In this episode, Sam meets with Caroline Vasquez Huber and Hilary Dubin, the founders of Quit With Jones: a company designed to help you quit vaping by way of nicotine replacement therapy and cognitive behavioral support. They discuss what's actually inside a vape, how (in some ways) vaping can be worse than smoking cigarettes, and what's in it for you if you manage to quit. They also get to the root of nicotine itself—is it dangerous? How should it be used? What's up with ZYN?

Listen to this episode if you vape, or also if you don't (Sam has never touched one, but had the time of her life making this episode lol).

Key moments:

00:35 About the guests (our first duo!)

02:16 The current stats on vaping are SHOCKING

03:06 People are using cigarettes to quit vaping

04:57 How people get into vaping in the first place (+ personal stories)

07:00 Quick history lesson on vapes and vaping

07:52 Do vapes actually help you quit smoking?

09:33 The FDA’s stance on vapes and e-cigarettes

09:47 Which carcinogens are in your vape (terrifying!)

10:04 Scary fact about vaping vs. smoking cigarettes

10:38 Vape juice includes ingredients that are banned from cleaning products lol

12:34 The worst chemicals in vape juice

14:51 The actual (financial) cost of vaping

15:53 The impact of vaping on sexual and reproductive health (insane)

17:22 The impact of vaping on your skin and hair

18:56 Is nicotine dangerous on its own?

20:36 What nicotine does to your brain

21:47 Nicotine and the reward center in your brain (origin of tolerance and addiction)

23:33 The dangers of ZYN and other nicotine pouches

24:40 Why they decided to quit vaping (personal stories, so good)

25:20 How Caroline found out she was vaping the equivalent of 2 packs of cigarettes per day

30:33 The vaping fact that made Hilary quit for good

31:13 How to calculate how much nicotine you’re vaping

33:01 Why the existing cessation options weren’t working

35:25 Smoking, vaping, nicotine, and diet culture/weight loss

38:08 Why they started Quit With Jones

38:44 The psychological side of quitting or recovering from addiction

40:20 The Quit With Jones app (listen if you want to quit vaping)

42:01 How much money Hilary has saved this year by quitting vaping

43:18 Sam has a genius business idea (brag)

43:58 Data on how well Quit With Jones works

44:50 Eliminating the stigma around “relapsing” in smoking and vaping

47:39 The future of smoking, vaping, and nicotine use

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam goes on a caffeine deep dive after traumatizing herself with an energy drink on an empty stomach (lol). She explores the physical and mental effects of drinking caffeine, plus how much you should be having, when you should be having it, and what types you should look for. She shares some shocking findings about synthetic caffeine (BAD), as well as the possibility of using caffeine as a preventative tool to protect against Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's (GOOD).

Listen to this episode if you want to optimize the way you use caffeine, or if you just want to feel and perform better at work or in the gym.

Key moments:

01:10 What inspired this episode

01:45 Sam's mantra about symptoms

02:24 Storytime

10:15 Sam's exact caffeine routine

12:35 What actually...is...caffeine?

13:13 The difference between natural and artificial caffeine

14:01 How natural caffeine is processed for consumption (also fun nerd moment!)

15:41 How synthetic caffeine is made (INSANE)

16:51 Craziest thing Sam has ever heard about caffeine

17:25 Somehow it gets worse

19:25 What does caffeine do in your body?

20:00 Caffeine and the brain

20:15 How caffeine impacts your sleep

21:50 How caffeine impacts your cognition

22:53 Yerkes-Dodson law broken down (important)

23:56 How caffeine impacts your memory

25:30 Caffeine and your mental health

25:44 Caffeine and anxiety

26:35 How caffeine affects your emotional state

27:14 Caffeine and depression (unexpected)

28:21 Long-term impacts of caffeine on your brain

28:28 Caffeine’s role in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia (this is bananas)

29:55 Caffeine’s role in preventing Parkinson’s

31:10 The short-term physical effects of caffeine on your body

32:07 Caffeine overdose

32:20 How caffeine helps us in exercise/at the gym

33:26 The long-term physical effects of caffeine on your body

34:39 The most popular caffeinated products and their pros/cons

34:47 The benefits of drinking coffee (and the best way to drink it)

35:55 The benefits of drinking tea (and what kind is best)

36:57 The truth about energy drinks

39:03 Caffeine pills

39:49 Yerbamate

40:56 Can you become addicted to caffeine?

42:24 Upcoming episode topics

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam (who has been a night owl her entire life) explains why she decided to try being a morning person, how she fell in love with it, and why being a morning person is kind of amazing. Then, she offers 20 tips, strategies, and life hacks for making yourself a morning person when you're not naturally inclined.

Listen to this episode if you want to start waking up earlier, develop healthier habits, stop staying up too late, and feel less tired throughout the day.

Key moments:

00:35 Some quick pod updates

02:13 Small but exciting CAPS LOCK milestones!

02:45 Prenuvo scan updates and $300 discount code

04:56 An amazing motivational quote

05:38 Intro to becoming a morning person

06:40 Sam’s morning person origin story

14:10 Sam’s wellness routine in 2025

15:41 Is being a morning person genetic?

17:23 Why is it better to be a morning person?

22:51 Sam’s experience becoming a morning person

28:09 The only drawback so far

28:48 Potential future episode topic? DM me your thoughts!

33:25 20 tips for becoming a morning person!

33:52 What is circadian rhythm?

35:43 The real reason blue light is bad for you

37:53 Sam makes a confession lol

40:04 2 things to do immediately when you wake up

42:43 A funny tip but one of the most motivating ones

44:09 Sam shares a surprising fact about caffeine

46:24 One of Sam’s favorite productivity life hacks

48:27 Hilarious morning person tip that Sam invented

50:07 Sam’s hot take on a common morning person tip

51:19 Sam’s exact sleep schedule for 2025

56:09 How what (and when) you eat affects your sleep

59:14 Sam spits absolute bars

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam meets with celebrity astrologer Aliza Kelly. They discuss astrology for skeptics, what's going on in the stars right now (plus what it means for us all), and how the stars impact you at all different times throughout your life.

Listen to this episode if you're not sure you believe in astrology, if you want to learn how to better understand and apply it to your life, or if you want to know more about the astrological significance of different times in your life.

Key moments:

04:30 For people who don’t believe in astrology...

05:05 A shocking fact about astrology

11:55 The surprisingly short history of psychology and mental health

12:49 The biggest misconceptions about astrology

14:17 Why Aliza became an astrologer

19:04 How to use astrology as a tool and apply it to your life

19:53 Astrology and manifestation

21:54 Astrology as a wellness practice

24:45 Turning your passion into a business

28:00 What’s going on in the stars right now

28:33 Jupiter in Gemini and what it means for us

31:03 What Jupiter in Gemini did to Sam in 2024 lol

36:04 When your Saturn return really happens (it's not when you think)

37:15 Misconceptions about Saturn return

37:36 Astrological events we all experience (and when we'll experience them)

38:01 Why your late 20s are such an important time

38:55 What is your progressed lunar return? (Lesser known but important)

41:05 What is your nodal opposition? (Lesser known but important)

43:28 What does Saturn return mean for you?

45:53 This VERY popular astrology app is a scam

48:17 What apps you should use instead of that one

49:06 How to interpret your own chart

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam gets a wake-up call about her social media habits, and explores how (and why) Big Social gets and keeps our attention. Then, she explores the impacts of social media on our mental and physical health, as well as our interpersonal relationships.

In the second half of the episode, Sam outlines 10 actionable strategies for reducing your screen time and changing your social media habits.

Key moments:

00:34 Sam reveals her alarming amount of screen time

01:30 How much of the year we spend looking at screens

02:39 How did we get here?

03:14 How and why social media are designed to keep us online

05:32 The impact of social media on our mental health

06:59 Find out if you have a social media addiction

07:34 Harvard study that explains social media addiction perfectly

09:30 The impact of social media on our physical health

10:02 How social media is causing major diseases

10:56 The impact of social media on our relationships

12:52 So now what?

13:39 10 strategies to stop doomscrolling

14:39 The location of your apps matters

16:32 The role of color

18:09 What you should be doing right before bed

19:49 Stop doing this with your phone (we all do it)

21:31 A good in-app hack

22:31 Can you do this anti-screen exercise?

24:43 Change this setting right now

26:40 Two types of goals you can set to help reduce screen time

28:46 The surprising way your calendar app can help

30:14 Anti-screen hard mode (self-reflection required)

32:45 Sam's biggest pet peeve

33:28 How to find the underlying reason why you're scrolling

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam gets vulnerable about a scary experience she had while drinking, and how it compelled her to examine her relationship with alcohol more closely. You'll learn some key statistics about the physical impacts of alcohol consumption, some science-backed info about the emotional toll it takes on you, and strategies for staying sober in the face of peer pressure and temptation.

Listen to this episode if you're considering taking a break from alcohol, if you're already sober and seek connection through it, or if you're just interested in Sam's journey.

Key moments:

03:15 How much alcohol is safe for human consumption

03:42 Physical impacts of alcohol consumption

04:25 Are you binge drinking? Find out here

05:15 Defining excessive alcohol consumption

07:56 Emotional impact of alcohol consumption

08:39 Sam's relationship with alcohol

10:51 Trigger warning and Sam tells a vulnerable story

17:41 Emotional suppression origin story

22:21 Why and how alcohol causes anxiety

24:06 Why your sober curious journey isn't sticking

25:27 How going sober has changed Sam's life

27:10 Tips for staying sober in the face of peer pressure and temptation

34:37 Upcoming CAPS LOCK episodes

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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Join WHOOP.

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In this episode, Sam meets with Hilary Hoffman, founder and CEO of The Soto Method. They explore what it's like to feel unhappy at work, how to pivot toward your passions, and the right way to start and scale a business.

Listen to this episode if you feel stuck at work, or if you want to turn your passion into a business, but you're not sure how.

Key moments:

06:47 Why Hilary stayed at her job, even though she wasn't happy

09:28 Transparency about money at work

11:51 Motivation vs. fulfillment

14:38 Why she left a high-income finance job to start Soto

16:59 How she built her body (and how she developed the workouts for Soto)

18:32 Predictability can be a good thing...here's why

19:47 Every market is oversaturated—do it anyway

22:52 How she started a business from scratch

27:26 What to do if you don't have the resources to start a business

32:19 Her purpose (and constantly re-centering on it)

35:01 When you're doubting yourself...

37:41 How she transferred skills from finance to Soto

38:30 One of the most important skills for a successful entrepreneur

41:31 The role your (romantic/life) partner plays in your journey

45:39 On setbacks, fear of judgment, and other obstacles

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, Sam talks about a particularly nasty situationship (yes, that one), and explores the 5 major lessons she took away from her experience. Then, she shares 6 actionable strategies for finding yourself, healing, and building self-worth after your situationship ends.

Listen to this episode if you feel stuck in a situationship and need the motivation to get out, or if you're struggling after the end of your situationship and you want to focus on self-love.

Key moments:

00:32 Sam's situationship story

06:17 The end of the situationship

08:00 Intro to the 5 major lessons

09:00 Lesson #1: Self-worth and situationships

13:25 How to build your self-worth (3 exercises)

19:14 Lesson #2: If you feel embarrassed, stupid, or crazy...

24:11 Lesson #3: If your situationship left some scars...

26:36 What to do if your ex reaches out

27:42 Lesson #4: "I miss having someone to text all the time"

32:04 Lesson #5: How to find your soulmate

33:09 Strategies for healing from your toxic relationship

33:39 How group fitness changed my life

35:14 A life hack if you're prone to anxiety or overthinking

36:26 The most important healing strategy IMO

36:47 My favorite podcasts (besides CAPS LOCK lol)

37:14 Why you should find a man who reads books

38:54 Change your relationship with social media

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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In this episode, we explore what holds us back from setting, pursuing, and achieving our New Year’s resolutions. You’ll learn practical, effective strategies for making progress toward your goals, and even learn how to rewire your brain so it’s easier to accomplish goals over time.

Listen to this episode if you don’t know where to start with making New Year’s resolutions, or if your New Year’s resolutions have failed in the past, and you want to achieve them this time around.

Key moments:

01:46 How to determine what you truly want

03:26 How you’re self-sabotaging in the goal-setting stage

05:38 Fear of failure vs. fear of judgment

08:14 Why your New Year’s resolutions fail

10:03 Why you need to set goals

12:54 The truth about dopamine

14:48 The simplest, most effective goal-setting method

16:18 The 3 things you should do right after setting your goal

20:05 Here’s how many New Year’s resolutions you should make

23:09 My 2 favorite strategies for making progress toward goals

27:22 How long it actually takes to form a habit

28:07 How I got my dream job right out of college

31:16 The $30 product that changed my life (linked below)

35:34 Upcoming CAPS LOCK episodes

Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM EST, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon!

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Welcome to CAPS LOCK, a podcast designed to help you live bigger, better, louder, and longer. If you don’t know where to start, this is a good place. Meet me (Sam), learn about the purpose of the show, and explore early episode topics.

CAPS LOCK premieres on December 1, 2024, and new episodes will be released every Sunday at 8 AM EST. If you like this trailer, subscribe or follow to get notified about future episodes, and please leave me a rating or review so I can continue to improve the show. Thanks for listening—talk soon!

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