Being Different with Liz Durham

I’ll be honest. I never paid much attention to school board races until I had kids. Then suddenly it hit me that these decisions actually matter, and I probably needed to stop pretending I had no reason to care.

In this episode, I sit down with Ashley Sartelle, who is running for Knox County School Board, to ask the questions I actually wanted answered. What does the school board really do? Why are reading scores still so low? How much power does the board actually have? And why are our kids spending so much time on Chromebooks?

We get into reading proficiency, technology in the classroom, teacher burnout, parent accountability, standardized testing, school budgets, and the very weird reality that some kids can just not turn things in until the end of the semester. This conversation made me realize how many pieces of the education system most of us do not understand, and how much we should probably be paying attention.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

I’ve never paid much attention to a sheriff’s race before…until now.

So I sat down with Brent Gibson, who’s running for sheriff here in Knox County, and asked him everything I actually wanted to know, not the polished campaign answers, the real ones.

What does a sheriff even do day to day?
What’s actually happening with homelessness?
Are we safe?
And how much of what we see online about policing is even accurate?

We get into all of it.

Brent brings over 25 years in law enforcement, from SWAT to training to leadership, and what stood out to me most wasn’t just experience, it was how much of this job comes down to people, trust, and showing up in the community. 

What stood out to me is how much of this job comes down to people, not politics.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually happening behind the scenes in your community, this is a real conversation about it.

Support Brent: https://www.electbrentgibson.com/
Facebook | Instagram 

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

Angie Lawless and I go way back. She was my co-host on a previous podcast before life got busy and we both went in completely different directions. But we made time to catch up again to talk about how she’s running for office in Nashville!

So we sat down and talked through everything. How she got here, what finally pushed her to jump in, and what she’s actually seeing behind the scenes. We get into what campaigning actually looks like, what people in her district really care about, and why so much of politics feels disconnected from real life.

We do not agree on everything, and we don’t try to pretend we do. But the conversation doesn’t fall apart because of that, which honestly feels rare nowadays. 

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to run for office, or what’s happening behind the scenes of a campaign, this is a real look at it.

Angie is the democratic candidate for TN State House 59 and Election Day is August 6th. Be sure to follow along with Angie on Instagram @angielawless4tn and support her campaign at angielawless.com. 

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

It’s just me today, and yes… we’re talking about homework again. But this time, I’m not just venting, I’m actually getting to the root of why it bothers me so much.

Because I don’t think this is about worksheets or math pages. I think it’s about how we’re trying to force every kid into the same mold, and what happens when they don’t fit it. 

In this episode, I break down the difference between kids who thrive in structured, detail-oriented environments and the ones who are wired completely differently… the ones who need to move, build, explore, and learn in a way that doesn’t involve sitting still for eight hours a day.

This is me trying to put words to something a lot of kids feel but don’t know how to say. They’re not “problems.” They’re just different.

And if we don’t start paying attention to that, we’re going to keep crushing the very traits that might matter most later in life.

If you agree, disagree, or think I’m completely off here… I want to hear it.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

It’s just me today, and I’m saying something I know not everyone is going to agree with… kindergarteners should NOT have homework. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about how much structure, pressure, and constant direction kids are under now, starting earlier and earlier, and how little space is left for them to just be kids. To play, to be outside, to figure things out on their own without someone telling them what to do every second of the day.

This isn’t about being anti-school or anti-teacher. It’s about asking whether we’ve pushed things too far, especially for five and six year olds.

I also get into the idea that not all kids are wired the same. Some thrive in structured, sit-down environments while others don’t. And when we force all of them into the same box, especially after they’ve already been at school all day, it’s no surprise things start to break down at home.

So this is me laying out my thoughts childhood, family time, and what we’re prioritizing… whether we realize it or not.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

Chris Woodruff is back, and this is where the conversation gets deeper.

In Part 2, we pick up after his comeback from injury and get into what actually made him walk away from pro tennis, what it feels like when your identity is no longer tied to performance, and why the hardest part isn’t always the grind… it’s what comes after.

We talk about burnout, regret, and the question a lot of high performers quietly wrestle with: what could have been if I stayed a little longer? Chris shares how his perspective has shifted over time, and why he’s now so focused on helping his players get everything out of themselves while they still can.

We also get into parenting, screens, and raising kids in a world that looks nothing like the one he grew up in. From handwritten thank you notes to limiting phone use (for both kids and college athletes), Chris explains what he believes actually builds confident, grounded humans — not just successful ones.

And then we go even bigger: faith, identity, and what it means to live a life that’s actually your own.

This episode is about more than tennis. It’s about discipline, purpose, and having the courage to choose your own path, even when it’s harder.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

In this solo episode, I’m talking about something that has been on my mind lately: kindergarten homework.

My son’s school recently started sending homework home during the second half of the year, and it’s put me in a bit of a dilemma as a parent. After a full day at school, sports practices, dinner, baths, and bedtime routines, there just isn’t much time left in the evening—and I’m not convinced that five- and six-year-olds should be spending that time doing worksheets.

In this episode, I walk through what our afternoons actually look like, why play and family time matter so much to me, and why I’m willing to push back when something doesn’t sit right. I also share some of the research around homework for young kids, which suggests there’s little to no academic benefit in the early grades.

This isn’t about blaming teachers or criticizing schools. I genuinely like the people at my son’s school, and I know they’re trying to do their jobs well. But as a parent, there are moments when you have to decide where you stand—and whether you’re willing to accept the consequences that come with that.

More than anything, this episode is about the bigger lesson I’m trying to teach my kids: you should respect authority, but there will be times in life when you respectfully disagree and stand your ground.

And if someone out there thinks I’m completely wrong about all of this, I’d genuinely love to talk about it. My invitation still stands.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

I sat down with my friend Chris Woodruff (“Woody” if you know my husband), Tennessee’s men’s tennis coach, former top U.S. junior, and a guy who went pro, lived out of dark hotel rooms in places you can’t pronounce, and clawed his way up the rankings the hard way.

We talk about what childhood looked like before screens and everything being scheduled out for kids. Chris breaks down why playing one sport too early can backfire, why the youth tournament hamster wheel messes with kids’ heads, and what he thinks actually builds durable confidence.

Then we get into the pro years: starting from zero with no ranking, the brutal loneliness of tennis, why “success” doesn’t feel like success when you’ve got 24 hours to do it again, and what it’s like to represent your country when your stomach is in your throat.

And then we ran out of time... so yes, he’s coming back for Part 2. And we’re picking up right where we left off: injuries, comeback, the mental health side of being “the athlete,” and what happens when the whole thing ends and real life starts.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

This week I’m sitting down with one of my oldest friends, Zach Ivey, and we’re talking about hunting. Not as a hobby, but as a way of raising boys who can face real life without flinching.

I didn’t grow up around hunters and honestly, I didn’t “get it.” For a long time I resented what hunting took away from families, but now that I have sons, my perspective has shifted. A lot.

We talk about what ethical hunting actually looks like (and what unethical hunting looks like), why hunters fund conservation in ways most people don’t realize, and why wild turkeys literally wouldn’t exist today without hunters. We get into population control, respect for animals, what a “clean kill” really means, and why disassociating from death doesn’t make us more compassionate — it just makes us more comfortable.

But the core of this conversation is this:

•  I want my sons to learn how to handle power without becoming cruel
• I want them to learn patience, discipline, respect for life, and responsibility for their actions.
• I think hunting (when done right) teaches those things in a way very few modern experiences do.

If you’ve ever judged hunters, felt judged for hunting, or you’re raising boys and wondering how to teach them masculinity without turning it into something hollow or destructive, this episode will probably mess with your assumptions (in a good way).

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production

Today, I’m sharing my response to an email I received from a mom named Rachel who is working from home with little kids, about to have another baby, and quietly drowning. Her message took me straight back to a season I don’t love remembering, when I was constantly exhausted, burnt out, feeling like I was failing as a mom, a wife, and a human.

We talk about the story our culture and universities sell young women about careers, “having it all,” and waiting to build a family, and why I don’t think we’re being honest about the tradeoffs. So I decided to share what I wish someone had told me at 18 and what I’m trying to model for my daughter, my sons, and even the college girls who babysit for us. 

And then I take a pretty big pivot into something I cannot shake from my mind.

I have hit a breaking point politically. I voted for Donald Trump three times and have defended him. But the Epstein files, the protection of powerful people, and the way both parties seem willing to look the other way when kids are involved has pushed me to a place I didn’t expect to land. This isn’t about party loyalty for me anymore, it’s about children. And as a mom, I’m struggling to reconcile that with how our country is actually being run.

I don't have all of the answers, but I'm working through the questions out loud. From family, cultural lies, responsibility, and what I want the next generation of girls (and boys) to know before they end up in the same traps we did.

- - - - - - - - - - -
Liz Durham Instagram | Website
Subscribe Apple Podcast | Spotify

Being Different with Liz Durham is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production