this episode of The Trouble with Life Is…, Hayes and AK explore what it means to live in the overlap — the space where who you were, who you are, and who you thought you’d be all exist at the same time. Life doesn’t move in neat chapters, and this conversation makes room for the relief, grief, and complIn exity that come with holding more than one version of yourself at once.

Rather than rushing toward clarity or resolution, this episode invites listeners to slow down, allow the overlap, and recognize that not everything needs to make sense yet.

In this episode of The Trouble with Life Is…, Hayes and AK lean into humor, nostalgia, and honesty to talk about expectations versus reality — and all the ways adulthood turned out very differently than we imagined. From childhood dreams and career plans to parenting, money, and keeping up with laundry, this conversation reminds us that growth doesn’t always look like having it all figured out.

Sometimes it looks like laughing sooner, being gentler with yourself, and realizing you’re doing better than you think.

In this episode of The Trouble with Life Is…, Hayes and AK explore the difference between being alone and feeling lonely — and how self-worth shapes the way we experience both. They talk honestly about choosing solitude as a form of care, recognizing when disconnection becomes avoidance, and learning how to stay with yourself without disappearing.

This conversation invites listeners to reflect on what healthy space looks like, how aloneness can build self-trust, and why being alone isn’t a failure — it can be a skill.

In this episode of The Trouble with Life Is…, Hayes and AK reflect on the year that’s passed — not with judgment, but with honesty. Together, they talk about embracing what the year brought, both the good and the hard, and recognizing how much distance you’ve traveled since then.

This conversation explores the idea that growth doesn’t always look dramatic, that being “not there anymore” can be both a relief and a loss, and that every experience — big or small — shapes how we move forward. Instead of pressure to reset or reinvent, this episode invites you to notice your growth, sit with your reflections, and choose how the past year will (or won’t) influence the one ahead.

Outgrowing people doesn’t always come with conflict — sometimes it comes quietly.

In this episode, Hayes and AK talk about the grief, guilt, and relief that can come with relational change. They explore how growth shifts alignment, why distance doesn’t mean failure, and how to honor relationships without forcing them to stay the same.

Joy doesn’t require the absence of pain.

In this episode, Hayes and AK explore what it means to find joy during hard seasons — not as forced positivity, but as something quiet, honest, and accessible. This conversation reframes joy as presence, gentleness, and resilience, even when life is still unresolved.

This episode is for anyone who feels pressure to be okay when they’re not.

Welcome to The Trouble with Life Is…, a conversational podcast hosted by Hayes and AK.

This podcast is about the in-between — the seasons of growth, change, healing, and uncertainty that don’t come with clear answers. These are conversations from the middle, not the other side.

Season One explores becoming — not as a finish line, but as an ongoing process. From outgrowing people and changing needs, to healing that isn’t linear and learning to rest without guilt, this season makes space for what’s real.

The Trouble with Life Is… The Holidays Hold Everything

The holidays don’t pause what you’re carrying — they tend to hold it all at once.

They explore the tension between gratitude and unmet needs, the quiet self-blame that can arise when emotions don’t match expectations, and the permission to make space instead of trying to fix the season.

This episode is for anyone who feels conflicted, tender, or unsure during the holidays — and needs to hear that nothing about that makes them wrong.

The Trouble with Life is... is a conversational podcast where Hayes and AK unpack the messiness of being human - growth, relationships, identity, mistakes, healing, and the space between who we were and who we're becoming. 

This episode is the introductory episode, "The Trouble with Life is... Becoming". We address the messiness and discomfort of transitioning between the person we were before and who we are becoming now. Listen to what we are all about and continue to join us to hear about the trouble with life as we tackle new topics, challenges, and truths.