In this episode of Brains, Brawn & Bougie, Patty, Eileen, and Renée tackle the question of how to stay relevant with plenty of laughs and lots of strong authentic opinions. The conversation explores how women can continue to grow, contribute, reinvent themselves, and find purpose as the world changes around them. Is relevance about your job, your age, your technology skills—or is it something much bigger?

Life certainly has its challenges.  Sometimes they are big and sometimes they are enormous.  Sometimes they are just plain annoying - at least for Patty and Eileen! The fact that they podcast with someone that can’t get a grip on the difference between relative and relevance is KILLING them! That’s OK Renee, sometimes friends can be mean ;-)

Patty is a lover of education. Lives it, loves it, shares it! However she draws the line with 30 year olds in dorm rooms! She is all about adults going back to college whenever they want, just don’t hang out in the dorms.

We find out what sends Eileen over the edge 100% of the time….when someone pretends they can give 110%. If you’re foolish enough to tell her that, be prepared for a lecture on how percentages work to follow.

Come along on our tribute to Dolly Parton which Eileen loved because she got to channel her inner Dolly - literally!   Dolly was an accomplished humanitarian who happened to be able to sing, act, write and compose all while having the unique talent of bringing mankind together.  She was the best parts of all of us wrapped up in an underwire bra.

Renee is just along for the ride. No country music knowledge, no southern knowledge and no real knowledge about Dolly at all except for her love for Dolly being a badass with a sweet smile on her face.

Patty rebounds from her six stitch trauma to add the correct southern pronunciation of Tennessee.  She has ALL Dolly facts archived in her brain like only a truly Tennessean can.

Eileen nails her tribute right down to the bee hive and butterflies.  Preloaded with not only a push up bra but all things Dolly and the contributions she made throughout her life.

Can you even believe it  - this is our 25th podcast!! The ladies talk about how Brains, Brawn, and Bougie was started, and walk down memory lane as we reminisce about what we were doing in our lives at the age of 25, our 25-year class reunion, our kids at 25, and more. 

Deja vu or perhaps a little like the Twilight Zone, at 25 years old Patty was working at a small Iowa college living in Cedar Rapids. Her daughter is about to turn 25 and what is she doing…..working at a small Iowa college and living in Cedar Rapids!! A little scary! We wonder if doing a podcast is in her future.

Renee is still stuck on bathroom etiquette! First toilet paper and now toilet seats. If you go to Renee’s house and leave the toilet seat up she may lecture you.  No one wants to look into a toilet. SHUT IT!

Inappropriate pictures may or may not be on Eileen’s USB (which is stealthy kept in her glasses), on her wrist, or on a popsicle stick for everyone to see.  Just remember the ones on a stick will be smaller than real life. What a 007 life she leads. IMPRESSIVE! 

We love our listeners and are looking forward to our next 25 episodes! 

Taking care of Mother Earth is something we all want to do but it often feels like our little part is never enough. In this episode, the Brains, Brawn, and Bougie women discuss the things we can do to be sustainable in our own lives - while also doing our part for the environment. Topics include fast fashion, small appliance overload, and real vs artificial Christmas trees. The distress of food waste and the bright spot of new innovative packaging on the horizon is shared.  Can banana peels, mushroom stems and chewing gum save us all?  Come along for a listen and find out.

As for the Brains, Brawn, and Bougie women - Eileen gets thrown under the bus….Christmas trees, shoes and glasses.  However, is she out of the norm?  You decide but the answer is still yes! It has been revealed that Patty has extraordinarily aggressive heels. Is a regular pedicure advised or perhaps she should just stop buying cheap ass sheets. Renee has yet another “Elaine from Seinfeld” moment when she confesses her wardrobe is painfully out of date resulting in her thinking, “is it possible I’m not as attractive as I think I am?”  It’s time to move that shit on girl! 

The Manosphere has entered the Brains, Brawn, and Bougie chat. Patty, Renee, and Eileen explore its disturbing influence on young men and its complicated relationship with feminism. They break down what the manosphere is, why it has such a powerful hold on some young men, and how social media and online communities can reinforce these beliefs. The conversation also looks at the impact on women, relationships, and society as a whole.

Most importantly, they talk about what can be done. From parents and educators to mentors and other positive role models, what can those around young men do to help them build healthy perspectives, stronger relationships, and a more positive understanding of themselves and others?

As for the Brains, Brawn, and Bougie women - Eileen is finding disturbing remnants in the toilets of a house that no one lives in….YIKES! Patty’s mother decided to sell her house and then changed her mind – for about the 5th time! No one is betting on a permanent decision happening anytime soon. And Renee is making Eileen feel bad about having a storage unit to store her Christmas decorations, but she didn’t actually say anything about it - she just laughed a little. Listen to the show and you can decide if she really is a judgmental bitch!

Did you know the United States has 4% of the world's population, but 64% of the world's known serial killers are from the US? Did you also know that the number of active serial killers is declining? Join Eileen, Patty, and Renee as they talk again with Dr. Jennifer Murray and delve into the psychology and psychopathy of serial killers. 

This is another “tough” subject but as always, we find out more about our podcast hosts. Eileen shares her story of her unbelievable close call with a serial rapist/killer. But, Patty and Renee  feel safe because they don’t wear or own stilettos! Eileen also shares that while she did escape the above situation, she did get attacked by a wood table and has the marks to show for it. Patty provides yet another reason why she is annoying - she brags about not bruising! Has anyone started a list?!? Renee shares while she is not afraid of heat, sun or humidity, the wind however appears to be her f$#@ing nemesis!

Dr. Jennifer L. Murray, is an Associate Professor in the Criminology/Criminal Justice Department at Indiana State University. Her research is on Mass and Serial Murder, The Origins of Violent Crime and Social Deviancy, and The Psychology of Identity. She has analyzed, consulted, and been interviewed nationally and internationally on numerous mass and serial murder cases. Dr. Murray is an expert commentator on several episodes for the Investigation Discovery Channel’s (ID) Television Series Evil Kin and the “The Golden Age of Murder: A True Crime Podcast.” She is an Academic Conference Keynote Speaker and an Expert Witness for Law Firms concerning Civil and Criminal court cases.

We love food!! Doesn’t everyone? In this episode we talk about what we love - and don’t love - about recipes and cooking. Did you know that by age 50, an average mother has cooked over 15,000 family meals!! Renee, Eileen, and Patty understand the recipe “fatigue” and talk about what they still love - and hate - about cooking.  

Renee is so happy to finally have all her teeth but says she still is not eating meatloaf. Eileen tries to win her over with a sultry meat paws video but Renee is shutting that shit down! Patty shares a squirrel and gravy recipe from a 1916 cookbook - just kidding - the cookbook is actually from 2016 and yes, it does give instructions on when squirrel season opens in Tennessee!

Eileen reminds everyone to stop complaining about foods you may not like to eat. During her years of world wide travel she has had to eat some crazy stuff while on the clock during her corporate life. That list includes, but is not limited to, fisheyes, monkey blood, brains (of what, we do not know), tarantula, and kangaroo on a pizza.

On a totally unrelated topic, but an interesting one nonetheless, Patty reports on the new Thighmaster. Its redesign reminds Renee of fallopian tubes and it is now marketed as a pelvic floor muscle trainer,  Suzanne Summers would be proud. 

Everyone has a hill they're willing to die on... and we have several.

In this episode of Brains, Brawn, and Bougie, we unapologetically defend the opinions that simply cannot be changed.

Eileen is officially declaring war on those judgmental self-checkout monitors that keep shouting, "Please place the item in the bagging area!" She did put it in the bagging area, thank you very much.

Patty has taken the first step in her swimming competition training program. Step one? Wearing "slides." That's right—she's fully committed to looking like a swimmer before actually becoming one.

And Renee? She's exhausted from taking a firm stand against brunch. It takes forever, the food is shit, and yes... she said what she said.

Today we're sharing the opinions we refuse to back down from and you know we have to start with toilet paper up or down!

Why do some people commit acts of unimaginable violence?

This week on Brains, Brawn, and Bougie, we welcome Associate Professor Jennifer Murray for a thoughtful conversation about the psychology of mass murderers. We unpack psychopathy, common myths, warning signs, and what decades of research reveal about the people behind these horrific crimes.

This isn't a true crime retelling—it's an evidence-based discussion that seeks understanding rather than sensationalism.

Listener discretion is advised, as this episode discusses mass violence.

Eileen shows off her doctoral level of knowledge about skin care! Patty and Renee finally know what the heck a dalton is! Renee is sure that a banana peel would work just as well as some fancy ass expensive banana sap moisturizer. Added benefit: she will smell like an ice cream sundae all day! Patty keeps getting yelled at to take notes! She knew her PhD would finally pay off!!

This week we discuss skin care. You will not only learn that the skin has 7 layers (who knew) but that most of the products being peddled to us do not really work very well. Listen for lots of skin care information with the added benefit of lots of talk about penetration.