What if one of the hardest seasons of your life became one of your greatest teachers?

In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with longtime friend, mentor, and entrepreneur Jimmy Calano for an honest conversation about navigating cancer, recovering from serious health challenges, and the unexpected perspective that can emerge when we’re forced to confront our own mortality. But this isn’t a conversation about death—it’s about how these experiences inspired them to live well.

After facing acute leukemia and other health crises, Jimmy shares the mindset shifts that helped him navigate fear, uncertainty, and recovery. Elizabeth reflects on her own experience recovering from chronic pain and a tumor that curved her spine—and how those challenges transformed her relationships, priorities, and understanding of what it means to truly live.

Together, they explore:

Whether you’re navigating a health challenge, supporting someone you love through illness, or simply looking for a reminder to slow down and appreciate what matters most, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and the comforting reminder that even our hardest seasons can shape us for the better.

Show Notes:

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

How do you know when to keep pushing... and when it’s time to let go?

In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with friend and fellow truth-seeker Kayla Gorski to explore what it really means to trust yourself.

Together, they reflect on perfectionism, burnout, intuition, synchronicity, and the courage to loosen our grip on life’s carefully crafted plans. Through stories of career transitions, unexpected opportunities, solo adventures in nature, and the quiet signs that often appear when we finally slow down, Elizabeth and Kayla examine how self-trust isn’t about having certainty – it’s about trusting you’ve already done the work and believing you’ll be okay no matter what unfolds.

This episode is an invitation to trade control for curiosity and discover the freedom that comes from trusting your own inner wisdom.

Together, they explore:

Whether you’re navigating a career transition, recovering from burnout, searching for clarity, or simply wondering if you’re on the right path, this conversation offers a refreshing reminder that sometimes the greatest act of courage is trusting that you already have everything you need. As Elizabeth points out, “We are animals... and oftentimes we know what to do. We just need to trust that we know.”

Show Notes:

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

Fifty episodes. Hundreds of questions. Countless opportunities to rethink what we thought we knew.

In this milestone episode, Elizabeth reunites with co-founder Sheila Lamont to reflect on the conversations that have shaped the podcast – and the personal growth that came from having them.

Together, they revisit some of their most memorable episodes, exploring how their perspectives have evolved on everything from living alone and setting boundaries to communication, relationships, and everyday disagreements. Along the way, they discover that changing your mind isn't a sign of inconsistency – it's often a sign of growth.

They explore:

Whether you've been listening since Episode 1 or you're discovering Imperfectly Honest for the first time, this conversation is an invitation to embrace curiosity, welcome personal growth, and remember that we don't have to stay the same person we were yesterday.

Show Notes:

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

What is a wedding really for?

In this deeply personal episode, Elizabeth sits down with newlywed Morgan Klaas to explore a question that goes far beyond centerpieces, guest lists, and wedding traditions: What – and who – are we actually celebrating when we get married?

Both Elizabeth and Morgan reflect on their weddings, but beneath the details of the celebration lies a larger conversation about love, commitment, family expectations, and the realities of modern marriage.

This episode is an honest exploration of what happens when we stop asking whether a marriage will last forever and start asking whether it is helping us become who we're meant to be. Together, they explore: 

Whether you're planning a wedding, healing from a divorce, questioning traditional relationship milestones, or simply reflecting on what commitment means in today's world, this conversation offers a refreshing and deeply human perspective on love, partnership, and personal growth.

Show Notes:

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

Stay tuned for a follow-up episode on Cuban food and the joy of unconventional living on our Imperfectly Honest producer, Kayla Gorski’s podcast, Dish + Tell. Subscribe to her Substack here. 

What makes someone attractive?

Is it confidence? Physical chemistry? Shared values? Emotional intelligence?

In this episode of Imperfectly Honest, Elizabeth is joined by her friend and Imperfectly Honest partner in crime, Kayla Gorski, to explore the psychology of attraction, modern dating, relationship compatibility, and the surprising qualities that create lasting connection. From confidence and curiosity to self-awareness and emotional intelligence, they unpack what women really find attractive—and how those preferences evolve over time.

Drawing from their own dating experiences, conversations about dating after divorce, and reflections on healthy relationships, Elizabeth and Kayla discuss why attraction is often about far more than physical appearance. 

Together, they discuss:

Whether you're actively dating, navigating a breakup, re-entering the dating world after divorce, or simply curious about human behavior, this conversation offers an honest look at attraction, relationships, confidence, and what truly creates connection.

Show Notes:

Deepen your connection with food and yourself by visiting Kayla’s Substack at substack.com/@kaylagorski. 

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

For many people, the pandemic changed more than just daily routines – it changed the way we think about safety, health, and germs.

What starts as “being careful” can slowly become something heavier: contamination anxiety, obsessive cleaning, fear of getting sick, and stress that quietly impacts everyday life.

In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with microbiologist and department head at Montana State University, Jovanka Voyich, for an honest and nuanced conversation about germs, hygiene, immune health, and the balance between protecting ourselves and still fully living.

Together, they discuss:

This episode is not about dismissing health concerns — it’s about finding balance, reducing shame, and learning how to stay informed without letting fear take over your life.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your “healthy habits” may have crossed into anxiety, this conversation is for you.

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

For some, Mother’s Day is a pure celebration. For others, it's grief, or just a day that's not quite easy peasy. Sometimes it's all of those things at once. If Mother's Day has ever felt more complex than the greeting cards suggest, this one is for you.

In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with friend and fellow climate advocate, Max Scheder-Bieschin, who recently lost his mother. Max shares the lessons his mother left him, the things he wishes he'd said, and how she shaped the man he's become. Elizabeth brings her own truth about her loving relationship with her mother, and her own set of questions as well.

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

Should women use their looks, femininity, or sexuality to get ahead? 

In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with CEO, investor, and author Jane Miller for a bold, unfiltered conversation about gender inequality, female leadership, and what it really takes to succeed as a woman in business and in love today. 

Is gender inequality a problem – or could it also be an opportunity? And more provocatively: are women fully leveraging their strengths, or holding back to fit outdated expectations of success?

For decades, women have been taught to succeed by playing according to male-dominated rules – competing harder, leading similarly, and minimizing femininity in the workplace. But what if that strategy is fundamentally flawed? 

Elizabeth and Jane explore the complex reality of power dynamics in business and dating, and why the same patterns – competition, insecurity, and perception – are at play in both. 

They dive into:

This episode goes beyond surface-level conversations about equality to offer a more honest, nuanced look at how women can navigate power, identity, and ambition without abandoning themselves in the process.

Show Notes:

Connect with Jane and tune into her podcast at https://janesplace.com/. 

Consider picking up a copy of Jane’s book, Sleep Your Way to the Top and Other Myths About Business Success via your favorite book retailer. 

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.

In this episode of Imperfectly Honest, Elizabeth sits down with Kayla Gorski for a candid – and at times uncomfortable – conversation about body image, beauty standards, and the truth about wanting to look good.

For many of us, thoughts about our bodies are constant, yet conversations about body image, self-image, and body confidence often stay surface-level. Together, Elizabeth and Kayla go deeper, exploring the internal “mental inventory” we keep and the evolving relationship we have with how we look and feel in our bodies.

This conversation doesn’t stop at self-acceptance.

They also examine the very real benefits of striving toward conventional beauty standards – from increased confidence and discipline, to feeling more energized, more attractive, and more connected to desire. What happens when looking good isn’t just about appearance, but rather is about motivation and how you move through the world?

From disciplined routines and slipping back into old habits, to the way attraction, confidence, and even libido are tied to the physical self, they explore the tension between accepting yourself as you are and wanting to be better.

This chat doesn’t promise easy answers, perfect solutions, or total body confidence. Instead, it offers an honest reflection on the complicated and sometimes contradictory relationship many of us have with our bodies – and the curiosity it takes to examine those patterns with compassion.

Show Notes:

Deepen your connection with food by visiting Kayla’s Substack at substack.com/@kaylagorski, or tuning into the Dish + Tell podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

What if you knew that donating a kidney isn’t as extreme - or as impossible - as it sounds? In this episode, Elizabeth sits down with Liz Nelson for an honest, deeply personal conversation about her decision to do just that.

Liz shares her experience as a living kidney donor, offering a transparent look at what the kidney donation process actually involves — physically, emotionally, and logistically. Rather than positioning the decision as heroic or extraordinary, she aims to demystify organ donation and help others better understand what’s possible.

Together, they move beyond the initial question of “could I?” into the more personal reality of “would I?” — unpacking the motivations, misconceptions, and practical considerations that come with becoming a living organ donor.

As conversations around organ donation and transplant waitlists continue to grow, this episode offers a grounded, human perspective on generosity, agency, and informed choice.

This isn’t about pressure or persuasion. It’s about expanding awareness — and inviting a more open, curious look at what it really means to give.

Show Notes:

Hear more Imperfectly Honest perspectives at www.imperfectlyhonest.com.