Talking Smack 415

What happens when two super competitive besties enter the same podcast hosting competition, and in the middle of all that fun, life reminds you just how precious it really is?

This week on Talking Smack 415, Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great are back with another episode of Deep & Shallow, where laughter, friendship, and real life collide.

First, the SHALLOW!

Debbie and Jamie are BOTH competing in America's Next Top Host, with dreams of taking Talking Smack 415 all the way to iHeartRadio and Ryan Seacrest!

What started as a fun little Instagram discovery has turned into a full blown competition involving daily votes, strategic campaigning, social media stalking, leopard leggings, and a whole lot of chutzpah.

Naturally, these two besties are competing against each other while trying to figure out how they can BOTH win.

But somewhere between the voting videos and friendly rivalry, something unexpected happens. They're reconnecting with old friends, rediscovering their creative energy, and realizing that sometimes putting yourself out there is exactly what you need.

Plus, why getting dressed, putting on makeup, and showing up for yourself can make a difference in how you feel, especially during life's transitions.

Then, the DEEP. And this one hits hard.

Debbie and Jamie share the heartbreaking news that their childhood friend, Staci Oerth Samuels, has passed away unexpectedly at just 53 years old.

Staci was part of their tight knit group of seven girlfriends growing up in Cherry Hill, NJ. And suddenly, decades old memories come flooding back.

The gorgeous curls. The big laugh. The legendary bat mitzvah at the Philadelphia Zoo. Teenage boyfriends, birthday parties, sleepovers, and all the unforgettable moments that make childhood friendships so special.

What begins as a tribute to an old friend becomes a raw, emotional conversation about grief, mortality, cancer, gratitude, and what it really means to live your life.

As Jamie continues navigating her own cancer journey, losing someone their age brings an entirely different perspective to the importance of being present and loving your people.

In this episode, we're talking about:

• Best friends competing for America's Next Top Host and dreaming BIG
• The power of community, connection, and putting yourself out there
• Why getting dressed and showing up for yourself can change your mindset
• Childhood friendships, Gen X nostalgia, and growing up in Philadelphia
• Remembering Stacy Orth Samuels and the memories that last a lifetime
• Grief, cancer, mortality, and the reality of losing friends in midlife
• Why gratitude, love, laughter, and living in the moment matter more than ever

The biggest takeaway?

Don't wait to live your life.

Get dressed. Put on the lipstick. Call your friends. Hug your people. Say I love you. Do the things that make you happy.

Because tomorrow is never guaranteed.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Staci Oerth Samuels. May her memory be a blessing.

Since recording this we have many more details about her last days. 

And as always, we're here bringing you laughter and friendship to feed your soul.

Talking Smack 415 with Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great. Real conversations about friendship, midlife, aging, relationships, health, and everything in between. We do it messy, we do it together, and we always find a reason to laugh.

And YES, you can still vote for Debbie and Jamie in America's Next Top Host! Let's take Talking Smack 415 all the way to iHeartRadio!

Debbie's Top Host Voting Link

Jamie's Top Host Voting Link 

Staci's Go Fund Me Link to Help Support her Family

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

Is AI coming for your job? And if it is, what the hell are we supposed to do about it?

This week on Talking Smack 415, Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great welcome back career coach, entrepreneur, and people powerhouse Kate Sargeant for an honest, funny, and eye opening conversation about artificial intelligence, job security, career reinvention, and the future of work.

Kate is the founder of KJS Coaching & Consulting, co-leader of an AI and technology services firm, and co-founder of The Plus One Collective. She's also known as your Career Plus One, helping people navigate career transitions, tell their professional stories, and stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.

And she's got some things to say

Is AI replacing jobs or creating new opportunities? Are layoffs the new normal? How do you stay relevant when the job market seems to change every five minutes? And what happens when you've been in the same job for 15 years and suddenly have to figure out LinkedIn, AI powered resumes, and a whole new language of work?

We're getting into ALL OF IT.

In this episode, we explore:

• AI and job security: Which jobs are at risk, which skills still matter, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace.
• The AI powered job search: How to use ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools to improve your resume, LinkedIn profile, networking, and career strategy without losing your authentic voice.
• Career reinvention after 40 and 50: Why it's never too late to pivot, build something new, or rethink what you want from your career.
• Returning to corporate life after entrepreneurship: How founders can translate their experience into transferable skills that hiring managers actually understand.
• AI for beginners: Feeling overwhelmed or behind? Kate walks us through how to start learning AI, build an AI agent, and use technology to make everyday life easier.
• The future of work: From emerging hybrid roles and vibe coding to fractional consulting and the growing importance of human skills.
• Wellbeing in the workplace: Why connection, boundaries, joy, and taking care of ourselves need to be part of the conversation as work continues to evolve.

And because this is Talking Smack 415, we somehow manage to weave in dating profiles, AI generated nonsense, dewy skin, soccer schedules, and whether robots will ever replace human empathy.

One of the biggest takeaways? You don't need to know everything about AI to get started. You just need to ask your first question.

But there's an even bigger question underneath it all: If technology gives us back our time, will we fill it with MORE work, or will we finally make room for the things that make us human?

This conversation is for anyone navigating a career transition, worried about AI replacing their job, considering entrepreneurship, or simply trying to figure out how to stay relevant without losing themselves in the process.

Because the future of work isn't just about technology. It's about people.

Listen in, laugh with us, learn something new, and share this episode with someone who needs a little career courage.

Talking Smack 415: Laughter and friendship to feed your soul.

You can find all things Kate: 

Website

LinkedIn ( where she posts almost daily) 

Plus One Collective

Instagram

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

Welcome back to Deep & Shallow, the Talking Smack 415 series where best friends Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great talk about whatever is happening in our lives, from the genuinely hard stuff to the completely ridiculous.

And this month? There’s a LOT happening.

Debbie just dropped her daughter off at college, and while watching your kid spread her wings is exactly what you spend 18 years preparing for, nobody really prepares you for what happens when you come home and see that empty bedroom.

We talk about the emotional transition of sending a child to college, the grief and pride that can exist at the exact same time, changing family dynamics, and whether the so called empty nest might eventually have some perks. More time for ourselves? More hobbies? Nobody asking us where we’re going? Maybe Jamie is onto something.

Debbie is also heading into October with a birthday and a brand-new chapter: beginning her professional coaching certification and building a coaching practice focused on helping people who feel stuck, lost, creatively disconnected, or simply ready to figure out what’s next.

Then things get deeper.

Jamie shares an update from her latest appointment in Boston, where the experimental treatment she’s been undergoing for oral precancerous lesions didn’t lead to the news she was hoping to hear. Instead, doctors found areas they wanted to investigate further and performed two biopsies.

Jamie talks about the physical pain of oral biopsies, the mental exhaustion of walking into an appointment expecting one thing and walking out with something completely different, and why sometimes sleeping through the aftermath is exactly what you need.

And because this is Deep & Shallow, naturally we go from oral biopsies to flooded streets to… KUGEL.

Yes, the Great Kugel Competition continues.

Jamie may have won the Instagram vote, but Debbie is demanding an in-person taste test before conceding anything. A full Kugel-Off is officially coming.

And finally, we have some BIG Talking Smack 415 news: Debbie and Jamie are competing in the Top Host podcast competition! We talk about our strategy, why we want to bring Talking Smack 415 to a bigger audience, and what this podcast has always been about for us: friendship, laughter, connection, and helping people feel a little less alone.

Also discussed: Jamie’s custom “Badass” sweatshirt, October birthdays, empty nesting, coaching, nor’easters, flooded streets, Rosh Hashanah, competitive kugel baking, and why somehow all of these topics make perfect sense in one conversation.

Because that’s friendship. One minute you’re talking about cancer. The next you’re arguing about kugel.

Laughter and friendship to feed your soul.

If you love Talking Smack 415, subscribe, follow, rate, review, and share the show with someone who could use a little Deep & Shallow in their life.

Also we've decided to enter the top host competition separately so please vote for one of us every 24 hours from Oct. 5- Oct. 15

Debbie Mink's Top Host Voting Link

Jamie The Great's Top Host Voting Link 

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

Can your home actually make you feel calmer, happier, more focused — and maybe even more abundant?

This week on Talking Smack 415, Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great sit down with Lisa Morton, holistic interior designer, Feng Shui master teacher, host of the Feng Shui Living Podcast, and author of Aligned at Home.

Lisa spent years designing ultra-luxury private jet interiors before burnout, anxiety and panic attacks forced her to rethink not only how she was living — but how the spaces around her were affecting her wellbeing.

That journey led her to Feng Shui, energy work and holistic interior design, and completely changed the way she thinks about our homes.

We get into how your physical environment can affect your nervous system, energy, productivity, relationships and overall sense of wellbeing — without requiring a massive renovation or an HGTV-sized budget.

We talk about:

• What Feng Shui actually is — and why it’s not just woo-woo
• The five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water
• How to use the Bagua map to understand the energy of your home
• Why the center of your home matters
• The importance of your front door — aka the “mouth of chi”
• How clutter can affect your nervous system
• Why the position of your desk can change how focused and productive you feel
• The Feng Shui “command position” for working and studying
• How color psychology impacts mood and energy
• Creating balance when one person is a maximalist and another wants everything put away
• Why mirrors can amplify both the good AND the not-so-good in your home
• Simple ways to reset the energy of a room
• Crystals, plants, natural materials, space-clearing sprays and biophilic design
• How to create a calmer, healthier dorm room in a tiny shared space
• Why broken appliances, leaks and burned-out light bulbs are worth fixing ASAP
• And yes... why Lisa wants you to PUT THE TOILET SEAT DOWN

One of our favorite takeaways? Your home doesn't just need to look beautiful. It should support the way you want to feel.

Whether you're sending a kid off to college, working from home, trying to get organized, living with people whose definition of “clean” is VERY different from yours, or simply craving a home that feels more peaceful, Lisa gives us small, realistic shifts that can make a surprisingly big difference.

And because this is Talking Smack 415, we somehow also get into private jets, stingray-covered tabletops, Debbie’s leopard print obsession, Jamie’s house full of men, toilet seats, Botox and bangs.

Because... obviously.

🎧 Listen, subscribe, rate and share.

Talking Smack 415: Laughter and friendship to feed your soul.

You can find all things Lisa Morton: 

PurelivingwithLisaMorton

@purelivingwithlisamorton

Book: Aligned at Home

Feng Shui Living Podcast

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

This month's Deep & Shallow gets a little deeper than usual.  Jamie the Great updates us on her oral cancer journey and the experimental treatment she’s currently undergoing for precancerous lesions in her mouth. The good news? The treatment is working. The not-so-good news? It hurts. A lot.

Jamie talks candidly about what it’s like to live with ongoing oral cancer monitoring, travel to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute every three months, undergo a painful six-week treatment, and still try to show up for work, workouts, family and everyday life when eating, sleeping and even talking hurt.

She also shares the emotional blow of learning that the doctor she trusted throughout this process is leaving Dana-Farber. 

As Jamie puts it, right now she feels like she’s “doing life and not living it.”

We talk about the things that help her feel grounded and give her some sense of control, including continuing to work out, trying to follow an anti-inflammatory diet and, in breaking news finally giving up Crystal Light after drinking it since the ’90s.

And because this is Deep & Shallow, we eventually make our way from oral cancer to salmon, sending a kid off to college at UC Santa Barbara, the freedom of walking around in a bikini, New Orleans vs. San Francisco body culture. Plus we go back to our freshman-year cake decorating competition that we bombed! 

In this episode we talk about:

• Jamie’s oral cancer diagnosis and ongoing precancer monitoring
• Experimental treatment for oral precancerous lesions
• The painful side effects of treatment
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and specialized oral cancer care
• Losing a trusted doctor during cancer treatment
• Trying to work, exercise and function while undergoing treatment
• Anti-inflammatory eating when your mouth hurts
• Why Jamie finally quit Crystal Light
• Sending a child off to college
• UCSB and Santa Barbara beach life
• New Orleans vs. San Francisco culture
• And our spectacularly mediocre high-school cake competition

If you’re navigating oral cancer, precancer treatment, chronic illness, cancer survivorship, caregiving or the emotional ups and downs of midlife health, we hope Jamie’s story makes you feel a little less alone.

Talking Smack 415: laughter and friendship to feed your soul.

Subscribe, rate, review and share the episode with someone who could use a little Deep & Shallow in their life.

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

Are muscles deep... or shallow?

In this episode of Deep & Shallow, Debbie and Jamie the Great tackle a topic that's far more complicated than it first appears.

They dive into the pressure women face around body image, the rise of GLP-1 weight loss medications, the difference between pursuing health versus chasing thinness, and why strength matters so much more than the number on the scale.

The conversation gets personal as they share stories about disordered eating, body dysmorphia, aging, Hollywood beauty standards, and how fitness has become a form of mental health—not punishment.

Then, true to Deep & Shallow fashion, they lighten things up with Jersey Shore memories, fly traps, Love Island, hula hoops, ballet classes, pickleball, and why trying something new can reconnect you with the person you used to be.

Whether you're navigating menopause, rebuilding your confidence, or simply trying to stay healthy in a world obsessed with being skinny, this episode is an honest reminder that taking care of yourself isn't vanity—it's longevity.

In this episode we discuss:

• The cultural obsession with being thin
• GLP-1 medications and the changing conversation around weight loss
• Body image and body dysmorphia
• Midlife wellness and women's health
• The mental health benefits of exercise
• Why doing hard things first changes your day
• Heart health wake-up calls
• Returning to childhood passions like dance
• Creativity, movement, and getting out of your comfort zone
• Jersey Shore nostalgia and lifelong friendships
• Pickleball, hula hoops, ballet, and finding joy in movement

If you've ever looked in the mirror and wondered whether you're chasing health—or perfection—this conversation is for you and your bestie! 

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

At just 16 years old, Hayden Laufgraven heard the words no teenager expects:

"You have leukemia."

What followed was hospitalisation, chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, remission, relapse, another transplant, months of isolation, and learning how to never give up. 

In this deeply moving episode of Talking Smack 415, Jamie the Great and I sit down with Hayden to talk about what it's really like to be diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) as a teenager, the emotional toll of the diagnosis and surviving cancer, and the often-overlooked reality of PTSD after cancer treatment.

Hayden shares his remarkable perspective on resilience, friendship, identity, and why surviving cancer doesn't mean the journey is over.

Whether you've experienced cancer yourself, love someone who has, or simply need a reminder of the strength of the human spirit, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Hayden is wise beyond his years. 

In this episode we discuss:

• What it's like being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) at age 16
• The signs and symptoms that led to his leukemia diagnosis
• Chemotherapy, remission, relapse, and undergoing two bone marrow transplants
• How donor registries and bone marrow matching work
• The physical and emotional impact of cancer treatment
• PTSD and trauma after surviving cancer
• Rebuilding strength after months of chemotherapy and isolation
• The importance of friendship, family, and community during illness
• Mental resilience and finding hope through uncertainty
• Life after cancer and returning to college, sports, and everyday life

Hayden's honesty, maturity, and optimism offer an extraordinary reminder that resilience isn't about pretending you're fearless—it's about continuing to move forward anyway.

Follow Hayden on TikTok: @haydenlauf

If this episode resonates with you...

Please subscribe, rate, and review Talking Smack 415. Sharing this episode may help someone navigating cancer, supporting a loved one through treatment, or healing from the invisible emotional scars that often remain after remission.

Cancer changes lives—but so does hope.

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

What does it mean to live in alignment with your truth?

In this episode of Talking Smack 415, Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great sit down with writer, podcast host, actor, yoga teacher, and former corporate executive Kathryn Flaschner to explore authenticity, personal reinvention, creativity, purpose, and what happens when you step away from the life you thought you were supposed to live.

After building a successful corporate career, Kathryn made the bold decision to leave Corporate America and pursue a more creative and purpose-driven path. Through her podcast The Truth Is, she helps people explore the questions that move them and the truths that guide them forward.

Together, we discuss:

•  Leaving a successful corporate career to follow a creative calling
•   Finding your authentic self in work and life
•   Reinvention in your 30s, 50s, and beyond
•   The tension between security and purpose
•   Creativity, writing, podcasting, and self-expression
•   Why women struggle to prioritize themselves
•   Identity shifts, motherhood, menopause, and life transitions
•   The impact of social media on self-worth and authenticity
•   Friendship as a source of truth and personal growth
•   Learning to trust yourself and your next chapter

Kathryn also shares insights from her writing practice, her journey back to acting, and why embracing uncertainty may be the key to building a life that feels truly aligned.

Whether you're navigating a career change, questioning what's next, entering a new life stage, or simply trying to reconnect with yourself, this conversation offers inspiration, honesty, and plenty of laughs along the way.

About Kathryn Flaschner

Kathryn Flaschner is the creator and host of The Truth Is Podcast, where she explores authenticity, creativity, purpose, personal growth, and the stories that shape who we become. Her work focuses on helping people reconnect with themselves and live in alignment with what matters most.

You can find Kathryn on insta:

@Kathrynflaschner

@Thetruthis_podcast

Website:

Kathryn Flaschner

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

Welcome to the very first episode of our new Deep & Shallow Series—where it's just your hosts, Debbie Mink and Jamie the Great, doing what we do best: talking smack.

We wanted to let you in on some of our personal conversations because, honestly, we talk all the time. Sometimes it's deep. Sometimes it's shallow. Usually it's both. And, as you know, we think we're pretty funny.

These shorter episodes will be dropping monthly and are a chance for you to hang out with us, laugh with us, and get a little glimpse into our real-life friendship.

In this first episode, we chat about:

• Mother's Day expectations—and the reality of how the day actually went
•  One Mother's Day involved the police the other involves Prada
•  Cancer
•  A story from our teenage years about how we learned to smoke (although we each remember it very differently)

Think of this episode as your favorite easy summer beach read—but in podcast form.

No heavy lifting. No homework. No commitment.

Just pop in your earbuds, take a walk, dip your toes in the sand (or the water), and come hang out with us for a little laughter and friendship to feed your soul.  

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, rate, review, and share with a friend.

Here is the link to Jamie's Oral Cancer Diagnosis story https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/jamie-the-great-shares-her-oral-cancer-story/id1475777819?i=1000613326054&l=en-GB

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!  

In this episode of Talking Smack 415, Jamie the Great and I sit down with Nikki Pearl and Susannah Wallenstrom, founders of Menopausitive Workshop, to talk about one of our favorite (and most needed) topics: menopause, perimenopause, hormone health, and women’s wellness in midlife.

Nikki Pearl, MA Integrative Health, wellness professional and yoga instructor, and Susannah Wallenstrom, MPH, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, are health educators dedicated to helping women better understand menopause symptoms, hormone changes, healthy aging, and how to advocate for themselves in the healthcare system. Through menopause workshops, wellness retreats, workplace education, and community support, they’re changing the conversation around women’s health in midlife and beyond.

I first met these incredible women a few years ago when I attended one of their first menopause workshops, and it was honestly the first time I understood what was happening to my body. If you’ve ever Googled “Is this perimenopause” during an itchy hotflash with  brainfog, and insomnia… this episode is for you.

We cover everything from perimenopause to post menopause, including:

• Common menopause and perimenopause symptoms
• Brain fog, sleep issues, hot flashes, anxiety, weight gain, and hormone shifts
• How to ask your doctor about HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)- And why you need to find a new one if they can’t help! 
•  Why the medical community knows so little about female health.. Spoiler alert traditionally the medical models were based on men
• Nutrition for menopause and midlife health (yes, eat more protein)
• Why strength training and lifting weights matter during menopause
• Hormones and menopause in the workplace
•  Menopause education for younger women so they don’t suffer
• Menopausitive workshops, retreats, corporate wellness education, and community support

We also talk about why women need better menopause education, better healthcare advocacy, and more open conversations around hormone health, aging, and wellness.

Plus — Menopausitive is offering Talking Smack 415 listeners a special discount to their “Light Me Up!” retreat happening April 23–25, 2027.

Learn more about Menopausitive Workshop, menopause retreats, hormone health education, and women’s wellness resources here:
Menopausitive Workshop

Email them directly and mention Talking Smack 415 for retreat info and special pricing:
[email protected]

Or follow along on Insta

@menopausitiveworkshop

And the book they mentioned by Dr. Stacey Sims

Next Level

Share this episode with your friends and family who love to laugh.  Subscribe to Talking Smack 415 and leave us a rating and review so more peeps can find us for laughter and friendship to feed your soul!