In this epsidoe, Brad and Michaela recap some learnings from their 12 years of marraige.

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Choosing Us: Touching Your Dreams and Living With Intention

Supergluing a finger shut instead of going to the doctor is either impressive or deeply stubborn, and honestly it might be both. The Drapers bring this same unfiltered energy to every corner of their conversation on "Choosing Us," making this episode genuinely hard to put down.

Quickly moving from laughter into substance, the hosts explore what it actually means to want something versus truly visualizing yourself living it. The female host describes using sauna meditation sessions to mentally rehearse her roles as mother, wife, and individual, carrying that clarity into real decisions. Interestingly, she draws a parallel to biblical prophets like Isaiah, who describe future events in present tense, mirroring the logic behind vivid visualization.

What does it look like to "touch your dreams" before they arrive? The Drapers share practices like walking luxury home floor plans, test-driving aspirational cars, and staying at upscale hotels annually (small investments that make big visions feel real).

Because children learn by watching, not listening, the conversation lands on parental authenticity. One host shares her desire to return to modeling, another mentions rediscovering dancing. Both argue that fulfilled parents raise children who pursue fulfillment.

Tune in to hear the full conversation. It will stay with you.


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When the Weight Doesn't Get Lighter, You Get Stronger

Rarely does a single weightlifting session crack open a life philosophy, but that is exactly what happened when the speaker attempted a double bodyweight rack pull somewhere between 260 and 280 pounds. The bar moved slowly, not explosively, and yet lifting it changed everything about how they understood difficulty.

The Drapers, hosts of Choosing Us, bring this same hard-won perspective to summer parenting, relationship struggles, and what it really means to grow. Because when you pray for patience, you should probably expect the trials that follow.

What would it look like to stop resenting the chaos and start seeing it as the actual pathway forward?

Through the concept of mitohormesis (the biological idea that cellular stress builds strength), the Drapers connect muscle development to marriage, parenting, and daily resilience. They share the story of a father who lost his son and still chose gratitude, and they describe incarcerated women who chose happiness despite their circumstances. These aren't feel-good anecdotes but genuine evidence that our response to hardship is always a choice.

Situations stay heavy. We become stronger. That is the message.

Genuinely, this episode deserves a listen. Share it widely.


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Building Family Bonds That Actually Last

What happens when you marry someone and suddenly inherit an entirely new family culture, one that looks nothing like your own? The Drapers, Brad and Michaela, tackle this question head-on in this episode of Choosing Us, recorded live from Michaela's grandparents' patio in Idaho.

Honestly, the personal stories here are what make this one worth your time. Brad watched his brother struggle with difficult in-law relationships and decided early on to make family compatibility a real priority. Michaela's family includes over a hundred relatives across multiple generations, with cousins gathering monthly and even ex-spouses remaining welcome at celebrations. Brad was genuinely surprised by that level of inclusivity.

Clearly, blending two different family cultures takes real effort and openness, and it requires ongoing work rather than a one-time adjustment. There's even a funny moment (involving a failed homemade pizza Valentine's Day tradition) that perfectly captures how good intentions don't always translate.

Brad's father once grilled Michaela about her humanitarian fundraising until she cried, yet his business connections ended up sponsoring her trip. That story alone shows how family relationships can be complicated and ultimately rewarding.

After witnessing a hawk catch a robin mid-conversation, the Drapers reflect on which family traditions deserve to continue and which should be left behind.

Tune in to hear how Brad and Michaela intentionally designed their own family culture from two very different starting points.


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What You Say Shapes What You Feel and Who You Are

Rarely does a single phrase carry so much weight, but the difference between "I am tired" and "I feel tired" could be quietly reshaping your relationship without you even realizing it. Michaela and her partner Brad, hosts of Choosing Us, explore how the words we repeat become what our brain accepts as truth, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and ultimately our closest relationships.

The idea is simple but profound: identity statements are not just words, they are the foundation of how we experience life and love. When couples stop affirming core truths like "my spouse is my best friend and teammate," those connections slowly deteriorate. Michaela even shares a funny moment (a child's Mother's Day card listing mom's phone as what she loves most) that cuts surprisingly deep.

What does a happy, healthy relationship actually look like for you and your partner?

The conversation covers how pairing affirmations with physical movement amplifies their power, and why building your foundation during good times, layer by layer like poured concrete, is what allows couples to survive the harder seasons together. Because when things get rocky, the solution is not dramatic, it is humble, consistent, daily choice.

Tune in to hear how Michaela and Brad put all of this into practice together.


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Choosing Your Partner Every Single DayRarely does a couple make the daily, conscious decision to truly choose their partner feel this tangible and real. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," bring nearly thirteen years of marriage experience to a conversation that challenges the modern throwaway approach to relationships.

After 12 years of marriage, the Drapers have built something worth examining. They argue that marrying your best friend, the person you instinctively call during joy, struggle, or anger, forms the strongest possible foundation for a lasting partnership. (Michaela's trip to St. George with strangers turned out to be a genuine turning point for her growth.) They came from polar opposite upbringings yet used those differences to build a shared vision rather than let them divide the relationship.

What does it actually mean when your spouse is not the first person you want to call? The Drapers frame this not as failure but as an invitation for honest reflection and constructive dialogue.
Through patient encouragement rather than pressure, accountability without harshness, and vulnerability without fear, they demonstrate that strong marriages are built daily through small, intentional choices. Because choosing your partner is an ongoing, active commitment, not a one-time decision.

Tune in to hear the full conversation and bring their insights into your own relationship.


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You Are Who You Surround Yourself WithImagine sitting at a pool party with a wealthy real estate developer, only to have your dinner suggestions completely dismissed in favor of luxury steakhouse chains. That humbling moment changed everything for the Drapers.

Best friends and married couple Michaela and her husband open up about their early marriage struggles, from living in their parents' basement to moving into an apartment they genuinely could not afford. (The Fleming's dinner story alone is worth the listen.) Slowly, intentionally, they began surrounding themselves with more ambitious people, and that shift rewired how they thought about money, relationships, and success.

Are you the lighthouse guiding people forward, or the tugboat quietly dragging them down?
Drawing from their twelve-year marriage, the Drapers explore how the company you keep shapes your mindset in ways that are easy to miss. They talk about moving from constant complaining to genuine problem-solving together, and how their closest friends, ranging from bankrupt entrepreneurs to billionaires, all share one thing: they ask "what's next?" instead of comparing and grumbling.

Clearly, auditing your social circle is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing, evolving practice.
Tune in and start thinking differently about who you keep close.


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Finding Your Footing: Intentional Motherhood and the Power of PartnershipRarely does a conversation about motherhood feel this honest and this grounding all at once. In this episode, the Drapers and their guests get real about what it means to parent with purpose, not perfection.

Five months postpartum with her third child, one mother describes feeling like she's "treading water" without routine or direction. That image alone captures something so many parents feel but rarely name out loud. What does it actually look like to stop treading water and start swimming with intention?

Practically, the answer involves small but significant shifts. Phone-free mornings at breakfast and evenings at dinner became the family's starting point for reconnecting. (It sounds simple, but anyone who's tried it knows the resistance is real.) Her husband Brad initially pushed back, yet he came around, noting that children adapt quickly while adults resist most.

Slowly, the conversation deepens into something more personal. One speaker shares how her father's inattention during her childhood dance performances shaped her fears about presence and parenting, showing how awareness of old wounds can actually fuel better family systems today.
Intentional gift-giving also gets a beautiful spotlight, including a personalized moon picture frame honoring the night a mother's journey began.

Tune in to hear the full, honest, and heartfelt conversation.


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Choosing Us: Showing Up Every Day, Even When It's Hard

Consistently choosing your partner, even on your hardest days, might be the most radical relationship act you can do. The Drapers from Choosing Us get real about what it actually means to show up, authentically and imperfectly, in marriage and life.

What does it look like when your best keeps changing? The couple explores how comparison and self-judgment quietly erode progress, especially during major life transitions like postpartum recovery. They share how their relationship could easily slip into two people living separate lives, becoming disconnected roommates, if they stopped making daily intentional effort. Small gestures like saying "I love you," expressing gratitude, and genuine check-ins matter more than grand romantic statements.

The episode digs into how people continuously evolve through phases from marriage to parenthood to personal growth, and partners who ignore that evolution often find themselves feeling like strangers. The Drapers highlight how Brad's grace during postpartum recovery demonstrates exactly the kind of adaptability that deepens intimacy over time.

Genuinely, one of the most compelling parts is their focus on modeling this for their kids (because children absorb everything). By allowing children to witness respectful disagreements and daily affection, they're teaching the next generation what love actually looks like in practice.
Tune in and start choosing your relationship differently today.

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Keeping Promises When You're Running on Empty

Honestly, the most powerful moment in this episode comes down to a simple choice: show up tired or cancel. The Drapers, hosts of "Choosing Us," chose to show up and took their sons to a pump track after school despite being exhausted and pressed for time. That decision ripples into something much bigger than an afternoon bike ride.

What does it actually teach our kids when we follow through even when we don't feel like it?
Consistently, the Drapers make the case that children are always watching and absorbing everything, always observing far more than we realize. Brad completing his nearby workout while honoring the family commitment perfectly illustrates their philosophy: model the life you want your kids to eventually choose. From mountain biking to girls' nights out, they argue that pursuing personal hobbies alongside parenting responsibilities shows children that adulthood includes genuine joy, not just obligation.

In the trenches of daily parenting, they also address something refreshingly honest: knowing what to do and actually doing it are completely different things (for kids and adults alike). Patience, repetition, and leading by example bridge that gap.

If you want practical, lived-in wisdom about raising resilient, curious kids while staying true to yourself, this episode is absolutely worth your time.


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