The Things We Know

When Kari and Lisa released a previous episode, The Exhaustion of Staying Safe, many women said they felt seen, heard, and understood, while several men thanked them for helping put words to experiences they had never fully considered. Then video clips from the episode reached an unexpected audience on social media, and a few comments quickly became hundreds. What began as a conversation about the vigilance and calculations many women carry became a debate about something Kari and Lisa had never said. In this follow-up episode of The Things We Know, they explore what that response revealed, why another person's experience can be difficult to hear without comparison or defensiveness, and how quickly empathy can be replaced by distortion when conversations move online. They also reflect on the women who recognized themselves in the original conversation and the men who listened, cared, and understood that acknowledging women's experiences does not diminish their own.

There is only a week left to go for it if you've been wanting to experience one of our retreats! If you're ready to embrace what makes you uniquely you, we'd love to have you at our upcoming retreat, YOUnique & Amazing, September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon. It's right around the corner, but may still have a spot for you! Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

What if the key to feeling more confident isn't becoming someone new, but finally giving yourself permission to be fully yourself? In this episode, Kari and Lisa sit down with relationship and confidence coach Lark Ericson to explore the lifelong habit of seeking external validation and what it takes to outgrow it. Together, they discuss people-pleasing, belonging, anger as a catalyst for change, and the quiet freedom that comes from trusting yourself more than other people's opinions. Whether you've spent years trying to be accommodating, easy to like, or everything to everyone, this conversation is an invitation to stop performing and start living from a place of authenticity, self trust, and genuine connection.

For more on Lark

https://www.meetup.com/awkward-to-awesome-be-yourself-be-confident-find-love/

https://womenscollective.larkericsoncoaching.com/home--the-awkward-to-awesome-womens-collective

https://www.youtube.com/@larkericsoncoaching

Lark recently joined us at our Best Chapter Yet retreat, and you'll hear her share why experiences like these can be such powerful catalysts for stepping into your own awesomeness. If you're ready to stop living from everyone else's expectations and start embracing what makes you uniquely you, we'd love to have you at our upcoming retreat, YOUnique & Amazing, September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon. It's right around the corner, but may still have a spot for you! Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

How much of life do women miss while watching themselves live? In this episode of The Things We Know, Lisa and Kari examine the exhausting inner and outer conversations women have about their bodies and question why appearance remains such a constant measure of worth. They explore the difference between caring for a body and criticizing it, the hidden cost of treating it as a lifelong renovation project, and what might become possible if women reclaimed some of the attention spent evaluating themselves. This is an honest conversation about aging, health, beauty, body neutrality, and learning to give the body that carries your life the care and respect it deserves, then getting on with the business of living.

If this conversation leaves you craving a space where you can stop performing and simply show up as your authentic self, we'd love to invite you to our Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026. It's a weekend designed to help you reconnect with who you are, embrace what makes you uniquely you, and step confidently into your next chapter alongside an incredible community of women. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

What happens when women stop trying to become someone else and start telling the truth about who they already are? In this episode, Lisa and Kari sit down with Megan Dirks, founder of The Girl on the Left, two-time international bestselling author, and brand strategist, for a powerful conversation about visibility, self-worth, and the pressure women feel to package their lives into neat transformation stories. Together, they explore the hidden costs of glow-up culture, why fear of being seen is often rooted in very real experiences, the difference between vulnerability and performing healing, and what becomes possible when women stop waiting until they're "finished" to own their stories. Lisa also shares what it meant to contribute a chapter to The Girl on the Left Volume 2 anthology and why this project resonates so deeply with her.

The Girl on the Left: Volume 2 is out now!

USA:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

United Kingdom:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Germany:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Australia:

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Ireland:

https://www.amazon.ie/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

If this conversation leaves you craving a space where you can stop performing and simply show up as your authentic self, we'd love to invite you to our Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026. It's a weekend designed to help you reconnect with who you are, embrace what makes you uniquely you, and step confidently into your next chapter alongside an incredible community of women. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

How did a word that simply means believing women deserve equal rights become one of the most misunderstood labels in our culture? In this episode, Lisa and Kari unpack the surprisingly complicated history of the word feminism, exploring how a movement rooted in equality, inclusion, and human dignity came to be associated with anger, exclusion, and attacks on men. They examine the decades of bad PR, stereotypes, and cultural messaging that have shaped our perceptions, while asking why a belief in equal opportunity can still feel so polarizing. With honesty, humor, and plenty of personal reflection, this conversation invites listeners to look beyond the myths, reconsider what feminism has always been meant to stand for, and ask whether it's time to reclaim a word that was never intended to divide us.

If this conversation resonated with you and you're craving more thoughtful, honest conversations with incredible women, we'd love to invite you to join us for our Best Chapter Yet retreat,YOUnique & Amazing, September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon. It's a weekend to reconnect with yourself, celebrate what makes you uniquely you, and discover that your best chapter isn't behind you—it's still being written. We'd love to have you there. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

What role are you playing in your own life right now? In this episode, Lisa and Kari explore a simple question that opens up a surprisingly powerful conversation. Intrigued by the term "Main Character Energy," they move beyond the social media trend to examine four roles many of us drift in and out of: the Main Character, the Supporting Character, the Stage Manager, and the Audience Member. Along the way, they unpack the invisible work of caring for others, the difference between supporting someone and disappearing into their story, and why reclaiming agency doesn't mean becoming the center of attention. Instead, it means becoming an active participant in your own life again.

If this conversation has you wondering what role you've been playing—and what you want your next chapter to look like—you won't want to miss the Best Chapter Yet YOUnique & Amazing retreat in Portland, September 18–20, in person with Lisa and Kari. Together with a community of thoughtful, supportive women, you'll have the chance to step away from the demands of everyday life, reconnect with yourself, and intentionally shape what comes next. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

Somewhere along the way, many women become experts at anticipating everyone else's needs while losing touch with their own. In this episode, Kari and Lisa explore what happens when desire gets buried beneath responsibility, caregiving, productivity, and people pleasing. They discuss why reconnecting with what you want isn't selfish; it's an essential part of living a full and authentic life. Through personal stories, practical reflection, and gentle encouragement, they invite listeners to notice the small moments of curiosity, joy, and longing that can point the way back to themselves.

If this episode resonated with you, we'd love to invite you to the next experience in our Best Chapter Yet retreat series. YOUnique & Amazing Fall 2026 Retreat is a weekend created for women who are ready to stop shrinking, stop second-guessing themselves, and reconnect with the parts of themselves that have been buried under years of responsibility and expectation. Join us September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon, for a weekend of meaningful conversation, reflection, laughter, and genuine connection with women who are discovering that their best chapter isn't behind them—it's the one they're creating now.

Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

In this episode, Lisa and Kari sit down with Joanna Shakti to talk about love, intimacy, and what it really takes to feel connected — to ourselves and to each other — in lives that are often overloaded with work, caregiving, and distraction. The conversation doesn't land on easy answers. Instead, it opens up a more honest question: what are we actually missing when we talk about loneliness, and what does real closeness require?

This conversation touches something a lot of women are already carrying — a quiet desire for more presence and honesty, even while holding everything else. It's worth sitting with, without turning it into one more thing to measure yourself against, especially in seasons where just getting through the day already takes everything you've got.

If this is speaking to something you want to explore further — and you'd rather do it alongside other women asking the same questions — join Lisa and Kari for the Best Chapter Yet women's retreat in Portland, September 18–20. You can learn more and register here: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

Safety is often treated as common sense, but in this episode Lisa and Kari explore the invisible mental load that comes with constantly assessing risk, making calculations, and navigating a world that asks women to stay vigilant while rarely questioning why that vigilance is necessary. In a conversation that moves beyond the obvious, they examine what those unseen habits cost, what they reveal, and what might become possible if that energy could be reclaimed. Rather than offering simple answers, they leave listeners with a question that lingers long after the episode ends.

This episode asks what might become possible if women weren't spending so much energy simply getting through the day. If you're ready to make space for yourself—and to be surrounded by women who are asking those same questions—join Lisa and Kari in Portland, September 18–20. They'd love to welcome you for a weekend of connection, reflection, and the kind of conversations that can change what comes next. You can learn more and register here: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

In this deeply honest and timely conversation, Kari and Lisa sit down with gender diversity therapist, parent coach, and AFFIRM Coaching Program founder Rachel Hulstein-Lowe to talk about allyship, LGBTQ+ advocacy, parenting gender-diverse youth, and the emotional realities families are navigating in today's polarized climate. Together, they explore what meaningful allyship actually looks like beyond performative support, the emotional cost of silence and passivity, how affirmation impacts a child's nervous system and sense of safety, and what parents can do when they feel scared, uncertain, or overwhelmed. Rachel shares insight from more than twenty years as a licensed therapist, along with her personal journey of stepping more boldly into her voice in midlife, helping listeners understand how to move from anxious parenting to empowered connection. This episode is a compassionate, nuanced conversation about identity, emotional safety, LGBTQ+ youth, parenting transgender and gender-diverse children, and what it means to truly show up for the people we love in real life.

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And if you are craving deeper conversations, meaningful connection, and space to reconnect with yourself, we would love to invite you to join us for the Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026, happening September 18 through 20 in Portland, Oregon. This year's retreat, YOUnique & Amazing, is designed for women who are ready to trust themselves more deeply, stop shrinking to fit expectations, and step more fully into the life that feels true to them. We will gather for a weekend of honest conversation, reflection, laughter, connection, and growth in a beautiful retreat setting in Portland's Mississippi District. You can learn more here: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026