The Good Stuff

Caitlin welcomes one of her best friends Jordan as guest this episode. These two have been friends since they were 15, so rightfully so, they feel like they have some friendship wisdom to share. This conversation is centered around expectations in friendship. What can you ask of your people? When is it your “turn?” They talk about the significance of clear communication in friendship and how that helps them from building any resentment, while also knowing exactly where the other person is coming from. They have seen each other through high school, college, entering their careers, confusing early twenties, and now as 31-year-old women. Their friendship has not always been perfect, but it’s always been rooted in care for one another. They also talk about the dynamic of being in a friendship group of three and how they have managed that dynamic for a long time. Caitlin also shares the hilarious story of why she was initially very worried Jordan was trying to take her “place.” I hope you all have a Jordan in your life. Whether you do or don’t, I hope you enjoy getting to know mine!

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold Open

0:38 Welcome to The Good Stuff

0:50 Meet My Best Friend Jordan

3:06 16+ Years of Friendship

4:55 Navigating a Friend Trio

9:06 When Friends Fall Out

10:25 Growing Up Side by Side

11:50 Never Feeling in Competition

14:39 Expectations in Different Phases of Life

18:58 No One Thinks About You as Much as You Do

20:57 Reading Your Friend's Capacity

26:45 Meet Your Friends Where They Are

27:42 Long-Distance Friendships

33:33 Assume the Best From Your Friends

34:34 Sponsors

35:49 Check Yourself First

37:23 Some Friendships Are for a Season

39:37 Every Friend Needs Support Differently

41:46 Just Communicate

42:41 Remember Why You're Friends

46:00 Your Friends Can't Read Your Mind

47:03 The Backyard Wedding Story

48:11 Live-Texting Dancing With the Stars

51:24 Business Casual and Bad Bangs

53:15 Wrap-Up

Links:

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

How many things or people in your life just feel meant to be? Like, you wouldn’t be you without them. We call that fate. During this episode, Caitlin talks about a couple examples of fate in her life – one in friendship and another, of course, having to do with one of her horses. Before sharing that, she gets into a conversation about free will and fate and why she thinks they easily coexist. It reminds her of her favorite college class she took, which of course she gives you a synopsis of. Her “some good stuff” covers horse updates and a surprise visit from her best friend. This episode is meant to have you appreciate the little moments when G-d or the universe intervenes in your life. Enjoy this episode!  

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:08 Welcome to The Good Stuff

0:37 New Set: My Grandparents' Chair

1:46 Today's Topic: Fate

2:09 Some Good Stuff: Heading to Nationals

11:27 Reconnecting With Old Friends

16:50 A Weekend With Maddie

18:35 J.R. Heads to Taking the Reins

20:47 Sponsors

22:15 Let's Talk About Fate

28:04 My Favorite College Class

33:02 How Fate Brought Me Jill

45:46 Is There Really "The One"?

47:17 Duncan: The Embryo That Wasn't Supposed to Make It

55:13 What's Meant for You Won't Pass You By

57:20 Outro

Links

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

Caitlin recently attended an event for Taking the Reins, an organization she is invested in both personally and professionally. When thinking about what word could describe her relationship with this place, she thought of the word “sharing.” In this episode, she talks (and cries) about why she loves this place so much, the joy you get from sharing in other’s success, the power in sharing each other’s burdens, the kindergarten rule “sharing is caring”, and the importance of sharing your stories. You even get to hear about one of her most embarrassing horse show moments. Caitlin hopes, always, that by sharing her stories here on The Good Stuff brings you joy and inspires you to do the same. Enjoy!

Timestamps:

0:31 Welcome to The Good Stuff

2:23 Today's Topic: Sharing

4:55 Some Good Stuff

11:18 Sharing What You Have

16:48 My Taking the Reins Testimony

19:03 Back Under the Bright Lights With Luke

25:15 Letting Go of J.R.

30:17 Why Everyone Wins When You Share

32:33 Sharing Your Successes and Struggles

39:34 Sharing the Attention

43:15 Sharing Your Story

47:17 Wrap-Up

Links:

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

We are back with The Good Stuff’s second bonus episode! Bonus episodes are a chance for your host Caitlin to sit down with people who are deeply connected to a cause or organization. This time, she chats with Brandon Riggs, who founded My Special World, which, inspires communities to include everyone, championing the least restrictive environment in schools and beyond. In their own words, “My Special World® exists because Brandon lived it. He knows what it feels like to be counted out, and he knows what becomes possible when someone is included instead. Our advocacy work is about making that inclusion normal, everywhere.” This is a really powerful conversation that starts with Caitlin sharing why this message is deeply personal to her as well. We hope you enjoy this special episode of The Good Stuff with our new friend Brandon.

P.s. Caitlin started a Substack. Go subscribe here!

Timestamps:

0:00 Welcome to The Good Stuff

0:14 Caitlin's background with the disability community

5:27 "If I can do this, so can anyone else"

6:32 Why this episode is personal for Caitlin

10:32 Meet Brandon Riggs of My Special World

12:25 Brandon's story: from resource class to advocate

14:49 Why people underestimate resource kids

16:55 Running for student council and winning twice

18:16 Doing this for kids and families

20:08 Why Brandon started My Special World

21:39 How Brandon wants people to feel

23:57 The shy kid and the limousine ride

26:43 It's okay to make mistakes

27:49 Is the world becoming more accepting?

28:57 There's no ceiling on empowerment

29:22 Wheelchair basketball, blind surfers, and what's possible

31:33 Advice for parents

35:22 How to support My Special World

37:57 Outro

Links

Visit My Special World

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

Everyone’s favorite guest is back – my mom! With two hours of preparation, after a day at the horse show, Caitlin and Alison decided to have one of the most serious conversations on The Good Stuff yet. They talk about the nuances of having to let things go. Sometimes that means you can get right over it, and sometimes it means you have to go through it, which usually means you get a little dirty and might have something that leaves a mark. Although everyone’s hard things look different, the lessons learned can be universal. Caitlin and Alison use their different experiences with personal, professional, familial, and romantic conflict to develop and articulate their advice. They take a hard look at Mel Robbins’ “Let Them Theory,” Caitlin complains about rude drivers in the rain, and – for the first time – Caitlin talks about stuff she never thought she’d share on here. Come for the interesting conversation and stay for the metaphors about books and mud. Enjoy!

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold open: Californians can't drive in the rain

00:44 Welcome back + Mom's on the pod again

02:49 Caitlin's good stuff: horse show in Scottsdale

03:43 Mom's good stuff: Coop's first show, a Hammer & Clay sink + a secret project

07:37 Today's topic: getting over vs. getting through

09:23 Flash flood chaos & the electrician truck

14:15 The mud analogy: build a bridge or walk through it

18:00 Getting over a breakup vs. getting through grief

21:49 Sponsors: Hammer & Clay and Kind Heart Co.

23:15 The children's sermon: holding the stack of books

29:43 How little things pile up and cost you your joy

32:58 Losing Grandpa while carrying too much

34:43 Apologizing for things that aren't yours to own

37:57 Sometimes you have to read the book and be done

39:08 Grace in long relationships (44 years of marriage)

41:34 It takes both people to let something go

46:00 Mel Robbins' "Let Them" theory and the "Let Me" half

50:50 Forced proximity and relationships you can't leave

52:05 Changing your expectations of people

54:04 Letting go is hard, but it frees your hands

57:28 Final takeaway: more room for the good stuff

Links

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

In this episode, Caitlin talks in detail about the last five years of owning her business The Good Word, Co. If you have listened to this podcast for a while, you know she loves a chance to reminisce and reflect. It’s probably why she always does an episode about her birthday and at the start of new year. In honor of five years of a successful business, she shares five lessons she has learned. She also does some honest reflecting about how she has grown – acknowledging the guts 25 year-old-her had, being honest about times other people might have quit, and overall just feeling proud of herself. There is an unexpected part where she talks about how she thinks being the youngest sibling impacted her confidence in business. And, she answers questions about starting this business that she has never talked about before. Who else is financially invested in The Good Word, Co.? Who gave her money for this podcast? Caitlin is honest in a way like never before during this sit down. Hope you enjoy!

P.s. Caitlin started a Substack. Go subscribe here!

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro

00:14 — Starting a Business Was the Bravest Thing I’ve Ever Done

00:16 — I Had No Idea What I Was Doing

00:18 — Learning to Trust Yourself Without a Rulebook

00:22 — Being the Youngest Sibling Shaped How I Make Decisions

00:24 — Creating My Own Path

00:27 — Learning to Trust My Own Decisions

00:30 — 5 Lessons I’ve Learned From Owning a Business

00:30 — Lesson 1: Be Flexible

00:32 — Lesson 2: Never Stop Learning

00:34 — Lesson 3: Advocate for Yourself

00:35 — How AI Is Changing My Business

00:38 — AI Can’t Replace Human Emotion

00:40 — Knowing the Value of Your Work

00:41 — Lesson 4: Surround Yourself With People Smarter Than You

00:46 — Lesson 5: Work Harder Than You Think You Need To

00:48 — The Reality of How Hard It Is to Own a Business

00:50 — The Wins Are Bigger, But So Are the Losses

00:50 — I Can’t Imagine Working for Someone Else

00:53 — The Isolation of Owning a Business

00:54 — I Built This Business Myself

00:55 — I’ve Run a Profitable Business for Five Years

00:56 — What’s Driving Me Into the Next Five Years

00:57 — The Work I Do Is the Most Peaceful Part of My Life

00:58 — I’m Doing What I’m Meant to Do

00:59 — Looking Back on Five Years of Growth

01:00 — Here’s to the Next Five Years

Links:

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

Your reputation walks into every room with you. It’s a culmination of decisions you’ve made, actions you’ve taken, and honestly, people you have surrounded yourself with. It isn’t easily changed by one small action. So, it’s important to maintain a good one. This episode dives into the value of your reputation and why it matters so much. Caitlin defends her statement that it doesn’t matter what people think about you, as some people are just going to dislike you on face value. But, it does matter what people know about you. You can not like someone and still respect the person they are. Meaning you can still think they have a good reputation. Caitlin talks about two things she knows about her reputation based on recent events: she takes care of those around her and she is fiercely loyal. This episode also includes about an eight-minute rant about Gilmore Girls and the opening line to what would have been Caitlin’s senior thesis had she not had to do one within her major of political science – Ross is the worst character in Friends. This is a good episode that will have you critically thinking about what you are known for.

P.s. Caitlin started a Substack. Go subscribe here!

Timestamps:

00:00:00–00:00:13 — Ross is the worst character on Friends

00:06:47–00:07:48 — The accidental caffeinated coffee

00:12:24–00:13:28 — Finally getting annoyed with Gilmore Girls

00:17:00–00:19:06 — Why Lorelai calling Christopher makes no sense

00:26:19–00:28:04 — A good reputation gives you grace

00:30:29–00:31:49 — One mistake doesn't ruin your reputation

00:31:56–00:34:07 — Stop caring what everyone thinks of you

00:34:09–00:36:32 — You don't need everyone to like you

00:36:44–00:38:49 — What do people actually know about you?

00:43:15–00:46:10 — “You’re just really loyal”

Links

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

Caitlin welcomes back another guest to the podcast – her longtime friend Raymond. They do a little bit of catch up and reminiscing before getting into the topic of hard work. Raymond has worked for the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for his entire professional career and recently was promoted to take on the lead for Christmas at the Princess, which is an iconic holiday experience generating 10,000+ attendees per day. This dedication to his career has come with long hours, sacrifice, missing holidays with his own family, and a lot of grit. He shares some of those lessons he has learned along the way, including how to be a good manager, what motivates a 17-year-old employee, and what a day off needs to look like.  He and Caitlin compare their experiences growing up that developed their strong work ethics. They also talk about why surrounding yourself with hard working people is motivating. This episode is the perfect mix of a catch up with friends and sharing important wisdoms. Hope you enjoy!

P.s. Caitlin started a Substack. Go subscribe here!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & Today's Topic: The Value of Hard Work

01:30 Good Stuff: Substack, Sedona & Time With Friends

05:05 Raymond's Career & His Role

08:21 Family, Vacation & Finding Time to Recharge

13:04 How We Became Friends

15:07 Where Does a Strong Work Ethic Come From?

18:58 Hard Work, Upbringing & Environment

21:07 Is Hard Work a Choice?

25:25 “You Can Do Whatever You Want” — But It Won't Be Easy

27:53 Managing People & Different Work Ethics

30:47 Leading by Example

32:47 Work Ethic vs. Work-Life Balance

34:39 The Work Behind the Wins

43:00 Staying Motivated When You Don't Feel Like Working

45:28 How to Improve Your Work Ethic

47:38 Why Great Leaders Work Alongside Their Teams

50:24 The Most Rewarding Part of the Job

52:54 You Never Know the Impact You Have on Someone

54:22 Final Thoughts: Nobody's Going to Do It for You

Links

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Substack!

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

People pleasing are words used with a similar frequency as the headline of our last episode, boundaries. We have generations of people who don’t know how to say no, when appropriate, so they find themselves in a cycle of exhaustion and resentment. Caitlin, someone who does not identify as a people pleaser, takes this episode as a chance to give her definition of this, state her misconceptions and hot takes about people pleasers, and tells her life story through a lens of a people pleaser. Spoiler alert, many of the most integral parts about her would be entirely different. If you have been listening for a while, you know that we always welcome nuance to The Good Stuff. So, she also talks about how being an enneagram 2 (“The Helper”) has some overlap of a people pleaser. But, there is a unique difference – Enneagram 2s do these things because they want to, not because they are worried about what other people think. Caitlin also explains why a few trusted people in her life might think she’s a people pleaser, because of the place they hold in her life. There’s always more than meets the eye during one of her chats. She rounds out the episode with some questions for people who find themselves in a people pleasing cycle to ask themselves. Stick with it. This is a good one!

p.s. just because you aren’t a people pleaser, doesn’t mean you are a jerk.

Timestamps:

00:00 The Faucet Story That Sparked This Episode

00:00:31 Today's Topic: Are You a People Pleaser?

00:01:24 Why So Many People Identify as People Pleasers

00:04:42 9 Years With My Rescue Dog

00:08:44 San Francisco Trip Recap & A Surprisingly Great Martini

00:12:28 New Faucets, AC Repairs & Being Overcharged

00:18:38 Horse Shows, Friendships & Weekend Plans

00:21:16 What Does It Really Mean to Be a People Pleaser?

00:24:09 Signs You Might Be a People Pleaser

00:25:13 Why I Don't Consider Myself a People Pleaser

00:32:59 Common Misconceptions About People Pleasing

00:39:57 My Biggest Hot Takes on People Pleasers

00:45:56 The Life Decisions I Made by Trusting Myself

00:51:26 Choosing a Different College Than My Family

00:59:11 Why I Moved Away From Home & Never Looked Back

01:08:37 The Freedom That Comes From Trusting Yourself

01:14:45 How to Stop People Pleasing (Practical Advice)

01:20:08 Final Thoughts: You Don't Need Everyone's Approval

Links

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. You don’t have to have sat through even one minute of therapy to have heard this word … probably one too many times. Caitlin spends this episode talking about the use, and overuse, of boundaries. She goes into (some) detail about experiences where she has had to set boundaries in order to protect herself. But, also gives a critical analysis of why she thinks her generation and those below her are overusing boundaries to a point of isolation. You know she loves a list, so in this episode you can look forward to a list of reason she sets a boundary and a list of ways she sees people using them unnecessarily. Caitlin makes the important distinction that boundaries not only keep people/things out, but they also keeps you in. That might not make sense just yet, but if you keep listening it’ll all click. Of course, before all of that, she shares some good stuff that’s been happening in her life lately. The theme of that segment this time is Taylor Swift and wedding bells. The funk is over and she is back people. Give it a watch/listen!

Timestamps:

00:00 Taylor Swift, George Kittle & Love Story

00:52 Today's Topic: Let's Talk About Boundaries

02:29 Montana Memories, Family Time & a 5K

08:24 Taylor & Travis' Wedding Hot Takes

13:11 My Best Friend Found Her Wedding Dress

18:00 The Best Question to Ask During Dress Shopping

27:40 Why I Think We're Overusing Boundaries

30:32 The Hidden Cost of Setting Boundaries

33:56 When I Believe Boundaries Are Necessary

37:58 A Breakup Boundary That Changed Everything

41:27 Are You Avoiding an Uncomfortable Conversation?

44:24 Stop Building Walls Instead of Looking in the Mirror

47:10 Use Boundaries for Protection, Not Avoidance

Follow The Good Stuff on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow the Good Word Co on Instagram⁠

⁠Watch on YouTube⁠

⁠Listen on Spotify⁠

⁠Listen on Apple⁠

⁠Hammer + Clay Website⁠

⁠Kind Heart Co. Etsy Store