Have you ever cried to a song and wondered why? Or felt completely transformed after hearing just a few chords? In this conversation with the brilliant and hilarious Molly Lord, we explore how music taps into the deepest parts of who we are.

Molly is the creator of Tuned In Productions and author of Holy Dirt, a memoir about walking 500 miles across Spain’s Camino de Santiago. She shares how our playlists are shaped by the archetypes running our internal show, why a single song can shift our entire state of being, and what it means to use music as medicine.

Topics Covered:

• What your playlist reveals about your inner world.
• How to use music to shift your emotional state.
• The surprising role of archetypes in song choice.
• The moment Molly realized music was more than entertainment.
• How music followed her, even when she tried to leave it behind.
• The three songs on Molly’s life soundtrack.
• Why transitions (like coming home from work) need their own soundtrack.
• What happens when we walk toward something that scares us.

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

•  If you have 5 minutes, and you want access to the interviews that Molly talked about gifting you during the episode, all you have to do is send an email to [email protected] and mention you heard this on my podcast, and she will send them over!
•  If you have 50 minutes, create a playlist that you could use to switch archetypes. Think of the songs that get you out of a funk and immediately make you want to dance or bop around the kitchen. Think feel-good music that makes you smile and puts you in a lighter mood.

Connect with Molly!
Website: https://mollylord.com/
Email: [email protected] 
Buy Her Book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/holy-dirt-molly-lord/1147191074
Check out the Music Pharmacy: https://mollylord.com/the-music-pharmacy/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

If your brain doesn’t thrive on traditional productivity hacks, it doesn’t mean you’re broken; it might just mean you have a spicy brain.

In this conversation, I’m joined once again by Dr. Rebecca Block to explore how to work with your brain instead of against it. We talk about procrastination as emotion management, why low dopamine makes “helpful” tools harder to use, and how creativity and empathy can be powerful strengths when you let them lead.

You’ll also hear practical ways to approach decision-making, motivation, and those two-minute tasks that somehow take two weeks. If you’ve ever struggled to find strategies that truly fit, this episode is full of joyful, judgment-free guidance.

Topics Covered:

• Why traditional productivity strategies often fail neurodivergent minds.
• The ABCDs of motivation and how they apply to adults.
• How low dopamine impacts your ability to use helpful tools.
• The four root causes of procrastination (and what to do about each).
• Reframing productivity as play, experimentation, and emotional safety.
• Undervalued strengths like hyper-focus, empathy, and attention to detail.
• Why decision-making drains your energy (and how to make it easier).
• Fun, affirming strategies from Becca’s “Your Brain, Your Way” game.

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, take this quiz from Exceptional Individuals to see if any of the traits feel like they fit how your unique brain operates. I found a couple of other quizzes that you could check out that are linked below.  
  • https://exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/neurodiversity-resources/neurodiversity-quizzes/
• If you have 50 minutes, I found an article from Care Scribe called “What does neurospicy mean?” and it has a ton of really useful information to help you dissect all of these “neuro” words that are showing up regularly in our newsfeeds.  
  • https://carescribe.io/blog/what-does-neurospicy-mean/

Connect with Rebecca!
Website: http://www.beccablock.com/ and http://www.spicy-brains.com/
Spicy Brains Get Stuff Done course: https://maven.com/rebecca-block-phd/spicy-brains
Instagram: https://instagram.com/spicybrainsgetstuffdone
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@beccablock3
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spicybrainsgetst

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

What if the recipe for joy was as simple as a smile, a little movement, and saying no to one more draining obligation? In this episode, I’m joined by Nathalie Botros, the radiant psychotherapist-turned-coach behind The Happiness Cocktail and the Bon Vivant Girl lifestyle. Her story is one of deep reinvention; from chasing happiness across countries and careers to realizing it was within her all along. We talk about the moment she stopped searching and started savoring, and how you can too.

Nathalie shares the five playful, soulful ingredients to her signature happiness cocktail, and reminds us that joy isn’t something we earn, it’s something we practice. Whether you’re stuck in hustle mode or simply yearning to feel more alive, this conversation is an invitation to dance with life again.

Topics Covered:

• How Nathalie’s international journey led to a radical reinvention of joy.
• The deeper meaning behind being a true bon vivant.
• The five ingredients of the happiness cocktail (and why they spell SMILE).
• Why chasing external validation keeps us stuck in unhappiness.
• Learning to enjoy your body before trying to change it.
• Replacing guilt and burnout with pleasure and purpose.
• Creating daily rituals of self-love and sustainable joy.
• The importance of saying no (even when you’re tempted to people-please).

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, I have a blog article called “Living life as a Bon Vivant”
  • https://hillcountrybonvivant.com/living-life-as-a-bon-vivant/
• If you have 50 minutes, I have a podcast episode from the show, The Life of a Bon Vivant called “Being your most authentic self.”
  • https://podcasts.apple.com/ae/podcast/season-3-episode-18-being-your-most-authentic-self/id1662290831?i=1000708045754

Connect with Nathalie!
Website: https://www.thebon-vivantgirl.com/
Buy her book: https://www.thebon-vivantgirl.com/the-happiness-cocktail
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebon_vivantgirl/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalie-botros-5a4539/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/thebonvivantgirl/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChbdZ6QGfsROh1k

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

Sometimes the simplest tools can be the most powerful, and for me, journaling has always been one of them. In this conversation, I sit down with Pamela Byrd, who has been putting pen to paper since she was eleven years old, to talk about how writing can help us heal, grow, and truly know ourselves.

Pamela shares her remarkable story, from navigating deep childhood trauma and the heartbreaking loss of her twin sister, to finding strength, clarity, and purpose through the pages of her journals. We explore the many styles of journaling, how they’ve shaped her boundaries and her work with women, and why connecting with your inner child might just change everything. This is a tender, honest, and deeply practical conversation about reclaiming your worth and writing your way toward a healthier mind.

Topics Covered:

• Pamela’s journey from early trauma to becoming an advocate for mental health.
• How her sister’s passing influenced her healing path and her passion for helping others.
• Finding strength and clarity after her second divorce.
• Understanding different journaling styles, including dialogical and script journaling.
• Why connecting with your inner child can unlock self-awareness and healing.
• The link between journaling and breaking self-defeating patterns.
• Simple prompts to move from awareness to growth.

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, I have an article from Calm called “How to journal for mental health: 7 tips to get started.”
  • https://www.calm.com/blog/how-to-journal-for-mental-health
• If you have 50 minutes, I have a podcast episode from Pamela called “The Ultimate Guide to Journaling for Clarity and Focus”
  • https://youtu.be/KYaCwA_8Qi0?si=rufXEw0Pb9kn45PF

Connect with Pamela!
Website: https://byrdseyeview.mvsite.app/ (Includes her courses)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Letstalkboundaries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_talk_boundaries_podcast/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to say yes to something new, this might be it. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Anna VanAgtmael, founder of Wandering Roots, who shares how a car accident became the catalyst for a completely different kind of life. What started as a season of healing slowly turned into a life built around intention, courage, and connection.

We talk about effortless adventure, how to create retreat-style moments in everyday life, and why showing up, just as you are, is its own kind of bravery. Whether you’re dreaming of a faraway trip or simply craving more joy at home, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that transformation doesn’t always need a plan. Sometimes, it just needs one small, brave yes.

Topics Covered:

• How a car accident became the unexpected turning point of Anna’s life
• Why adventure doesn’t need to be epic to be meaningful
• The quiet magic of doing something that scares you, just a little
• The power of being supported, without needing to prove or perform
• What effortless adventure really looks like
• How to create retreat-style moments in everyday life
• Letting go of outdated definitions of success and self-worth
• Why delight is not a luxury, it’s a guidepost

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, I have an article from OmNoire called “Retreat vs. Vacation: What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Actually Need?”
  • https://omnoire.com/blogs/journal/retreat-vs-vacation?
• If you have 50 minutes, and you’re curious about what a retreat with Anna is like, check out her free DIY retreat guide (which usually costs $39!)
  • https://freebie.yourwanderingroots.com/

Anna’s 2-week email series for business owners who want to host retreats: moneymakingretreats.com

Connect with Anna!
Website: https://www.yourwanderingroots.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourwanderingroots
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-vanagtmael-214973b/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourwanderingroots/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

In a world that too often forgets how to play, today’s episode is your permission slip to remember. I’m joined by the radiant Melquea Smith, a Black, Queer, multi-award-winning children’s book illustrator and certified kid at heart, who also creates joyful clip art for educators, authors, and entrepreneurs.

We talk about what it means to be a "certified kid at heart", how to feel wonder again, how to soften in a hardened world, and how to choose joy not as a feeling, but as an act of rebellion. Melquea’s art centers positive, joyful imagery of Black kids and Black families, especially little Black girls of all shapes, sizes, and shades. And her voice is just as vibrant as the illustrations she brings to life. 

Topics Covered:

• Why joy is a creative, rebellious act in a chaotic world
• How Melquea brings her kid-at-heart energy into daily life
• The surprising path from drawing animals to illustrating picture books
• Healing childhood gaps by drawing the representation she longed for
• Creative rituals for romanticizing the ordinary and staying enchanted
• The emotional weight of choosing softness in hard times
• Why reconnecting with awe can shift your entire perspective
• Gentle, practical ways to rediscover play and imagination as an adult

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have a little more than 5 minutes, I have a TedX video called “Rediscovering childlike wonder as an adult” that invites you to rediscover the magic in everyday moments
  • https://youtu.be/aHsDd0ZSags?si=6JBK2zLq7kZ-54tD
• If you have 50 minutes,  I have an article from The Aesthetics of Joy called “How to embrace your inner child and find more joy.” They also have a guide you can download that gives you 50 ways to find joy every day.
  • https://aestheticsofjoy.com/embrace-your-inner-child/
  • https://the-aesthetics-of-joy.kit.com/1af2b71031

Join the monthly clipart membership, Brown Sugar Graphics! https://prettykittypaintings.com/bsg

Connect with Melquea!
Website: https://www.prettykittypaintings.com/
Free illustrations here: https://prettykittypaintings.com/podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettykittypaintings/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

If last week’s episode was about hot takes and summer sass, this week’s is a long, slow exhale.

We’re shifting into something quieter and deeper...something that touches all of us, even if we don’t often name it. In a world addicted to instant gratification and easy answers, what does it mean to stay with the discomfort? To resist the urge to fix and instead let healing unfold in its own time?

I’m joined by Julian Bermudez, a therapist and guide whose work is anything but conventional. He helps people reconnect with the truth of who they are, beneath the patterns, beneath the panic, and beneath the need to perform, please, or escape. His approach is gentle and grounded, rooted in presence, curiosity, and the belief that healing isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you’ve always been.

Topics Covered:

• Why we crave instant gratification (and how it backfires)
• The seven emotional circuits that shape our lives
• How early trauma wires our nervous system
• The cost of healing shortcuts and surface solutions
• Why disconnection is at the heart of trauma
• Using presence and somatic awareness to heal
• How childhood wounds show up in adult habits
• What real, lasting healing actually looks like

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, take a quiet moment to place a hand on your heart and ask yourself: Where am I craving a quick fix right now? And what might shift if I softened into the process instead of rushing the outcome?
• If you have 50 minutes, I have an article from Sandstone Care called “Delayed gratification: 7 tips to teach yourself impulse control.”
  • https://www.sandstonecare.com/blog/delayed-gratification/

Connect with Julian!
Website: https://www.psychedelic-integration.net/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@psycheintegration
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-bermudez-ma-ccmp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psycheintegration/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

You know how summer has a way of bringing out the most random opinions? You're either all in, outside with iced coffee and sunscreen, or you're absolutely not. And people get very passionate about their preferences. So I thought, what better way to celebrate the season than with a full-on summer hot take showdown? Naturally, I had to bring in my partner in spicy opinions, my hilarious friend Ivy Boyd.

We pulled some of the wildest summer takes from Reddit and talked through each one, laughing our way through fireworks, parades, popsicles, and the very controversial question of whether ketchup belongs on a hot dog. Also, yes, you’ll hear the childhood impersonation that made me think I was either destined for podcasting or phone sex.

Hot Takes Covered:

• Summer nostalgia: carefree freedom or endless chores?
• The 900-number jingle that still lives rent-free in my brain
• Whether ketchup is for kids and why the Hot Dog Council can chill
• Fireworks at 3am, bottle rocket mishaps, and dog-parent guilt
• Parades as community joy or just candy-littered chaos
• Popsicle shame, push-pop memories, and Ivy’s freezer stash
• A passionate defense of Halloween and some Thanksgiving slander
• Are beach vacations soothing or just a hot, sandy scam?

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

I have three activities for you to try that are all summer-themed! And I think you can do any of them for 5 minutes, or you can commit more effort if you have more time.

• Create a Summer Adventure Jar: Write down different activities, and draw one each week.
• Storytelling Nights: Share your favorite childhood summer stories and bask in the fun of your past adventures.
• Discovery Days: Choose one day a week to explore a new place you’ve never been to before.

Connect with Ivy!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivysavanah/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyboydmakeup/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portraitbeautyco/
Website: https://www.portraitbeauty.us/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

Happiness isn't just a fleeting feeling; it’s a skill we can learn and a practice we can live. In this episode, I’m joined by Monique Rhodes, host of the “In Your Right Mind” podcast, for a warm and inspiring conversation about joy, suffering, and the inner work of becoming who you are.

After traveling the world to study the habits of the happiest people, Monique discovered something beautifully simple that they all have in common. We talk about emotional reactivity, self-worth, and how choosing peace over chaos is a daily act of courage. Her story is living proof that happiness isn’t found, it’s built.

Topics Covered:

• The one surprising trait shared by the happiest people in the world
• Why self-worth is the foundation of emotional resilience
• How a near-death experience changed Monique’s life path
• What it really means to choose peace over reactivity
• The daily practice Monique uses to check in with herself
• The shift from “what do I want to do” to “who do I want to be”
• Why healing begins when we meet ourselves with kindness
• How happiness is cultivated, not achieved

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, take the happiness quiz on Monique’s website. It will give you your happiness score and some practical ways to boost it. 
  • https://moniquerhodes.com/
• If you have 50 minutes, check out her podcast, called In Your Right Mind which has short, digestible, daily episodes packed with actionable wisdom that you can apply to instantly upgrade your happiness. There is a reason why Monique’s podcast has over one million downloads!
  • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-your-right-mind-with-monique-rhodes/id1084039067

Connect with Monique!
Website: https://moniquerhodes.com/
Listen to her podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-your-right-mind-with-monique-rhodes/id1084039067
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoniqueRhodesOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquerhodesofficial/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquerhodesofficial/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]

There are days when the world feels too loud, too fast, too much. But what if relief could be found in something as simple as your next exhale? In this episode, I’m joined by Leo Marrs, founder of America’s first breathwork studio and creator of the Ethr app, for a rich and deeply human conversation about anxiety, presence, and the quiet power of breath.

Leo shares how growing up in the wilds of Alaska shaped his sensitivity to danger, and how learning to breathe (really breathe) changed his life. We talk about nervous system regulation, creativity, and how the breath helps us return to our essential selves. He even guides us through a calming breathwork practice you can try right now.

Topics Covered:

• How growing up in Alaska shaped Leo’s relationship with fear and survival
• The nervous system’s role in anxiety and why breath is the fastest regulator
• Why breathwork is often more accessible than meditation
• Leo’s personal awakening and the search for presence through altered states
• The science behind the “double inhale, sigh” technique
• Using breath to unlock creativity and access flow
• What it means to be a conscious creator in the meaning economy
• How breath awareness helps us meet life with clarity and compassion

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, I have an article from TIME magazine called “How to start – and stick to – a breath work practice”  
  • https://time.com/7005562/how-to-do-breathwork/
• If you have 50 minutes, check out Leo’s app, called Ethr, which combines precise breath sequences with advanced sonic architecture. Let me just tell you the website is so cool!
  • https://www.ethr.one/

Connect with Leo!
Website: https://www.leomarrs.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeoMarrs
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leomarrs/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleomarrs/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theleomarrs

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at [email protected]

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: [email protected]