After Hours With Amanda

Latest Episodes:

27 Hours in LA & The Shift | After Hours With Amanda Season 5 - Ep. 3 Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about dreams, comparison, Disney, going back to work, content creation, grief, and learning not to discount the chapters just because I have not reached the title of the book yet. I share what it felt like to attend a Disney event in LA, why that weekend felt like a wink from my mom, and how I realized I have been living pieces of dreams I used to have. If you are in the middle of your own story, I hope this reminds you that the chapter still counts.

00:00 Truly After Hours Tonight
00:20 Rainbow Connection and My Mom
02:05 I Forgot the Cheer Party
03:25 Controlling the Controllable
05:19 The Disney Event Was Bigger Than I Realized
07:20 TGI Fridays, CVS, and Forgotten Underwear
09:38 Seeing the F1 Car
11:46 Walking Into the Event With Zero Chill
13:19 Disney Store, Sweatshirts, and Pop Ups
16:37 Taco Bell and Late Night Editing
17:15 The Dream Inside the Journey
19:05 The Book Title and the Chapters
20:28 Busyness, Trauma, and Strengths
23:31 Savoring the Wins on the Way
25:16 There Is No Story Without the Prequel
28:15 The Michael Kors Bag and My Mom
32:24 Living in a Dream I Used to Have
35:37 Do Not Compare Your Chapter
37:00 We Cannot Do It All
38:10 If No One Has Told You Lately

You Don't Need to Convince Anyone | After Hours With Amanda Season 5 - Ep. 2 Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m back on the closet floor talking about self worth, validation, motherhood, friendship, dating, and why you should not have to beg someone to pick you. I share some life updates about heading back to work, working mom content, and then we get into the way we sometimes feel like we have to prove our choices are worthy. From motherhood discourse online to a very younger Amanda high school story, this one is about knowing your value without pleading your case to be chosen.

00:00 Back on the Closet Floor
00:46 The Episode That Recorded Nothing
01:31 Chicken Pot Pie and Late Night Recording
03:19 The Coffee Trick That Backfired
04:16 Heading Back to Work
05:09 Work Clothes and Working Mom Content
06:21 You Should Not Have to Beg Someone to Pick You
07:20 Friendship, Dating, and Tiny Queens
08:09 The Motherhood Conversation Online
09:16 Proving the Worthiness of Your Choice
10:35 Younger Amanda and Wanting to Be Seen
12:47 The High School Pick Me Story
17:47 When Validation Turns Into a Pattern
19:35 Not Every Opinion Needs Your Defense
22:29 Motherhood, Joy, and the In Between
24:02 Teaching Girls to Question Authority
27:51 Your Experience Is Still Valid
30:32 You Can Defend Your Honor and Walk Away
34:22 Stop Begging for Agreement
36:33 You Are Worth More Than Convincing
37:42 If No One Has Told You Lately

There Is No Such Thing as the Right Decision | After Hours With Amanda Season 5 - Ep. 1 Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about decision making, changing your mind, regret, college choices, parenting, self worth, and why I do not think there is always one perfect “right decision.” I share about glamor shots, leaving my management company, learning to trust myself again, and the old belief that if you made your bed, you have to lie in it forever. But you do not. You made the best choice you could with the information you had then. You are allowed to grow, pivot, apologize, change, and step into who you are becoming.

00:00 Welcome to the Coffee Chat
00:39 Water, Weather, and Life Updates
01:00 Glamor Shots Had Me in a Chokehold
03:08 Stepping Into My Purpose at the Mall
04:43 Leaving My Management Company
05:23 Handling My Own Email Again
07:33 How People Make You Feel Matters
09:22 There Is No Right Decision
10:07 College, Tiny Humans, and Big Choices
11:41 You Made Your Bed, Now Lie in It
14:10 Step Into the Light of Who You Are Becoming
15:33 Doing the Best With the Information You Had
17:39 Why Decisions Feel So Heavy
19:08 Watching My Girls Make Choices
20:35 When People Hold You to an Old Version
23:22 The Same Song Forever
24:00 Friendships Can Change Too
25:32 Taking Time Before a Decision
27:23 Does This Align With Who I Want to Be?
30:14 Choosing College Without Everyone Else’s Opinion
31:27 Do Not Let Fear Paralyze You
32:11 Do Not Let Yourself Be Typecast
34:01 Making Decisions Without Knowing the Result
37:40 You Are Allowed to Grow and Pivot
39:03 Choosing Integrity Over the Easy Yes
40:03 Throw the Paper Towel and See If It Sticks
41:00 Do Not Carry the Backpack of Guilt
42:46 If No One Has Told You Lately

Why Isn't It Happening For Me? | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 13 Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about a Disneyland trip that went completely sideways, disappointment, timing, comparison, faith, and the reminder I keep coming back to: you do not want to arrive early. I share what it felt like to watch the tiny queens get sick on a trip I had planned and saved for, how hard it is to hold gratitude and sadness at the same time, and why I still believe nothing is wasted. If something feels delayed, disappointing, or not how you planned it, this is for you.

00:00 Back After a Traumatic Disneyland Trip
01:09 January, Birthdays, and Cheer Nationals
02:11 When the Tiny Queens Got Sick
03:26 Why the Trip Felt So Devastating
05:14 Disney Outfits With Meaning
06:25 Getting Back to the Podcast
07:47 Everything Has a Time
09:08 Pace Yourself
10:11 Nothing Is Ever Wasted
12:22 How Loss Changed My Life
13:30 Feeling Irrelevant Online
16:06 It Is Not Your Time Yet
17:14 The Airport Timing Analogy
20:25 Why I Did Not Go to Azusa Right Away
22:57 The Disneyland Weekend That Changed Everything
25:29 You Do Not Want to Leave Early
26:32 Comparison and the Wrong Plane
29:05 Finding Joy in a Hard Trip
31:02 Everyone Is Carrying Something
32:43 It Is a Bad Moment, Not a Bad Day
33:23 Disappointment Can Direct You
35:03 What Is Coming Next
36:03 If No One Has Told You Lately

Tiny People Are Not Terrible | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 12 Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about toddlers, teenagers, the terrible twos, threenagers, and why I think we need to stop labeling tiny people before we actually understand them. This one starts with Christmas break chaos and the Olympic sport of getting school program seats, then moves into parenting, emotional regulation, meltdowns, food preferences, repair, and seeing hard moments as discovery instead of deficit. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by a stage your child is in, I hope this feels like permission to pause, breathe, and look again.

00:00 Last Day Before Christmas Break
00:25 The Christmas Program Seat Olympics
02:31 Christmas Break and No Cheer
03:13 North Pole Visitors Took Over
04:10 Every Other Week Podcast Rhythm
04:30 Running Away From Comparison
06:05 Why We Need to Talk About Toddlers
06:49 Terrible Twos and Threenagers
08:38 The Street Example Parents Always Use
10:17 The Target Meltdown
11:55 Adults Still Get Disappointed Too
12:57 Stop Setting a Negative Tone
14:25 Deficit or Discovery?
16:06 Teenagers Get Labeled Too
17:15 I Hope You Have a Daughter Like You
20:12 What Labels Make Us Miss
20:34 The Corn Story
23:03 Running Away Is Communication
24:06 Parents Can Change Their Minds
26:31 Stop Labeling the Age Group
29:38 What I Would Say About Throwing Toys
31:03 Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
33:17 A More Compassionate Way to Parent
36:05 Choices, Magic, and Starting Over
36:53 Deficit to Discovery
40:33 If No One Has Told You Lately

Holiday Hoovers and the Joy They Steal | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 11 Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m back, baby, and we are talking about holiday Hoovers, boundaries, self criticism, and three Bob Goff reminders I could not keep to myself. This one is for the besties heading into December already bracing for comments, family dynamics, joy stealers, or the internal voice that keeps beating them up. You are not a piñata. Some people think they are being helpful. And somewhere, someone else may be praying for different rain, but that does not make your prayer less important.

00:00 We Are Back, Baby
00:40 Why I Let the Podcast Fall Through the Cracks
01:28 Wicked, Lego, and the Little Shelf Update
02:25 Bob Goff and the Holiday Hoover Conversation
03:43 Christmas Movies, True Crime, and Memes
04:40 Instagram Subscription and Cameo Updates
06:19 Disneyland, Nationals, and Holiday Plans
06:47 What Is a Hoover?
08:08 Being Okay When Not Everyone Likes You
09:27 They Don’t Know They Have Horns
12:10 Boundaries When You Still Have to Interact
13:39 In One Ear, Keep What You Need
16:15 Stop Hitting Yourself
21:43 When Other People Treat You Like a Piñata
23:40 The Bride, the Farmer, and the Rain
25:38 When Someone Undervalues Your Gift
29:05 Praying for a Different Kind of Rain
31:09 Three Reminders for December
32:33 If No One Has Told You Lately

Answering DM's & Questions | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 10 Aug 01, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m doing a bestie Q&A about motherhood, routines, Disney, eating disorder recovery, marriage after kids, self regulation, and parenting tiny humans without making everything a power struggle. I talk about waking up early, prepping for back to school, letting kids say no, dinner battles, adjusting from one kid to two, and why no one knows what they are doing, but you know your tiny person. This one gets tender in places, especially around food, grief, fear, and recovery, so take care of yourself while listening.

00:00 Late Night Q&A Energy
01:11 Lying to Myself About Tomorrow
02:13 Do We Need an Intro Post?
03:42 Disney Bounding and Budget Girlies
05:33 Tips for Waking Up Early
09:01 How I Met My Bestie Cindy
10:59 Would I Move to Another State or Country?
12:07 Mr. Coffee Machine and Quick Questions
15:21 My Favorite Motherhood Mantra
17:43 Pros and Sacrifices of Being a Parent
24:35 Back to School Routine Prep
28:08 Avoiding an Eating Disorder Relapse
31:57 Parenting Differently Than I Was Raised
37:24 My Biggest Fears as a Mom
39:31 Dinner Battles and Tiny People
42:30 Did Our Relationship Change After Kids?
46:10 What Got Me Into Disney?
48:08 Self Regulating When Everyone Is Melting Down
51:15 Favorite Worship Songs Right Now
52:07 Adjusting From One Kid to Two
55:06 The Goodness of God This Week
56:20 If No One Has Told You Lately

Becoming Who You were meant to be | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 9 Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about therapy, inner child healing, inner teen conflict, small habits, and what it has looked like to start rewiring my brain one tiny choice at a time. We also catch up on D23, Disney, cheer season, summer rhythms, and an upcoming surgery, but the heart of this one is learning that structure is not always a prison. Sometimes it is care. If you have ever felt stuck between who you want to become and the old patterns that keep pulling you back, this is a soft place to land.

00:00 Weeks in a Row Is Basically a Habit
00:22 I Got Invited to D23
03:56 Surgery, Disney, and Life Updates
05:20 Cheer Season and Summer Rhythms
08:16 Doing the Work in Therapy
09:13 Mantras Are Not Enough Without Tiny Choices
10:12 The Inner Conflict I Have Been Feeling
11:51 Inner Child and Inner Teen Conflict
13:23 Small Habits and Actually Enjoying Your Life
14:13 My Morning Routine Right Now
18:27 When an Optimal Day Feels Peaceful
19:30 Why Structure Can Feel Like Rebellion
21:25 I Get To, Not I Have To
23:04 Structure Is Not a Prison
24:27 Caring for Myself in the Present
26:06 Stop Calling Yourself the Hot Mess Express
27:17 When Pain Forces a New Pattern
30:31 You Are Safe Now
32:20 It Might Not Be Who I Am Yet
34:05 You Are Not the People Who Hurt You
36:04 Choosing One Small Loving Thing
38:25 Learning to Live Harmoniously Inside
40:20 Changing the Way We Talk to Ourselves
41:19 Why My Insides Were in Conflict
42:25 If No One Has Told You Lately

A Season of Cinching | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 8 Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about rejection, slow seasons, faith, boundaries, work changes, and the reminder I keep coming back to: no means new opportunity. I share what it has felt like to be in a season where things are shifting, content creation is slower, relationships are changing, and therapy is helping me learn that being strong is not the same as being brave. Sometimes the brave thing is saying no, blocking the number, circling the wagons, and trusting that the path is being cleared even when it feels confusing.

00:00 Welcome to the New Shelf Corner
01:00 Thank You for Being Here
02:07 When Life Feels Uprooted
03:08 Sharing Without Owning Everyone’s Reaction
04:16 A Season of Cinching
06:12 When Work Gets Slow
07:08 Scarcity Mindset and Closed Doors
09:28 When the Plan Changes
12:04 A Path Being Cleared
13:29 No Means New Opportunity
14:46 Relationships Have Seasons
16:25 Strong Is Not the Same as Brave
20:18 Growing Into a New Season
23:05 When Slow Feels Like Something Is Being Taken
26:33 Your Yes Is Coming
29:17 Saying No So a Better Yes Can Come
34:40 You Are Not Alone in the Waiting
36:39 Being Brave Enough to Block
38:56 JOMO and Circling the Wagons
40:31 Slow Growth Is Still Growth
41:48 If No One Has Told You Lately

You are NOT an Aesthetic | After Hours With Amanda Season 4 - Ep. 7 May 10, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about social media comparison, consumerism, aesthetic identity, and why your real life was never meant to be judged by someone else’s curated video. We start with Savannah Bananas, margaritas, and a date night that did not need to be fancy to be perfect, then we get into car kits, lip gloss, doom scrolling, content creation, and editing your environment. If you have ever looked up from your phone and felt worse about your home, your body, your people, or your life, this one is for you. You are not an aesthetic. You are a kaleidoscope.

00:00 Welcome to the Other Side of My Room
00:38 Savannah Bananas Date Night
02:23 Hot Dogs, Margaritas, and Living on the Edge
04:17 Why the Lawn Seats Were Perfect
08:18 Sports, Tiny Humans, and New Paths
09:35 Technical Issues and Showing Up Anyway
12:04 You Are Not an Aesthetic
13:00 Consumerism and Filling a Void
13:54 Car Kits and Comparing Your Life
15:11 Being Yourself in Different Settings
17:19 Kids, Social Media, and Lifetime Effects
19:07 Want Versus Need
20:16 The Instagram Comparison Spiral
22:12 Doom Scrolling Still Feeds You
23:20 Trad Wife Content and Planned Reality
26:58 Gratitude and Editing Your Environment
28:39 Looking Up From Your Phone
31:44 When Did Hand Sanitizer Become Your Value?
35:29 Who Am I Buying This For?
38:36 Aesthetic Became Identity
43:25 You Are a Person, Not a Trend
46:22 Treat Your Phone Like a Tool
47:13 Why I Keep Showing Up
49:11 If No One Has Told You Lately

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