In this episode, we're talking about friendship—how easy it seemed as kids, why it gets so much harder as adults, and what we've learned after decades of friendships that lasted, faded away, or ended unexpectedly. We look back on growing up in very different environments, from rural schools and small-town friend groups to suburban neighborhoods filled with kids, and share how those early experiences shaped the way we build relationships today.

We also open up about losing childhood and college friends, navigating friendships through marriage, parenthood, coming out, and transitioning, and how our definition of friendship has changed over the years. We discuss why some friendships naturally drift apart while others end because of differences in values, including experiences with homophobia and transphobia. Along the way, we talk about insecurity, comparison, communication, setting healthy boundaries, and the importance of finding people who genuinely show up for you.

Finally, we share the advice we hope our kids carry with them: friendships require effort, honesty, and mutual respect, but it's also okay to let relationships go when they're no longer healthy. Whether you're struggling to make friends as an adult, grieving a friendship that's changed, or trying to build a stronger community around you, this episode is a reminder that meaningful friendships aren't about quantity—they're about finding people who choose to keep showing up.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we're talking about something that affects so many people but still carries a surprising amount of stigma: therapy. After receiving a listener request, we share our personal experiences with therapy, what we expected before we ever walked into an office, and how finding the right therapist can be a lot harder than people realize. From therapists who spent more time talking about themselves than helping us to the ones who genuinely challenged our thinking, we discuss what has—and hasn't—worked for us.

We also open up about why we each sought therapy in the first place. Julie shares her experience searching for answers while questioning her sexuality, while Ryann talks about finding an LGBTQ+-affirming therapist during the process of pursuing top surgery and navigating gender identity. Along the way, we discuss why therapy isn't about someone telling you what to do, but helping you ask better questions, recognize unhealthy thought patterns, and work through life's biggest challenges.

The conversation also turns to parenting and why we've chosen to normalize therapy for our own kids. We talk about childhood anxiety, ADHD, raising emotionally healthy children, and why we hope our kids will always see therapy as just another part of taking care of themselves—no different than going to the doctor or dentist. Whether you've been in therapy for years or you're still trying to find the courage to make that first appointment, this episode is an honest conversation about mental health, finding the right fit, and giving yourself permission to ask for help.

*Content Note: This episode contains discussions of mental health, anxiety, ADHD, depression, gender dysphoria, LGBTQ+ identity, gender transition, family relationships, and therapy experiences. We share our personal experiences only and are not mental health professionals.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we're taking a walk down memory lane and sharing some of our wildest (and occasionally questionable) experiences with drugs, alcohol, college parties, and growing up. From first cigarettes and first drinks to college partying, bad decisions, near misses, and the lessons we learned along the way, this is one of our most honest conversations yet.

We talk about our very different experiences with alcohol and marijuana, including Ryann's college party days, sorority life, smoking weed for the first time, and some moments that could have gone very differently if luck—and a few good people—hadn't stepped in. We also share stories about peer pressure, drinking culture, making risky decisions, and how growing older has completely changed our perspective on what fun looks like.

Julie opens up about some of her first experiences with drinking, including situations where friends helped protect her when she was too intoxicated to make safe decisions for herself. Together, we discuss the importance of looking out for each other, trusting your instincts, and knowing when it's time to leave a situation that doesn't feel right.

We also talk about our experiences trying marijuana, edible horror stories, paranoia, why cannabis affects people so differently, and the surprising realization that neither of us are particularly interested in partying anymore. These days, we'd rather spend time camping, hiking, traveling, or relaxing with friends than recovering from a hangover.

Most importantly, this episode isn't about glorifying drugs or alcohol. It's about sharing real-life experiences, talking honestly about mistakes, and discussing the lessons we'd want our own kids to take away someday. If you've ever looked back on your younger years and wondered how you survived them, you'll probably relate to this conversation.

*Content Note: This episode contains discussions about alcohol use, marijuana use, underage drinking, college party culture, intoxication, addiction, drinking and driving, and situations involving sexual vulnerability. Listener discretion is advised.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we're diving into one of the most complicated relationships many of us have: our relationship with our bodies. From childhood insecurities and family influences to diet culture, weight loss, body image, and learning to treat ourselves with a little more kindness, we're sharing the stories and experiences that shaped how we see ourselves today.

We talk about growing up in the 80s and 90s, watching the adults around us constantly diet, criticize their bodies, and chase the latest weight-loss trend. We discuss how comments from parents, grandparents, friends, and even classmates can stick with us for decades, influencing how we think about our bodies long after childhood ends.

Along the way, we share our own experiences with body image struggles, dieting, emotional eating, weight fluctuations, exercise, and the pressure to look a certain way. We talk about everything from Weight Watchers, Atkins, Paleo, Keto, and GLP-1 medications to the realization that health isn't one-size-fits-all. What works for one person may not work for another, and sometimes the most important thing is learning to listen to your own body instead of chasing someone else's definition of success.

We also open up about topics that are often difficult to discuss, including eating disorders, body dysphoria, mental health, self-esteem, and the impact of social media and peer pressure. Most importantly, we talk about how we're trying to break those cycles for our own kids by teaching them that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, that food isn't something to fear, and that a person's worth has nothing to do with a number on a scale.

This conversation is funny, vulnerable, and honest—and a reminder that most of us are far harder on ourselves than we would ever be on someone we love.

If you've ever looked in the mirror and wished you could be kinder to yourself, this episode is for you.

*Content Note: This episode includes discussions about body image, dieting, weight loss, eating disorders, body dysphoria, and mental health. Listener discretion is advised.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we’re getting brutally honest about parenting—the good, the bad, the exhausting, and the parts nobody really prepares you for. What started as a conversation about why having a baby won’t magically fix a struggling relationship quickly turned into a candid discussion about sleep deprivation, overstimulation, anxiety, social media pressure, and the reality of raising four kids.

We talk about the expectations we had before becoming parents versus what parenting actually looks like in real life. From believing we’d be the perfect parents with perfectly balanced routines, educational activities, and limited screen time to realizing we were just trying to survive the day, we share the gap between the parenting we imagined and the parenting we actually live. We also discuss co-sleeping, childhood anxiety, neurodivergence, sensory overload, and the constant mental battle of wondering whether we’re doing enough for our kids.

We also dive into the pressure modern parents face from social media and parenting influencers. Comparing ourselves to seemingly perfect families left us feeling like we were failing, until we learned that every family has to find what works for them. Along the way, we reflect on how parenting changed us, how our roles as parents ended up being completely different than we expected, and why raising kids is somehow both the hardest and most rewarding thing we’ve ever done.

Most importantly, we talk about those little moments that make it all worth it—the family snuggles, the unexpected laughter, the sibling relationships, the proud parenting moments, and the memories that somehow outweigh the chaos. Parenting doesn’t always make sense. It’s exhausting, overwhelming, and frustrating, but somehow it’s also beautiful enough that we’d choose it all over again.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we’re telling the story of our two weddings—and why we ended up having both. Long before marriage equality became the law of the land, we found ourselves navigating proposals, wedding planning, legal roadblocks, family opinions, and figuring out what marriage actually meant to us. What started as a conversation after a baby shower eventually led to not one proposal, but two, and two very different wedding days.

We share the story of Ryann’s proposal that almost involved room service (but definitely involved Julie mistaking an engagement ring for something entirely different), followed by Julie’s surprise proposal at their St. Louis wedding venue. We talk about why getting legally married in New York mattered at a time when same-sex marriage wasn't recognized everywhere, what it was like having a private City Hall ceremony, and the complicated emotions that came with asking family members to support a wedding some weren't willing to witness.

We also dive into our Cinco de Mayo wedding celebration in St. Louis—the wedding we often think of as our "real" wedding. From having our donor officiate the ceremony and including traditions from both families to dancing the night away with friends and loved ones, it was one of the happiest days of our lives. We share funny memories, wedding mishaps, and the reality that after both weddings we were far more interested in sleep than any romantic movie ending.

But like many LGBTQ+ wedding stories from that era, there was heartbreak mixed in with the joy. We talk about the family members and friends who chose not to attend because of religious beliefs, the relationships that changed forever, and what those experiences taught us about love, support, and acceptance. Looking back more than a decade later, we reflect on the people who showed up, the people who didn’t, and why both weddings still mean so much to us today.

Whether you're planning a wedding, navigating family relationships, reflecting on the history of marriage equality, or simply love a good relationship story, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the best love stories don't follow a traditional path.

We want to give credit to our wedding favorites!

• Wedding cake from The Cakery Bakery
• Our New York wedding photography Kamila Harris

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we're talking about one of the most meaningful traditions in our lives: Pride Float. What started nearly 20 years ago as a random camping trip turned into lifelong friendships, chosen family, and a community that has supported us through some of the biggest moments of our lives. From spotting rainbow flags across a campground creek to becoming part of an annual LGBTQ+ tradition, we're sharing the story of how Pride Float became so much more than a weekend event.

We take a trip down memory lane and talk about the early days of Pride Float—the crowded campsites, themed weekends, drag shows, river floats, campfire conversations, and the friendships that formed along the way. Over the years, we've watched people come and go, relationships begin and end, marriages happen, babies arrive, and entire lives change. What started as a once-a-year gathering eventually grew into a close-knit group of friends who became part of each other's everyday lives.

We also talk about the importance of finding your people, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Having a space where you can fully be yourself without explanation is something we never take for granted. Whether it was navigating coming out, raising kids, transitioning, building relationships, or simply existing without having to filter who we are, this community has been there through it all. For Ryann, Pride Float also became a place where he felt fully accepted and supported during his transition, surrounded by friends who already knew and loved him.

Today, Pride Float looks very different than it did when we first started going. The all-night parties have turned into camp chairs, shared meals, meaningful conversations, and reconnecting with the people who matter most. But the heart of it hasn't changed. It's still about friendship, belonging, community, and having a place where you can show up exactly as you are.

If you’re interested in Pridefloat, check it out here.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we finish the story of how we got together—and honestly, it’s a miracle we made it. After breaking up, moving to different cities, dating other people, making questionable decisions, and repeatedly finding our way back to each other, we finally share the messy middle of our love story. This is the chapter where long-distance, jealousy, bad timing, and a whole lot of emotional confusion collide.

We talk about what happened after Ryann moved to St. Louis, why staying friends after a breakup was way more complicated than we expected, and the relationships we both explored while trying to figure out who we were and what we wanted. From Pride hookups and dating apps to awkward dinners, jealousy, heartbreak, and setting boundaries, this episode is a raw look at how complicated love can be when you're still figuring yourself out.

We also reflect on the lessons we've learned about commitment, communication, emotional infidelity, cheating, forgiveness, and why relationships aren't nearly as black and white as people like to pretend they are. Looking back nearly 20 years later, we're the first to admit that if someone told us this story today, we'd probably tell them to run. Somehow, despite all the red flags, confusion, and chaos, we found our way back to each other and built the life we have today.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we’re finally telling the full story of how we got together—and spoiler alert: it was messy. What started as a friendship through a summer job turned into flirting, late-night conversations, complicated feelings, and a relationship that definitely didn’t take the easy road.

We take you back to 2006 and 2007, when we first met working at summer camp, became friends, and eventually found ourselves developing feelings for each other under less-than-ideal circumstances. We talk honestly about navigating attraction, coming out, marriage, divorce, guilt, heartbreak, and all the bad decisions we made along the way. If you've ever looked back at your younger self and thought, "What the hell was I doing?" this episode will probably feel familiar.

We also dive into the reality of ending a long-term relationship, grieving a marriage even when you know it's the right decision, and the complicated emotions that come with discovering your identity later than expected. From awkward first dates and emotional conversations to breakups, moving away, and questioning everything, this is the beginning of a love story that almost didn't survive its first chapter.

This episode is part one of our relationship origin story—a raw, honest look at how two very imperfect people somehow found their way to each other. There are plenty of laughs, a little cringe, and more than a few moments where we wonder how we're still together nearly twenty years later.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC

In this episode, we’re talking about boobs—loving them, hating them, feeding babies with them, and in Ryann’s case, getting rid of them altogether. What starts as a funny conversation about aging bodies and “sad little pancake boobs” quickly turns into a deeper discussion about breastfeeding struggles, body image, gender dysphoria, and the complicated relationships we can have with our bodies.

Julie opens up about her experiences trying to breastfeed all four of their children, the emotional toll of pumping for years, postpartum struggles, tongue ties, feeding specialists, formula guilt, and donating breast milk to other families. The conversation explores the pressure many parents feel around infant feeding and the reality that sometimes the “natural” thing doesn’t come naturally at all.

Ryann shares what it was like growing up with an extremely large chest, the physical pain and limitations that came with it, and the journey from wanting a breast reduction to ultimately realizing top surgery was the right decision. Together, they discuss body image, gender identity, chest dysphoria, breast reduction versus top surgery, and how differently people can feel about the same body part.

This episode is funny, honest, emotional, and surprisingly relatable—whether you’ve breastfed, formula fed, struggled with body image, considered surgery, or just have complicated feelings about your own body. It’s a conversation about expectations, identity, and learning to make peace with the body you’re living in.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next, and find us on Instagram to be part of the conversation. We’d love to hear your questions!

Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC