An Uncluttered Life

AUL #185 - It's Time to Say Goodbye to You All Oct 30, 2016

Do you have a hard time quitting when something isn’t working? Most people do. The devil you know seems more comfortable than the one you don’t! Today you’ll learn why it’s okay to quit, even when it’s scary, and you’ll discover why this is the final podcast episode of An Uncluttered Life.

This is episode 185, the final episode of this long-running podcast, and today we’re talking about when it’s time to quit and how to do it. If you struggle with letting go, this episode is for you.

AUL #184 - Living a Life without Regrets Oct 23, 2016

A lot of what we talk about at An Uncluttered Life falls into 2 categories: 1) fear of the choices ahead of you, and 2) regret over choices you made in the past. One of those you can still do something about. The other one is what we’re talking about today.

This is episode 184, and today we’re talking about REGRET. If you ponder your regrets on a regular basis, today’s episode just might help you clear the slate.

AUL #183 - Take Control of Your Life Oct 16, 2016

Do you know the #1 reason you don’t get more of what you want in life? Well, today you’re going to find out!

This is episode 183, and today we’re talking about CHOICE. This is what it all boils down to, every single day, in creating the life you live. If you don’t like where you are, then it’s time to make some different choices!

AUL #182 - Shifting Your Perspective Oct 09, 2016

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost perspective on a situation? It may hit you like a lightning bolt, or maybe the dawning is more gradual. In either instance, you get a chance to match your attitude and actions to what’s real. But what about the times when you don’t realize your perspective is off? How do you get a true picture of what’s going on if you don’t even know you’re not seeing it clearly? This is episode 182, and today we’re talking about perspective and how we’ve learned to challenge ours on a regular basis to keep it real.

AUL #181 - The myth of an overnight success Oct 02, 2016

Do you ever find yourself envious of friends, coworkers, and random strangers who seem to hit the jackpot? They effortlessly lose weight, climb the career ladder, or find the perfect partner, and they don’t seem to be trying half as hard as you! Why is overnight success happening to everyone else but you?

This is episode 181, and today we’re discussing overnight success and how it isn’t always what it seems.

AUL #180 - Rethinking the Midlife Crisis Sep 25, 2016

It sounds so cliché: “I’m having a Midlife Crisis.” Yet when you’re in the midst of one, the joke is not funny. You question everything you’ve done up to this point, which makes you even less sure what to do about the future. But what if we told you this time of crisis could be the biggest breakthrough of your life?

This is episode 180, and today we’re discussing changing idea of the midlife crisis to help you create the life you want.

AUL #179 - Who should you take advice from in your life? Sep 18, 2016

How many times have people tried to change your outlook on politics, religion, dieting, exercise, finances, home decor, how to raise your kids, or what to do with your career? You get advice all day long, and only a very small portion of it is worthwhile. But how do you know who to listen to and who to tune out? This is episode 179, and today we’re talking about advice, specifically who to listen to, and who to avoid like the plague…because it’s not always obvious until you’ve taken that crappy advice! �

AUL #178 - When communication styles collide Sep 11, 2016

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you into a meltdown in progress. Are you ready?

This is episode 178, and today we’re sharing something a bit more personal than usual. We’re struggling with a problem, and today you get to see how we handle it.

AUL #177 - How to get started on anything Sep 04, 2016

Why is it so hard to get started? You spend hours daydreaming about the results you want, but you can’t seem to find 5 minutes to actually take action. You know you want it. You know it’s good for you. And still, you can’t seem to get started.

This is episode 177, and today you’ll discover how to get started on anything. Yes, it’s a pretty big promise. But if you give us 30 minutes, we’ll deliver.

AUL #176 - What Our Uncluttered Life Looks Life (Part #4 - Our Health) Aug 28, 2016

Do Betsy and I really walk the talk with these weekly episodes? You betcha! Today we’re back with the final episode in this behind-the-scenes series of what our uncluttered life looks like. Today’s topic: HEALTH. If you wonder what an uncluttered life looks like in action, be sure to catch all the episodes in this behind-the-scenes series. We’re opening up our lives and showing how we got to this Plan A Life because YOU asked for it! Check out episodes 173-176 for an insider look at our personal life, how we work, where we spend our money, and now today’s episode about how we take care of our bodies.

AUL #175 - What Our Uncluttered Life Looks Like (Part 3, Money) Aug 21, 2016

Curious about what life looks like when you take all these weekly lessons and put them into practice? Good news! We’re back with the 3rd episode in this behind-the-scenes series of what our uncluttered life looks like. Today’s topic: MONEY.

AUL #174 - What our uncluttered life looks like (Part 2 - Our Business) Aug 14, 2016

What does our uncluttered business look like? How did we get here, and why do we do it? Stay tuned for an inside look at how our work actually works!

This is episode 174, and in Part 2 of this series on what our uncluttered life looks like, we’re taking you inside our business. Find out what goes on behind the microphone and why we do what we do. Let the peeking begin!

AUL #173 - A Peek into our Uncluttered Personal Life Aug 07, 2016

Are you wondering what an uncluttered life looks like—a real-life, working, everyday life, relationship, and career? Lock the door and close the blinds, because we’re going to reveal to you exactly how ours works—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This is episode 173, and today you get an inside look at what OUR uncluttered life looks like. This is the first a 4-part series where we’ll reveal the inner workings of our personal life, business life, money, and health. Let the voyeurism begin!

AUL #172 - Are you your own worst enemy? Jul 31, 2016

Recently we sent an email to 4000 people asking about the one thing they were struggling with right now. We answered every single response with 3 specific actions they could take to overcome their roadblock. Guess what happened next?

This is episode 172, and today you’ll discover how YOU are potentially your biggest obstacle when it comes to achieving your Plan A Life.

AUL #171 - Your Recovery Plan After You’ve Overdone It Jul 24, 2016

We’ve all been there - burning the candle at both ends, drinking too much wine, eating your weight in chocolate, or working yourself to the bone. However, if you don’t get back on track quickly, these overindulgences can all too easily become your new normal. And that’s no way to reach your Plan A Life.

This is episode 171, and today you’ll discover the 5-step method for getting back to normal after you’ve overdone it, fallen off the wagon, or have discovered you are in the middle of a binge.

AUL #170 - The important difference between reaction & response Jul 17, 2016

Victor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, once said “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Today we’re jumping into that space to discover how this choice can can help you achieve the life you want.

This is episode 170, and today you’ll discover the difference between areactionto an event and your response to it. Plus, you’ll learn the technique that will forever change the way you deal with stressful situations and shift from knee-jerk reaction to thoughtful action.

AUL #169 - Overcoming the need to be perfect Jul 10, 2016

Brene Brown, the author of Daring Greatly, says that people who are walking around as perfectionists are ultimately afraid that the world is going to see them for who they really are and that they won’t measure up. Does that describe you? If so, stay tuned.

This is episode 169, and today you’ll discover why perfectionism will prevent you from living your Plan A Life and how to get real with your life.

AUL #168 - How to create a routine which supports the life you want Jul 03, 2016

Routine is boring, right? Well, it is if you aren’t doing what you love! Imagine a daily routine that supported your lifestyle goals and helped you create a life you love. Now that’s not boring at all!

This is episode 168, and today you’ll discover how to create a non-boring routine that you’ll be excited to follow every single day as you create your Plan A Life.

AUL #167 - How to find accountability and support for your goals Jun 26, 2016

What do other people have to do with your self-discipline? Plenty! No one succeeds 100% on their own, and without a team of support and accountability, you’ll struggle to create lasting change even if you have the self-discipline of a saint.

This is episode 167, and today you’ll discover why you need the support and accountability of other people to build up your self-discipline and—most importantly!—how to get it.

AUL #166 - Why Self Discipline Seems Hard (but really isn’t) Jun 19, 2016

Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do things you know you should do even when you do not want to. It’s how you achieve a long-term vision in the face of short-term distractions, and most people don’t have it. Do you?

This is episode 166, and today we're kicking off a 3 part series on self-discipline. In this episode you’ll discover why it is so important and how to strengthen your self-discipline so you can achieve your Plan A Life.

AUL #165 - Recharge Your Batteries with a Digital Detox Jun 12, 2016

Think you have to hide in a cave to take a break from the constant pull of technology? Well, you’re not even safe there. Today we’re broadcasting from an actual cave in Spain….with wifi. If everywhere in the world is now wired, how do you unplug?

This is episode 165, and today you’ll discover how to take a digital detox to recharge your human batteries and come back better than ever.

AUL #164 - Have you outgrown your life? Jun 05, 2016

Are you holding on to relationships, attitudes, habits, and possessionsthat no longer work for you? The longer you keep what’s not working, the less time you’ll have to discover and enjoy what does.

This is episode 164, and today you’ll discover the one question you can ask yourself every single day to avoid getting stuck in a life that doesn’t fit you anymore.

AUL #163 - How to Run the Best Garage Sale Ever May 29, 2016

690,000 people buy an item at a garage sale EVERY single week in the US. How do you get enough of those buyers at your yard sale to make it worth your effort?

This is episode 163, and today you’ll rediscover an old-fashioned technique for clearing the clutter and making some cash—garage sales! Discover how to overcome the top 3 objections people have to buying your stuff in a garage or yard sale.

AUL #162 - What to Do with the Stuff You Don_t Want Anymore May 22, 2016

The biggest hurdle people face in decluttering (besides getting started), is how to finish. What do you do with all the stuff you no longer want?

This is episode 162, and today you’ll discover a simple, 3-step process to get rid of every single item you no longer want. No more confusion over what to sell or donate, no more second-guessing what trash could be treasure to someone else, and no more hesitation over that final hurdle of getting the clutter out of your house.

AUL #161 - 5 Methods to Recruit Help in Decluttering Your Home May 15, 2016

You feel like you’re the only person in your house who even notices the clutter, and you’re fighting an uphill battle to go through it all faster than the rest of your family can re-clutter it. Or maybe you live alone and the thought of doing this by yourself is overwhelming. How do you get the help and support you need to tackle such a big project?

This is episode 161, and today you’ll discover how to rally the troops to help with your decluttering project, even if you don’t think you have any troops!

AUL #160 - Before You Declutter Your Home You Need to Know Your Why May 08, 2016

“Because I should” is a lousy reason to do anything. And when you use that lame and vaguely judgemental phrase to motivate yourself, you’ll fail 100% of the time. You need a real reason to convince yourself to take on a project like decluttering, and today we’ll show you where to find it.

This is episode 160, and today you’ll discover why you need a reason to declutter your house and how to figure out it. This is the first in a series of podcasts on how to declutter your home.

AUL #159 - How to turn envy into a learning opportunity May 01, 2016

No matter how hard you try, someone is always smarter, faster, thinner, richer, or luckier. And it can be hard not to be envious when you work so hard and someone else seems to be reaping the rewards you so desperately want. You already know that comparison is a losing game, but what if we told you there was a way to flip your envy and make it work in your favor?

This is episode 159, and today you’ll discover how to use envy to improve your life with a simple adjustment in your thinking. This trick is going to change your life!

AUL #158 - Calm the “Reality Drama” inside your head Apr 24, 2016

Do you have voices inside your head? You know, the ones that tell you how stupid you acted, that people don’t like you, that you’re a big failure, or that the sky is falling? These voices don’t want you to live a Plan A kinda Life, and they go to work overtime when they see you reaching for something better.

This is episode 158, and today you’ll discover how to quiet those voices in your head that create drama where there is none. You’ll spend less energy creating fake excitement so you’ll have plenty left over for real-life adventure.

AUL #157 - Busting the Myth of ?I don?t have time" Apr 17, 2016

How many times a day do you say, “I don’t have time for that?” If it’s more than zero, we’re calling you out. If you really want to do something, you’ll make time for it. And if you don’t, well, isn’t it about time you owned up to that fact?

This is episode 157, and today you’ll discover the power of challenging your automatic assumptions and taking ownership of your decisions so you can take back control of how you spend your time.

AUL #156 - How to Remove Toxic Friendships Apr 10, 2016

Friend breakups are messy. You don’t get a therapist or a lawyer like a divorcing couple. You don’t check any boxes or sign any forms to make it official. There are no societal rules for this. So how do you end a friendship that’s damaging your life without causing even more harm?

This is episode 156, and today is the second episode of our series on Toxic Friendships. Last time you learned how to identify one, and today you’ll discover how to end it gracefully.

AUL #155 - Signs that your friendship is turning toxic Apr 03, 2016

No matter how much work you do on your lifestyle, if you are surrounded by Toxic People, you will never make lasting change. The problem is, most toxic people don’t announce themselves until it’s too late. If only you had an early warning system…

This is episode 155, and today you’ll discover the early warning signs of toxic friendship so you can do something about it.

AUL #154: Discover the Power of Themes to Better Manage Your Life Mar 27, 2016

Have you ever hosted a dinner party? Once you decide on the theme, it narrows your focus for the food, the music, the decorations. Everything flows much easier with a theme. What if you took that idea to your entire life?

This is episode 154, and today you’ll discover how themes can work in your life.

AUL #153 - Use a notebook to offload your brain & improve your memory Mar 20, 2016

Your long-term memory resembles a library full of books. But your working memory, that everyday brain power you need to manage your day, it looks more like a dinky chalkboard. It can only hold 3 memories before it runs out of room. No worries, though. We have a solution for the overflow.

This is episode 153, and today you’ll discover a how to use a notebook to increase your working memory storage space and decrease your stress of remembering things.

AUL #152 - Kick Your Sleepless Nights to the Curb Once and for All Mar 13, 2016

Do you often doze when you sit down to read or watch television? How about when riding in a car, bus or train for more than an hour? According to the doctors at the National Institutes of Health, these are signs of sleep deficiency. And with 30% of Americans sleeping less than 7 hours per night, we’ve got a big problem on our hands.

This is episode 152, and today you’ll discover a how to set yourself up for a great night’s sleep—tonight and every night—with a low-stimuation nighttime routine.

AUL #151 - Eliminate Complaining in Your Life...Once and For All Mar 06, 2016

A study at Clemson University found that there are positive outcomes for complaining, especially when you do it to find a solution. Researchers said, "Those who complained with the hope of achieving a certain result, the study found, tended to be happier than those who simply did so for its own sake." But what about those who don’t want to look for a solution to their problems? How do you handle those people…especially if you ARE one of those people?

This is episode 151, and today you’ll discover a how to guard yourself from the negativity of complaining with one of our favorite techniques. And if YOU happen to be the complainer, we’ve got a fix for that, too.

AUL #150 - Unclutter your business idea. 5 Steps to Start Your Own Business Feb 28, 2016

Do you have a great idea for a new business or product, but you’re not sure if it will work? This insecurity stops some people in their tracks, and others ignore it and build anyway, then wonder why their new business isn’t successful. In today’s show, you’ll discover how to tell if your idea has a shot BEFORE you spend a lot of time and money on it. Plus, you’ll learn what to unclutter so you don’t get distracted by bright shiny objects.

This is episode 150, and today we’re closing out the Unclutter Your Work Series with something special for those of you who want to start your own business or side hustle. Today you’ll learn what’s important (and what’s not) when starting your new endeavor BEFORE you spend a lot of money or quit your day job.

AUL #149 - Leave Work On Time (Tips to Get More Done at Work) Feb 21, 2016

This is episode 149, and today you’re going to discover how to leave work on time every day without guilt. When you use our productivity tips, it will be a piece of cake! This is the 3rd episode of our Unclutter Your Work Series.

AUL #148 - How to Say No At Work Feb 14, 2016

This is episode 148, and today you’re going to discover how to say NO to your demanding boss, whiny coworkers, and unrealistic customers. Think it can’t be done? Think again! This is the 2nd episode of our Unclutter Your Work Series.

AUL #147 - How to Unclutter Your Email Feb 07, 2016

According to a technology research group named Radicati, the average person receives 85 emails per day. Why is it that it feels more like 850? If you miss even one day of processing your email, you can get bogged down in a hurry. If you feel like you’re drowning in email at work, then today’s episode is for you.

This is episode 147, and today you’re going to learn how to make your email work for you instead of the other way around. This is the first in our new series called Unclutter Your Work.

AUL #146 - 5 Reasons You Waste Time (and How to Stop Doing It) Jan 31, 2016

According to Psychology Today, 20% of people deliberately look for distractions. They waste time on purpose! Whether you’re in that 20% or not, if you don’t have enough time in your life to enjoy what you love, then today’s episode is for you.

This is episode 146, and today you’re going to learn 5 reasons you waste time and how to stop doing it so you can enjoy more of what you love.

AUL #145 - Your Decisions Made Easy Framework Jan 24, 2016

This is episode 145, and today you’re going to discover how to make everyday decisions easier so you can free up brain space for something more important to you. We call it the Decisions Made Easy Framework.

AUL #144 - 10 Ways to Add More Freedom into Your Life Jan 17, 2016

This is episode 144, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck, we’ve got 10 ways for you to add more freedom to your life.

AUL #143 - 10 Strategies for Uncluttering Your Social Media Jan 10, 2016

This is episode 143, and if you’ve become a slave to social media, we’re going to help you break those chains today. You can enjoy social media and still have an offline life— promise!

AUL #142: How to Use a SWOT Analysis to Unclutter Your Life Jan 03, 2016

Sometimes you have to pull out all the stops to get rid of what's no longer working for you. Maybe it's a poor habit. Maybe it's a negative, soul-sucking friendship. Or maybe it's an attitude that's standing in the way of who you want to be.

In today's episode, we call in the SWOT team to deal with your problem using a SWOT Analysis. If you're doing the 2-week sprints we outlined in last week's episode, this method will dramatically increase your success this year.

What is a SWOT Analysis? The acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It's a matrix businesses have used for years to develop strategies to overcome problems and create success, and now we're making it work for you.

AUL #141 - The Kaizen Approach to Planning Your Best Year Ever Dec 27, 2015

This is episode 141, and today we’re diving into part 2 of our 2-part series on setting yourself up for a better year than the one you just had. We’re taking action on what we learned last episode on the annual review.

"If it isn’t in your calendar, it won’t get done." You may have heard this phrase as it relates to business and productivity, but have you ever used it in your personal life? On today’s show, we’re taking what we learned in last episode’s annual review and mapping out a new year with less of what you hate and more of what you love. We'll be taking our queue from the Japanese concept of "kaizen" to change your perspective of annual planning and set you up for success in the year ahead.

AUL #140 - How to conduct your own annual review Dec 20, 2015

Most people begin a new year with a list of resolutions. Every year they do it, and every year they fail. There’s a pretty good reason for that. People are cluttered and overwhelmed, and until you resolve that issue, you won’t be able to add anything new. Today, we’re going to fix that so you can make 2016 the best year ever.

This is episode 140, and today we’re diving into part 1 of a 2-part series on setting yourself up for a better year than the one you just had. We’re sharing with you a system to review the year that way and plan for the year ahead - one with less overwhelm and more of what you love.

AUL (special episode) - Unclutter Your Christmas with Michelle Steinke-Baumgaurd Dec 16, 2015

This is a special episode for those of you feeling a little overwhelmed by the holiday season. Today’s guest is Michelle Steinke-Baumgaurd of One Fit Widow. Michelle is all about living in the present with family and friends, and with a new marriage, a blended household of four kids, a thriving business, a new nonprofit, and building a new house this year, she is one busy woman. In this special show we’re talking to Michelle about Uncluttering Your Christmas so you can enjoy more of what the season is about.

AUL 139 - Experiments in Deprivation Dec 13, 2015

Research in the Journal of Personality suggests that Self-Disciplined people are happier both in the moment and in the long-run. The study showed these people created environments to avoid their problem triggers rather than relying on self-control, and they focused more on long-term gains than short-term pain.

Could you do that with your biggest vice, even for a week? That’s what we’re talking about on today’s show.

This is episode 139, and today we’re talking about experiments in letting go, specifically how deprivation in small doses can dramatically unclutter your life.

AUL #138: The difference between deprivation and uncluttering your life Dec 06, 2015

Today we’re talking about the difference between deprivation and uncluttering your life. This is the first of a 2-part series that you’ll want to pay attention to, especially if you’re considering making some habit changes in your life.

AUL #137 - Will Conventional Wisdom Get You What You Want? Dec 02, 2015

Married with Luggage has officially transitioned to An Uncluttered Life! Thanks so much for going through this process with us. We're excited about the tight focus on removing what's cluttering your life so you can have more time, space, and money to live the way you want!

Poke around the site and test it out. A few things are still in process, but you have access to almost 1000 resources in the archives..and plenty more where that came from!

When it comes to life advice, too often we rely on conventional wisdom. It’s like a one-size-fits all t-shirt. Sure, it will fit most people, but it won’t fit everyone. Today, you’re going to learn how to question the conventional wisdom so that you’ll always have a life that fits perfectly.

Learn the 5 questions you can ask yourself before following conventional wisdom.

Podcast #136 - What An Uncluttered Life Can Do for You Nov 25, 2015

Does this sound familiar?

Feeling overwhelmed with all the stuff that feels like it is closing in on you and leaving you with no space to think
Struggling to get things done and never feeling like there are enough hours in the day
Money seems to go out as fast as it comes in

This is the first podcast as we shift direction and thought the best place to start was to share our own experience with these challenges. We dive into the challenges we faced early in our marriage and the steps we took to get unstuck and clear space to create the life we have today. It is nice to have the perspective from the outside so that we can share the steps you can take in your own life to create more time, space, and money.

This is episode 136 of the soon-to-be-renamed Married with Luggage Podcast, and today talking all about what an uncluttered life can do for YOU.

Podcast #135 - Announcing a new direction for this podcast Nov 18, 2015

This is episode 135 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re going to tell you what we decided to do with our business after these weeks of analysis and investigation.

That's right, we've chosen a new direction for 2016 and we're excited to share it with you. Listen in as we marry our passion and our business together and set a new deadline for rolling this new venture out.

Podcast #134 - Behind the scenes of a big change in direction (Part 4) Nov 11, 2015

This is episode 134 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re going to talk about what it’s like to be down to the wire in making a big decision. We've given ourselves one week to decide what we're going to do and six weeks to ramp up for 2016.

We know where we messed up before, and it is really strange how we keep coming up with ideas that repeat those same mistakes! Thankfully we've had the help of readers, listeners, and friends to both clarify and confuse the situation!

We are getting close to a solution, and in this week's show we work through some of the remaining concerns and zero in on a probable solution. But will it last another seven days? Or will we have a last-minute burst of inspiration?

Podcast #133 - Behind the scenes of a big change in direction (Part 3) Nov 04, 2015

This is episode 133 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re continuing to give you a behind-the-scenes look as we negotiate some big changes here at Married with Luggage! Join us for a candid discussion of changing paths and making hard choices about the future.

Today we discuss our thoughts on the recent survey you completed and what it tells us about our future direction here with the Married with Luggage podcast and business. We share our own thoughts of what interests us most going forward and agree to a deadline for this decision.

Today's episode is longer than usual, which is not surprising given we are deep in the throes of a major decision for our business.

Podcast #132 - Behind the scenes of a big change in direction (Part 2) Oct 28, 2015

We're back. We took a week off (you did notice we were gone...right?) to enjoy a full digital detox - no Internet, no phone (easy as we don't have one). It was a chance to reconnect with each other, read, and concentrate on what matters.

Plus, during our time we had several conversations around the future plans for our business and how best to help you more. This week on the episode we're sharing more of the ongoing decision making process we're going to to determine how best to serve you in the year ahead.

This is episode 132 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re continuing to give you a behind-the-scenes look as we negotiate some big change in our lives…again!

Podcast #131 - Considering a big change in direction Oct 14, 2015

This week's episode is a bit different. We are at the earliest stages of considering some big changes here at Married with Luggage, but we have yet to determine a direction or a plan. However, we thought it would be interesting to give you a peek behind the scenes as we go through making a big change.

Over the next few weeks we'll share with you the conversations we're having, the challenges along the way, and we're sure a few "heated discussions" (aka fights) as we look to outline our path forward. Making big changes in life or business can be challenging and we hope that sharing our own struggles will help you to frame those decisions you face in going after your best life.

This is episode 131 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re talking about change. Specifically, how messy it looks and feels on the inside, even when you’re doing the right thing.

Podcast #130 - What advice would you give the "you" of 5 years ago? Oct 07, 2015

Imagine you could go back 5 years and sit across the table from yourself. You'd have a chance to share advice and recommendations to the younger you.

What would you say? What inspiration would you give? Would you provide ideas for how to enjoy more of life? Or, would you warn yourself away from danger?

This week, as we celebrate 5 years of living our best lives, we decided hop in our way back machine and share some wisdom with those two wide eyed and slightly pudgier versions of ourselves as they embark on a big adventure.

This is episode 130 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re talking about advice you’d give your younger self and whether you’re listening to it now.

Podcast #129 - Overcoming Fear (Part 3 of the Overcoming Obstacles series) Sep 30, 2015

This is episode 129 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re talking about FEAR, that monster who’s only goal is to scare you from trying anything new ever again as long as you live.

In order to live your best life you will need to move beyond that fear, and today we share the answer. Listen as we talk about our own fears, how to train your fear to work for you, and the importance role that fear should play in your life (hint, it is not as a roadblock).

We also created a special free toolkit to support you and guide you through how to move beyond the fear to create the life you want.

Podcast #128 - Overcoming "Not Enough" Money, Time, or Knowledge Sep 23, 2015

This is episode 128 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re talking about Scarcity, that fear that you don’t have enough money, know-how, or time to have the life you really want.

We've all been in situations in which we told ourselves we did not have "enough" (time/money/experience/knowledge) to go after something we wanted. This feeling keeps us from moving towards what we want and we convince ourselves it's not possible.

In today's episode we're flipping that idea on it's head and challenging you to look at the obstacle, and your life, in a different way. What if you HAD to do that one thing as if your life depends on it.

And frankly, living your BEST live does?

Podcast #127 - Overcoming the Obstacles to Live Your Best Life (#1 - Feeling Overwhelmed) Sep 16, 2015

"What is the #1 obstacle you are facing in going after your best life?"

This is the question we asked a couple of weeks ago on our Facebook page, and I don’t think we were prepared for the number of people who shared their challenges so openly. We heard about people's struggles with time, money, not knowing where to start, and a multitude of earnest insights into what was keeping them from living the life they wanted.

Over the course of a few morning walks we discussed the feedback and how great it would be to provide some guidance for how to remove those obstacles and help get you closer to living your best life. This is where the idea for a new series here on the podcast was born.

This is episode 127 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re starting a 3-part series on the biggest obstacles people face in creating their best life…and then we’re going to blow them up. We’re calling this series "The Obstacle Course".

First up we're talking about feeling overwhelmed - by trying to please too many people, the inability to say NO, the high expectations we all put upon ourselves, and much more. We loved putting this series together and hope you enjoy.

Podcast #126 - What living in a motorhome for a month taught Sep 09, 2015

This is episode 126 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we’re talking about what it’s like to live in very close quarters with someone you love. We're back. After a month enjoying cooler weather and amazing food in Galicia (northwestern Spain), we are back in the south and getting reacquainted with our microphone. Today's episode we're sharing our thoughts on living in an RV with 2 cats for a few weeks and what we learned about each other and ourselves in the process. After living out of our backpacks for several years, we thought this would be a piece of cake. Park next to the ocean, eat some great seafood, and make new friends with the other RV campers. We’d get a good taste of what it was like to own a tiny house, or even prep for our own future road trip across the US and Canada. Is that how it happened? Stay tuned to find out.

Encore episode #56 - When Your Dream Evolves Sep 02, 2015

The Married with Luggage Podcast never takes a vacation. But Betsy and Warren do! Over the past few weeks we've highlighted a few of our most popular past episodes, and today is your last peek into the archive. (Well, unless you just go to our website or to iTunes and listen to them yourself.) This episode is all about buying a house in Spain: why we did it, what it means for our lifestyle, and how we feel about our evolving dream. This episode drained our servers a bit when it published, and we think you'll understand why.

Encore Podcast #105: I Wrote a Romance Novel Aug 26, 2015

The Married with Luggage Podcast never takes a vacation. But Betsy and Warren do!

This month we're highlighting a few of our most popular past episodes, and today's is called 'I wrote a romance novel.' You know why? Because I did! If you're thinking of writing a book or any endeavor where you don't quite know all the steps, this episode will show you how we moved forward into this new genre with a lot of energy and not much else. And if you're interested in the romance books, you can check them out at BetsyTalbot.com/books. Now let's get started.

Encore Podcast #71: Why You Only Get 3 Chances at Love with Ty Tashiro, PhD Aug 19, 2015

Treating your relationship like a lab rat isn't as weird as it sounds. You track what happens, learn from your mistakes, and improve over time. As nerdy as it sounds, you can improve your chances at love by paying attention to what you're doing right in the quest for love...and what you're doing wrong.

In today's episode, we start by revealing some of our more geeky relationship rules, lessons we've learned through trial and error:

Replay of Podcast #79 - How Women's Erotica Can Stimulate Your Sex Life Aug 12, 2015

In today's conversation we reveal our own personal struggles with a lagging libido and one approach we've used to help rekindle the spark. We're talking about how erotica can provide a fun addition to the bedroom.

This is a replay of one of our most popular episodes ever. We are enjoying a few weeks away from the microphone and hope you like this look back at a great show.

Podcast #125 - How to keep going when all you want to do is quit Aug 05, 2015

Imagine us in the studio, bullet points ready for a quality conversation about living your best life right next to our coffee cups, ready to create a quality podcast for you.

Then imagine everything going to hell, a huge fight, and one of us walking away to cool off.

Ever feel that way about something you're trying to build? An intense need to quit, to drop it, to find something easier?

We felt that way this week, and instead of giving in, we left the microphone on and talked about it. This is the rawest episode of Married with Luggage to date, and if you struggle with wanting to give up when the going gets tough, this episode is for you.

Podcast #124 - Getting past analysis paralysis to make big things happen Jul 29, 2015

Have you ever talked yourself out of a great idea? Spent weeks researching a new endeavor, never taking any action towards making it a reality?

We thought so.

We've been there too - stuck trying to find all the answers & determine every possibility before taking the first action. Paralyzed by the unknown.

In this week's episode we're talking about analysis paralysis, the over-thinking that stops you in your tracks before you even take the first step. We share the business idea that that has vexed us for years and the tools you can use to move past the research phase and get to making your big idea become reality.

Episode #123 - Don’t Do This At Home Jul 22, 2015

Over the last 12 episodes we've shared with you the habits and actions that work in building your dream lifestyle. But we didn’t come to those conclusions without a LOT of trial and error. Since making the decision to start living our best lives we have made a host of mistakes and missteps. We don't always share them, but today we're coming clean.

This is episode 123 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we're talking about what we've done wrong on the path to living our best life. This might be our longest episode ever!

Podcast #122: The Secret to Living Your Best Life for Years to Come Jul 15, 2015

Wow, we can't believe that we are already at the last step in our Life the Best Life Series. Over the course of the last 3 months we've identified what should be removed from your life, created a list of what you want most, delved into your native tendencies, and given you jump start to take control of your finances.

Each of these steps is designed to create a practical guide you can use to create the life that you want today. We know because we used these exact same steps to create the life we are living today.

Which brings to today's episode. The funny thing about dreams is that as you reach them what you desire shifts and grows bigger than you can imagine. In fact, just by saying you are committed to living your best life (way back in Step #1) you have opened up possibilities that were not there before.

By asking yourself one simple question you are going to ensure that you can achieve your best life possible and keep living it for years to come. Come on in to discover the secret.

This is episode 122 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we're talking about the evolution of your dream and how to evolve with it.

This is the 12th step and final step of the The Best is Yet to Come plan.

Podcast #121: Getting into Physical Shape (Step 11 of The Best is Yet to Come) Jul 08, 2015

Before we left to follow our dream and travel the world, we were not in our best shape. Far from it, in fact. This is one area we both wish we had focused on more leading up to creating our best lives.

Today we're sharing the challenges that being out of shape can have as you move towards your best life. Plus, we share actionable steps you can take to gain back the energy in your life to go after what you want most.

Reaching your dream is meaningless if you aren't healthy enough to enjoy it, or if you can't enjoy it for long.

This is the 11th step of the 12-Step plan we call, The Best is Yet to Come.

Podcast #120 - Get Your Financial House in Order Jul 01, 2015

Today we're talking about how to make your money work for you instead of the other way around. This is the tenth step of The Best is Yet to Come Series, an exploration of the building blocks to create your best life, no matter what your age.

There are a lot of ways to manage your money, but it won't do you a bit of good until you change your mindset. Becoming the boss of your money instead of a slave to it will revolutionize how you think about your life and the possibilities for the future.

If your money doesn't align with your lifestyle goal, then you'll never reach it.

Simple as that. And today we're going to show you how to bring your dreams and your reality into alignment inside your wallet.

Podcast #119: The Secret to Achieving Big Goals in Life (Step #9 of The Best is Yet to Come) Jun 24, 2015

Last episode we talked about planning your year, listing those small and large goals that will make your life measurably better. But guess what? You can’t just list them and wait for them to happen. It takes some work!

In today’s episode, we reveal the practical system we use to accomplish everything from a trip around the world to writing a book to getting fit enough for a 300-mile hike. It’s not rocket science, but it does take some personal propulsion. Once you learn this system, you can use it for everything you want to do in your life.

"Your big goal has to be reflected in your daily activities.” ~ Betsy Talbot

Podcast #118 - Conduct Your Own Annual Review (Step #8 of The Best is Yet to Come) Jun 17, 2015

Do you find yourself every new year identifying a list of "resolutions" to embark on something new only to discover a couple months later you've given up on each and every one? This was us for the first several years of our relationship. We'd announce big plans and then do nothing to make them a reality.

Then in 2009 we make a switch. We started implementing an annual review of our lives which has changed everything now is the foundation for how we can accomplish so much each and every year. The best news is you don't have to wait until New Years to create your own annual review. You can start today.

In today's episode we're sharing the secret we use every year to plan what we're going to do for the year ahead and how to use the idea in your own life.

Podcast #117: Create a Strong Circle of Friends (Step #7 of The Best is Yet to Come) Jun 10, 2015

In today’s episode, we’re talking about removing toxic people from your life and filling your circle with great people who’ll cheer you on.

Have you ever heard the saying, you're most like the five people you spend the bulk of your time with? Well, if those people are not the kind to wish you the best or support your dreams, then it’s gonna be pretty damn hard to create the kind of life you want.

Limiting your time with toxic people and learning how to draw great people into your life is key to creating your best life.

Podcast #116 - What Makes Your Partner Tick? Jun 03, 2015

In today’s episode, we’re talking about what makes your partner tick and how that insight can transform your relationship.

For the first several years of our relationship, we didn't really know each other. We thought we did, of course, but we didn’t have a clue.

Because of that, we fought about things that weren’t really fights and created problems where there weren’t any.

Last week you got to know yourself. In today’s show, you’re going to do the same with your partner.

Episode #115 - Know How You Are Wired May 27, 2015

In today’s episode, we’re talking about knowing how you’re wired so you can create a lifestyle that fits you perfectly.

Have you ever thought you really wanted something, then you got it and hated it? Many people aren’t clued in to their core preferences, tendencies, and irritants, so it’s no surprise that we often make the wrong decisions.

Imagine knowing what makes you tick, avoiding what works against you, and humming along like a Porsche at top speed on the autobahn in every area of your life. When you know yourself really well, you can!

Be Your Own Mad Scientist - Episode #114 May 20, 2015

In today’s episode, we’re talking about experimentation, which is the fourth step of the 12-Step plan we like to call, The Best is Yet to Come.

Cultivating an attitude of experimentation is key to creating your dream lifestyle. Saying yes to experimentation is a smoother path to your dream than saying no until your dream comes to you delivered exactly as requested with a bow on top. (Hint: that never happens.)

Experimentation and documentation will help you further refine the kind of life you want to live…and may even take you in a direction you never expected!

Step #3 of The Best is Yet to Come series: Remove What's Not Working (Podcast #113) May 13, 2015

In today’s episode, we're talking about how to take action on that list of things that detract from your life so you can have more room for the things you want.

It feels good to vent/gripe/bitch about what’s not working in your life. “Getting it off your chest” is all about removing that weight at least temporarily.

But if you don't actually remove those negatives, you'll continually have to get it off your chest, and before long you'll wonder when you became such a negative person. You don't want that to happen!

What set us up for success in creating our ideal lifestyle was reducing and removing everything that diminished our life, work, and relationship. It didn't happen in one fell swoop, but it did happen with focused effort.

What does your ideal lifestyle look like? (Episode #112: The Best is Yet to Come, Step #2) May 06, 2015

While it feels damn good to vent about what you don’t like in life (like we did in the last episode), you can't move forward without a direction. What set us up for success in creating our ideal lifestyle was what it looked and felt like. And we couldn’t do that with big, lofty goals we couldn’t visualize. We had to get small first so we could think big, and that’s where we created The List.

In today’s episode, we're talking about what your ideal lifestyle looks like, from breakfast to bedtime and everything that happens in between.

Podcast #111 - The Best is Yet to Come series - Step #1 - Admit You Have a Problem Apr 29, 2015

This is episode 111 of the Married with Luggage Podcast, and today we're kicking off The Best is Yet to Come: the 12 step plan to reclaiming the joy in your life. The first step focuses on admitting what you don't like about your life so you can do something about it. Join us and take the first step to reclaiming your happiness.

How we Changed Our Lives (and you can too) - Podcast #110 Apr 22, 2015

Back in 2006, we were watching our life fall apart. We were just two years into our marriage, and we knew it wouldn’t last. We worked crazy hours, traveled a lot for business, and then spent our free time trying to buy our way out of the discomfort we felt at home.

There were fights - serious ones and stupid ones, and we even went to see a marriage counselor once, but we mostly just watched the relationship crumble in front of our eyes.

Warren went to work at 6 a.m.and came home at 5. I went to work at 8 and came home at 7. Between dinner and evening checks on email, we had little time for each other or anything else in our lives. We gained weight. We spent too much money. We were incredibly busy but at the same time bored out of our minds.

If you looked at our gray colonial house with the black shutters and red door on a quiet suburban street, you’d have thought we had it all together.

But it was all a fancy book cover on a story that was heading for an unhappy ending.

In today’s episode, you'll learn how we changed our lives. Plus, we kick off a new series here on the podcast - The 12-Step Plan to Change Your Life.

Podcast 109: Create Your Portable Business to Have Freedom to Live Where You Want w/Natalie Sisson Apr 15, 2015

In today’s episode, you'll learn the first key steps of creating your own portable business, long before you start worrying that your savings will run out.

Back in 2011 we sat in a pub in Scotland, more than six months into our journey around the world. I remember telling you I didn't want this to end - ever. Right about that time the bartender set down our beers and said something like, “There’s more where that came from!”

He knew where his next beer was coming from, but we didn't. We were at a crossroads, wondering how to finance the lifestyle of our dreams. Our savings wouldn’t last forever, and taking a conventional job would mean giving up the life we'd worked so hard to create.

That day, at the pub in Scotland, we decided to start our own business, even though we had no idea what it would look like.

Taking the final steps to a big change (Episode #108 w/Alison and Andrew) Apr 08, 2015

The beginning of any dream is filled with excitement and a vision of all that is possible. The further you move into the planning process the more chances there are for fear and life experiences to derail your dream from becoming a reality. It takes focus and a great deal of work to keep moving forward.

When we first talked to Alison Cornford-Matheson and Andrew Matheson back in October 2013 on episode #30, they were planning for a big life change. The two of them wanted to buy an RV and slow travel around Europe with their two cats, running their popular website, Cheeseweb.eu, from the road. The goal was to save a ton of money, get rid of their possessions, buy a motorhome, and begin traveling in 2016.

This week we catch up with these 2 intrepid dreamers to see how their planning is going and discover what changes have shifted their timeframe. Find out as they reveal the joys and challenges of getting close to realizing your biggest dreams.

What our personality types reveal about us (Podcast #107 with Jessica Butts) Apr 01, 2015

In last week's episode we discussed how learning your personality type, and that of your partner, can improve your relationship. By gaining insight into your natural tendencies you can discover how you like to process information as well as the best way to engage with the ones you love.

Over the last week we have taken the Myers-Briggs test ourselves and this week we're finding out what it all means. Is our marriage doomed? Are there strategies we can use to manage our differences? Join us to find out.

How the Myers-Briggs Test Can Improve Your Love Life Mar 25, 2015

Have you ever taken a personality test? Many of us do it for fun, or because your office sends you to a workshop for team building or leadership training.

But what about using this information to improve your relationship? Today we're going to talk about the definitive personality profile test, Myers-Briggs, with an expert who can show us how to use the test to improve your love life.

Our guest, Jessica Butts, is a psychotherapist, coach, radio show host, and speaker who helps people figure out who they are so they can be in better relationships. Find out more at Jessica's website, where you can take a free test via a short video series that explains what it all means.

I Wrote a Romance Novel (Episode #105 with Betsy Talbot) Mar 18, 2015

What is it like to embark on a new passion in your chosen career? How does it feel to write a sex scene? What compels someone to write about romance and discovery for women over 40?

These are the questions we discuss this week as the turn the tables on Betsy and put her on the other side of the microphone. With the release of her first romance novel, Wild Rose, this week we're getting a sneak peek behind the scenes of what motivated her to start writing in this new direction.

How to get started on the impossible (Podcast #104 with Leigh Shulman) Mar 11, 2015

How do you go after the impossible? How do you even get started?

These are the questions we're tackling this week, and we know something about it. At one time we thought it would be impossible to save our marriage, travel around the world, or live in another country. However, we've successfully done all three and continue to reach for bigger and bigger experiences in our lives together.

Listen in as we discuss going after the impossible with our guest, Leigh Shulman, and provide practical advice to making the impossible possible.

How to Magnify Your Mojo by Recruiting Others to Accomplish Big Goals (Podcast #103 with Joni Rodgers) Mar 04, 2015

Every big accomplishment in our lives has included the support and help of others. This has been true as we planned our trip around the world as well as in our author business. Getting help makes a big goal possible.

Today we're discussing this key secret to achieving big goals in life and in business and how it has helped us expand what was possible. Reaching for something is always easier when you have someone to help you along the way.

Battling Food Waste - Episode #102 with Dana Frasz Feb 25, 2015

Do you throw away food? Is your refrigerator a living lab experiment? On today's episode, we talk about the problems with food waste that affect not only your health and budget, but the world at large.

You already know that we live our lives with more experiences than possessions, carefully evaluating what we bring into our lives. Food is no exception. Since we stopped stockpiling and started eating fresh, we've lost a combined 85 pounds / 38 kilos! Be sure to listen all the way to the end to find out our secret tip for not overeating or wasting food in a restaurant...brilliant in it's simplicity.

We are joined today by Dana Frasz, the Founder and Director of Food Shift. Food Shift's mission is to honor the value of people and our environment by ensuring all good food is eaten, not wasted. From New York to California Dana has been working on this issue for over a decade and we're delighted to chat with her about how food waste is affecting all of us.

How to make a sex toy (Podcast #101 with Brian Kreiger) Feb 18, 2015

You aren’t born knowing how to be a good lover. And even if your parents do give the sex talk, they won’t go that far (thank goodness). Learning to enjoy sex with a partner is far more about open and honest communication between two people. It requires insights into what you each like and being comfortable exploring together.

Today we're diving into the world of sexual aides (aka sex toys) and their role in helping to create and foster open communication. We're going behind the scenes to learn how those toys begin life with the help of a founder of one company who is striving to create pleasure aides for the masses.

Our guest today is Brian Kreiger, an engineer with a background in consumer product development. He is one of the founders of Minna Life, a startup from San Francisco that is dedicated to creating beautiful and approachable sexual health and wellness products. You can find out more at MinnaLife.com.

What It's Like to Live in Another Country - Episode #100 Feb 11, 2015

We are celebrating celebrating 2 big milestones this week. First 100 episodes. Can you believe it? Almost 2 years ago we decided to sit down and chat with people that are living interesting lives and share it with you. Through this process we've grown to love the show and are amazed that we've reached triple digits. In this show we share our plans for the future and what we're looking forward to.

Also this week we're celebrating one year in Spain. We arrived here in February of 2014 and have been loving the new experience. In this week's show we're sharing how our life has changed, what we love most about living in another country, as well as the challenges we've faced.

This is a fun show about celebrating the life we're creating here in Spain as well as a big milestone for this podcast. Thank you for coming along.

Removing Toxic Relationships From Your Life (Episode #99 with Andrea Syrtash) Feb 04, 2015

We've had some bad relationships. Friends who turned out to not support our decisions. People who always focused on the negative aspects of life. Those who simply refused to show an interest in others.

Over the last few years we've become quite adept at removing these influences from our personal lives. In today's episode we're talking about the challenge of toxic relationships and how to eliminate them to free up the space to live a happier life. Warren reveals the results of his recent Facebook friend purge and you get to hear the feedback (the good and the bad).

We are honored to be joined this week by Andrea Syrtash. Andrea is a relationship expert, on-air personality and author of five books including, "He's Just Not Your Type (And That's a Good Thing)" and "Cheat On Your Husband (With Your Husband)" She's the on-air host of love & relationship videos for AOL, NBC ivillage and Yahoo!, and co-hosts "Life Story Project" for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada).

A first-timer’s look at our life in Spain (Episode #98 with Debbie Whitlock) Jan 28, 2015

One year ago we bought a house here in southern Spain (check out the episode). Since then we've immersed ourselves in the language and community, enjoying getting to know this beautiful part of the world.

Today we’re sharing a first-timer’s look at our life in Spain.

Our good friend Debb dropped in for a visit, and we’re going to talk about expectations, open hearts, and diving into new experiences. And since it’s totally unscripted, you might learn a secret or two about us!

A Love Story 40+ Years in the Making (Podcast #97) Jan 21, 2015

Over the last year we've been watching a love story unfold between two lost loves. We enjoyed it so much we decided to dedicate this episode to telling the story of Anong and Cesar, which was 42 years in the making.

Pretend right now that you’re at our house in Spain, gathered around the dining room table. The music is low in the background, the fire in the corner stove is keeping the chill off, and we’ve all had a glass of wine or two. It’s a cozy night, and we’re sharing with you one of the greatest love stories we've ever heard. It all started with a picture we took in January 2011.

Replay: Why We Bought a House in Spain (Episode #56) Jan 14, 2015

This week Betsy's busy putting the final draft together of her new book, Wild Rose, so things are a bit crazy at Casa Talbot. It's been a year since we bought our casita in this tiny village in southern Spain so we're taking the chance to reshare one of our most popular episodes to date.

Episode #56 comes to you from sunny Andalucia, Spain and was the first episode we recorded from the studio of our Spanish home. We share what it's like to buy a house in Spain.

From why we did it to how we did it and the joys and mishaps that happened along the way, find out why we came to Spain to house sit and ended up buying a house of our own.

What's the First Step After Making a Big Decision? (Episode #96) Jan 07, 2015

Learn what we thought the day after we made the big decision to leave our jobs and travel the world. Like most big decisions, it didn't come with a book of instructions, and we'll explain what worked for us in keeping ourselves sane, motivated, and on track...and also to keep making big decisions. (It gets easier!)

You'll also learn how our "lab experiment" lifestyle contributes to our confidence in making these big decisions as well as how sexy it is to be teammates!

What Happens When You Don't Meet Your Goals for the Year (Episode #95) Dec 31, 2014

We'd love to tell you how awesome we are, that we reach every single goal we set, and that we pretty much float on rainbows all the time.

Sadly, we can't do that.

Sometimes we miss the mark, and today's show is all about what we do when that happens to keep the momentum going (or not!) Plus we'll recap the year-end process we use to plan for a great new year and reveal some of our insecurities and concerns going into a new year.

Writing Through Your Grief (Episode #94 with Tré Miller Rodriguez) Dec 24, 2014

Grief is so often a quiet, lonely process. We don’t talk about it, and we’re often expected to get over it in private, in a pretty quick timeframe. In today's episode we're talking about what happens when grief is shared publicly. We're diving into the power of writing as a tool to overcome loss. We share our own stories of loss and how we made it through and the public and private ways we all handle loss.

We're joined today by Tré Miller-Rodríguez, the author of Splitting the Difference: A Heart-Shaped Memoir, a powerful view into the death of her 40-year-old husband who died of a sudden heart attack beside her. This book is one that pulls at your heartstrings and finds you surprised by the candid nature of her writing.

What every 44-year-old woman should know by now (Episode #93) Dec 17, 2014

In this week's show we're providing background and personal stories from one of the most popular posts we've ever shared. To celebrate her 44th birthday this month Betsy wrote an article titled "44 Things Every Woman My Age Knows (or Will After Reading This)". In it she shares her wisdom learned over the years in her funny and engaging style. This episode we're diving into some of our favorites from the list to talk about the origin and allow Betsy to divulge more of how she learned these lessons.

Surviving a Stay-at-Home Digital Detox (Podcast #92) Dec 10, 2014

We just completed a week-long digital fast - no Internet, no computers, no connectivity. It was a chance for us to disconnect from the devices that seem to rule our lives and reconnect with what we love most - each other.

In this week's episode we share why we did it, the challenges we faced (it turns out it's hard for us to disconnect) and what we gained from the experience.

Prioritize Your Passion in Life (Episode #91 with John Parsons) Dec 03, 2014

Do you have to give up your passions if they can't pay the bills?

Many people opt for security over the unknown very early in the game, giving up on the music, sports, dance, art, invention, or writing that our younger selves wanted to devote our lives to. It's almost as if we refuse to give time and attention to a passion if it cannot also make money.

But what happens when you keep that passion in your life for years or decades, never counting on it to make your mortgage payment? There's a different kind of richness that comes from maintaining your interests over a lifetime, and that's the subject of today's show.

Cultivating Optimism and Overcoming Tragedy (Podcast #90) Nov 26, 2014

Are you an optimist? Do you look at each new experience as something that will turn out well in the end? This week we're sharing our own thoughts on the subject as well as which of us is the optimist and which is the "realist". You'll discover how looking on the bright side of life has brought us more happiness and enabled us to embrace the life of our dreams.

How Fitness Saved Me from Depression and Suicide (Episode #89 with Amy Clover) Nov 19, 2014

What do you do with your stress and anxiety? We used to mash it down into a little ball that grew less manageable over time. It wasn't until we started daily walking and hiking in our 40s that we realized the mind-body benefit that comes from sweating it out. Today we're talking to a woman who found exercise more than a stress-buster; it actually saved her life.

Our guest today, Amy Clover, has battled clinical depression and anxiety all her adult life. After a near suicide and treatment, she turned to exercise to become Strong Inside Out. Besides her work on suicide prevention around the US, Amy teaches people with anxiety and depression how exercise can improve their lives and ease their symptoms. Find out more at StrongInsideOutBootcamp.com.

Podcast #88 - Learning to Stop Judging Others Nov 12, 2014

We judge other people. There, we've admitted it to both you and to ourselves. It is a natural tendency we all fall into, but at the same time we've been on the other side all too often of people feeling completely comfortable sharing their judgements of our choices.

In this week's show we share on our ongoing effort to reduce the amount of judgement we let into our lives (hint, it's hard). Plus, we talk about our effort to reduce the amount of judgement we put out into the world (hint, this is even harder). It's a peek into one of our biggest pet peeves and how we are choosing to deal with it.

How do you talk with your partner or loved ones about death? (Episode #87) Nov 05, 2014

How do you talk with your partner or loved ones about death? It is a subject that none of us want to consider, but at the same time is far too important not to broach with those who we love.

In this episode, we discuss one of the most challenging conversations we've had - sharing with each other how we want to be treated if/when the worst happens. In the process we've discovered how much this conversation has opened our mind and caused us to focus on living each day to the fullest.

That time we got stuck on the top of a cliff (Episode #86) Oct 29, 2014

For the last several years we have been collecting stories from our adventures around the world together. As we talked about on last week's show we are getting better at saving them for later. From spending 5+ weeks crossing the Atlantic to bribing a border guard there are a wealth of stories to choose from.

In today's show we're sharing one of these stories with you. Plus, you'll learn which of us loves to tell stories and who is simply humoring the other after having heard them again and again.

Curating Your Life Experiences - Episode #85 with Joel Zaslofsky Oct 22, 2014

In the moment we always believe we’ll remember the events from our life just as vividly as when they happen. But inevitably, with time we find that the memories fade and the details become less crisp and often impossible to recall.

For us, this creates challenges as we try to write about our experiences in the future. We struggle to recall specific feelings we were having or people we met in particular situations. When we bought our house in Spain we knew we wanted to document the process for a future book and so we explored how best to capture all of this to use later. On today's show we're sharing how we are capturing these experiences and how you can use the same techniques in your own life.

Trying Something New - We're Writing a Romance Novel (Episode #84) Oct 15, 2014

We've decided to follow our passion (pun intended) and embark on a completely new project. This episode we give you a behind the scene look into how a tiny idea grew from a conversation on a hike into a completely new endeavor for us.

We share why we're writing a romance novel. It's a fun conversation in which we reveal the project we've been working on the last few months and how we are enjoying this adventure into a new type of writing. Listen in as Betsy shares what it was like to write her first sex scene and Warren auditions to be a character in her next book.

Creating Harmony in your Housework and your Relationship (Episode #83 with Andrew McAllister) Oct 08, 2014

Does the idea of "housework harmony" actually exist? That is the question which seems to plague many of the couples we come across. It seem inevitable one person feels that an undue amount of the load falls to them while their partner seems to shirk the entire concept. In today's show we talk about how to achieve more harmony in the relationship and why this imbalance is bigger than simply a disdain for doing laundry. The problem comes down to a fundamental difference between the sexes.

What We've Learned from 4 Years of Traveling Together - Episode #82 Oct 01, 2014

Four years ago today we left on our journey around the world after two years of saving and downsizing. Whew! It was an amazing feeling, followed quickly by our first big challenge of discovering there was a coup attempt happening that very moment in our first destination.

Yes, you read that right. A coup d'etat attempt happened on the day we left, in the country we were flying into. Without a home or jobs to return to, we had to quickly decide if we were ready for a life of such uncertainty and change.

In today's show we talk about how we felt about ourselves, each other, and our lifestyle back then and compare it to today, with plenty of juicy stories thrown in for good measure. We loved recording this episode, and we think you'll enjoy it, too.

How to go from Lovers to Soulmates (Podcast #81 with Mali Apple and Joe Dunn) Sep 24, 2014

On today's show we share our insights on the subject of soulmates (which we usually call "partners") and whether they just happen or take work to build. You can probably guess our response to that. Then we're joined by our guests, who talk about what it takes to create and sustain a soulmate experience for a lifetime.

The First Step to Living Your Dream: Know What It Is (Episode #80 ) Sep 17, 2014

There is barely a day that goes by that we do not receive an email or message on our Facebook page asking how to begin creating the life of your dreams. The questions come from all over the world so this is clearly a common issue faced by many.

In this episode we share our own experience and steps we took to create the life we wanted from the life we already had. It took many years and dedicated work, but the result was a saved marriage and the opportunity to follow our dream together.

We share how we got started in the earliest stages in order to help you, dear listener, follow in our footsteps. It is a fun overview of how we got started on this wild ride along with practical steps to help you in the process.

How Women's Erotica Can Stimulate Your Sex Life (Episode #79 Rachel Kramer Bussel) Sep 10, 2014

Have you ever experienced a lag in your sex drive, or that of your partner? Have you found that the frequency or passion in your sex life has waned a bit?

In today's conversation we reveal our own personal struggles with a lagging labido and one approach we've used to help rekindle the spark. We're talking about how erotica can provide a fun addition to the bedroom.

We're delighted to be joined this week by Rachel Kramer Bussel, a writer focusing on sex, dating, books and pop culture. She's edited over 50 anthologies including Hungry for More, The Big Book of Orgasms, The Big Book of Submission, Fast Girls, Women in Lust and more, and teaches erotic writing workshops online and across the United States. She's currently on book tour. Find out more at rachelkramerbussel.com and follow her @raquelita on Twitter.

Programming Note: Today’s guest called in from her vacation in rural Vermont and we had a spectacular conversation. The sound quality is not as good as usual, but the content is invaluable and we know you’re going to like this one! Now, on with the show.

How to Talk to Your Partner About Money (Episode #78 with Debbie Whitlock) Sep 03, 2014

Money is one of the top 5 areas couples fight about the most. We know. We've been there. Whether it stems from different goals, different ways we were raised, or our trust of the other person how we approach our finances is a huge issue for many of us.

Today's episode we broach the subject and provide ideas and recommendations for how to talk about money calmly and constructively. We even share our own dirty laundry and the challenges we faced when we first started out.

To help us tackle this difficult topic we are delighted to be joined on the show by finance expert and speaker Debbie Whitlock. Debbie teaches women how to create lives of significance beyond the financial success they can create. The co-author of Incredible Life and host of two popular radio programs, Femme Finance and Femmenation, Debbie combines the worlds of personal growth and financial growth to "create the prosperity and good fortune you deserve.” You can listen to Debbie’s radio shows, Femme Finance and Femmenation, every week on KKNW 1150 AM in Seattle or anywhere in the world via the links at DebbieWhitlock.com.

The Secrets to a Happy Relationship (Episode #77 with Fawn Weaver) Aug 27, 2014

What makes a happy relationship? In this episode we delve into this complex topic and provide practical ideas that we've used ourselves to create what we feel is a happy partnership.

Plus, we're joined by author Fawn Weaver, who was unsatisfied with the boilerplate answers to happiness of "better communication" and "spend more time together". So, to find out the answer for herself, she traveled to 12 countries on 6 continents in search of happy wives and their secrets. She's here to discuss what she found and what the revealed in the NY Times bestseller, The Happy Wives Club.

Is Middle-Aged Love Still Hot? (Podcast #76: with author Jenna McCarthy) Aug 20, 2014

In this episode we're challenging the myth that relationships (and sex) get dull the longer you are in them. As two middle-aged people ourselves (holy crap, when did that happen?) we dish on why we've never been more attracted to each other and what we do regularly to keep it fresh.

We're joined today by the hysterical and fantastic, Jenna McCarthy. She's back for her second appearance on the podcast. Remember back in episode #46 when she told us to treat our spouses like dogs? Yes, that’s good advice, and if you missed the show, go back and listen to what she means by that. She'll teach us all that relationships certainly don't need to get boring.

Our first trip to a Naturist beach (the naked truth about trying new things together) - Episode #75 Aug 13, 2014

One sure-fire way to keep your relationship exciting is to try new things together. It can be as small as checking out a new ethnic restaurant in your city to going to rodeo clown school (Warren's secret desire). One way we challenged ourselves and each other recently was a trip to a naturist beach, a totally nude community near us here in Spain.

An Old-Fashioned Love Story with a Modern Twist (Episode #74 with Sarah K. Peck) Aug 06, 2014

How many old-fashioned habits do you have in your relationship – things your parents or grandparents can relate to?

Probably not a lot. But today's guest has a story that will make you want to ask your Grandma for dating tips. This modern couple went old-school in just one way and it created a magical relationship.

Getting a Second Chance at Love Jul 30, 2014

Imagine if we only had one chance in life to be happy or successful.

In our careers.

In our choice of friends.

Or in love.

What a very sad world it would be if we were all doomed to work in jobs we hated or to hang around people we no longer connect with. Worse yet, what if we lost our chance at love after the death of our partner?

Today's show is both happy and sad as we talk about second chances in life and love. Our guest knows more than most on the topic and we're pleased to have her back on the show to share big news in her life and how she has moved on from tragic loss to find love again. It's an inspiring story of moving forward, even when you think you can't, and what can result if you just keep on going.

For a bit of background, we recommend listening way back to episode #6 when we first met Michelle and heard about her the story of losing her husband.

The Big 3 Areas that can Make an Immediate Impact on Your Relationship Jul 23, 2014

Do you find yourself saying "I'm too busy" whenever people ask how you are doing? Are you missing out on dates with your partner because life is getting in the way? Are you being intentional in how you approach your relationship?

Today's episode delves into what we can do to make our relationship the biggest priority in life. We tackle:

The importance of being intentional
How to stop the "glorification of busy"
Take the first step towards change

We also discuss how to improve your sex life and connection with your partner. This is a good one so let's dive in.

Why You Only Get 3 Chances at Love Jul 16, 2014

Treating your relationship like a lab rat isn't as weird as it sounds. You track what happens, learn from your mistakes, and improve over time. As nerdy as it sounds, you can improve your chances at love by paying attention to what you're doing right in the quest for love...and what you're doing wrong.

In today's episode, we start by revealing some of our more geeky relationship rules, lessons we've learned through trial and error:

The 6-week Romance Experiment (Episode #70) Jul 09, 2014

Episode 70 comes to you from the sunny Andalucia region of Spain. Today we’re talking about the 6-week Romance Experiment - what it is, how it worked, and how you can get in on the action.

What a fantastic adventure through Europe. For 6 weeks we traveled through Europe exploring romance in a variety of locations and ways to keep the spark alive in our relationship.

In this episode we share what we loved the most and how important this journey was to help us reconnect as partners. Plus, we introduce our Romance Bucket which you can use to inject a bit more romance in your relationships. You can download the list of 52 romantic ideas, one for each week of the year, by signing up to our newsletter list.

It's a fun show highlighting romantic adventures to help spark ideas to do with your mate.

The Modern-Day Green Acres couple (Podcast #69 - Debbie & Stuart Quinn) Jul 02, 2014

Episode 69 was recorded in live on a farm in Belgium. Today we're talking to a couple who went from the city life to the farm life without ever having even owned a pet before.

Embarking on a big dream together requires a strong commitment to each other and a serious amount of communication. We're chatting about big life changes today and how one makes the leap from corporate life to stepping off the "standard path". It is a fun episode filled with cheese, and pigs, and baby goats...oh my. This is fun show for all of you who are dreaming of a new life or simply love the idea of going after something completely different.

How to find someone to share your crazy dreams (Episode #68 Jason Surfrapp) Jun 25, 2014

Episode 68 comes to you from sunny Madrid, Spain. Today we're addressing the question we get all the time: How do you find someone to follow your dreams with you? You're going to love today's unconventional guest, and you’ll want to listen through to the end to find out how to win one of 3 copies of his new book.

How else are you gonna find other freaks if you don't out yourself as a freak? This is one of the key lessons we talk about in this episode, the importance of sharing your interests with others. We dive into how you can find people who share your passions and, ultimately, that big dream you have brewing in your mind.

When Trauma Changes Everything (Episode #67 - Rachelle Friedman & Chris Chapman) Jun 18, 2014

Episode #67 comes to you from the waffle center of the world, Brussels, Belgium. Today we're talking to a couple who's relationship has survived and thrived in the midst of a life-changing trauma.

Let's face it, the odds are that most of us will encounter illness or injury in our lives, and the odds go up as we get older.

Besides staying as healthy as we possibly can, how can we insure that our relationships are strong enough to weather whatever comes our way?

Today's interview is a refreshing and powerful look at how a couple can choose to handle a significant trauma together. You'll hear just a little background noise toward the end as Rachelle and Chris's dogs Peaty and Roger sneak into the interview with their favorite chew toys.

How a Strong Woman and a Nice Guy Have a Hot Love Life (Episode #66 with Michelle Lisenbury Christensen) Jun 11, 2014

Episode 66 comes to you from the quaint village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. Today we're talking about strong women and their nice guy partners. How do they learn to move toward the middle to get more pleasure and enjoyment in the relationship?

Are you a nice guy partnered who wishes his partner didn't always try to run the show? Or an outspoken woman who wishes her partner would take charge sometimes? Todays' guest is going to show us how to equalize this scenario – especially in the bedroom – to get more pleasure without compromising who you are.

What the Ethical Slut Can Teach Us All About Love (Episode #65 with Janet W. Hardy) Jun 04, 2014

In this week's podcast, we talk about our visit to a Viennese sex product store (and how it weirdly looks like an Apple store). Why did we do it and what did we learn about each other? Well, you'll have to listen in.

We're in Vienna right now as part of our International Love Affair tour, celebrating the release of our fourth book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World. Vienna is magical, and we could easily imagine ourselves living in this gorgeous city.

But back to the topic at hand. To expand on the topic of sex and intimacy in a long-term relationship, we're talking today with Janet W. Hardy, coauthor of the landmark book, The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships and Other Adventures.

Even if you're not interested in adding more people to your relationship, you will learn a lot about communication, boundaries, and the expansion of love for your own monogamous relationship. We certainly did!

How to Do a “Quickie” Relationship Audit (Episode #64 with Mish and Rob of Making it Anywhere) May 28, 2014

Episode 64 comes to you from scenic Lucerne, Switzerland. Today we’re talking about how to have a quickie audit of your relationship if you aren’t quite ready for an all-out love contract negotiation.

First we want to update you on the International Love Affair, our tour of 10 cities in Europe by train (thanks, Eurail.com!). We’re sussing out the best love stories as we go through our own Romance Bucket List in honor of our new book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World. We’ve now visited Valencia, Spain; the Provence region of France; Florence, Italy; and now Lucerne, Switzerland.

On today’s show we have a celebrity wedding plus our own take on love Italian style.

Today’s interview is with a couple who’s known for getting to the heart of the matter, breaking it down into something doable and repeatable, and then moving on to the next big thing. They turned their attention to our annual love contract negotiation, and you’ll like what they share about this “quickie” that you’ll want to implement in your own relationship.

Marrying Your Vacation Fling (Episode #63 with Linda & David) May 21, 2014

Episode 63 comes to you from historic Florence, Italy. Today we’re chatting about what it's like to turn that hot love affair from your vacation into a lifelong partnership.

We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” ~ Ray Bradbury

Have you ever imagined falling in love with an exotic stranger while on a trip? Today's guests did just that, and we'll find out how they went from a fling to a wedding and what it's like to be married to someone who grew up speaking a different language.

But first, we update you on the International Love Affair, our tour of 10 cities in Europe by train (thanks, Eurail.com!). We're sussing out the best love stories as we go through our own Romance Bucket List in honor of our new book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World.

We're Going on an International Love Affair in Europe (Podcast #62) May 14, 2014

Why in the heck are we taking a 6-week tour of Europe by train? Because it is just about the most romantic thing we can think of doing to celebrate the release of our book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World (you have read it, right?)

In today's show, we'll share the itinerary (which includes George Clooney, a sex hotel, and pasta – though not necessarily at the same time). We also reveal what we're looking for during this journey and which one of us is the most romantic (you've probably already guessed which one it is).

You also get to hear a few of our "bucket list" romantic experiences for the journey.

Child-free by Choice (Episode #61 with Amy and Lance Blackstone) May 07, 2014

So why do child-free couples hate kids so much? KIDDING!

We don't hate kids, but there are some very well-thought-out reasons why we choose not to have them.

Parenthood should be a pretty conscious choice, don't you think?

We've always known that we didn't want to have children, but not every childless-by-choice couple comes to it that way, which is why you're going to find today's chat so interesting.

Happily Married but Living Separately (Episode #60 with Lise Stoessel) Apr 30, 2014

Episode #60 comes to you from sunny Andalusia, Spain. Have you ever wondered if your relationship would improve if you lived in separate houses? Today we'll talk to a couple who did just that…and saved their marriage!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Lots of people tell us they can't imagine our life of constant togetherness as we live, travel, and work together around the world.

That might be true, but let's imagine the opposite.

Can you imagine maintaining your relationship while living in separate houses? Many couples do this for practical reasons, like work, but we're talking to a couple today who did it to save their marriage.

After 23 years Lise and her husband were headed for a divorce when they decided to make a last-ditch attempt to make it work. Seven years later, they're still going strong with two separate house keys. You can learn more about her story and her book, as well as enjoy links to articles, interviews and TV spots, on her website: www.lisestrykerstoessel.com.

Want to hear how they do it? So did we!

Happily Married but Living Separately (Episode #60 with Lise Stoessel) Apr 30, 2014

Episode #60 comes to you from sunny Andalusia, Spain. Have you ever wondered if your relationship would improve if you lived in separate houses? Today we'll talk to a couple who did just that…and saved their marriage!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Lots of people tell us they can't imagine our life of constant togetherness as we live, travel, and work together around the world.

That might be true, but let's imagine the opposite.

Can you imagine maintaining your relationship while living in separate houses? Many couples do this for practical reasons, like work, but we're talking to a couple today who did it to save their marriage.

After 23 years Lise and her husband were headed for a divorce when they decided to make a last-ditch attempt to make it work. Seven years later, they're still going strong with two separate house keys. You can learn more about her story and her book, as well as enjoy links to articles, interviews and TV spots, on her website: www.lisestrykerstoessel.com.

Want to hear how they do it? So did we!

What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World - Episode #59 Apr 23, 2014

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary and we're sharing some big news with you. In this episode were talking about our annual love contract (as outlined in Episode #7), launching our 4th book (Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World), and announcing our European book tour.

We share insights on how it feels to make it to this milestone, one neither of us expected to reach. We share our candid thoughts about the ups and downs along the way and the love we feel for each other now as we enter a new decade together.

Plus, we are giving you a chance to win your very own European holiday. This is our biggest giveaway yet and you won't want to miss your chance to engage. Here is a link to jump straight to contest details: http://www.marriedwithluggage.com/contest.

Reconnecting With a Lost Love After 11 Years (Episode #58 with Michelle Colon-Johnson) Apr 16, 2014

Spicing Up Your Sex Life (Episode #57 with Cecilie Kjensli) Apr 09, 2014

Episode 57 comes to you from the sunny Andalucia region of Spain. Today we're talking about how to climb out of a sexual valley in a long-term relationship. It's gonna get spicy! We admit that we blushed often during this show, but know how important it is to share so we're anxious to put this one out there.

This is our most raw show yet so if you are concerned with the details you may want to skip this episode. You may find out more about us than you want to know.

Today's episode is our first, but certainly not last, time to dive into the realm of sexual intimacy. It's an important topic in any relationship, especially for long-term couples who may find their desire dropping and are seeking that "spark" to get things going again.

Our delightful guide and guest for this show is Cecilie Kjensli, a top sex educator and speaker in Norway with a mission to make sex enjoyable throughout your life. Cecilie has been dubbed the "Dildo Queen of Norway" and is a sex inspirationist providing aide to couples to improve their intimacy. To find out more about her products and services, check out CecilieKjensli.no. And don't worry - Google will translate the whole page to English for you with just one click!

Why We Bought a House in Spain (Episode #56) Apr 02, 2014

Episode 56 comes to you from sunny Andalucia, Spain. In fact, it comes to you from the studio of our new Spanish casa, which is the subject of today's show: What it's like to buy a house in Spain.

From why we did it to how we did it and the joys and mishaps that happened along the way, find out why we came to Spain to house sit and ended up buying a house of our own.

Does this mean the travel has stopped? Hell no! I mean, stay tuned to find out!

I Married a Romance Writer (Episode #55 with Melissa and Les Foster) Mar 26, 2014

Episode 55 comes to you from the Andalucia region of Spain.

We're talking about romance and writing this week. We share how we almost wrote our own romance novel, but decided instead to share our story. We give you a glimpse into our upcoming book (Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World) and how it came to be.

What would it be like to be married to a romance writer?

Today we get the scoop from a best-selling author and her husband. We're chatting with best-selling author Melissa Foster and her husband Les to learn how they bring romance from the pages of her books to their bedroom. Or is it the other way around? Find out more about Melissa's books at MelissaFoster.com.

We dive into this and more in this sexy episode.

How Opposites Attract...and Stay Together (Episode #54 - Corbett Barr & Jessalyn Haggenjos) Mar 19, 2014

You love 'em and you hate 'em, sometimes in the very same moment. We all know opposites attract, but how do you keep it together when you're just so very different?

If you are a creative in love with a logical mind, or you can't understand why your mate doesn't see the world the way you do, then this episode is for you.

We're joined today by Corbett Barr and his wife Jessalyn Haggenjos. Corbett is the founder of Fizzle.co, one of the most successful online business training sites on the internet. Jessalyn is an accomplished artist who prefers a canvas to a spreadsheet. Discover more about her and her amazing art at haggenjos.com. They share their strategies for honoring each other's thinking patterns and working around the deficits. This is an honest conversation about a real relationship, and you'll love the insights they share about how they've learned to make it work better.

Is There a Better Way? A Guide to Simplicity (Episode #53 with Robert Wall) Mar 12, 2014

Episode 53 comes to you from chilly and beautiful Oslo, Norway. Today we’re talking about the power of questioning the norm. Prepare to be challenged.

In this episode we’re talking about changing our attitudes towards commonly accepted “truths” and dispelling the notion about what we “need” to be happy.

Robert Wall used to be a packrat before he discovered minimalism. He publishes the Untitled Minimalism website and podcast, which gives practical, solid advice to enable starving college students, middle class paper pushers, retired millionaires, and everybody in-between to accomplish extraordinary changes in their lives. You can find out more at UntitledMinimalism.com. His latest book is Escaping “GiftMas”: Getting Right-Side-Up About Gifts In An Upside-Down Holiday Culture.

Be Comfortable and Proud of Who You Are (Episode #52 with Denise Jolly) Mar 05, 2014

Today we celebrate the 1 year anniversary of this podcast. Episode 52 comes to you from the Andalucia region of Spain. Today we're talking being comfortable and proud of who you are.

In this episode we're diving inside all of us to talk about what makes us each beautiful. What is it in you that makes you a beautiful person and what do you have to offer the world. We challenge the notion that external beauty defines us and discuss how we can all feel more comfortable in our own skin and with the world around us.

We're honored to be joined this week by Denise Jolly, the co-host and facilitator of the Seattle Poetry Slam and Poetry Curator for The Round a live multidisciplinary collaborative arts show. Denise's latest project is Be Beautiful, where for 30 days she photographed her 311-pound self in a nearly naked state, often in public, and posted them on the internet.

To view the 30 days of pictures and watch clips of Denise's fantastic spoken word poetry, check out her website at www.denisejollyspoken.com.

If you've ever struggled with body issues or feelings of invisibility, today's conversation is for you.

Fighting Your Way Around the World - Episode #51 Feb 25, 2014

NOTE: this episode was recorded in less than ideal surroundings so the quality is not ideal. We love the message and wanted to share with you despite it sounding like we were in the bottom of a well.

Episode 51 comes to you from the Andalucia region of Spain . Today we're talking about how travel together without fighting…or at least without fighting so bad you ruin your trip!

What was your biggest fight ever? Did you have an audience? Would you be willing to share the story with the world? In this episode we dive into something every couple faces - fighting. We share our own biggest fight ever as well as the tips we employ now to reduce or eliminate as many disagreements as possible. We continue to improve, but fighting is still a part of our relationship as we both come at problems from different perspectives.

Today we're chatting with Mike and Luci of 1000Fights.com. Together they run one of the leading couple's travel blogs - 1000 Places to Fight Before You Die and affectionately call themselves the Fighting Couple. They have visited forty countries on 5 continents. Today they will encourage you to travel together to recharge and reclaim their relationship.

It's a conversation full of funny revelations and tips for helping you get through your own fights more successfully. We know you're going to love it.

Why We Fail (Episode #50 with Mark Manson) Feb 18, 2014

Do you have a fear of failure, or do you have experience with it?

The former is true for everyone, and the latter is only true for those who take action. And failure that comes that way alway delivers a lesson, making it just a little bit more likely you’ll be successful the next time.

In today’s episode, we reveal a couple of our biggest failures along with the one thing we do every time to pretty much insure our success. Today’s guest then joins us to discuss 10 reasons most people fail and how to turn that around. This is a powerful conversation, and you won’t want to miss it.

Today’s guest Mark Manson started out as a dating coach, but he quickly realized the insecurity and problems his clients felt went way beyond finding love. He’s taken his straightforward approach to confidence and success in dating to life overall, and MarkManson.net has become one of our favorite No-BS sites on personal growth.

Going After Your Dreams Together (Episode #49 - Farnoosh & Andy Brock) Feb 11, 2014

This week's podcast is big. Not only do we have great guests talking about working and following a dream together, which alone would be fantastic. We also have a big announcement for you about the evolution of our dream. We share all the news and how it will change our relationship and our dream. You don't want to miss it.

We're joined this week by Farnoosh and Andy Brock who talk to us about what it's like to leave corporate jobs to start their own business. They share all the dirt on the challenges of working together, the joys of discovering new strengths in your partner, and actions you can take to follow suit. It's a great conversation with 2 inspiring people.

Together, Andy and Farnoosh run Prolific Living Inc., travel the world, create programs and products that make a positive difference in people's lives and live the freedom lifestyle of their dreams. For more, check out www.prolificliving.com.

Making Time for Your Goals Without Sacrificing Your Relationship (Episode #48 with Sean Platt) Feb 04, 2014

Episode 48 comes to you from the sunny Andalucia region of Spain. Today we're talking about how to carve out time in your life for a big goal without sacrificing your relationship.

Going after a big goal comes with big ups and downs. Working together with your partner through that effort and enjoying the life you create together along the way can be a huge challenge. Today we're learning how one successful author has married his love for his family with a crazy writing schedule. The story will get you excited to get after whatever your big goal may be with the support of the one you love.

Sean Platt is co-founder of the Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, speaker, and author, with breakout indie hits such as Yesterday’s Gone, WhiteSpace, Unicorn Western and The Beam, as well as traditionally published titles Z 2134 and Monstrous. He publishes over 2 million words a year (2 million!) and still makes time for his relationship. Today we're going to find out how he does it.

How to Get Through Life’s Holes Without Getting Stuck in Them (Podcast #47 with Dr. Judith Belmont) Jan 28, 2014

Episode 47 comes to you from Tangier, Morocco. Today we're talking about why you should expect a few pits in your life and how to dig out when you land in one.

Each of us has fallen into one of life's holes and then beaten ourselves up about how we could be so stupid. In this episode we discuss why we should stop being so hard on ourselves and accept that we are not perfect. We will make mistakes and how we recover from them is more important than getting down on ourselves from the mistake itself.

Today's guest, Judy Belmont, provides her keen insights and experience gleaned from 35 +years as a psychotherapist. As a public speaker and corporate wellness trainer, she offers practical strategies to boost personal resilience. Her latest book is The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life. You can find out more about Judy's practical strategies to boost your own resilience at BelmontWellness.com.

Why We Get Married (Episode #46 with Jenna McCarthy) Jan 21, 2014

Episode #46 comes to you from Tangier, Morocco. If you are married, used to be married, want to be married, or ever have any kind of romantic fling with anyone, this show is for you.

We reveal the surprising reason we got married in this episode. Tune in to find out if this was because of a green card problem, a name change to avoid the police, or a tax issue.

The sound quality on this one is not as good as usual due to a poor connection with our guest. We recorded the interview portion in Spain during a massive thunderstorm and got disconnected 3 times, so many thanks to Jenna for her patience so we could get this message to you.

Today's guest is author, TED speaker, and former radio personality Jenna McCarthy, who's written a book titled, If It Was Easy, They'd Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon: Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-So-Handy Man You Married. Her funny take on marriage and why we do it has some surprisingly powerful insights and lessons, and we think you're going to especially like this one.

You can find out more about Jenna's books, watch her TED talk, and get a dose of her wit and wisdom at Jenna McCarthy.

Making a Living as a Creative (Episode #45 with Juliana Finch) Jan 14, 2014

Episode #45 comes to you from Tangier, Morocco. If you've always wanted to make a living from your creativity, this episode is for you.

Whether you are a writer, singer, entrepreneur, or designer you can find value in this discussion today. We're chatting about the keys to success in making money using your creative gifts. We also dispel the myth of the "overnight success" and share a more predictable route to turn your passion into long term success you can actually achieve. In the process you'll learn what separates those who make their dreams come true and those who don't.

This week we are delighted to be chatting with Juliana Finch who "sounds the way a good bourbon tastes." She's a Georgia-based singer/songwriter who shares how she's made her passion her career and the secrets you can apply to do the same, regardless of what that passion may be. Check out her amazing and sultry music at her website, JulianaFinch.com. Her next CD, The Walls of Pompeii, will be released in March 2014, and you can preorder it online by clicking here.

The Hard Questions of Life (Episode #44 with Lori Deschene) Jan 07, 2014

Today's episode comes to you from a ferry between Spain and Morocco. Zip up your life vest, because today we're diving into the hard questions of life.

You know, when you start asking yourself why you're here, what's it all about, and why you don't have what you want, you can start flailing a little bit. It's easy to focus on perfection (and bemoaning the fact that you're so far from it) or the unfairness of life that other people have what you want.

Regular thoughtful analysis of why you're sailing in this direction – plus researching specifically how you can change direction if you're not happy – is key to always moving toward the life you really crave.

Lori Deschene of Tiny Buddha shares how to take those first steps to answering the hard questions of life for yourself. She shares some pretty personal stories of her own, and you can check out more in her new book, Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life's Hard Questions

A Year End Review 2013 (Podcast #43) Dec 31, 2013

Episode 43 comes to you from the beautiful Andalucia region of Spain. In this, the last show of 2013, we're going to show you how we conduct our annual review cycle. We share our own process by looking back at 2013 - the good, the bad, and the exciting. It's been a big year, and we dish on what has gone great as well as what could have been better in our lives, our relationship, and our business. Then we share one big goal each for the year to come.

In this episode we provide you an inside look into the annual review process we've done together for the last 10 years and walk through the outline to implement this valuable process in your own life.

Plus, you can find out how Warren shocks Betsy with a sexy revelation during the episode.

Answering Reader Questions (Podcast #42) Dec 24, 2013

Episode 42 coming to you from the hills of Lubrin in the beautiful Andalucia region of Spain.

Since starting this podcast we've received dozens of questions about our life of traveling, working, and living together 24/7. Today we are answering questions from our readers and listeners to the podcast. We're addressing questions about:

How to get your partner to follow your big dream (perhaps the most frequent question we receive)
Saying goodbye to friends and family to follow your heart
Balancing work and play on the road
Dealing with setbacks
How to stop worrying about money and the future
Where we're spending the winter

Sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy as we share our honest feedback to your questions.

How a Crazy Idea Can Earn Millions (Podcast #41 with Beth Marbach) Dec 17, 2013

Episode 41 coming to you from Lubrin, Spain. We're chatting today about starting a business with a crazy idea and growing it beyond your biggest dreams.

Have you ever had a big, crazy idea that you let go of after too much thinking and not enough action? We're talking about the importance of actions in going after a big goal in today's episode. We dish on how our own crazy idea of working together is working out. In addition, we're talking to an eBay guru who started her business selling shoes online and grew it into a multi-million dollar success. Listen and learn how you can take the steps in your own life towards making your big, crazy idea come true.

Our guest today, Beth Marbach, left her executive recruiting career to build DowntownGal Shoes & More, an eBay store specializing in high-end designer shoes and accessories. In a little over a decade and exclusively from her basement office, Beth sold over $4 million dollars in footwear to clients across the globe. She's currently writing a book about how she made it happen and you can sign up for updates at DowntownGal.com.

Finding Love after 40 (Podcast #40 with Ronnie Ann Ryan) Dec 10, 2013

Episode 40 coming to you from Lubrin, Spain. Today we're diving in to one of the most common questions we receive - How do you find a great partner…especially if you're over 40?

We share our tips on what attracted us to each other and how the maturity (gained from second marriages) helped to ready us for the partnership we have created. Plus, we pimp out Betsy's brother in the process.

We're joined on the show by dating guru, Ronnie Ann Ryan. She woke up on her 40th birthday and realized she might be single for the rest of her life, and she really wanted a relationship. It was at that moment she decided to turn things around. After dating 30 men in 15 months, she met her husband Paul (lucky #30!). You can find out more about Ronnie and her books and workshops on finding love after 40 at NeverTooLate.Biz.

Quieting the Voice in Your Head (Podcast #39 with Dr. Amy Johnson) Dec 03, 2013

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap." ~Sir Anthony Hopkins

Episode 39 is coming to you from Kas, Turkey. Today we're talking about how to quiet that pesky voice in your head that over thinks and over analyzes everything. Boy is this a problem with us and everyone we know. We used to do it all the time in our relationship (why did he do that? is she mad at me? what does that mean?), and now we only do it half the time. Progress!

Dr. Amy Johnson joins us again to share insights from her new book, Being Human: Essays on Thoughtmares, Bouncing Back, and Your True Nature, which is available now on Amazon or at her website at DrAmyJohnson.com.

She'll tell us why we're all over-thinking (ahem, because we're human!) and how to clear our minds as easily as we breathe. She also enlightens us on "thoughtmares," and how to dismiss them as quickly as we do nightmares.

This is a powerful episode for anyone who overthinks, overanalyzes, or just can't let go of certain thoughts. (And that pretty much includes everyone, we think. Isn't it nice to know you're not alone?)

Taking on a Big Physical Challenge Together Without Killing Each Other - (Podcast #38 - Lycian Way) Nov 26, 2013

Episode 38 coming to you from Kas, Turkey. Today we're dishing on our taking on a big physical challenge with your partner...without killing each other.

We just completed the most demanding physical challenge we've ever attempted and we're happy to report that we survived the experience. In fact, I would say that we thrived in the face of all the challenges and demands.

In this episode we talk about our 30 day hike of the Lycian Way in Turkey together. We share the story of our worst night of camping, the beauty of being disconnected, and how we look naked now (ok. some of that may be too much information).

This was the greatest effort we've completed and we're damn proud of each other so you'll hear a bit of sloppy romantic talk as well.

For more details about our hike, we created HikeTheLycian.com. This is the website we wish we had found before the hike. We've pulled together photos, information, tips, and recommendations for anyone interested in the hike or our experience. Pass on to your friends who may be looking for some time outdoors.

3 Steps to Living a Simpler Life (Episode #37 with Joel Zaslofsky) Nov 19, 2013

Are you confusing busyness with progress? It's an easy mistake to make, working all day long and wondering why you made no progress. Today's guest, Joel Zaslofsky, talks about why simplicity from the inside out will give you more of what you want in life. And he even taught Betsy a way she can finally love spreadsheets...

More about Joel: He is the creator of unsexy tools that result in a very sexy life. What he can teach you at Value of Simple is to focus on what really matters in your life instead of pushing it to the side or waiting for "leftover" time.

Too busy to journal? Wondering how you'll ever finish your bucket list? Concerned about where your money is going (or not going)?

Joel has practical answers to all these questions, and you know how much we love practical tips. Check out his website, and listen in below for a great conversation about what really matters.

Living as an Introvert in an Extrovert World (Episode #36 with Beth Buelow) Nov 12, 2013

Today we're talking about living as an introvert in an extrovert world. We discuss the different ways introverts and extroverts get their energy, the differences in how they approach conflict, and how we get along 24/7 as a couple with different approaches to the people around us. We share how we manage as an introvert (Betsy) and extrovert (Warren) couple and the advice which changed our perspectives completely.

We are joined on the show today by a thought leader in the area of life and leadership coaching for introverts, Beth Buelow. Beth is known as The Introvert Entrepreneur to a growing tribe of thousands of followers and fans. As a certified professional coach and a skilled interviewer, writer, facilitator and speaker, she’s recognized as . Beth is on a mission to empower introverts to understand, own and leverage their natural strengths.

Find out more about Beth and life as an introvert at TheIntrovertEntrepreneur.com.

Be Your Own Boss - Making the Transition from Employee to Entrepreneur (Episode #35 with Carrie Smith) Nov 05, 2013

Take on a Big Physical Challenge - Walking the Camino de Santiago (Episode #34 with Hillary Vandenbos) Oct 29, 2013

We are currently in the midst of our own 5 week, 509km (300 mile) walk along the Turkish coast and are enjoying the peace and comfort that comes from getting away and enjoying being close to nature. Today we're talking about the benefits of taking a nice long walk…one that takes weeks instead of hours.

Long walks give us the opportunity to reconnect both with each other, as well as ourselves. We can walk for hours a day talking, thinking, and imagining the future. In our last walk we made some crazy plans (more on that in the podcast) and looking forward to what comes out of this adventure.

We are delighted to talk with Hillary Augustine in this episode. She has been called an innovator, poet, wordsmith, cultural engineer, and financial energizer. She works with innovators and cultural creatives to excavate stuck places and mobilize people towards wholeness and internal financial resonance. Find out more about Hillary's work at www.imexcela.com

Make Small Changes for a Healthier YOU (Podcast #33 with Debb Whitlock) Oct 22, 2013

What happens when you find yourself waking up at midlife in a body you don't recognize? No one wants to work hard all their lives for success and then not have the health to enjoy it to the fullest. Today we're talking about the small, consistent steps towards a healthier you.

Our guest today is Debbie Whitlock, a dynamo of a woman, hosting 2 popular radio shows in Seattle and managing a large entrepreneurial networking group. She also has a world-class business coaching and training program targeting the financials of your business. Debb woke up one day and realized she had been putting her health on the back burner, and today she's sharing how she turned that around.

You can find out more about her at DebbieWhitlock.com.

Tackling a BIG Physical Challenge (Episode #32 with Kate Clow) Oct 15, 2013

There's a lot more to finishing a big race, walk, ride, or climb than bragging rights. It's the kind of feat that fuels your confidence in every area of your life.

Today is the start to our next big adventure, walking the 509 km (300 miles) of the Lycian Way in Turkey. We were lucky to connect with the woman who first linked all these ancient paths in Turkey together into one long journey, and she's here today to talk about why she did it and what you can get out of a big physical endeavor.

Our guest is Kate Clow, the originator of the Lycian Way, Turkey's first long-distance walking route as well as the St Paul Trail, in the Taurus mountains. She is British & Turkish and has been exploring Turkey's mountains for 20 years. She is currently the head of the Culture Routes Society, a Turkish charity dedicated to making new routes, preserving old roads and assisting villagers along the routes to benefit from sustainable tourism. Kate Clow's book, The Lycian Way: Turkey's First Long Distance Walking Route, is available on Amazon and directly via CultureRoutesInTurkey.com. It is the definitive guide to hiking this epic route along the coast of Turkey. Kate, we both truly appreciate your time and dedication to introducing us to this new adventure.

Hosting My own Web TV cooking show (Episode 31 with Nathan Agin) Oct 08, 2013

Episode #31 is coming to you from Istanbul, Turkey: Today we're talking about how to merge your experience and goals to build a dream.

You don't have to start from scratch or throw out your past to create a new future. Most of what has gone into building who you are now can be repurposed to create what you want to be in the future.

Our guest today is Nathan Agin, a seasoned actor who has now gone into producer mode to create and host a television show about finding healthy food no matter where you are. Nathan has figured out how to be healthy anywhere, and is sharing his insights on how he went from actor, to world traveler, to starting his own cooking show.

Find out more about Nathan at NonstopAwesomeness.me.

Real Life Case Study: The Beginning of a Dream (Episode #30) Oct 01, 2013

Starting something big is a time filled with excitement, fear, joy, fun, and endless possibilities. We're talking about the moment when you commit to a big life change (going after a big dream) and the emotions and considerations that go into it.

To help us explore this subject, we're joined on the show by a couple who have just begun their own big dream. Canadians Andrew Matheson and Alison Cornford-Matheson are the brains behind Cheeseweb.eu, a site dedicated to English-speaking expats living in Belgium. They recently decided to change their lives completely and travel the world in an RV with their 2 cats, Orange and Buddy. You can follow their planning and adventure at CamperCats.com as they march towards a 2016 departure date. They are also a great example of how our book, Dream Save Do, can help define and take the steps towards your own big life change as they are proof that it works.

We should also point out that we were able to interview them them in person at their beautiful home in Brussels as we sipped Belgian beers (tactfully removed for the pictures). Listen in as we dive head first into the minds of two dreamers.

How to Be Happy (Podcast #29 with Britt Reints) Sep 24, 2013

Many of us believe that happiness is a result of what happens to us each day and put a lot of the responsibility on outside forces. In this episode we confront this idea head-on and dispel these concepts in the process:

Equating happiness to what other people have in their lives
Waiting for things to be perfect to enjoy the life we have
Blaming others / taking responsibility for others

Along with our guest, Britt Reints, we discuss how to get more happiness in your life by choosing to focus on yourself more and realizing what makes you most happy. In the process you'll learn how to stop letting others determine/influence your emotions. In the process we'll provide you actions you can take now to start leading a happier life.

Our guest today began her own happiness journey after a diagnosis of depression and a concerted effort to blow up her marriage. Countless hours of therapy and a 10-month family road trip in an RV helped Britt Reints redefine happiness on her own terms. Now, she writes and speaks to others about how they, too, can become happier, more grateful, and more confident in their own abilities to figure out what works for them. You can find more about Britt and her new book, An Amateur's Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness, at InPursuitofHappiness.com.

How to Make and Keep Friends (Podcast #28 with Carlin Flora) Sep 17, 2013

Let's face it, making friends as we get older is tough. Where do you find them? How do you strike up a random conversation that blossoms into a long-term friendship? Plus, with so little time available how do you keep up with those good friends you already have?

Going after any big goal requires the support of good friends to be your support system and route for you each step of the way. Today, we're talking about how to make and keep friends in the midst of a busy schedule.

We are delighted to be joined by Carlin Flora, the former features editor of Psychology Today and the author of the book, Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are. She's appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, and now on our show, An Action Plan for Dreamers, meaning she's totally made it. Carlin's book combines scientific rigor with warm human stories to show us the unexpected ways our friendships influence our lives. You can find out more about Carlin and her book at CarlinFlora.com.

Be Flexible with Your Dreams (Podcast #27 with Srinivas Rao) Sep 10, 2013

Imagine if you were living the dream right now that you had when you were 13. A little scary, isn't it? We laugh at the thought of staying true to those dreams because it's silly in retrospect. But we don't give ourselves the same leeway when it comes to adjusting our adult dreams. Today's guest is going to share how his dreams have adjusted – or been adjusted for him – over time and how this has given him a better understanding of what he really wants in life. You'll love his story of reinvention and flexibility.

Joining us today is Srinivas Rao - an entrepreneur, surfer, dreamer, and founder of the popular podcast BlogcastFM. He is a man who defies labels and has charted his own path in life and business. Since starting BlogcastFM in February 2010, he’s interviewed nearly 400 bloggers, authors, and entrepreneurs to assist others in starting an online business. His latest project is The Instigator Experience, a conference for agitators like himself. Find out more at theinstigatorexperience.com.

How to Make Simplicity a Way of Life (Podcast #26 - Courtney Carver) Sep 03, 2013

Lots of people think minimalism and simplicity means giving everything up to live in a stark place. The vision is one of deprivation, and it’s part of the reason you might be reluctant to explore it. But simplicity really boils down to focus – focus on the kind of life you want to live and the possessions, activities, and relationships you need to make it happen.

When you know what you want, simplicity is the most direct path to get it.

In today’s show, we’re discussing how to live a more simple life, no matter how many possessions you own. Simplicity is just another word for focus, and today’s expert is going to show us how to get more of it.

Courtney Carver started Be More with Less in 2010 to document how simplicity was changing her life. 18 months later she left a 15+ year career in advertising and marketing to focus on helping others live a simpler life and do work they love. She’s one of our favorite simplicity experts on the Internet, and today she’s going to share how simplicity can enhance your life (and explain why simplicity is probably not what you think it is).

Overcoming Self Doubt in Creative Endeavors (Podcast #25 - Tim Grahl) Aug 27, 2013

Today we’re sharing the fears, insecurities, and self-doubt we have when putting our words and ideas out into the world. We’re guessing you may have these as well as you work to create new projects, write that book, or start a company. You may hear those voices telling you – “It’s not good enough.” “No one is going to by this.” “Why are you wasting your time?”

In this episode we’re here to let you know You Are Not Alone. These anxieties are more common than you think and exist in authors, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to share new concepts with the world. The big surprise, it does not matter how often you do it, the voices just don’t shut up.

Our guest, Tim Grahl, is the founder of Out:think, a firm that works with authors to build their platform and sell more books, and is the author of Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book. He works with many of the top authors in the world, including Daniel Pink, Barbara Corcoran, and recent podcast guest Pam Slim, and has helped to launch multiple New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling books. Find out more about Tim at OutthinkGroup.com

Tim shares his recent experience as he shifted from talking about other people’s work and going out and writing his own. Tim documents his insecurities and worries in this fascinating journal he kept the last month before launch. It is a rare look behind the scenes at the thoughts many of us have but don’t share.

Going from Idea to Execution (Podcast #24 - John Lee Dumas) Aug 20, 2013

What is the secret to completing a big project? How do you move from concept to actually doing?

Today we're exploring how to get from the idea you have for something great to the actual process of making it happen. It is a challenge that so many people face that it has spawned entire industries and hundreds of books have been written on the subject. However, the answer is surprisingly simple and we reveal it all today in the show.

We are joined by the talented and always busy creating, John Lee Dumas. John is the host of Entrepreneur On Fire, where you can learn lessons from today's most inspiring and successful entrepreneurs every day of the week at EOFire.com. We were excited to be on his show a few weeks ago and loved his energy and thoughtful questions.

In today's podcast John provides his insights for taking that first step and we turn the tables on him to discover what he would create with only a week and $500. You don't want to miss the wisdom he shares.

Create More Freedom in Your Life (Podcast #23) Aug 13, 2013

On this week's show we're talking all about freedom and how to create more of it to do the things you want most in your life. . The first step is to identify what you want freedom from, and for many of us it is the stuff filling every space in our homes.

Decluttering is more than simply going through a series of steps, we must first deal with that feeling of just not knowing where to start. The emotions of parting with items that mean something to you, as well as the logistics of how to sell and dispose of all that stuff. We tackle it all in the conversation and are excited as well to be offering a solution.

This week we are pleased to launch a new offering, Declutter Clinic, specifically designed to help you create the freedom you desire. This 4 week course provides a step-by-step plan to jumping in and decluttering your home and life. We're also sharing how we reached the point where we HAD to declutter as well as introduce you to others who have made big changes in their lives after removing the clutter.

How to Stop Worrying So Much (Podcast #22 with Torre DeRoche) Aug 06, 2013

What keeps you up at night with worry? How much do you alter your dreams to work around all those worries?

Today we're talking to you, the worry-worts. Those of us who let those nagging voices which simply won't stop reminding us of the things which concern or scare us. We're going to address them head on by sharing our own worries and how we have learned to tame them while living the lives we love.

In addition, we are pleased to be joined by Torre DeRoche, the author of Love with a Chance of Drowning. Torre shares how her won worries almost kept her from going after the biggest adventure of her life. You won't believe how much worry controlled her life or the crazy turns she encountered once she decided to say yes. Torre's story and message of moving beyond worry is a mix of harrowing tale and inspiring memoir. You won't want to miss her tips and suggestions for getting over being a worry wort.

From Employee to Entrepreneur (Podcast #21 with Pamela Slim) Jul 30, 2013

Have you toyed with the idea of starting your own business, but never moved forward due to doubt or uncertainty? Do you struggle to see yourself as an "entrepreneur"? Do you want to start something but have no idea what business to start? Today's show is all about you then.

We're diving into what it means to be an entrepreneur, the ways to get started small, and why you ARE the best person to start that business. Listen to hear how martial arts, Justin Bieber, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can each provide motivation and actions to help you take the steps towards your dream business. We also dispel the myth of "overnight success".

We're honored to be joined on this episode by best-selling author Pamela Slim. You probably know her from the bestselling book and website, Escape from Cubicle Nation. She's coached thousands of budding entrepreneurs in businesses ranging from martial arts studios to software startups, and she's even worked her magic on gang members. If your dream is to go from employee to entrepreneur, this is the woman who can help you get there.

Overcome any Obstacles & Live Bold (Podcast #20 with Josh Hinds) Jul 23, 2013

Going after big goals in life is rarely without challenges. But the line between a challenge and an excuse can often be quite thin.

We all face different restrictions, challenges, or physical ailments which could make the ability to success more difficult...but not impossible. This episode we're talking about overcoming those obstacles and going forward in spite of the challenge. We'll introduce you to a few people who have overcome their obstacles to create the lives they crave.

Then, we're joined by author Josh Hinds who shares his own inspirational story. Josh has become a public speaker, a role he never thought possible given his battle with Tourette's Syndrome. However, with persistence and an action plan to success he has followed his passion and will share how he did it.

What is it you will do to live out loud?

Why You Should Embrace the word NO (Podcast #19) Jul 16, 2013

When was the last time you asked for what you wanted and heard "no" as the response? We believe that you are not asking for enough if you've not heard "no" at least once in the last week. A key to going after the life you want is getting out there and asking people who can help you in your effort. The bigger the need, the more you need to ask. The more you ask, and the bigger your requests, the chances are you are going to get some "no's".

Today we're talking about why you should strive to get more "no" responses, how this helps gets you closer to your dream, and how to leverage the "Art of the Ask" to create the life you crave. We're discussing failure, confidence, and the importance of persistence in your quest towards the goals you've established.

Today we're joined by author and entrepreneur Andrea Waltz. Andrea is the co-author of Go for No!: Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There. She has made her mission to liberate people from fears of failure and rejection so they may achieve their goals and dreams. The philosophies have been embraced by people in virtually every business, industry, and group from entrepreneurs to executives.

How To Respond When Things Go Sideways (Podcast #18) Jul 09, 2013

On your path to the life you crave you are likely to encounter unexpected surprises, events or calamities. Whether it be a volcano eruption, an unexpected job loss, or the illness of a family member life has a tendency to surprise us. Learning to respond to these situations with a level head and determined action can help to get you back on track faster and leap to help those who need it (including you).

Today we're talking about disasters - how to handle them when they occur and how to recover afterwards. It's a challenge to think about, but being prepared is key to moving through any sideways situation.

How to Start Your Business - Part 2 (Podcast #17 with Corbett Barr) Jul 02, 2013

The greatest competitor you’ll ever come up against is self doubt. ~John McGrath

Do you dream of starting your own business? What's standing in the way? What's holding you back? Why do you continue to put off your vision until "some day", knowing it may never come?

Too often we let self doubt, excuses, and a lack of confidence keep us from creating the business we envision. We let the voice of fear creep up and stop us from moving forward. This week we talk about how to you will overcome your concerns by building a strong network of supporters, feeding your spark of an idea, and putting one foot in front of the other to make it a reality.

We're pleased to be joined again by the wonderful Corbett Barr, founder of Fizzle.co, a training forum for entrepreneurs with solid advice, high quality videos, and experienced teachers. He's back this week for part 2 of our interview where we share:

How to prepare to become an entrepreneur
When to hire people
Learn why Betsy compared Corbett to Magic Mike (include link to the post of Copyblogger)
How to "sell" your message with no sales pitch at all - building trust with your audience
And much more

Finally, this week you'll get (or have to, depending on your perspective) hear me sing a song from my childhood that continues to inspire my life today.

How to Start Your Business (Podcast #16 with Corbett Barr) Jun 25, 2013

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people cant.” - Anonymous

One of the most common dreams we hear is the desire to start a business. Many of you have a vision of working for yourself, building a thriving business you are passionate about, and sharing your creations with the world. However, so many people never take the first step towards the life they crave because of fear, self-doubt, and a feeling of being completely overwhelmed. In this episode we talk about how you can start your business small and deliver advice for overcoming the fear by giving you steps you can take.

We are pleased this week to have Corbett Barr drop by the podcast. You probably know him from the incredibly useful site, ThinkTraffic.net. We discuss why people put off their entrepreneurial dreams and how to start your business for as low as $250 and a few hours each week. Plus, learn the #1 question Corbett gets from potential entrepreneurs and how it can help you get started on your dream business today.

How to Succeed & Grow Your Tribe (with Bob Burg) Jun 18, 2013

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. - Booker T. Washington

Bringing more interesting, supportive, and healthy people into your life is a key component as we go after our dreams. In this episode, we talk about how to connect and bring these people into your life and gain their support for the life you crave. During the conversation we share how we stay connected with our growing network in addition to constantly looking at how we can connect them to other people/opportunities.

We are honored to have Bob Burg join us to talk about success and the importance of shifting your focus from getting to giving. As you build your network think first about how you can help others and what you can provide to help their needs. This shift will greatly improve your relationships, grow your network, and provide you with greater happiness in your life. You can download the first chapter of Bob's book, The Go-Giver, at Burg.com.

Live a Fearless Life: Be Bold (Podcast #14 with Tess Marshall) Jun 11, 2013

Going after any big change requires stepping outside your comfort zone and learning to be a bit bolder. However, bold is a word we throw around without truly understanding the definition. To us, being bold means realizing you are scared but moving forward anyways. In this way boldness is different for each of us and does not require comparing your life and bold living to anyone but yourself. We discuss how to live more boldly and share some of the future plans we're making that scare us.

In this episode, we're joined by Tess Marshall of The Bold Life. Tess shares her insights for living a fearless life based on her experience as a fear-shattering, risk taker, author, blogger and courage coach. Tess delivers practical advice and shares her open experiences in her personal quest to help you to "Be Bold". As you seek to become more bold as you go after the live you crave, check out Tess' e-course, "Take Your Fear and Shove It: A Step by Step guide to Be Bold, Play Big and Shine Bright".

Embrace Life Like There is No Tomorrow Jun 04, 2013

Life is Short. Live Your Dream.

Too often we talk about the importance of going after our dreams, but then say “now is not the time” or “I’ll get to that ‘some day’”. But what if you did not have the time? What if your opportunity to live your life to the fullest was limited? Would that change your decision and propel you into action?

Today we’re talking about taking stock of your life, realizing your mortality, and taking action NOW towards what you want most. It is more than simply talking about what you want, but clearly defining and making it a reality.

What happens when, at 18 years old, you are told you won’t live until 30? How would you respond? Patrick Mathieu shares his powerful story of how we chose to live his life more fully in light of terrifying news. Hear how it motivated him to connect more deeply with those around him and live a life without regrets.

You’ll discover lessons you can apply to ensure you are living the life you crave every day.

Bonus: Betsy's Commencement Address to Dreamers Jun 01, 2013

As a special bonus Betsy is giving her commencement address for the rest of us. With graduation season upon us she asks us all to reflect back on the dreams we had in youth and why we let them slip away. This is the speech to shake you out of your comfort zone, re-ignite the spark you had, and go after living your dream no matter your age.

A transcription of this podcst can be found on the Married with Luggage website at http://www.marriedwithluggage.com/2013/05/30/advice-for-dreamers/.

Resilience and Overcoming Adversity May 28, 2013

It doesn't matter who you are, you can always find someone who has it better off than you and someone who has it worse than you. Instead of bemoaning what other people have or feeling guilty when other people have it worse, it's time to plow forward into our challenges and make them work in our lives.

We discuss the idea of looking at adversity with a long-term view instead of focusing on the storm around you. Learning to adapt and finding people to support you in tough times are key to overcoming the challenges enroute to the life you crave. We also talk about the need to establish a future goal but not be married to the way you will achieve that goal.

We are excited to welcome Alex Lickerman to the show. In Alex's book, The Undefeated Mind, he argues that resilience isn’t something with which only a fortunate few of us have been born, but rather something we can all take action to develop. Alex shares with us his definition of victory and its relation to our happiness and the importance of setting expectations as we create the lives we crave. In addition, we talk about how to overcome setbacks through resiliency determination, and surrounding yourself with great people (see a familiar theme?).

Track Your Expenses to Live Your Dream May 21, 2013

Regardless of what your big dream may be, there is a very good chance you will need to save some money to make it a reality. As we talk about in our book, Dream Save Do: An Action Plan for Dreamers, (you have picked up a copy already, right?) the first step in saving for your target is getting control of your current spending.

Betsy and I dive into the steps you can take to identify where to cut back on your spending as well as share a bit of our story and how we approached the tracking of expenses when we first started to save to live our dream. It does require you to make choices, but when you commit to a dream the choices become that much easier.

In addition we are pleased to be joined by Simon Fairbairn, the developer of Trail Wallet, an iPhone application designed to help you track all your expenses at the moment you are paying. Simon discusses his experience of tracking expenses and shares with us the background to creating this application. Simon and his partner, Erin, also run the extremely enlightening travel website, Never Ending Voyage.

Our Parents Inspire our Dreams May 14, 2013

It is amazing to think what an impact our parents had on our desire to follow our dreams. In looking back at both our lives we can easily spot those lessons, instilled by our parents, which led us to following our dreams.

We dive into the impact that parents have on their children's desire to create the lives they create by going after their own. We are also joined by Ingrid Ricks, author of Hippie Boy, who shares how her children encouraged her to go after her dreams. Ingrid also shares how her decision to make her dream a reality has impacted her children. It is a compelling story for us all.

Be Brave to Go For Your Dream May 07, 2013

Being brave does not require you to don tights and a cape (though if you do please send pictures). Instead, bravery is something we all possess when we step outside our comfort zones and push ourselves to try something new. In this podcast we talk about bravery how to give yourself permission to go after what you want most in life.

We are excited to be joined by best-selling author and superhero Chris Brogan. We discuss the concept of “borrowing bravery” from those around us and learning to go forward in spite of our fears. Chris provides his insights into how Confidence, Acceptance, Permission and Execution (CAPE) can help move you to taking action towards your dreams.

Chris’ book, It’s Not About the Tights, provides insights into how you can be more brave in your life. When Chris is not out fighting crime in his mask and cape, he can be found online at ChrisBrogan.com.

Challenge Your Assumptions Apr 30, 2013

The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." ~ Paul Broca

You are likely holding on to unproven assumptions that are standing in the way of living your dream life. Whether you want a promotion (but assume your boss does not understand your work), start a business (but assume it will take too much money), or become a writer (but are assuming no one will like your writing) you are lettings assumptions stand in the way of the life you crave.

In this week's episode we discuss the importance of challenging every assumption by asking questions and doing the research to find out the facts. We talk about the false ideas we had when we first chose to travel and how we overcame then.

In addition, we are joined by psychologist and coach Karen Sargent, who escaped the corporate world to live life on HER terms. She's written an ebook called The Art of Making Big Dreams Happen, which you can find on her website for free. Karen shares her insights and tips to help you challenge these assumptions and unlock the life you dream about.

One Year Marriage Contract Apr 23, 2013

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary and Betsy and I are celebrating with a nice hike, some good food here in Guanajuato, Mexico, and a contract renewal. That's right we're spending some time, as we do every year, to discuss what has gone well in our relationship, what we'd like to see more of, and determining if we are ready to commit to another year. Listen as we discuss the process and provide advice and suggestions to use for your own annual renewal.

We are then joined on the show by Dr. Amy Johnson to discuss how to talk about challenging issues with your partner. We dive into the importance of open communication to create a healthier and happier relationship and how it all ties into to a regular renewal of your commitment to each other. [NOTE: the recording with Dr. Amy has a couple of points where the audio breaks up slightly and we've done our best to clean it up to ensure you can capture all her great advice.]

Thriving in the Midst of Loss Apr 16, 2013

Dealing with loss can be a devastating and overwhelming experience. In this episode we discuss the challenges dealing with the unexpected as we go for our dreams. Warren reveals the struggles of losing his father at a young age and how it instilled in him a mantra to "live life with no regrets". This episode confronts the reality we all face and how to cope with tragedy in our lives.

This week we are joined by Michelle Steinke from OneFitWidow.com. Michelle is a true inspiration to thousands and she shares a bit of her amazing story with us. After losing her husband in an airplane crash Michelle turned her attitude and fitness around in to a powerful story of triumph in the midst of terrible loss. She discusses how to focus on happiness each and every day and the importance of finding a healthier lifestyle in the process.

Podcast #5 - Dealing with the Emotions of Decluttering Apr 09, 2013

Any effort to remove clutter can be sidetracked by our emotional attachment to items. We discuss how to overcome these challenges and get on track to removing the clutter from your home.

Podcast #4 - Overcoming Obstacles Apr 02, 2013

When marching towards the life you crave you are going to encounter obstacles and roadblocks. In fact, you're probably going to find your first one about 3.2 seconds after you decide to go after your dream. The secret to success is knowing you will have obstacles and creating a plan to deal with them before they jump out in front of you. When you have a plan in place, you'll continue moving forward toward your dream no matter what comes up, and that's the key to getting to the finish line.

This week we are joined by Dixie Gillaspie, author of the book, Just Blow it Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life. We discuss how to overcome the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of living the life you crave. You'll also learn the 4 questions to ask yourself when confronted with an obstacle.

Podcast #3 - Define Your Dream Mar 26, 2013

79% of people we surveyed told us that clarifying their dream was "very important" or "critically important" to their happiness. But how do you do it?

In this episode, we talk about the misconception of the "lightning bolt" moment when it all comes together. We go through our own "lightning bolt" moment when we decided to make our big life change and explain exactly how we created the perfect storm in the years prior to make it a possibility. These are the same things you can do every day to make your life open to this flash of insight.

Podcast #2 - Trying New Things Mar 15, 2013

Do you feel like time is flying by? Neuroscientist David Eagelman says, "The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass." On this episode we show you how to savor time by trying new things.

We talk about the importance of trying new things in your life. We're joined by expert Emily Kaufman, 49before50.com, who discusses how she faces her fears and tries new experiences on a constant basis. We provide 3 tips for getting started today in your own life as you create the life you crave.

Podcast #1 - Take the First Step Mar 11, 2013

Warren and Betsy Talbot of Married with Luggage discuss why only 8% of people achieve the life of their dreams and what we can learn from them. They review the key components of a successful action plan to create the life you crave. They introduce themselves and provide insights into the mission for this podcast.

In addition they talk about the importance of quicklly taking the first step towards the life you want and why action beats out planning when it comes to achieving your dreams.

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