The Highlife Dropouts
by Crystal and Staci
Welcome to the Highlife Dropouts! What should you expect?Hilarious tales regarding, work, family, and all the things we were not prepared for regarding adulthood. Join us as we discover a new way to explore life and redefine the extravagant and luxurious.We're just two friends who opted out of the stereotypical American dream. We sold that ocean front property ideal to make our own way and find happiness in the now by stressing less and living more. The high life looked nice - but the dedication and stress to graduate into that exclusive class was not for us.
Episodes
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Corporate Parties are a Scam!
Raise your hand if you've been victimized by a work holiday party. Exactly. Don't go friends! Just give us a bonus instead. Let us know what you think.
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Corporate Parties are a Scam
Tis the season, for corporate holiday parties. Do you stay or do you go? Staci and Crystal are both in alignment, don't go!
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Book Club: Holiday Swap
HLDO, Book club edition! Lets chat about the latest book club pick. Stay till the end to hear our January pick.
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Spicy Stance: Gift Giving
Coming in hot for the holidays! What are your gift giving and receiving expectations? We're a bit conflicted, but we have one rule (well we have more, you just have to listen)...no gifts!
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Spicy Stance: Corporate Parties
Spicy Stance Alert! Raise your hand if you've been victimized by a work holiday party. EXACTLY. HLDO Rule? Just don't go.
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How do you sleep at night?
Are you a light or deep sleeper? Most importantly do you snore? On this episode the conversation is all about sleep, well not all about it, the first half is chisme! BUT, we talk about sleep habits and make a promise to adjust one thing to help us sleep better. Enjoy, sleep tight and don't let…
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We're back...for now!
Hey Dropouts! We've missed you! We have updates on updates for you all! Tune in to hear Crystal reveal her journey on writing a book, while Staci celebrates her running achievements amidst work stress, creating a relatable and engaging convo. Also, stick around for a fun, light-hearted 'This or...
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Breast Reduction
This episode is about Staci's breast reduction journey. We talk breast size changes, how clothes fit now and how neck and back pain has gone away. This was recorded back in November, Staci is now 8 months post-op and is happy to share more about her experience if you reach out directly.
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Oversharing
We're back! We recorded this back in January, yes, January... In this episode we talk about oversharing, what we consider oversharing, the content we love and what we don't really enjoy. We also talk a little about our pre-pandemic lives because can you believe it's been 5 years! Happy listening!...
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No One Prepared Us for Luigi Mangione
Surprise Dropouts! I know, we said we wouldn't be back till January but Robin Hoodie aka The Regulator aka Luigi brought us out of our winter hibernation. Lets talk health insurance, CEO's, and the end of 2024.
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The Final Update
Buckle Up! In this episode we share updates on our content creation journey, highlighting the challenges and successes we face in content creation. We conclude with future plans for the podcast and engagement, emphasizing the importance of consistency and connection with all of you, our loyal...
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Thirst Traps - Post Em! | Spicy Stance
Spicy Stances are back! Lets talk about thirst traps and sexy photos. Do you post them online, and how thirsty does it get? Come quench our thirst besties :P
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Big Books, Big Brains
It’s a book episode! Lots of chisme and updates then we talk books. Have you joined our bookclub? ;)
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Lay Low, Layoffs Are Coming
0:00 Chisme 15:16 Game Time! Overrated, Underrated 29:50 Layoffs 48:45 John Update
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Home Renos & Blood Baths
I started my period in the middle of the damn race. Welcome Back dropouts! Today we talk about periods, diy projects, and home renovations.
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B-Team Friends
Hey Dropouts! Are you an A-team friend or did you get benched? Staci and Crystal talk about merging friend groups and finding out you weren't invited. Staci also shares her latest creepy encounters. 00:00 Chisme and Life Updates 03:19 Staci's Creep Encounters 22:25 Are Staci and Crystal in sync?...
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What's Your Body Count?
Hi Dropouts, we're back! Girthy or long? Lets talk size and body counts. Note this is a true car episode - so road noise is in the background. Generally our audio is not like this :P
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What’s Your Sign? Lets Talk Astrology
Baby what’s your sign? Happy vernal equinox! As the astrology year begins a new and heralds the beginning of longer days, we thought, lets talk about astrology. Cheryl joins us from New York to answer our questions and talk through sun, moon and rising signs.
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Becoming Better Podcasters
WELCOME BACK DROPOUTS! In this episode, Staci and Crystal celebrate their one-year podcast anniversary and discuss their plans for season three. They share personal updates, including Crystal leaving her job and Staci’s house renovations. The hosts also talk about their book club, upcoming…
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No One Prepared Us For Decolonizing Foods w/Amirah
Happy Thanksgiving or Happy F*** Colonizers Day, which is what our special guest, Amirah Islam calls it. Today, take time to learn all about Amirah, about her Bengali roots, her passion for cooking and her experience on winning Top Chef Amateurs. Don't forget to give credit where credit is due…
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No One Prepared Us for Celebrity Memoirs
Dropouts, we're back! Today we chat about dating apps, Jada, Britney, and Taylor Swift. 0:00 Updates with Crystal and Staci 14:50 Taylor Swift 24:10 Jada Picket Smith 26:55 Britney 30:24 Book Club Launch ( https://tinyurl.com/HLDOBookClub ) 34:46 Dating Apps 42:00 Celebrity Crushes
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No One Prepared Us For Superstitions (Happy Halloween)
Happy Halloween!!! Are superstitions really superstitions or are they cultural norms? We know y'all believe in ghosting, but do you believe in ghosts, fairies and demons? Hear what we have to say and don't worry, it's not that spooky of an episode, but Staci does give off some ASMR vibes in this...
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Boo, I'm A Ghost (Ending Relationships)
Ghosting, icing, simmering, call it what you want, but is it an appropirate way to end a relationship? Today's spicy stance is all about the ghost. All we can say is, boo - we're ghosts.
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Soul Mates? (Spicy Stances Series)
Do you believe in love at first sight? What about soul mates? Staci and Crystal talk love and destiny.
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They're Cheating, What Would You Do? (Spicy Stances Series)
Would you tell a friends S/O they were being cheated on? Staci and Crystal say.... 0:00 Chisme with Crystal Marie and Staci D 8:50 To tell or not to tell? Spicy starts here Wellllll, we really have different opinions, find out which one of us leans towards 'Yea bc no one deserves that!' and/or...
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No One Prepared Us For Social Media Nostalgia w/Liz
Throwback Thursday drop! Did you know that MySpace launched in 2003 and in 2006 it was the #1 website on the internet, valued at $12B? We knew it was hot but some of us deactivated before saving all of our pictures, OH WELL! This episode is so much fun, we're all over the place *BUT* we talk…
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Should You Bring Your S/O on a Friends Only Trip? (Spicy Stances Series)
Would you ever invite your S/O on a friends only trip? Staci and Crystal say, "Hell, No!" Hey Dropouts! Same us but a spicier format: Spicy Stances with Staci D and Crystal Marie We hope you love listening to these new segments as much as we love recording them. Not to worry, we still have our...
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No One Prepared us for Trad Wives ft. Treca
Traditional or modern, these days it seems your judged no matter where you land. We talk through the dichotomy between gender roles in relationships and whether enjoying being a traditional relationship makes you anti-feminist. XO SDD & CMM
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No One Prepared Us for the Millennial Crisis ft Liz
The Me Generation. Lets talk about it. In today's episode we take you through a timeline of events that shaped the Millennial generation and our outlook on life. From Rodney King to TikTok and everything in between. This episode also features one of our favorite people, Liz! Here her perspective…
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No One Prepared Us for A Mid-Season Update
We missed y'all! But we're back and in today's episode there's lots of chisme AND we provide an update on what we have been cooking up for y'all. Literally, we have a cooking episode coming out soon. Thanks for listening, we love y'all!
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No One Prepared Us for an Identity Crisis ft Katy
Trigger Warning: This episode does contain conversation around suicide. If you need help or know someone who might need help, find resources here: Lifeline (988lifeline.org) Three words to describe you at 19? Three words to describe you now? It was a huge difference for us too! This episode dives...
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No One Prepared Us For In-Laws
Hot take? We don't call our MIL's mom. Do you? Something we were not prepared for was our in-laws. Did we have a preconceived notion about what that relationship would look like? Yes? Did it come to fruition? No. 0:00 Chisme with Crystal and Staci D 6:12 The Awkwardness of In-Laws 17:17 Do you…
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No One Prepared Us for College the Scam Ft. Yasi
Millenials know the rhetoric well - go to college or you'll never get anywhere. Our hot take? We were scammed. Hang out with us as we talk about being first gen college students, the pressure to go to college, and the things we wish we had known before embarking on our collegiate career. Special...
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Dear John, No One Prepared Us for Terrible Bosses
Dear John, you were kind of the worst. Anyone else have a John, or truly terrible boss? Let's talk about ridiculous corporate stories. P.S We're back for season 2! 0:00 We're Back 3:21 JCP Photos 9:40 The Infamous Massage Story
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No One Prepared Us for Mothers Day
Hey Dropouts, celebrate Mothers Day with us! Today we're celebrating our moms, and our very own Staci D, with a surprise guest --- Staci's Mom! This is also available in video format on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=pZ2R3tmJzyE Regular episodes will resume in July - stay wild! XOXO CMM & SDD
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No One Prepared us for a Season Finale!
Wow - all we can say is wow. Eight episodes in eight weeks with about 100 listeners. I think we're speechless. This was a passion project to help chase the rainy day grays away, and we got so much more than we bargained for in all of you. This is the last episode of this season, but don't worry…
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No One Prepared Us For Body Image in the Age of Social Media
When we were teens there were no influencers. We just had celebrities trying to tell us how to dress. Now we get bombarded everywhere we go and its exhausting. One thing is for sure, our 20-year-old selves would never guess how we would feel about our bodies at 30. 00:00 Intro 00:49 Chisme with...
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No One Prepared Us for Financial Emergencies - Finance Part 2
Welcome back to part 2 of our finance episode! We get into the nitty gritty and talk about investments, budgeting and emergency funds. 0:00 Intro 0:38 Financial Advice from you 1:12 Investments 7:04 Budget 9:39 Emergency Funds 16:36 Our Financial Mix (Savings, Bills, Fun) 23:00 Frugality within…
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No One Prepared Us For Finances - Part 1
Paychecks, Investments and Budgets oh my! Such an intense topic we had to split it into two episodes. Today we're talking finances and how things have shifted from our 20s to our 30s. Long since are the days we ate McDonalds on the regular and prayed we hadn't over drafted our bank accounts....
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No One Prepared Us for Impostor Syndrome
Anyone else feel like a fraud at work? Just us? Lets talk about it! (0:00) Intro (1:02) Chisme with Crystal and Staci (9:46) Staci Story Time - Impostor Syndrome (22:55) What is Impostor Syndrome (24:12) Quiz Results (38:51) Types of Impostor Syndrome (46:37) Tips and Advice
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No One Prepared Us for Adult Friendships
How do you make friends as an adult? You tell us! Today we talk about making friends and breaking up with friends in your thirties.
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No One Prepared Us For Marriage
Marriage in your thirties? She looks a bit different than when we were in our twenties! Today we talked about what it was like to get married young and what's changed in the decade since. In this episode you'll find: Ring Size - Does it matter? Marital Finances - Separate, Combined & Prenups...
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No One Prepared Us For Tales of Corporate America
Welcome back dropouts - we have some juicy Tales from Corporate America for you today. In today's episode we wanted to thank everyone that took the time to listen to our first episode last week, and for all the feedback. We really do appreciate it. In the back half of today's episode, we drop two...
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No One Prepared Us for A Podcast
Hey dropouts, come hang out with us! Follow along as we explore the world from a different lens - no longer chasing the high life we now have a vast amount of time on our hands. After realizing that no one prepares you for the sudden realization that everything you've been told about success is a...
About this show
Welcome to the Highlife Dropouts! What should you expect?Hilarious tales regarding, work, family, and all the things we were not prepared for regarding adulthood. Join us as we discover a new way to explore life and redefine the extravagant and luxurious.We're just two friends who opted out of the stereotypical American dream. We sold that ocean front property ideal to make our own way and find happiness in the now by stressing less and living more. The high life looked nice - but the dedication and stress to graduate into that exclusive class was not for us.
Hosted by
Crystal and Staci