the anastasiya podcast
by anastasiya goretaya-mclinden
“Long story long.” - (Notoriously) Anastasiya We’ll chat about love + marriage, friendship + faith — and all the magic (& mess) in-between. Sharing honest stories from my life- the inspiring highs, the hard seasons that shape us, and the beauty found along the in-between. From dog-mom life to my latest chapter as a Mama, this is a space for heartfelt conversations about growth, grace, and the richness of everyday moments. Because sometimes it’s in the hardest seasons- that we find the biggest blessings. Cheers to the seasons that shape us!
Episodes
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Ep 2.21 - See You All In 4 Months!
With baby number two’s arrival right around the corner, it’s time to press pause on The Anastasiya Podcast so I can soak in these last few weeks of our little family of three (technically four 🐾), finish up some last-minute projects, and make room for our newest family member’s arrival. There’s…
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Ep 2.20 - Camping Redemption: Why We're NOT Selling the Camper
There are certain memories that become part of your family story, and sometimes they don't start out the way you expected. Last year, we took our first camping trip with an 8-month-old and came home convinced that our desire for adventure and traveling was on hold... temporarily. (But truthfully,...
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Ep 2.19 - Moms: It Takes A Village... And Sometimes That Village Costs Money
One of the biggest lies modern motherhood silently tells us (by constantly showing us) is that we're supposed to do it all ourselves. In this episode, I'm sharing my most recent deep dive: personal capacity and the help you don't see. It's always the perfect storm: my husband's schedule gets…
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Ep 2.18 - You're Not Depressed, It's Just Not Your Season To Harvest
A common theme I am noticing amongst friends is feeling like you don't have it "all together" right at this exact moment.. Which made me think long and hard about: are we actually falling behind? Or are we simply living in the midst of a season that's meant for planting instead of harvesting?…
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Ep 2.17 - Finding My Rhythm Again
It's been 4 weeks since I last sat down to record a podcast and that's thanks to our whirlwind of a past month. Pre-recording a few episodes and then disassembling the podcast room to set up a guest room for out-of-state relatives = the catalyst for so many good things, but the podcast took an...
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Ep 2.16 - Husbands POV - SAHM
Matt's back for this week's episode and we're talking about the SAHM transition from his side! He shares how he saw this coming way before I did, how we (he) thought through the finances, and what the past month has actually looked like for our family with Mom home and fully present. If this is a...
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Ep 2.15 - Baby #2 Is A ...
Matt's back and together we're revealing the gender of baby #2! We take you through our headspace leading up to our 20-week anatomy scan, what changed in having us (me mostly, lol) decide to find out the gender, and how our ultrasound tech intentionally or unintentionally dropped the news at the...
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Ep 2.14 - SAHM Week 1: Tick Season, Tantrums & $500/mo on Dog Food??
Week one as an official stay at home mom, and let's just say God knew Mom needed to be home. First day: waking up to not one, but TWO ticks stuck to Magnolia's head. (And we do tick checks like it's our job around here!!) Then a bottle regression out of left field, right when we were SO close to...
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Ep 2.13 - Not All Motherhood Is Created Equal
This week I'm getting into something that has been on my mind for a while: the idea that not all motherhood is created equal, and why that matters. I talk about officially stepping away from my job and what it's taken to fully accept that this is my season to be home, especially with a toddler, a...
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Ep 2.12 - Ladies, Marry The Provider
In this episode, I'm getting real about the season of life Matt and I are in right now: pregnancy, sacrifice, and the kind of teamwork that most people don't show on social media. I want to talk about what it actually means to marry a provider because it's not the "never work a day in your life"...
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Ep 2.11 - Who Am I Now? Identity, Motherhood & Letting Go
If you’ve ever felt caught somewhere between who you were and who you’re becoming, this episode is for you. Get comfortable, because I’m diving in about something I think so many new moms feel but don't always say out loud: the emotional tug-of-war between missing who you used to be and realizing...
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Ep 2.10 - Surprise... We're Pregnant Again!
Surprise… we’re pregnant again! We share how it all happened, what the past few weeks have looked like, and how different this pregnancy has been so far compared to our first go-around. From debilitating nausea to managing life with a toddler, we’re navigating it all in real time! Matt joins me…
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Ep 2.9 - Hindsight is 20/20
A little blast from the past! Recorded in February, not knowing I was about to take an unexpected podcast hiatus for two months while fighting for my life through the first trimester (exaggerating, but not really). I talk about the shift from trying to do it all to finally giving myself…
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Ep 2.8 - What We’d Repeat & What We’d Redo as First Time Parents
In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, Matt and I reflect on what we would keep the same and what we would change if we were becoming first-time parents all over again. We talk about unrealistic expectations, nursing and pumping pressure, sleep deprivation, paternity leave, and the identity...
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Ep 2.7 - The Motherhood Saga Continues
In this week’s episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I dive right back into peeling the layers of this new season of life: motherhood. Reaching for gratitude: daily, is once again at the top of the list. I share my thoughts on how not all motherhood is created equally, how wanting what we don’t have...
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Ep 2.6 - Social Media: It's A Love/Hate Relationship - There's No In-Between!
In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I talk about my very complicated relationship with social media after taking the entire month of January off. Like every social media hiatus I’ve ever taken (because yes, I do this often), it felt amazing. I didn’t miss it. Not even a little. Life was...
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Ep 2.5 - They Lied To Us About Our Fertility
In this solo episode, I’m sharing a few real-life updates before diving into a topic that stopped me in my tracks. I started reading a book last week that referenced a study by Dr. Edward Wilson on the innate biological differences between men and women. Learning (or re-learning) that men produce...
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Ep 2.4 - Miscarriage... Now What?
In this episode, Matt and I sit down together to share our experience with the miscarriage we recently walked through. We open up about what those days looked like for us, how we processed the loss individually and together, and why we felt called to share our story. Healing doesn’t happen...
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Ep 2.3 - Molars Are Molar-ing
This week’s episode is a cozy solo catch-up from my snowy corner of Rhode Island. We woke up to a full-on winter wonderland, all while still not sleeping over here: baby girls molars are very much molar-ing. Sharing a family update as my little brother headed off to his first training school…
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Ep 2.2 - Doing The Most While Doing Less
This episode is a laid-back catch up with a bunch of life updates from the start of the new year. Over in my corner of the world, we don’t really do New Year’s resolutions per se, we set goals. The kind that take time to fulfill. Whether that’s weeks, months, or the dreaded years, we do our best...
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Ep 2.1 - New Year, Same Me... Kinda
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of The Anastasiya Podcast. I rang in the New Year doing what I probably shouldn’t have been doing… doom scrolling, and I didn’t even notice the clock strike midnight...*eye roll*. That‘s exactly why I was excited to start a social media hiatus! This year, I’m not...
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Ep 1.25 - 2025: That's a Wrap!
I’m closing out 2025 the way I love to start a new year: by setting new goals. But this time, I had to pause and recalibrate. While riding the high of reaching one year of parenthood, I found myself getting ahead of my current season and dreaming a little too big about our business before it was...
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Ep 1.24 - Get Honest or Stay Single
This one is for the single person out there looking for their person. I’m talking about why it can feel so easy to be clear about what we want in our careers, yet so hard to admit we want love - real love. Not just dating, but a spouse, a family, the whole picture. I share how self-protection can...
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Ep 1.23 - Do Less So You Can Do More
I’m sharing a holiday-season mindset shift that surprised me: doing less so I could actually do more. As someone who loves going all out for the holidays, I’m learning what it looks like to lower my standards (on purpose) and live in the season of life I’m in right now. I talk about simplifying...
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Ep 1.22 - Staying the Course, Niching Down & Developing Powerhouse Stylists - Part 2 - Ft. Samantha Coughlin
In my continued conversation with Sam, she shares what it felt like to hit the ceiling in her career and crave more. She opens up about spotting a massive gap in the extension market- not just in quality products, but truly masterful installation- and how that realization pushed her to invest in...
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Ep 1.21 - The Salon Stella Story - Part 1 - Ft. Samantha Coughlin
I sit down with my friend and boss, Samantha, to talk about her journey from being a young girl obsessed with hair and all things beauty to becoming the owner of Salon Stella, and most recently a brand creator of her very own hair extension line, The Mane Collection™. Sam shares where her passion...
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Ep 1.20 - You're Not Crazy... You Just Haven't Slept in a Year
I’m coming to you solo and catching you up on all things Life Lately- starting with big news: we officially have a walker! Someone woke up on the morning of her 11-month birthday and decided she’s not a little-bitty baby anymore. I share how I audit my calendar and routines to figure out what’s...
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Ep 1.19 - Pennsylvania Is for Lovers
Matt and I break down our very first trip without the baby- the nerves, the freedom, and everything in between. The baby stayed with Grandparents and we headed off to a 3-day wedding retreat… and honestly? It was just what the Dr. ordered! We shared where we stayed, the good times, the beautiful...
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Ep 1.18 - If She’d Met Him Sooner, She Would’ve Missed Him
Anastasiya sits down with her friend Vera to share a story of courage, growth, and finding the love you truly deserve. What happens when you reach the end of your 20s, step into your 30s, and love doesn’t look the way you always imagined it would? Once stuck in a long-term relationship that…
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Ep 1.17 - Dreamers & Doers: Finding the Balance in Marriage & Business
Matt and I dive into what it really looks like to be both doers and dreamers in marriage and business. We talk about which of us leans more toward dreaming big and which one keeps things grounded- and how we’ve learned to find balance when those two worlds collide. From the early days of running...
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Ep 1.16 - "Ever Since I Can Remember, I've Always Wanted To Be A Mom!" ... Not Me! Now What?
This week we dive right back into the messy middle of becoming “mom.” The journey into motherhood hasn’t been linear - especially since I was never the girl who “dreamed of being a mom.” I knew I would be a mom (one day), but I didn’t think about it much more than that- which I feel made my...
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Ep 1.15 - It's Not Random, It's Strategic (the enemy knows your weak spot)
I’m opening up about how the enemy doesn’t go after you where you’re strong, he targets the areas where we’re most vulnerable. For me, that’s been the transition into motherhood. After nine months of sleepless nights and constant change, it honestly felt easier to go back to work and feel…
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Ep 1.14 - 1 Year of Maternity Leave? & Not Watering Down Faith
This week it’s just me, coming to you solo with my sights set on the long game for The Anastasiya Podcast. I’m sharing where I see this podcast heading, the kinds of stories I can’t wait to share- entrepreneurial journeys, soul-mate love stories, and marriages that thrive through different…
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Ep 1.13 - Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes
When life feels impossibly hard: sleepless nights, endless weeks, and the same struggles on repeat, it’s easy to think that you’re failing. In this episode, we talk about giving yourself grace, lowering the bar when you need to (especially while trekking through uncharted territory), and the…
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Ep 1.12 - First Weeklong Vacation as a Family of 4
We’re back from our first extended family vacation and sharing all the details: what we loved, what challenged us, and what we’d redo if we had the chance. Our cozy beachside rental was the perfect backdrop for lifelong memories, and we all (Volkie included!) felt the post-ocean blues as soon as…
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Ep 1.11 - Tragedy & Not Letting Failure Define You
We pause our usual podcasting style to sit with some heartbreak unfolding behind the scenes and across the world. While we don’t claim to have all the answers, I felt called to speak honestly about the weight many of us are carrying. Even when the divide feels impossibly wide, I believe most...
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Ep 1.10 - Seasons of Stillness, Corporate America, Grumpy Attitudes, & Gratitude
This week we lean into the less than glamorous feeling of living groundhog day in motherhood. How solo parenting can quickly take its toll on your attitude and how perspective, gratitude and the G-man are always there to not only turn things around, but remind you how blessed you truly are. I...
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Ep 1.9 - Self Sabotage, Truck Bed Campers, & Unpacking Bad Habits
This week we unpack self sabotaging doom-loops that seem to appear every time packing for a vacation is on the horizon... running for 20+years straight without fail. (Hint: it's always baking & staying up way too late.) In this new season of life we are reaching for understanding why the brain...
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Ep 1.8 - [Pt. 2 of Ep 1.7] | The Gift of Marriage, Legacy, & The Importance of Hard Conversations
In this continued episode we share how we found realistic rhythms with fitness, balancing household roles, & how the gift of marriage has made the journey of parenthood even more special. We share why choosing your spouse wisely matters, the blessing in leaning into hard conversations, how they…
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Ep 1.7 - 6 Month Postpartum Update - Pt. 1
6months in and someone's teeth finally broke through! But not after the wildest string of all nighters and a sleep regression that made us rethink becoming parents. I ended my pumping journey and a mastopexy just got added to my neverending to-do list! We also share what inspired us to make it a...
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Ep 1.6 - Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should
This week’s episode is packed with life updates from Volkie’s second and third emergency surgeries, Noli’s gnarly sleep regression, and surviving what felt like 100 days of rain. We chat about what’s playing in our world, why we’re pressing pause on our business Coast to Cabin (for the meantime),...
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Ep 1.5 - Volkie Update x2 & Navigating Marriage Postpartum
In this episode, we're sharing the wild behind-the-scenes of our dog, Volk’s emergency surgery after swallowing a golfball-sized rock (yes, really) and how post-op recovery took us by total surprise. From customized baby-to-doggy diaper hacks and dressing him in Walmart tights, to two weeks of...
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Bonus Ep! SLOMW S2 Reunion Recap
In this episode we have a special guest, my sweet friend Val, who happens to be a reality tv show aficionado! Join us as we dive into the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2 Reunion Show! We promised not to voice-note/text/or chat about the reunion until we filmed this episode - so this...
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Ep 1.4 - Volkie Update & Relationship Insights
From Volkies medical scare to dating apps and potential catfishing- We share the story of how our dog Volkie went from playful wrestlemania to emergency, life saving surgery in 24 hours, why we swear by pet insurance, and how modern dating culture is missing the mark. Plus, 12 years in, did we...
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Ep 1.3 - 4 Month Postpartum Update
Summary: We dive into the raw and real of what the last four months have looked like as first-time parents. From missing parts of our old life to adjusting to a brand new reality, we open up about where our hearts and minds are now—on the other side of pregnancy. We also talk honestly about how...
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Ep 1.2 - My Birth Story
*DISCLAIMER: Everyone's birth story and experience is different* Summary: In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I share my full birth story—every intense, beautiful, painful, and unforgettable moment. From naturally inducing labor, to an unexpected prolonged delay in the ER, to finally being...
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Ep 1.1 - 18 Weeks Pregnant
Summary: Join us (Matt & Ana) as we share the nitty gritty and raw behind finding out we’re pregnant, along with all the behind-the-scenes thoughts that came with this life-changing news. This episode is especially for our late-20s and early-30s peers who haven’t yet taken the leap into...
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Ep 1.0 - Introduction
Sharing a quick little recap of why “The Anastasiya Podcast” was born, the things I am most passionate about, and why I will be taking you along for the ride!
About this show
“Long story long.” - (Notoriously) Anastasiya
We’ll chat about love + marriage, friendship + faith — and all the magic (& mess) in-between.
Sharing honest stories from my life- the inspiring highs, the hard seasons that shape us, and the beauty found along the in-between. From dog-mom life to my latest chapter as a Mama, this is a space for heartfelt conversations about growth, grace, and the richness of everyday moments.
Because sometimes it’s in the hardest seasons- that we find the biggest blessings.
Cheers to the seasons that shape us!
Hosted by
anastasiya goretaya-mclinden
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