Thanks For Asking

Work is not your life. Your life is not your work. We try really hard to separate them.

But, hey! We live in a world where that’s not possible all the time. As a former corporate girlboss who was once chained to her laptop panicking over the dimensions of banner ads and now a podcaster and writer full-time, I get it. Work is a massive part of our lives – we spend a third of our lives working. It becomes part of our identity, for better or for worse, from our email addresses from how we budget our time.

If you find your work meaningful and fulfilling, YAY!

But sometimes, you don’t. 

Sometimes, you have a The Shining level experience.

If this has ever been you, this episode’s for you.

P.S. You get bonus points for listening to this episode on company time, baby.

For full ad-free episodes, the full back catalog and a listener community, you can join us here.

Want to be on the show? Call or text 612.568.4441 or book a call here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breaking news: humans make mistakes. This is not a bad thing! Our mistakes are how we learn and grow, and we have to get comfy with accepting that mistakes are an uncomfortable part of the human experience. 

But what happens when we say the wrong thing at the wrong time to someone that we love during the worst time of their life? And what happens when they can’t forgive you right away? What happens when your best try just… doesn’t land?

This listener reached out because they tried to comfort a friend whose child had just died and it…did not go well. .

If you’ve ever made a mistake and wanted to slam your head into the wall because of it – or maybe were on the receiving end of a mistake? – this episode is for you.

Call or text me with your mistake at 612.568.441.

_

For full episodes, the full back catalog and a listener community, you can join us ⁠here⁠.

Want to be on the show? Call or text 612.568.4441 or book a call ⁠here⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world doesn’t make a lot of sense right now, including other people and why they think the things they think and do the things they do. So I’m tapping in Steven J. Heine, professor of Social and Cultural Psychology and the author of Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times to talk about:

-How these times are actually kind of precedented by the Age of Anxiety

-How we make meaning

-How our stories drive our choices, and our choices make our stories

-A million other things.

You can buy Steven’s book here to support her, independent bookstores, and this podcast. 

You can support this show and get ad-free episodes of our entire back catalog (and more!) on my substack.

Have something you want to talk about? You can call or text us any time at 612.568.4441 or email [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week’s pep talk episode (https://noraborealis.substack.com/p/stop-being-mean-to-yourself) was such a hit we’re back with more (and I’m making some phone calls today because WOW WE ARE ALL GOING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW!!!)

Today we have two callers: a 32-year-old who feels lost after losing both of her parents and receiving a tough diagnosis, and a 23-year-old who is a little too wise beyond her years because of a traumatic childhood.

If you, too, are Going Through It, I promise you that your best is good enough and the problems you’re experiencing are not a personal failing but a symptom of a world that really just doesn’t do a great job of taking care of each other.

And, as a deeply biased podcast host, I am on your side.

☎️ 612.568.4441

You can call or text that number, tell me what you need a little pep talk for, and then stay glued to your phone for when I call you, okay?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing The Shootaround: Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics from Good Game with Sarah Spain.

Follow the show: Good Game with Sarah Spain

The 2025 WNBA season officially tips off this Friday and our team-by-team previews continue with Sarah’s squad, the Chicago Sky, and producer Misha’s team, the Washington Mystics. Plus, a scary moment in the NWSL, a record-breaking PWHL playoff game, and America's biggest bully takes a giant L.

• Want live scores for ALL of your teams? Check out Flash Score here

• Check out the Athletic’s story about the decision to continue the ACFC-Utah game following Savy King’s collapse here

• Watch the PWHL's explainer on Curl-Salemme's suspension here

• Read Alyssa Turner’s column on Britta Curl-Salemme’s one-game suspension here

• The NCAA softball bracket can be found here

• And the full NCAA softball tournament schedule can be found here  

• The full PWHL playoff schedule is here

• Watch the video of Skylar Diggins caught talking about her lady parts on a hot mic here 

• Read more about Atlanta Dream’s possible arena plans here 

• Check out Sheryl Swoopes holding baby Misha here

• Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at [email protected] 

• Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323

• Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist

• Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Sharing an episode of “What It’s Like to Be…” from author Dan Heath. On the podcast, Dan explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do. He finds out: What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? Is a Secret Service Agent supposed to pretend like they’re not there when they’re around the president? What are the 3 clocks that govern the life of a long-haul truck driver? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask… this is the show for you.

In this preview, Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa (“Dr. Q”), a brain surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, describes his work: zapping parts of the brain to know where to cut, operating a mouth-controlled microscope, and carrying the weight of life-or-death decisions. How do you preserve a mathematician's expertise when removing tumors? And how did Dr. Q go from picking tomatoes to performing brain surgery?

You can listen to more episodes of What It’s Like to Be here!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing How to Embrace Failure & Let Go of Fear with Dan Harris from Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness.

Follow the show: Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

Dan Harris, host of the 10% Happier Podcast, best selling author, and former ABC News Anchor sits down with JVN to talk about how we can get comfortable with failure and how to stop letting fear control your life. Dan unpacks how failure became the unlikely catalyst for lasting change. Whether you're battling self-doubt or just trying to bounce back, this conversation offers real tools, raw honesty, and a fresh perspective on how falling down can actually move us forward.

Dan Harris is a journalist, best selling author, and host of the 10% Happier Podcast. He served as an anchor and correspondent for ABC News, including roles on Nightline and Good Morning America. 

Full Video Episodes now available on YouTube.

You can follow Dan Harris on Instagram @danharris.

Not A Phase.

Trans Lifeline.

Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn 

Senior Producer, Chris McClure

Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure

Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall

Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Estrangement is one of those hot button topic that everyone has an opinion about, and here’s mine: you have one job as a parent1, and that’s to love your children. To show up for them. To support them. To not ditch out on their wedding LIKE A TOTAL WEIRDO.

Are things more complicated than that? Sure, people are complicated. But on this show I let you call in and talk about your life and your feelings and, most importantly:

I will never claim to be an unbiased host, because I am deeply biased person and if we are on the phone, chances are that I am on your side!

Big thanks to Chelsey for being brave enough to move through this world without the people who brought her into it, and to share her story with all of us.

-

For full episodes, the full back catalog and a listener community, you can join us ⁠here⁠.

Want to be on the show? Call or text 612.568.4441 or book a call ⁠here⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing Taking This Dream As Far As We Can with Erin Foley from Good Game with Sarah Spain.

Follow the show: Good Game with Sarah Spain

Comedian and Herlights podcast host Erin Foley joined Sarah late Monday night to debrief on the WNBA draft, from the best fits on the orange carpet to the best fits between player and team. Plus, a hot take about socks, an open question about whether a No. 2 pick can be a steal, and a prediction about when men will become obsolete.

• Watch the awkward 2022 WNBA draft rotary phone feature here
• Check out WNBA draft fashion throughout the years here

• Follow Erin on Instagram here, and listen to Herlights here  

• Send us a note at [email protected] 

• Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323

• Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist

• Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Every once in a while, we all need a little bit of solicited motivation from someone totally unqualified to give it. In this episode, Nora shells out loads of love and support in the first of our series of TFA Pep Talks.

For full episodes, the full back catalog and a listener community, you can join us here.

Want to be on the show? Call or text 612.568.4441 or book a call here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices