Episode
•Stefanie shares the story that inspired her research: a woman who lost a job offer simply for negotiating her salary.
•Brianna opens up about being denied a raise, quitting her corporate job, and ultimately building a multimillion-dollar business.
•A powerful discussion around why women are conditioned to blame themselves instead of questioning broken systems.
•Stefanie explains how workplaces often shift “what matters” depending on who holds the qualifications.

About Stefanie O’Connell

Stefanie O’Connell is a journalist focused on debunking the myths that keep women from equal pay, leadership, and power — one data point at a time. She has spent over a decade reporting on women, work, money, and inequality.

Her new book, The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up — and Then Pushes Them Down, examines the disconnect between empowerment messaging and the realities women face in modern workplaces.

Connect with Stefanie
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefanieoconnell/
•TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stefaniemoconnell
•Newsletter/Substack: https://tooambitious.substack.com/
•Book: https://tooambitious.com/book/

Follow the Podcast

Follow Badass Basic Bitch on Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and new episodes:
•Instagram: @badassbasicbitch

If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

In one of the most raw and inspiring episodes to date, we sit down with Connie, a travel entrepreneur and suicide survivor, who shares her powerful journey from corporate burnout and emotional rock bottom to a life of global freedom and thriving purpose.

Connie opens up about the moment everything changed—the turning point that took her from suicidal ideation in a high-pressure corporate environment to building a life by design rooted in travel, healing, and empowerment.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that’s draining your soul, or questioned whether it’s possible to truly start over, this conversation is your sign. Connie doesn’t just preach freedom—she’s lived her way into it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The hidden mental health toll of hustle culture and toxic corporate environments
• How Connie rebuilt her life after surviving a suicide attempt
• The link between personal liberation and location independence
• What it takes to turn pain into purpose—and business
• How to start living in alignment with who you actually are
• Why the freedom lifestyle isn’t just about travel—it’s about healing

Quotes from Connie:

Resources & Links

• 📸 Instagram: @cpconnie
• 🎵 TikTok: @cpconnie

About Connie

Connie is a travel entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and suicide survivor who turned her darkest chapter into a catalyst for radical reinvention. Once trapped in a high-stress corporate job that left her emotionally depleted and dangerously depressed, Connie made the courageous decision to walk away—and rebuild.

Today, she lives a location-independent lifestyle helping others unlock personal and professional freedom through travel, mindset, and healing. Her story is a reminder that no matter how far you’ve fallen, you can rise again—and build a life that truly lights you up.

On this week’s episode we have Tina Anderson, who is the CEO and co-founder of Just Thrive, a wellness brand that empowers you to control your health, live your best life, and feel amazing. Today we are going to hear about Tina’s journey that led her to launching Just Thrive and take a deep dive into understanding our gut health and digestion and the role of probiotics in our overall health and wellness. We unpack the difference between probiotics and prebiotics, uncover myths and misconceptions,  and understand how gut health impacts us both physically and mentally .

Tina Anderson’s journey into the world of health had a unique start and some unusual turns. She began her career as a trial lawyer who specialized in settling cases by bringing both sides together, a personal passion of hers. Once her second child arrived, Tina left that high-stress job behind so she could focus on her family. Luckily, she was still able to use her considerable legal skills to point her career in a new direction as the in-house counsel for a family pharmaceutical company. But what Tina saw there made her change direction again. Frustrated by the many abuses in the pharmaceutical industry, Tina turned toward the field of natural health, and found her life’s work. She channeled her energy into learning all she could about disease prevention and good health maintenance. That led her to discover the importance of gut health and how connected and crucial it is for overall health and wellness. To share her discovery with the world, Tina along with her husband created a unique supplement that contains the superior probiotic strains of renowned researcher Dr. Simon Cutting. By promoting gut health and probiotics, Tina shares her passion for wellness, helping others live their best physical and emotional lives.

Connect with Tina and Just Thrive!

• Instagram: @justthrivehealth
• Try Just Thrive Probiotics and Just Calm: https://justthrivehealth.com/
  Use code BRIANNA at checkout for 15% off your order.

Connect with Brianna!

• Instagram: @mombossinaustin
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briannademike

Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @badassbasicbitch
Love the podcast? We would love if you would leave a review!

On this week’s episode we have Eliana Goldstein, a career coach who helps women who are feeling unfulfilled in their current roles find a career that gives them purpose. Eliana shares her strategies and tips for how to pivot your career, return to work after a period of time off, and find clarity in your career path.

If you are unsure of where you want your career to take you, you want to switch career paths and jump into a new industry, return to work after a period of time off, or simply reflect on your current role, this episode is for you!

Eliana Goldstein is a Certified Professional Coach who works with ambitious individuals to create the necessary mindsets, learn the key strategies and set the goals needed to move to the next level in their careers whether that’s growing where they are or moving into an entirely different career path. We spend over 90,000 hours of our lives working so her goal is to teach people how to build careers where they don't completely dread Monday morning.

Eliana's Instagram: @eliana_goldstein
Eliana's Career Upgrade Course: www.elianagoldsteincoaching.com/course
Use code BADDIEB at checkout for $100 off

Brianna's Instagram: @mombossinaustin
Podcast Instagram: @badassbasicbitch

Allison Baggerly is a writer, podcaster, money coach, and founder of Inspired Budget. As a former teacher, Allison blends her talents for teaching with her passion for personal finances to help others learn how to start budgeting and build a life they love.

Allison and her husband paid off over $111,000 of debt on 2 teacher salaries while growing their family. During the process, she learned how to take back control of her money, stay consistent with paying off debt, and stop emotional spending once and for all.

Allison has been featured in notable media outlets such as Forbes, Business Insider, and Parents as a budget expert who gives women a step-by-step process to break free from the grueling paycheck to paycheck cycle. Women turn to Allison, and Inspired Budget, for advice and inspiration every single day.

On this week's episode we are talking about all things budgeting: misconceptions, challenges, and tips for getting started with and sticking to your budget.

Allison's Instagram: @inspiredbudget
Inspired Budget Website: https://inspiredbudget.com/

Badass Basic Bitch Instagram: @badassbasicbitch

On this week's episode, we are joined by founder of the Black Mom Diaries, Patricia Griggs. Listen in as we unpack Patricia's upbringing, her experiences in the education and healthcare systems, portrayals of Black people in the media, and navigating conversations with her children.

Patricia Griggs is a lover of God, a wife, a boy mom, and a girl mom. She received a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Texas and has spent many years hopping from one thing to another in pursuit of her purpose. Throughout her journey, she maintained a passion for helping others. 

After being out of school for many years, Patricia went back to earn a master's degree in communications from Syracuse University. At the end of her graduate program, she came up with the idea for a podcast. Black Mom Diaries started as a class project and quickly became a passion project for her.

She became a first-time mom with several of her friends and felt connected on a surface level. Patricia realized she had lots of questions and thoughts about motherhood - as it relates to black moms - that she didn't feel comfortable sharing with those friends. Black Mom Diaries created a space to share those stories to connect with other black moms, and also encourage, and inspire them. 

Patricia recently opened an online store that sells swag for black moms and their kids. She is determined to help black moms find their passion and embrace it, in order to change their family legacy. She believes that this is only the beginning, as her goal is to annually impact at least 10,000 black moms nationwide by connecting, educating, encouraging, inspiring, and transforming them through Black Mom Diaries.

In her free time, she enjoys family game nights, reading to her kiddos, and watching movies with her husband. 

Black Mom Diaries Instagram
Black Mom Diaries Swag Shop

Taneshia Johnson is an associate clinical social worker, self-care coach, and first-time author of the book entitled When Depression And Anxiety Have A Voice.  She specializes in emotional self-care as well as codependency.  Taneshia believes self-awareness can help everyone define who they are and what they need in life in order to have joy and peace. Taneshia has helped hundreds of men and women through one on one coaching sessions as well as her self-care workshops.
Codependency refers to a mental, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual reliance on a partner, friend, or family member. Codependency is not a clinical diagnosis or a formally categorized personality disorder on its own. Generally speaking, codependency incorporates aspects of attachment style patterns developed in early childhood, and it can also overlap with other personality disorders, including dependent personality disorder.
Codependency can come in all shapes and sizes and with varying levels of severity. Codependency refers to an imbalanced relationship pattern where one person assumes responsibility for meeting another person’s needs to the exclusion of acknowledging their own needs or feelings.