This week we have another incredibly sweet love story! When Lucy wrote in to share how she and her wife fell in love, I knew I had to have her on to share all of the details.

Lucy and Liv spent years believing they were both completely straight. They were best friends, inseparable, and deeply connected, but neither of them ever imagined their friendship could become something more.

Then, during a Thanksgiving trip that neither of them expected to be life-changing, everything shifted.

In this conversation, Lucy walks me through the entire journey: growing up assuming she was straight, forming an intense friendship with Liv, the confusing and exhilarating moment their feelings changed, and how they navigated falling in love while trying to make sense of what it meant for their identities, families, and futures.

We talk about friendship, sexuality, labels, intuition, and what it feels like when a connection is so powerful that it completely rewrites the story you thought your life was going to follow.

Whether you've questioned your own identity, experienced an unexpected love, or simply enjoy a beautiful love story, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the most important relationships arrive in ways we never could have predicted.

Sponsors:

Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com 

Cotton: Learn more at https://www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com 

Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at https://www.Ritual.com/REALSTUFF 

Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This conversation brought me so much joy! Claudia's story came to me in the most roundabout way — she emailed me about something else entirely, and I was so captivated by what she shared that I basically poached her and brought her straight to The Real Stuff. And I'm so glad I did.

Claudia grew up in the Bronx with a crush on a boy named Adam — the cute, older kid from the neighborhood who skipped grades and had every girl's attention on the playground. She never really got her shot. They went to separate high schools, lost touch, both got married to other people, had kids, lived full lives. And then Facebook connected them once again.

What unfolded from that reconnection is the kind of story that makes you believe in timing, fate, and the idea that some feelings never actually go away. We talk about what it felt like to fall in love in your late 40s with all the intensity of a teenager, how they navigated divorce, blended families, and a prenup the second time around, and why she thinks the timing, even with all the years in between, might have been exactly right.

Sponsors:

Ogee: Thanks to today's sponsor, Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to https://www.ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 20% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury.

Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Quince: Go to https://www.Quince.com/REALSTUFF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit https://www.luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, I'm sitting down with Olivia Levin — the woman behind what is widely considered the number one Taylor Swift fan account in the world, Swifties for Eternity. Olivia started on Tumblr at 13, got followed by Taylor herself, was invited to a secret session at the Holiday House at 17, and somehow turned all of that into a full-time career complete with brand deals, a ticket business, and a book deal with Simon & Schuster.

We get into everything in this one — what it was actually like inside Taylor's house the night of the Reputation Secret Session, the moment Taylor made eye contact with her across the room, and what they talked about one-on-one. We also go deep on the business side: how Olivia monetized a fan account, the legalities of building a brand around a celebrity, and the online backlash she faced for charging $3 a month to help fans get face-value Eras Tour tickets.

But honestly, the conversation that stuck with me most was about what it means to build your entire career on the back of another person and whether that's really all that different from any of us. We talk about parasocial relationships, the difference between obsession and admiration, the 13 lessons Olivia took from Taylor's career into her own life, and what she'd say to anyone who has a niche passion they can't figure out how to monetize.

Olivia also just released her book, The Story of Us: How the Taylor Swift Fandom Changed Our Lives. You can purchase it here: https://amzn.to/4uNCfgS 

Sponsors:

Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at https://www.blissy.com/LUCIE

Labcorp: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests.

Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at https://www.magneticme.com

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit https://www.luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s guest, Anabel Gonzalez, grew up battling baseline depression her whole life, and when she had her son, postpartum hit her like nothing she'd ever experienced. She describes it as "the final boss of depression" and coming out the other side required ketamine infusion therapy, which she says didn't just heal her postpartum depression, it healed a lifelong battle with her brain.

But that was only half of the story. After healing her mind, Anabel turned her attention to her body and fell deep into the world of gut health, fermentation, and the microbiome. That obsession led her to identify a gap in the entire probiotic industry: everyone was giving you the same strains on repeat, when diversity is actually the strongest indicator of a healthy gut. So she cold-emailed a Johns Hopkins immunologist, pitched her the idea, and her company, Good Bacteria, was born.

We also go pretty deep on mushrooms, spirituality, and the surprisingly philosophical question of what it means to surrender — whether that's in a ketamine chair or on a forest floor. This one ranged wide and I loved every second of it!

Use code LUCIE for 25% off at itsgoodbacteria.com

Sponsors:

Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store.

Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Cotton: Learn more at TheFabricOfOurLives.com

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's audience caller, Cassidy, wrote in after I put out a casting call about kink, but what unfolded in our conversation went so much deeper than sex. It turned into one of the most layered discussions I've had on this show about mental health, medical gaslighting, abusive relationships, divorce, and ultimately, healing.

Cassidy spent over a decade being told nothing was wrong with her. Doctors dismissed her symptoms, she cycled through diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and OCD, and it wasn't until 2021 that she finally got answers: autism and eventually a functional neurological disorder. All while surviving (though she didn't know it at the time) an emotionally and sexually abusive 22-year marriage.

What I found so fascinating about Cassidy is how she eventually took her healing into her own hands, literally, by exploring rope bondage as a way to regulate her nervous system and rewrite traumatic neural pathways. And she does it with a level of self-awareness, nuance, and calm that honestly blew me away.

There's also a moment in this episode I want to flag before you listen: I asked Cassidy point-blank how she could be so open on a public platform about her ex-husband, his abusive behaviors, and the details of their relationship. Her answer surprised me, and it says a lot about who she is. I always find myself fascinated by what makes some people willing to go fully on the record and others not, and this conversation gave me a lot to think about.

Follow Cassidy: https://www.instagram.com/whisperingerudite/

Sponsors:

Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store.

Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/REALSTUFF

Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at CleanSimpleEats.com.

Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/LUCIE

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's caller, Liz, has one of the most incredible stories I've ever heard on this show. After connecting with a pregnant, homeless woman named Cassandra in a Facebook adoption group, Liz received a single photo of a newborn baby and a message saying that she had been listed as the mother on the baby's birth certificate...with no other explanation. That photo sent her, her sick husband, and her two kids on a six-hour drive to Pittsburgh, where they spent two weeks fighting the state, navigating emergency court hearings, and sitting in a NICU doing skin-to-skin with a baby born addicted to drugs. This episode covers open adoption, neonatal abstinence syndrome, the complicated ethics of intervening in someone else's crisis, and what it looks like to build a family in the most unexpected way imaginable.

Sponsors:

Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at CleanSimpleEats.com.

Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store.

Cotton: Learn more at TheFabricOfOurLives.com.

Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com.

Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I have to be honest — when I put out the casting call for people with interesting jobs, I wasn't expecting anything quite like this. Alexandra Sunshine is a senior editor at Kensington Books and, as she describes herself, is the number one romantic editor in the U.S. right now — meaning she has acquired more projects in the romantic genre than anyone else in the country. And yes, "romantasy" means exactly what you think it means: fantasy worlds, magical creatures, swords and crowns... and a lot of very explicit sex.

In this conversation, Alex takes me on a full tour of the spicy book world — from the BookTok explosion that completely disrupted publishing, to the sub-genres you didn't know existed (shifter romance, omegaverse, dark romance, "why choose"... we get into all of it). We talk about why women are devouring these books right now, what it says about female sexuality and modern relationships, and why the "touch her and die" trope is basically the ultimate female fantasy. We also get into the surprisingly funny realities of her job: copy editors fact-checking whether a sex position is physically possible, boardroom conversations about explicit content, and the "chili pepper scale" that her sales team ultimately rejected.

We also ended up having a really honest conversation about my own book (the psychological thriller I'm currently working on), and Alex gave some genuinely great advice for anyone who's been sitting on a story idea and hasn't started yet.

Follow Alex: https://www.instagram.com/Alexhsunshine/

Follow Kensington Books: https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonbooks/

Alex's Book Recommendations

Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich: https://amzn.to/4cZJg6A 

Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose: https://amzn.to/4d5ZcEe

Chasing the Ring by Lauren Rowe: https://amzn.to/4cQZIY7

Chasing the Rush by Lauren Rowe: https://amzn.to/4tMkwWB

Sponsors:

Ogee: Thanks to today's sponsor, Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 20% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury.

Quince: Go to quince.com/realstuff for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com

Rhoback: Use code "REALSTUFF" on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first order through the end of this week.

Nanit: The Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System is 20% off for Mother's Day. Use code LUCIEFINK at nanit.com to get the 20% off plus a free travel case.

Spindrift: Use code LUCIE at DrinkSpindrift.com for 15% off your next order of Spindrift.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we have an audience caller episode for you and I am so grateful that Melanie wrote in because this conversation genuinely opened my mind in ways I wasn't expecting.

Melanie is 34 years old, openly polyamorous, and has been practicing BDSM for 15 years. Her husband knows about her boyfriend. Her family knows she's in multiple relationships at once. And after a long-term relationship where she and her partner pushed the limits of BDSM together, she did something I had never heard of before: she created a detailed shared document — complete with a pain tolerance scale, body location charts, aftercare provisions, and a step-by-step guide to helping her reach "subspace" — and began sharing it with her sexual partners so they could learn the proper way to be with her.

In this conversation, we get into all of it:

• Her sexual awakening from childhood through college, and how she first found her way into the BDSM community
• What BDSM actually is beyond what 50 Shades of Grey showed us — and what people in that world are truly chasing
• What "subspace" feels like (hint: she compared it to a runner's high, a cold plunge, and giving birth all at once)
• The wildest experiences she's had, including a night at a BDSM dungeon in Atlanta with an audience of 40 to 50 people
• How polyamory works when you're genuinely, deeply in love with your husband — and how she navigated telling her parents
• Why she sees jealousy as a "pointer emotion" and what that's taught her about herself
• What she'd recommend to anyone who is BDSM-curious or poly-curious and doesn't know where to start

What I loved most about talking to Melanie is that she approaches all of this with so much intention, communication, and self-awareness. She described herself as a "sex nerd," and I think that framing genuinely changed how I understood this whole world. It's not what most people picture — it's thoughtful, it's deeply personal, and it's fascinating.

Follow Melanie: https://www.instagram.com/millicent.kent/ 

Sponsors:

SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at https://www.skims.com/realstuff #skimspartner

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I have been fascinated by today's guest ever since I came across a profile piece about her when I was working at Refinery29. I never got the chance to film a Lucie for Hire episode with her back then, but when we recently put a casting call out for people who have interesting jobs, Jen wrote in and the rest is history.

Jen Glantz is a bridesmaid for hire. Brides from all over the country and beyond pay her to show up to their wedding, stand in the bridal party, and be the supportive best friend they needs on their big day. She attends engagement parties, bachelorette trips, and bridal showers. She memorizes a fake name, a fake backstory, and every detail of the bride's life so she can blend in seamlessly. In most cases, not even the person the bride is marrying knows she's been hired.

What started as a half-joking Craigslist ad posted on a frustrated Friday night has become Jen's full-time business, with packages starting at $2,500, an hourly rate of around $200, and a team of bridesmaids she can send when she's double-booked. She's worked over 100 weddings since 2014 and the stories she has from those weddings are absolutely wild.

In this episode, we talk about the many reasons why brides actually hire her; what the job really involves, the craziest things she's witnessed on the job, the ethics of the whole thing, and the emotional whiplash of stepping back into real life after a weekend undercover.

I was absolutely riveted by this conversation and I think you will be too. And whether you could ever do something like this yourself or not, I promise you'll be thinking about it long after the episode ends.

Find Jen:

www.bridesmaidsforhire.com

www.jenglantz.com

www.instagram.com/jenglantz/

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this solo episode of The Real Stuff, I'm sharing a theory I've been quietly developing for years. If you've ever watched my TEDx talk on The Power of Trying New Things, you know I've always championed getting out of your comfort zone. But today I’m going one layer deeper — asking the question: what is the underlying force that drives all of that trying? My answer: curiosity.

I'm calling it The Curiosity Crisis — a societal theory about how and why adults gradually lose the childlike wonder they were born with, and what it's costing us collectively. Drawing on my own career journey — from pitching a YouTube show as a freshman at Johns Hopkins, to discovering stop motion animation, to launching this very podcast, to now writing a psychological thriller novel — I make the case that curiosity isn't just a personality trait. It's a life strategy.

I break down the four forces I believe are dimming our curiosity light switches (societal skeletons, the burnout burden, toxic tech, and the fear factor), then I get practical. I share a handful of ways to start recharging your curiosity light bulb — from carving out just 10 minutes a day to explore something new, to practicing what I call "conscious content consumption," to simply looking up from your phone and noticing what's always been around you.

This episode is equal parts personal reflection, cultural commentary, and pep talk. If you've ever felt stuck in a routine, disconnected from what excites you, or like you used to be a more interesting version of yourself, you’re going to want to listen to this.

Thank you to our sponsors: 

Clean Simple Eats: Shop the best tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com

Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at https://www.blissy.com/LUCIE

Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to https://www.ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 15% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury.

SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at https://www.skims.com/realstuff #skimspartner

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod 

Find Lucie here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.