The Experiment

The Experiment

By Carrie Hopperstad, Maribeth ThomasEducationSelf-Improvement
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The Experiment episodes

  • Episode 52: With Special Guest Ryan Thomas

    It's the AI episode! In this episode, we are joined by Maribeth's husband Ryan, who shares his recent experiment with making music using AI. Carrie talks about her new coaching program called The Lighter Life Project. And Maribeth talks about using AI to maximize her supplement protocol.


    The program Ryan talks about is called Suno.

    46 min
  • Episode 51: Digging in the Dirt and an Allergy Update

    In this episode, Maribeth gives an update on her gardening experiment, and Carrie talks about a one-year experiment with an allergy product. And there is so much more! Find out about Maribeth's windowsill rainbow rock piles and Carrie's first time panning for gold.

    35 min
  • Episode 50! With Special Guest Cara Cynkar

    Today we talk with our friend and colleague Cara Cynkar. In her professional life, Cara is a Wellbeing Industry leader. In her "extra time" she is a fellow mom to young adults, judges dancing competitions and is in the process of earning her MSW. Phew!

    Cara talks about her experiment with deleting social media from her phone. Hear about the benefits she has noticed. Maribeth talks about her experience at a wellbeing event she attended at Simplicity Studios in Polson, MT. And Carrie shares her recent experimenting with hunting for precious gemstones (like the Ellensburg Blue Agate) in the Cascade Mountains.

    53 min
  • Episode 49: Mantras, Mountain Bikes, and Bongos, with Special Guest Sheeba Menon

    This week we have a great conversation with Maribeth's longtime friend Sheeba Menon. Sheeba shares her new experimentation with mountain bike riding! Maribeth talks about her experimenting with a new spirit guide mantra that leads to a group introspection into how we intentionally choose to show up for others. Carrie is experimenting with bongos.

    Keep listening to hear how each of us is getting out of our comfort zones and finding joy!


    Spirit Guide Mantra post



    52 min
  • Episode 48: With Special Guest Pennie Christensen

    In this episode, we welcome Maribeth's mother-in-law and best friend Pennie! All three talk about experimenting with filling their time with satisfying, creative projects. Listen to hear how each of them is spending their time!

    32 min
  • Episode 47: Puzzle Competitions and Tretinoin Cream

    In this episode, Maribeth shares about her recent experiment at a jigsaw puzzle competition. Is it something she'll try again? Carrie has been using a prescription anti-aging skin cream that she got from an IG ad. Does she think it's working? Tune in to find out!

    29 min
  • Episode 46: With Special Guest Suzanne Hite

    In this episode of The Experiment, we’re joined by Carrie’s longtime friend Suzanne Hite, an experienced yoga teacher and physical therapy assistant for a conversation about what it looks like to make small, intentional shifts in everyday life.

    Marybeth shares about experimenting with space, navigating the transition now that basketball season has ended and noticing what opens up when a full schedule suddenly slows down. Carrie reflects on a small but telling experiment: upgrading on a flight home from Florida, and what it stirred around worthiness, comfort, and receiving. Suzanne talks about her current experiment with a macro-focused eating plan, exploring how reducing it to a math equation creates structure and awareness.

    Together, we explore how seemingly practical experiments—food, travel, time, routine—often uncover something deeper about identity, balance, and self-trust.

    42 min
  • Episode 45: Coming off Lexapro and Re-reading Journals

    In today’s episode of The Experiment, we turn inward and reflect on change over time—both the kind we choose and the kind we slowly grow into.

    Carrie shares about her recent journey of coming off Lexapro and what it’s been like to experience a fuller emotional range again—the beauty, the intensity, and the uncertainty of feeling more on both ends of the spectrum. Marybeth talks about revisiting old journals and the surprising perspective that comes from reading your own past words, noticing patterns, and recognizing how much can shift gradually, almost quietly, over the years.

    Together, we explore what it means to witness yourself with compassion, to see growth in hindsight, and to stay present with emotions that don’t always fit neatly into “better” or “worse.” This conversation is about becoming more acquainted with who we are now—and gently honoring who we’ve been along the way.


    Shout-outs:

    Kyley Caldwell

    Parul Karwasra

    36 min
  • Episode 44: Experiments in Care with Adam Riehl

    In this first episode of our newly expanded Experiment, we’re joined by yoga teacher, sound and reiki healer, and fellow podcaster Adam Riehl, for an honest, intimate conversation about what we’re each experimenting with right now.

    Adam shares how he’s been paying closer attention to his cortisol habits and exploring microdosing psilocybin at night to support deeper sleep and recovery. Marybeth talks about experimenting with a new guided journaling practice that looks backward with compassion and forward with intention. And Carrie explores an unexpected experiment of her own: allowing herself to enjoy and reflect on music created with the help of AI, and what that brings up around creativity, authenticity, and meaning.

    Together, we slow down and sit with the questions underneath the experiments—how we care for our nervous systems, how we make sense of our past, and how we stay open to new forms of expression. This episode marks a shift toward deeper, more relational conversations, and we’re grateful to Adam for helping us begin this next chapter.


    Mentions:

    Adam Riehl Healing

    "The Professor" Nick Harrison's album Art Official Soul, Vol. 2

    Tasty Sounds Audio Lollipop

    Year Compass

    51 min
  • Episode 43: A New Experiment for The Experiment!

    For the past two years, The Experiment has been about trying things—stretching ourselves, stepping outside our comfort zones, and noticing what happens. This season, we’re going deeper. We’re exploring what it means to experiment in relationship: intimacy, being seen, and the quiet moments that shape how we connect with others and ourselves. Sometimes that will be just the two of us; sometimes we’ll invite guests into the experiment—but always with more presence, honesty, and heart.

    26 min

About The Experiment

From the publisher's feed

Changes in life can be challenging! From major events - like a cross-country move, to small adjustments like using a new face cream... we take the perspective that all change in life can be viewed as…