Ooooh we are SO back! In today’s episode we explain the decision to shift to a fortnightly format, analyze the “words of the year” (and choose some of our own), flaunt our terrifying lack of musical prowess, and celebrate two heroes of our time: Sabrina Carpenter and Franklin The Turtle. wait, what?

Today’s episode is brought to you by Social Life, the social media support system that solves your content execution problem, keeps your creative spark alive, and meaningfully grows your business — without asking you to post more, perform harder, or please the [petty] algorithm. It’s launching at the lowest price + with a sweeeeet bonus December 10-16, so make sure you’re on it (here) to be notified when doors open.

In honour of gift guide and roundup season, the topic of TASTE is front of mind for all of us, whether we know it or not. In this episode, we unpack:

• What means to “have taste” vs. “make taste”

• How much of what we see/perceive as “taste” is actually just copying someone else’s

• The difference between a curator and a creator

• Taste and influence as adjacent (but not mutually exclusive)

• Rejecting the “good taste/bad taste” binary

Annnnnd then we explore:

• Learning how to describe what you like

• Taste as a product of self-knowledge

• An argument against gatekeeping the good stuff

• Why being mainstream isn’t tasteless

Other topics include: finishing our Spanish visa journey, starting Spanish lessons, our owned media platform plans, the Charli XCX Substack discourse, and the infamous pink J.Crew sweater.

This episode is brought to you by Liv Rollings, the marketing gal for creative entrepreneurs who think too much about marketing, but care too much to stop. On December 4th, Liv is running a free live workshop for creatives called But First, Marketing where you’ll do a live build of a marketing strategy that you can take into 2026 that feels creative and fun to execute, combines it with strategy and helps you to prioritize it above your client work. Visit @livrollings on Instagram to learn more or sign up here.

Are there ANY heroes when it comes to social media? Today’s episode is a deep dive into the immorality of the metasphere as they rake in billions from the “scammiest scammers” (their words), if it's possible to create ethical online spaces, what the future holds for how we all lead and scale our communities, and whether the return of Vine will be the saviour we’ve been waiting for.

Spoiler alert: we’re gonna have to save ourselves.

This episode is brought to you by the Harmonious Living Program — a four-month group experience for high-capacity women who are accomplished, driven, doing all the things , but want to feel more grounded and alive in the middle of it. Winter enrollment is open now, and our listeners receive $300 off until December 31, 2025. Learn more at ashleighchenry.com/group-coaching to move from overdrive and over-functioning to harmonious living.

This week, Xanthe is joined by somatic depth coach Antonia Dolhaine, in a conversation around identity, impact, and desire. Our discussion was RICHHHH with insight around topics like:

• How to safely share personal information online as someone who works in support of others

• Choosing a business model that scales depth, impact, and rest

• Amplifying your values through your community without relying on social media

• Being an eternal student and how to lead when you’re still in process

• The emotions that can guide you toward uncovering your true desires

• Looking at your work as a channel for your creative energy rather than a niche you’re stuck in

• Our societal obsession with self-definition and why we’ve become so obsessed with titles

• Detaching your identity from your leadership and learning who you are outside of it

Antonia is a former Cirque du Soleil acrobat turned somatic depth coach for uncommonly curious, creative, and ambitious beings seeking to answer the question: “what’s next?”. She draws from extensive training and experience in somatics, depth psychology, and systems-oriented work to support her clients to reach their peaks by befriending their depths.

CONNECT WITH ANTONIA:

antoniadolhaine.com

spaceunknown.substack.com

instagram.com/antoniadolhaine

TODAY, WE TREAT YOU TO:

• The latest porn-inspired optimization trend: nutmaxxing

• A disturbing pattern of woman-hating on the fall fashion runway

• Why you probably don’t want to follow the “betrayal list” trend

• The badass results of Gen Z’s global political activism

• A promising cultural advancement for fans of the Irish Goodbye

• Instagram’s latest updates to make it even harder to connect on their app

This episode is brought to you by The FIXR Series, a monthly workshop membership from Sam MacKinnon. Each 45-minute workshop tackles one specific friction point in your business — whether that’s scattered priorities, messy workflows, or systems that just don’t fit anymore. If you’re ready to stop patching holes and start running your business like it’s built to last, head to ⁠samanthamackinnon.com/fixr-series

IN THIS EPISODE ↓

• A follow-up re: Taylor Swift and why the album may be growing on us but the intent behind it is not

• The dangers of tying your income to your art and whether or not it’s possible to make money from things that matter to you

• What Barcelona has taught us about collaborative vs. competitive business models

• The “intimacy economy” and how folks are exploiting TMI-style content as an attempt at fake connection

• Why banning social media for minors is an optimistic vote for the future

• The concept of the “consideration span” and what it means for keeping attention on your long-form content

This episode is brought to you by Constellations, Scorpio Season: a group experience for holistic support through potent energetics so you can own the transformation that’s in store for you — while tapping into to your intuition, and emboldening your hope in humanity. Visit http://hollismm.com/constellations to sign up today.

Well, Taylor Swift’s worst album just dropped and we are giving our fulllllll review. That's alongside some updates we’re making to our business (and the podcast!) this quarter, a truly brutal FMK surrounding french delicacies, and Xanthe’s passionate take on read receipts in relationships. ENJOY.

Finally, some optimism! Online dating is dying! Flex culture is just faking it! Butter yellow is still in style! We don’t have to move again for a long fucking time! Also, we ask a question at the end that we’d genuinely love to know: what are 3 things you can talk about for 3 hours with no prep? Send Xanthe a DM at @xanthe.appleyard once you have your answer!

Except, no we don’t! Today’s episode goes deep into:

• The implications of government censorship in the U.S. as Jimmy Kimmel gets taken off air

• Trump’s new TikTok project and what an insular MAGA-led social platform could mean

• How to keep our private spaces safe from hateful viewpoints

• Why it can be valuable to follow people who don’t share your politics

• Impacting positive political change by taking your head out of the sand

• We also share a little update around our move to Barcelona as we get setup and settled!

LINKS:

The Nutshell

Social Life

This week's episode gets into ↓

• Why Xanthe’s had a violent change of heart about re-entering TikTok

• Another super creepy initiative from Meta’s AI department

• How social media is informing the way books are written and promoted

• “Performative intellectualism” and Taylor Swift’s role in it

• The new Sabrina Carpenter album and its influence on the youth of today

• Alo Yoga’s alarming foray into luxury handbags

• The ghosts of the cottage trying to keep us from leaving

Annnnd, Social Life is launching to the waitlist right now and so you can save major money! Hop on it here.