Summer feels light and breezy... until you check your bank account. 👀

This season, this episode is the "broke" half of Beyond Broke & Hungry — a practical, faith-rooted look at why summer quietly wrecks so many budgets, and what to do about it.

We're covering:

• Why summer is one of the sneakiest seasons for your money
• Seasonal side hustles that only exist right now (and why picking one up isn't a step down)
• How to save ahead for vacations so you're not still paying for it in November
• Turning extra summer income into a debt payoff plan — before it even hits your account
• Why July is the smartest time to start a holiday savings fund
• How to run your business differently depending on the season

Plus a personal one: the summer Doug and I looked at our bank account and just laughed (then cried) after a hundred small "yeses" added up — and what changed for us since.

If you're feeling behind on your summer finances or dreading the holidays creeping up already, this one's for you.

📖 Proverbs 21:5 (ESV)

How do you stay healthy on vacation without being the person who ruins the trip obsessing over it?

Welcome back to Beyond Broke & Hungry! Today Dara is answering that exact question — no guilt, no gimmicks, no "I'll just eat salad the whole trip and cry about it."

We're covering 7 things today:

• Navigating airport food without the hangry panic
• Road trip snacks and staying flexible in the car
• Beach vacations, presence, and letting movement happen naturally
• Eating local (because the bagel, the butterbeer, and the fried shrimp are part of the memory)
• Alcohol and balance — one drink, no guilt, no pressure either way
• Staying active while traveling without forcing a workout
• Returning home and getting back to routine without the guilt spiral

Dara pulls from her own summer so far — walking New York with her mom, theme park days with her family, and a Tampa trip to see her first Mariners game — to show what "healthy on vacation" actually looks like in real life. Her mantra for the whole episode: she doesn't strive to land the plane perfectly, just consistently.

If this episode gave you a little permission to enjoy your trip this summer, share it with a friend who's got travel coming up, and leave a review — it helps this show reach more people.

📖 1 Corinthians 10:31 — "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Ever wonder how some moms seem to find the energy to do it all — work, kids, and their own health goals — without burning out?

Welcome back to Beyond Broke & Hungry! Today I'm joined by my longtime friend Chloe Parsons, a mom of three, full-time employee, and competitive bodybuilder, for a real conversation about discipline, energy, and building a healthy routine that actually sticks.

We're covering things today like:

• How Chloe went from stay-at-home mom to competitive bodybuilder after her divorce
• What discipline really looks like during competition prep — and how she protects her energy without losing her social life
• Her daily routine with three kids, meal prepping, and running a business
• How her kids factor into her fitness journey and what she teaches them about balance
• Her honest advice for the mom who feels like she doesn't have the capacity to "start"

Chloe opens up about rebuilding her sense of self after her divorce, and how starting small — even just a 10-minute walk — was the real turning point in her journey, not some perfect all-or-nothing plan.

If you've ever felt like healthy living is only for people with more time, energy, or willpower than you, this episode is for you.

🎧 Tap the link in my profile or find it wherever you listen to hear the full conversation.

Ever feel like summer wrecks your fitness routine, and you spend the whole season feeling guilty about a gym schedule you can't keep up with? You're not alone.

In this episode of Beyond Broke & Hungry, we're redefining what summer movement actually looks like — not the Pinterest-perfect version, the real one that fits your actual life.

We're covering four things today:

• My Tuesday morning ritual — coaching a 5am class, then taking my Bible to the beach for scripture, prayer, and an ocean swim before the workday even starts
• Why summer hands you more opportunities to move than almost any other season, without it ever having to feel like "exercise"
• Why I sat out this year's Gate River Run, and what that decision taught me about wisdom over pride
• The most underrated fitness tool nobody talks about — hydration, and why feeling "out of shape" might actually just mean you're under-hydrated

If you've been feeling guilty about your routine being "off" this summer, this one's for you.

📖 Scripture referenced: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

What does it actually look like to listen to your body instead of fighting it?

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Karli Nichols — former Division I lacrosse player, yoga instructor, lacrosse coach, sixth-grade teacher, and soon-to-be mom — for an honest conversation about what wellness looks like across every season of life.

We dig into Karli's journey from an all-or-nothing athlete mindset to finding real balance between intensity and recovery, her years-long fight to get diagnosed with Hashimoto's after being told her labs were "normal," and the misconceptions around autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's and PCOS. We also talk about navigating gluten and dairy sensitivities without feeling left out this summer, why recovery days are non-negotiable, and how she's continued moving her body through pregnancy while reshaping the way she talks to herself.

This conversation is a reminder that health isn't one-size-fits-all — it's about feeling well, not just looking or performing a certain way.

Connect with Karli: @karlielizabethnichols (Instagram)
Follow along: @beyondbrokeandhungry | @mrsdaracarlisle

Summer doesn't have to be a choice between healthy habits and actually living your life — and that's exactly what this episode is about.

This is Part 1 of the Beyond Broke & Hungry Summer Series, and today we're laying the full foundation: the mindset, the practical tools, and the faith perspective that will carry us through the next several weeks.

We're covering:

• Why the all-or-nothing approach to summer wellness keeps you starting over every September
• The real difference between balance and excuses (and how to tell which one you're doing)
• Hydration non-negotiables — especially when heat and alcohol are in the mix
• How to keep food prep light, realistic, and actually enjoyable
• Why summer is the best season to move your body outside the gym
• Morning sunlight and circadian rhythm — what it is, why it matters, and how to use it
• How to vacation without guilt or a two-week recovery period
• Using summer as a financial building season instead of a slow one
• Protecting the moments that actually make summer feel like summer

Drink the margarita. Go to the beach. Take the trip. But also drink your water, move your body, save some money, and spend time with God — because the goal isn't to survive summer and start over in the fall.

📲 Instagram: @beyondbrokeandhungry | @mrsdaracarlisle

This is a replay from our archives — originally recorded in 2020 with our former host and the team at Oasis Wealth Planning in Nashville. While some details may be dated, the financial wisdom in this conversation is timeless and arguably even more relevant in today's economy.

If you're juggling a side hustle, working multiple jobs to chase your creative dream, or just trying to get a grip on your finances — this episode is for you.

Dara and former host, Ellen, sit down with Mel and Steve from Oasis Wealth Planning in Nashville, Tennessee, two seasoned financial advisors with a combined 50+ years of experience, to break down money fundamentals for creatives and young professionals. They cover:

• 💰 Why your income is "lumpy" — and how to budget around it
• 🛡️ Why your emergency fund might need to be bigger than you think
• 📱 How to pick a budgeting app (and why community matters more than the app itself)
• 💳 Credit cards: friend or foe? What young people need to know
• 📈 How much of your income should actually go toward retirement savings
• 🔥 The FIRE movement — and whether retiring early is realistic for creatives
• 🧘 Balancing financial goals with actually enjoying your life

Whether you're barely scraping by or just landed your first salaried job, this conversation will help you build a foundation that lowers your money anxiety and gives you the freedom to take bigger creative risks.

Beyond Broke and Hungry is a podcast for creatives, dreamers, and hustlers navigating financial wellness on their own terms.

What if the thing you've been trying to fix with more effort actually just needs rest?

In this episode, Dara gets real about the years she spent perfecting a beautiful morning routine — only to realize she was pouring water into a cracked cup. The problem wasn't her mindset, her productivity system, or even her ADHD. She just wasn't sleeping.

We're diving into what sleep deprivation is actually doing to your body and brain (backed by research from the CDC, the National Sleep Foundation, and Dr. Matthew Walker), and why no supplement, morning ritual, or motivational podcast can outrun a chronically exhausted nervous system.

Dara shares the exact evening framework she uses now — a hard stop time, a simple shutdown ritual, and the small, consistent signals that finally helped her nervous system feel safe enough to rest. No ten-step skincare routine required.

You'll also hear a perspective shift on rest from a faith lens — because if the Creator of the universe built rest into the rhythm of existence, maybe it's time we stop fighting it.

In this episode:

• What the science says sleep deprivation does to your body, gut, and brain
• Why your morning routine isn't the problem (and what actually is)
• How to build a nighttime wind-down that fits your real life
• A note for those navigating ADHD or neurodivergent wiring
• A closing prayer for the ones lying awake when they should be sleeping

You are not a machine. Rest is not laziness. Now go sleep.

📲 Follow on Instagram: @beyondbrokeandhungry | @mrsdaracarlisle

⭐ Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review — it helps more people find this space.

Have you ever lost a client, a contract, or an opportunity and wondered if God dropped the ball on you? You're not alone.

In this episode of Beyond Broke and Hungry, we're getting real about what it actually looks like to let God lead your business — not just on Sundays, but on the Monday when the invoice doesn't get paid and the bank account doesn't match the vision board.

We're covering four things today:

• How to pray over your business — before things break, not just after
• Trusting God with your finances — even when it's terrifying
• What pruning seasons are really for — and why losing clients might be a blessing
• Redefining success — because peace, purpose, and faithfulness are metrics too

This episode includes a personal story about losing multiple clients in one season, what God revealed on the other side of it, and why the success we think we want isn't always the success God has for us.

If you're in a hard season of your business right now, this one is for you.

📖 Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5, Matthew 6:33, Malachi 3:10, John 15:1-2, Isaiah 43:19, Jeremiah 29:11, Colossians 3:23

WELCOME TO BEYOND BROKE & HUNGRY

Life can feel like a constant balancing act.

Career, relationships, health, finances, faith, and somewhere in the middle of all that, trying to pursue the dreams God placed on your heart.

That’s what Beyond Broke and Hungry is all about.

Here, we talk about real life wellness. Not perfection, not extremes, but the everyday habits, mindset shifts, and faith that help us build strong, meaningful lives.

Sometimes I’ll be sharing conversations with wellness experts. Other times it will just be me reflecting on what I’m learning as a wife, entrepreneur, and someone trying to live well in every area of life.

If you’re figuring things out as you go, you’re in the right place.