BS with Bethany Simko

TW: Suicide

Join us for a vulnerable and deeply inspiring episode with Claire Inouye-Rasband, a former Miss Utah’s Teen, law school-bound powerhouse, and fellow ex-girlfriend (we bonded years ago over dating the same guy).

On this episode we unpack everything from our unexpected bond, to Claires journey from being severely bullied and suicidal in junior high, to becoming a national ambassador, keynote speaker, legislative intern, and of course a pageant icon impacting communities all around Utah. 

Claire opens up about how pageants gave her purpose and how service saved her life, with her initiative Project Strength, focused on helping youth build healthy coping mechanisms. 

Today we talk real life stereotypes, self-doubts, and the deeper why behind the crown. 

I came away from this episode with a newfound love of sisterhood, a re-ignited flame for life, and a few tears in my eyes. I hope you can see yourself in these discussions and give yourself (especially your younger self) a little more grace as you live a life that would make her proud. 

Whether you’re a pageant girl or just trying to live a more vibrant life, this episode will leave you laughing, crying, and reevaluating what you’re truly capable of.

Follow Claire on Instagram: www.instagram.com/claire_ino

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National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

*Don't hesitate to call or text if you or a loved one is in crisis

Hi loves! Today we have the incredible Erika Dalton with us to chat about her years as a pageant queen, violinist, & Sexual Assault Crisis Advocate.

Join us in our conversation about what it means to be a pageant queen, mindset shifts to deal with 'losing', and the sisterhood involved in supporting those around us as victims of SA.

Erika has built such an important and impactful platform on helping victims of SA, such as herself, to find their power and assist others in finding resources to help them in a time of crisis.

Her work as a crisis advocate has given her so much rich perspective. There's truly so much for each of us to learn from her from today's episode.

Follow Erika on Instagram

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I'd love to hear from you! Comment a moment you've BSed it in your life, or a moment where you found your power

xoxo, Beth

Surprise! I’m doing a pageant! And honestly, the thought of doing a pageant scares the crap out of me…which is exactly why I’m doing it. 

On today’s episode of BS with Bethany Simko, we dive into what exactly “BS It” means and why it’s so important to me. 

The BS mindset represents resilience, resourcefulness, and never ever giving up because you are capable of anything. This is so freaking near and dear to my heart, and being able to share this life changing mindset is the one thing keeping me going during my pageant prep.

I can’t wait for more of the world to give themselves permission to BS It.

Whether you tell yourself, “Baby Steps”, “Believe in Self”, or “Bull Sh*t It”, every single one of us already has that grit and passion inside us. My hope is that I can inspire even one of you to take the leap and keep BSing It until you get everything you want out of life. 

The Miss Utah County Pageant is on July 12th at 7pm if you’d like to come support!! Can’t wait to see what this new era brings.

If you've ever had any moments of "BSing It" that you're proud of, I'd love to hear from you! You guys inspire me so much and I'm so blessed to have you in this community.

xoxo, your big sis Beth

LINKS

Follow along on IG:⁠⁠ @bswithbethanysimko⁠⁠

Follow along on Tik Tok: ⁠@bethanyysimko⁠

⁠Read the blog⁠

⁠Meet with me 1:1⁠

⁠Shop My Merch

We are creators, not just floaters.

LINKS

Follow along on IG:⁠⁠ @bswithbethanysimko⁠⁠

Follow along on Tik Tok: ⁠@bethanyysimko⁠

⁠Read the blog⁠

⁠Meet with me 1:1⁠

⁠Shop My Merch

This episode holds some of the deepest truths I’ve ever shared, so please take this as a trigger warning for SA and suicide.

Growing up in Utah and being raised in the LDS religion gave me a lot of values to wrestle with as I shaped my own worldview. One of the major values I held close to me, even as I left the church, was my desire to wait until marriage.

But, that wasn't how things ended up. And the experience that changed that for me left me with HSV and a whole lot of shame & fear.

Today we're talking about that experience, and everything it led to. The heartbreak, the wakeup call, the move across the country, and the slow journey of building a life of my own.

It's been 3 years of living on my own and next week... I'm coming home.

This time, I get to do things on my own terms.

I feel at peace with the woman I have carved out of the life I've lived so far.

I've chosen again to wait until marriage. This choice isn't out of fear or "virtue", but out of self respect. Out of love for my younger self, and a deep protection for the woman I'm still becoming.

Utah brought me some of the most painful and traumatic experiences I've ever faced. But time and space gave me the gift of remembering who I am & that I was never broken to begin with.

I'm ready to face the home where it all started. To repair what I can, release what I can't, and to do it all grounded in the beliefs I've found for myself, not the ones I was taught.

This episode my relationship with God, with sex, with home, and my parents .

If you see any part of yourself in my story, I hope you remember this: no matter where you are, there is always healing to be found,

Love you sis,

xoxo, Bethany

LINKS

Follow along on IG:⁠ @bswithbethanysimko⁠

Follow along on Tik Tok: @bethanyysimko

Read the blog

Meet with me 1:1

Shop My Merch

A raw, honest look at the chaos I called love, the addiction to passion, and my decision to choose soft love — even when it hurts.

We're getting vulnerable today babe.

Here's the tea- Utah Boy has been living in my head rent mf free.

Not because of who he is, but because of who I am.

Because of what I've passed off as normal. Because of what I've learned to call love.

I'm sharing the nitty gritty details of my soul, because I know what it's like to feel like a mf addict - to love, to passion, to connection.

I know what it's like to sob while you journal all the reasons it hurts to stay...and then immediately check for their name on your phone.

It took me a four-hour conversation with a literal robot (thanks Chat) to realize that I have normalized this chaos. My soul has thrived on chaos.

This two year whiplash has felt like home.

I've been confusing passion for love. Chaos for connection.

And it's my responsibility to choose every single day to say "I'll wait" for my soft love. To create an internal world that can handle the safety of soft love.

It's an addicts job to step away from the chemical and deal with the fallout of withdrawal.

And it's also their job to quit calling themselves embarrassing when their biology calls for more of what keeps the system alive - in my case, chaos.

Of course my body wants more. Which is exactly what makes stepping back so damn courageous.

Even if - and when - I have to do it over and over again.

Because this isn't about Utah Boy. It's about all the men that came before him...and all the ones that will come after.

It's about every time I have to find the courage to be honest with myself about what I deserve and the patterns I'm falling into.

It's about every 2am cry under the covers while I summon the strength to choose soft love - again and again.

Just because something feels familiar - feels like home - doesn't mean it's a safe place to rest.

Follow along on IG: @bswithbethanysimko

Follow along on Tik Tok: @bethanyysimko

Read the blog

Only a few more days until I move off the island and head to LA!

I'll be staying with Andy for a month in Venice while I look for more permanent places - I can't wait for this next adventure!

Let's chat about how I'm feeling about yet another cross-ocean move & leaving my incredible people here in Hawaii.

Such a bitter sweet ending & beginning.

Follow along: https://www.instagram.com/bswithbethanysimko/

It's officially been 2 years of yapping together and we have a very special episode for today.

We're gonna talk about mistakes & integrity and how sometimes sh*t goes down that you're not proud of.

This pod is my safe space for learning new things, messing up, and being vulnerable so we're going to get REAL honest today.

At the end of the day, I feel really proud of myself for all the work I've done over the past 5 years since my attempt in 2020 (which small backstory: this podcast was started in honor of the anniversary of my suic*de attempt) and every year I continue to learn more & explore more of this world.

Just happy to be here :)

Thanks for listening my love! Let me know your fav episode from this pod so far or your fav concept/storytime! I love hearing from ya

Thanks for growing with me!

Follow along on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bswithbethanysimko/

Follow along on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethanyysimko

Recently I've been having some chats with myself about how to recognize the 'perfection of the moment'. All we're waiting for to be truly happy is just a moment, right?

In this episode we talk about how to take a step back and recognize how perfect each moment is, even if it doesn't seem like it.

I hope you come away from this realizing how powerful of a creator you are.

Follow the pod:@bswithbethanysimko

Happy 2025 loves!! Welcome to a new year where we're bringing new energy.

My motto this year is that "nothing is more important than that I feel good"- focusing on how you feel brings even more goodness into your life (spoiler alert, you're meant to get everything you want in this life)

Journal exercise: write down 4 categories- home, career, relationships, mind/body. Then identify in those categories some things you want this year. Don't be afraid to get big with it! Write out what it is you want and why you want it.

Focusing on what you do want is such a powerful exercise in helping you shift your focus and energy to everything that is possible for you.

Let's be a little delusional this year