The Real Stuff with Lucie Fink

Today's guest is Keltie Knight—a name a lot of you will know from her years hosting E! News, and someone I've wanted on this show since it started. Our paths actually crossed years ago through her best friend Christina Perry, an early guest on this podcast. Keltie has a new book out called The F*ck Them Theory, and the title isn't just a bit; it's a real philosophy Keltie built after a very specific moment fell apart. A few years ago, from the outside, her life looked like a highlight reel: a hit podcast celebrating ten years, a huge festival she'd built from scratch, a career at the top of Hollywood's red carpet circuit. What nobody could see was that she was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, quietly learning her show was about to be canceled, and cycling through Xanax, gabapentin, Ambien, and antidepressants just to function. It all came to a head on a yacht in Ibiza, in the middle of what should have been a celebration. From there, we get into the parts of Keltie's life she doesn't usually put in front of a camera: her brother's mental illness, the decision to have him hospitalized, and how she processes the fear of being defined by rejection instead of it. We also talk about the strange psychology of "success" itself: why getting everything you thought you wanted rarely feels like enough, and why Keltie thinks the secret isn't becoming more perfect, but getting comfortable being messy in public. It's a conversation about ambition, image, and the gap between the two, and one of the most honest ones I've had on this show in a while. Follow Keltie: https://www.instagram.com/keltie/ Sponsors: Instant Hydration: Visit https://www.instanthydration.com/realstuff and use my promo code REALSTUFF for over 40% off your first subscription order. Forkful: Visit https://www.forkfulmeals.com/LUCIE for 50% off your first order. Cotton: Learn more at https://www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com Watch this episode in video form on Spotify or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Sabrina Chazen, a size-inclusive fashion blogger and full-time content creator I've wanted on the show since day one. We met on a brand trip in Miami a couple of years ago, and within minutes of talking to her, I knew: this woman does not hold back. It's honestly wild that it's taken us two years to actually record this. Sabrina came on ready to talk about her GLP-1 journey, something she's barely spoken about publicly despite being one of the earliest people I knew to try it (before it was the topic of conversation it is now). However, her story isn't the one you'd expect. The drug didn't make her smaller. She lost some weight at first, then her insurance stopped covering it once her bloodwork improved, and things unraveled from there (including, at one point, quietly taking it from her dad's fridge). What she describes isn't really about the number on the scale; it’s what the medication was doing for her body that had nothing to do with weight loss at all—and how strange it feels to explain that to a world that assumes GLP-1s are only about getting thin. Then the conversation shifts into something even more raw: a friendship breakup that Sabrina has alluded to online for over a year but never told in full. It starts at her local club, with Sabrina checking in on a friend's kids during a rough patch, and ends, later that same night, with her own son bleeding from a head injury and that same friend going silent for hours when she needed her most. It’s a real, unfiltered conversation about boundaries, forgiveness, and the specific chaos that hits women's friendships in their late 30s and 40s; something Sabrina says she's never experienced at this level before in her life. We also get into the business side of Sabrina's world: how she quietly built a six-figure affiliate marketing career, one link at a time, starting with a goal of just $100 a day. Thank you, Sabrina, for finally sitting down with me and for trusting our audience with all of it. If you're watching on YouTube, drop a comment and let her know you're rooting for her! Follow Sabrina: https://www.instagram.com/sabrinachazen/ Sponsors: Quince: Go to https://www.Quince.com/REALSTUFF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Watch this episode in video form on Spotify or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the second part of the conversation with my husband, Michael. If you missed part one, we covered parenting, marriage, and life with two toddlers. This time, we're talking about what happens when your husband becomes your business partner, too. It's been just over six months since Michael left his corporate job to join me full-time at Lucie Fink Media, and we're getting into what that's actually looked like day-to-day. Michael walks through his role overseeing the finances of the business, including a tracker spreadsheet that helped us catch a payment we never received from a brand deal, and how that role has expanded into bigger projects: helping spearhead our Spotify Video partnership, exploring equity investments in brands we believe in, and starting early conversations around a scholarship fund for students who want to get into media but don't have an easy path in. We also get honest about the friction points: our very different working styles (Michael is methodical and slow-paced, I move fast and want things done immediately), how we navigate boundaries between work time and personal time, and a moment early on where our different paces led to a real "whoa, let's not do that again" meeting. Then we open it up to your questions from Instagram, including what's given Michael the most joy since leaving corporate (spoiler: his health has changed dramatically), whether we took a financial hit as a family when he left his salary behind, and how we handle delegating tasks to each other. We also still don't have an official job title for him, so let us know in the comments what you think it should be! Sponsors: Cotton: Learn more at https://www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Nutrafol: Visit https://www.nutrafol.com and enter promo code REALSTUFF for $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping. Ladder: If you have an iPhone, head to https://www.ladder.fit/REALSTUFF and get a free 7-day trial with no credit card and $10 off your first month. Vinted: Download the Vinted app for free to start listing with no seller fees. Watch this episode in video form on Spotify or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm bringing my husband Michael back on the show for a special two-part episode. This week is all about parenting. Michael and I recently became co-CEOs of our life together, when he left his corporate job to join me at Lucie Fink Media. Today, we’re catching up on the family side of things, and we're recording it in a pretty unusual setting: we've moved in with Michael's parents for the entire summer while our house undergoes a renovation—which means we're currently living under one roof with ten people, including Michael's sister, her husband, and their six-month-old baby. We get honest about the sibling dynamics between our two kids, Milo (almost five) and Coco (almost two). We also talk about a couples therapy session we did (not about our marriage, but about how we tag team parenting when one of us is at a breaking point), and the specific hand signal our therapist suggested for when one of us needs to step away. Michael also shares some parenting mistakes worth learning from, including a Nanit monitor feature he wishes he'd never turned on, and the shockingly simple trick (a 10:30pm wake up and a whispered secret code word) that finally stopped Milo's middle of the night wake ups. We close out the episode with a rapid fire round of your questions, covering everything from what surprised us about having a boy and a girl, to what we wish we'd known before having kids, to how we handle disagreements as parents. Part two, all about working together since Michael left corporate, is coming next week! Sponsors: Quince: Go to https://www.Quince.com/REALSTUFF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. ButcherBox: Go to https://www.ButcherBox.com/realstuff for $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life, or free chicken thighs or top sirloins in every box for a year – with free shipping always. instant hydration: Go to https://www.instanthydration.com/realstuff and use my promo code REALSTUFF for over 40% off your first subscription order. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few months ago I posted about attending an Instagram event in New York City, where they walked me through Teen Accounts. This is a feature now used by hundreds of millions of teenagers worldwide. The reaction split my audience right down the middle. Parents of teens thanked me for sharing it, while parents of young kids (myself included) responded with skepticism. So I decided to go straight to the source. Today I'm sitting down with Tara Hopkins, who works in policy at Instagram. My kids are still young, so phones and social media still feel like a distant (and sometimes terrifying) hypothetical for future me. But it's already a big topic of conversation in my house, and I had a lot of questions. Tara's career path alone is worth the listen: from the European Parliament in Brussels, to the UK's largest child protection charity, to Instagram in her early 40s, when she said she "wanted to start to learn again." She's also a mom of two teenagers, 16 and 13, so she's not just building this stuff, she's living it at home, too. In this episode, Tara walks me through how Instagram's AI can detect that a user is a teen even if they lie about their age, why 97% of 13-to-15-year-olds stay in the most restrictive settings without ever asking to change them, and how 94% of parents surveyed in the US said Teen Accounts have been helpful. Tara also walks through the specifics, like the 60-minute time notification and the 10pm to 7am sleep mode. During our discussion, I bring up something that's bugged me for a while: why does my own educational content, like the stuff I share about periods and reproductive health, sometimes get flagged? Her answer actually helped clear up a lot of my own misconceptions. There’s a part near the end that you may find especially interesting. We talk about what parents can and cannot see in their teen's DMs, and why they drew that line exactly where they did. Instagram Teen Accounts —now inspired by 13+ movie ratings—are designed to give parents peace of mind that their teens are safer with the right protections in place. Learn more about Instagram Teen Accounts at https://about.fb.com/news/2025/10/instagram-teen-accounts-pg-13-ratings/ Support your family’s online experience with expert guidance and tools from Meta’s Family Center. Explore resources today, including Meta’s Screen Smart Program, at https://familycenter.meta.com. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's audience caller is Chloe and she's a milestone guest for The Real Stuff: our first trans guest in three seasons! A couple of past callers with similar stories backed out right before we hit record, which tells you everything about how much courage this actually takes. I'm endlessly grateful to Chloe for being the one who said yes. Here's the twist: Chloe didn't discover she was trans as a kid, or a teenager, or even in her 20s. She was 45 years old and sitting in a UK office on her lunch break when she downloaded a FaceApp filter that gender-swaps photos. It started mostly as a joke. She pressed the button expecting to laugh. Instead, she disappeared into the bathroom for almost an hour, just staring at the picture. That was October 2023. What follows is Chloe walking us through absolutely everything—and I mean everything. The month she couldn't sleep. Coming out to her wife of nearly a decade (whose response was somehow even more generous than you'd hope for). Coming out to her parents, her job, eventually the whole world via a single Facebook post. The diagnosis process. And yes, the actual cost of transitioning, dollar for dollar and pound for pound. From NHS waitlists to $80,000 surgeries in California to significantly cheaper options in Thailand. We also get into a genuinely fascinating deep dive into the anatomy of the surgery itself.  Chloe, now separated and in her late 40s, is traveling solo, dating again, and finally—for the first time in her life—getting to be herself, out loud, in public. Thank you, Chloe, for trusting us with your story! Follow Chloe: https://www.instagram.com/lucyseekelly/ Sponsors: Forkful: Head to https://forkfulmeals.com/LUCIE for 50% off your first order today! Ladder: If you have an iPhone, head to https://www.ladder.fit/REALSTUFF and get a free 7-day trial with no credit card and $10 off your first month. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's audience caller, Betty, wrote in with a story I genuinely didn't know how to categorize when I first read it: she told me that her best friend "kidnapped" her nephew. Twice. Once for 19 days. Once for 93. But the deeper we got into it, the more I realized the headline doesn't capture exactly what happened here. Betty's wife is an identical twin. Her sister, Stephanie, married Carolyn, who quickly became Betty’s bestie. Being married to identical twin sisters, they had a lot in common. After years of trying to conceive (six rounds of IUI and IVF, and one devastating miscarriage), they finally had their son. Stephanie was on the birth certificate. She never missed an appointment. She planned the whole nursery. But she wasn't the biological mother, and in the eyes of the law, that distinction turned out to matter more than any of them could ever imagine. Betty walks us through watching her best friends' marriage quietly fall apart during a hard pregnancy, the night everything broke—a fight over a piece of paper that would have made Stephanie's parental rights official—and the 19 days that followed, where an entire family blocked their numbers, and a police station laughed off a mother's missing baby report. We also get into the messier parts: the advice Betty gave in the moment that she's still not sure was right, and the friendship she's not sure can ever be repaired. This episode exposes how fragile legal protection can be for non-biological parents, how a friendship can dissolve almost overnight, and how differently the same story can sound depending on who's telling it. Sponsors: Nutrafol: Visit https://www.nutrafol.com and enter promo code REALSTUFF for $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping. Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is a little different. It's just me, going deep on something I've never fully unpacked before: what it's actually been like to write my first novel. I take you back to 2023, when I tried to sell a nonfiction book about the science of curiosity—and how both publishers I was in talks with pulled out of the auction the morning it was supposed to happen. I thought that was the end of my book-writing chapter. It wasn't. Fast forward to January of this year, one conversation with Michael turned into an idea for a psychological thriller (think Gone Girl meets Severance), and within three hours of posting a single Instagram video announcing it, a literary agency reached out wanting to represent me, before I'd written more than two pages! I get into why that happened, what it says about the power of a platform in 2026, and the very unglamorous reality of book proposals, 43 chapter summaries, and my own "fatal flaw" as a writer (spoiler: I can't write a messy first draft to save my life). But this episode isn't really about publishing logistics. It's about the strange split between the person you think you know from my videos—grounded, married, happy—and the darker, stranger stories I've always needed somewhere to put. Sponsors: Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code "lucie" for 15% off. Cotton: Learn more at https://www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com ButcherBox: Go to https://www,ButcherBox.com/realstuff for $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life, or free chicken thighs or top sirloins in every box for a year – with free shipping always. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest spends her days looking at women in various states of undress, and somehow, the whole thing is a lot less sexual than you'd think. Meet Nomi, a boudoir photographer who splits her time between a jungle studio in rural Jamaica and a loft space in Brooklyn. For the past decade, she's been helping women feel at home in their bodies, one photo session at a time. On the surface, this is a conversation about a unique profession involving lingerie, nudity, and how to pose for a sexy photo. But underneath it, it's a conversation about womanhood, body image, and healing. Nomi shares how recovering from the eating disorder she developed at 16 shaped the philosophy behind her work. She talks candidly about why so many clients apologize for their stomachs, why boudoir sessions can unexpectedly bring sexual trauma to the surface, and why she believes the industry is quietly becoming a form of art therapy. We also dive into the business side that most people never consider: why she prices her sessions the way she does, what it's like to run every part of her business as a one-woman show, and how she built a career that's as emotionally demanding as it is creatively fulfilling. Along the way, she shares the unexpected story of how she met her husband in a Facebook group for Jewish singles before ending up on a farm in Trelawny, Jamaica. Listen for the moment she compares a boudoir session to a trip to the gynecologist. It's an analogy that completely reframes what professional comfort with nudity actually looks like—and it may change the way you think about the vulnerability of it altogether. Follow Nomi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boudoirbynomi/?hl=en Work with Nomi: https://boudoirbynomi.com Sponsors: Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Alaya Naturals: Visit https://www.alayanaturals.com/realstuff and enter code REALSTUFF at checkout for 20% off your order. Forkful: Head to https://forkfulmeals.com/LUCIE for 50% off your first order today! Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's audience caller episode is one I’ve been so excited to share. Riana is a travel blogger (http://teaspoonofadventure.com) who, after having her daughter in early 2025, did something most new parents run far from: instead of taking a typical parental leave, she and her husband sold almost everything they owned and spent nine months slow-traveling through Canada, France, the UK, and Spain—with a five-month-old baby and their dog in tow. At first glance, this is a trip story. But really, it's a story about permission. Permission to build a life that doesn't fit the mold, permission for a dad to take 15 months of paternity leave when most take a few weeks, and permission to feel the FOMO and the exhaustion of new parenthood while still choosing adventure over fear. We get into everything: how her husband's paternity leave became the centerpiece of the plan, the family pushback (“you’re taking my grandbaby away!”), and how they kept relationships close despite being thousands of miles apart. Riana also opens up about money in a way most people never do. She breaks down the full cost of the trip, exactly how much her travel blog earns per month, and where they blew way past their budget. My favorite part of this conversation is when we get into the "vacation vs. trip" debate and how Riana found unexpected joy in the parts of travel she never would've chosen for herself before becoming a mom. If you're a parent, a soon-to-be parent, or just someone who's ever wondered "could I actually do this with a baby?”—this one's for you. Here’s that article from the Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/vacation-or-trip-a-helpful-guide-for-parents_b_7789310 Sponsors: Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at https://www.magneticme.com Quince: Go to https://www.Quince.com/REALSTUFF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Labcorp OnDemand: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code "lucie" for 15% off. Alaya Naturals: Visit https://www.alayanaturals.com/realstuff and enter code REALSTUFF at checkout for 20% off your order. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/ Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Dr. Kolbe Hancock, a fertility specialist at Spring Fertility in New York City—but before she was delivering babies, she trained to be a professional ballerina. Kolbe's path took a hard left turn at 16, when a hip injury from years of overuse (and an unhealthily low body weight) ended her ballet career overnight. It was in the aftermath, interning at an orthopedic clinic for dancers, that she witnessed something that changed her life: dancers so calorie-deprived that their bones resembled those of women decades older. That was her lightbulb moment into reproductive endocrinology. In this episode, we get into it all: what actually happens in your body when you lose your period from undereating, why she calls your menstrual cycle a "vital sign," the years she spent (like me) not truly understanding her own cycle while on birth control, and what it's like matching intended parents with gestational carriers and egg donors.  We also don't shy away from theethics, including where the field is headed as genetic testing on embryos becomes more advanced, and the uncomfortable questions that it raises about what parents should be "allowed" to select for. If you're in the trying-to-conceive world, or just want to understand your own body better, this one is a masterclass. Visit https://www.springfertility.com to book an initial fertility consult to learn more about your reproductive health. Use code REALSTUFF for $150 off the consultation. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is about sex. And I know that word alone is enough to make some people skip past this one — which is exactly why I wanted to make it. This episode is a little different from our usual format. You'll hear from audience callers who responded to our casting call asking for your spiciest, most unexpected sex stories. What we got back was so much more than I anticipated — hilarious, raw, surprising, and genuinely human. But first, you'll hear excerpts from my conversation with Vanessa Marin, a licensed sex therapist with over 20 years of experience who joined me to bring some real expertise to the table. My conversation with Vanessa includes a 30-day kissing challenge she and her husband actually did, the concept of "the ick" and what gratitude research says about relationship satisfaction. We also chat about her GET intimate technique: three surprisingly simple things that can rebuild connection even in the driest of dry spells. Then you'll hear a clip from my full conversation with Melanie, which is available as its own episode linked below. Melanie is deeply involved in the BDSM community, and what I expected to be a conversation about kink turned into a deep dive on trust, communication, consent, and something called subspace — which I genuinely had never heard of before. She completely shifted some of my assumptions, and if this clip intrigues you, I highly recommend going back to listen to the full thing. And finally, you'll get a taste of my conversation with Emily — also linked below as its own full episode — whose story starts as a spicy, unusual submission and takes a turn I truly didn't see coming. There's a chicken coop. There's a sensory deprivation box. There's a lot more I'm not going to spoil here. What I will say is that this one goes somewhere I never expected, and I think it's one of the most unexpectedly moving conversations we've had on this show. These are real stories from real people — and I think that's exactly the point. So many of us feel like we're the only one having the experiences we're having. We're not. Follow Vanessa: https://www.instagram.com/vanessaandxander/?hl=en Listen to Melanie's full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-stuff-with-lucie-fink/id1724982367?i=1000763998066 Listen to Emily's full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-stuff-with-lucie-fink/id1724982367?i=1000752856564 Sponsors: Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com  Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code "lucie" for 15% off. SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at https://www.skims.com/realstuff #skimspartner Ogee: Go to https://www.ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 20% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury. Labcorp: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m finally talking openly about my body — something I've sidestepped since I first started posting online. I've always had a naturally slim frame, and from the moment I started sharing myself on the Internet, many people in the world had something to say about it. In a world where most people are trying to lose weird, I know having a naturally slim frame isn’t a relatable starting point for most people. But I'm done dancing around it. I'm walking you through my entire weight gain journey: how a gallbladder surgery and a later celiac diagnosis changed my body in ways that had nothing to do with how I wanted to look, the unsolicited comments I've gotten from strangers online for years, and why I finally decided — for reasons that have nothing to do with the comments — that I wanted to get stronger and put on some healthy weight. I get into what I've learned from working with a health coach, the realities of trying to build muscle and nourish my body intentionally, and why this has been a slower and more complicated process than people might assume. I also talk about one of the wildest lessons of this whole experience: no matter what your body looks like or what you post, someone will tell you it's wrong. I've heard it from both ends now, and I have thoughts. Sponsors: Labcorp: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Alaya Naturals: Visit https://www.alayanaturals.com/realstuff and enter code REALSTUFF at checkout for 20% off your order. Rhoback: Use code REALSTUFF at https://www.Rhoback.com for 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we have another incredibly sweet love story! When Lucy wrote in to share how she and her wife fell in love, I knew I had to have her on to share all of the details. Lucy and Liv spent years believing they were both completely straight. They were best friends, inseparable, and deeply connected, but neither of them ever imagined their friendship could become something more. Then, during a Thanksgiving trip that neither of them expected to be life-changing, everything shifted. In this conversation, Lucy walks me through the entire journey: growing up assuming she was straight, forming an intense friendship with Liv, the confusing and exhilarating moment their feelings changed, and how they navigated falling in love while trying to make sense of what it meant for their identities, families, and futures. We talk about friendship, sexuality, labels, intuition, and what it feels like when a connection is so powerful that it completely rewrites the story you thought your life was going to follow. Whether you've questioned your own identity, experienced an unexpected love, or simply enjoy a beautiful love story, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the most important relationships arrive in ways we never could have predicted. Sponsors: Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com  Cotton: Learn more at https://www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com  Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at https://www.Ritual.com/REALSTUFF  Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This conversation brought me so much joy! Claudia's story came to me in the most roundabout way — she emailed me about something else entirely, and I was so captivated by what she shared that I basically poached her and brought her straight to The Real Stuff. And I'm so glad I did. Claudia grew up in the Bronx with a crush on a boy named Adam — the cute, older kid from the neighborhood who skipped grades and had every girl's attention on the playground. She never really got her shot. They went to separate high schools, lost touch, both got married to other people, had kids, lived full lives. And then Facebook connected them once again. What unfolded from that reconnection is the kind of story that makes you believe in timing, fate, and the idea that some feelings never actually go away. We talk about what it felt like to fall in love in your late 40s with all the intensity of a teenager, how they navigated divorce, blended families, and a prenup the second time around, and why she thinks the timing, even with all the years in between, might have been exactly right. Sponsors: Ogee: Thanks to today's sponsor, Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to https://www.ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 20% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury. Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Quince: Go to https://www.Quince.com/REALSTUFF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit https://www.luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm sitting down with Olivia Levin — the woman behind what is widely considered the number one Taylor Swift fan account in the world, Swifties for Eternity. Olivia started on Tumblr at 13, got followed by Taylor herself, was invited to a secret session at the Holiday House at 17, and somehow turned all of that into a full-time career complete with brand deals, a ticket business, and a book deal with Simon & Schuster. We get into everything in this one — what it was actually like inside Taylor's house the night of the Reputation Secret Session, the moment Taylor made eye contact with her across the room, and what they talked about one-on-one. We also go deep on the business side: how Olivia monetized a fan account, the legalities of building a brand around a celebrity, and the online backlash she faced for charging $3 a month to help fans get face-value Eras Tour tickets. But honestly, the conversation that stuck with me most was about what it means to build your entire career on the back of another person and whether that's really all that different from any of us. We talk about parasocial relationships, the difference between obsession and admiration, the 13 lessons Olivia took from Taylor's career into her own life, and what she'd say to anyone who has a niche passion they can't figure out how to monetize. Olivia also just released her book, The Story of Us: How the Taylor Swift Fandom Changed Our Lives. You can purchase it here: https://amzn.to/4uNCfgS  Sponsors: Spindrift: Visit https://www.drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at https://www.blissy.com/LUCIE Labcorp: Visit https://www.OnDemand.Labcorp.com/realstuff and use code "realstuff" to save up to 15% on select tests. Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at https://www.magneticme.com Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit https://www.luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest, Anabel Gonzalez, grew up battling baseline depression her whole life, and when she had her son, postpartum hit her like nothing she'd ever experienced. She describes it as "the final boss of depression" and coming out the other side required ketamine infusion therapy, which she says didn't just heal her postpartum depression, it healed a lifelong battle with her brain. But that was only half of the story. After healing her mind, Anabel turned her attention to her body and fell deep into the world of gut health, fermentation, and the microbiome. That obsession led her to identify a gap in the entire probiotic industry: everyone was giving you the same strains on repeat, when diversity is actually the strongest indicator of a healthy gut. So she cold-emailed a Johns Hopkins immunologist, pitched her the idea, and her company, Good Bacteria, was born. We also go pretty deep on mushrooms, spirituality, and the surprisingly philosophical question of what it means to surrender — whether that's in a ketamine chair or on a forest floor. This one ranged wide and I loved every second of it! Use code LUCIE for 25% off at itsgoodbacteria.com Sponsors: Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Cotton: Learn more at TheFabricOfOurLives.com Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's audience caller, Cassidy, wrote in after I put out a casting call about kink, but what unfolded in our conversation went so much deeper than sex. It turned into one of the most layered discussions I've had on this show about mental health, medical gaslighting, abusive relationships, divorce, and ultimately, healing. Cassidy spent over a decade being told nothing was wrong with her. Doctors dismissed her symptoms, she cycled through diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and OCD, and it wasn't until 2021 that she finally got answers: autism and eventually a functional neurological disorder. All while surviving (though she didn't know it at the time) an emotionally and sexually abusive 22-year marriage. What I found so fascinating about Cassidy is how she eventually took her healing into her own hands, literally, by exploring rope bondage as a way to regulate her nervous system and rewrite traumatic neural pathways. And she does it with a level of self-awareness, nuance, and calm that honestly blew me away. There's also a moment in this episode I want to flag before you listen: I asked Cassidy point-blank how she could be so open on a public platform about her ex-husband, his abusive behaviors, and the details of their relationship. Her answer surprised me, and it says a lot about who she is. I always find myself fascinated by what makes some people willing to go fully on the record and others not, and this conversation gave me a lot to think about. Follow Cassidy: https://www.instagram.com/whisperingerudite/ Sponsors: Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/REALSTUFF Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at CleanSimpleEats.com. Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/LUCIE Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's caller, Liz, has one of the most incredible stories I've ever heard on this show. After connecting with a pregnant, homeless woman named Cassandra in a Facebook adoption group, Liz received a single photo of a newborn baby and a message saying that she had been listed as the mother on the baby's birth certificate...with no other explanation. That photo sent her, her sick husband, and her two kids on a six-hour drive to Pittsburgh, where they spent two weeks fighting the state, navigating emergency court hearings, and sitting in a NICU doing skin-to-skin with a baby born addicted to drugs. This episode covers open adoption, neonatal abstinence syndrome, the complicated ethics of intervening in someone else's crisis, and what it looks like to build a family in the most unexpected way imaginable. Sponsors: Clean Simple Eats: Clean Simple Eats is undeniably clean and 100% delicious. Shop the best-tasting protein drinks at CleanSimpleEats.com. Tru Fru: Find it now in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. Cotton: Learn more at TheFabricOfOurLives.com. Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com. Spindrift: Visit drinkspindrift.com and use code lucie for 15% off. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have to be honest — when I put out the casting call for people with interesting jobs, I wasn't expecting anything quite like this. Alexandra Sunshine is a senior editor at Kensington Books and, as she describes herself, is the number one romantic editor in the U.S. right now — meaning she has acquired more projects in the romantic genre than anyone else in the country. And yes, "romantasy" means exactly what you think it means: fantasy worlds, magical creatures, swords and crowns... and a lot of very explicit sex. In this conversation, Alex takes me on a full tour of the spicy book world — from the BookTok explosion that completely disrupted publishing, to the sub-genres you didn't know existed (shifter romance, omegaverse, dark romance, "why choose"... we get into all of it). We talk about why women are devouring these books right now, what it says about female sexuality and modern relationships, and why the "touch her and die" trope is basically the ultimate female fantasy. We also get into the surprisingly funny realities of her job: copy editors fact-checking whether a sex position is physically possible, boardroom conversations about explicit content, and the "chili pepper scale" that her sales team ultimately rejected. We also ended up having a really honest conversation about my own book (the psychological thriller I'm currently working on), and Alex gave some genuinely great advice for anyone who's been sitting on a story idea and hasn't started yet. Follow Alex: https://www.instagram.com/Alexhsunshine/ Follow Kensington Books: https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonbooks/ Alex's Book Recommendations Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich: https://amzn.to/4cZJg6A  Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose: https://amzn.to/4d5ZcEe Chasing the Ring by Lauren Rowe: https://amzn.to/4cQZIY7 Chasing the Rush by Lauren Rowe: https://amzn.to/4tMkwWB Sponsors: Ogee: Thanks to today's sponsor, Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 20% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury. Quince: Go to quince.com/realstuff for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off sitewide at magneticme.com Rhoback: Use code "REALSTUFF" on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Nanit: The Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System is 20% off for Mother's Day. Use code LUCIEFINK at nanit.com to get the 20% off plus a free travel case. Spindrift: Use code LUCIE at DrinkSpindrift.com for 15% off your next order of Spindrift. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have an audience caller episode for you and I am so grateful that Melanie wrote in because this conversation genuinely opened my mind in ways I wasn't expecting. Melanie is 34 years old, openly polyamorous, and has been practicing BDSM for 15 years. Her husband knows about her boyfriend. Her family knows she's in multiple relationships at once. And after a long-term relationship where she and her partner pushed the limits of BDSM together, she did something I had never heard of before: she created a detailed shared document — complete with a pain tolerance scale, body location charts, aftercare provisions, and a step-by-step guide to helping her reach "subspace" — and began sharing it with her sexual partners so they could learn the proper way to be with her. In this conversation, we get into all of it: Her sexual awakening from childhood through college, and how she first found her way into the BDSM community What BDSM actually is beyond what 50 Shades of Grey showed us — and what people in that world are truly chasing What "subspace" feels like (hint: she compared it to a runner's high, a cold plunge, and giving birth all at once) The wildest experiences she's had, including a night at a BDSM dungeon in Atlanta with an audience of 40 to 50 people How polyamory works when you're genuinely, deeply in love with your husband — and how she navigated telling her parents Why she sees jealousy as a "pointer emotion" and what that's taught her about herself What she'd recommend to anyone who is BDSM-curious or poly-curious and doesn't know where to start What I loved most about talking to Melanie is that she approaches all of this with so much intention, communication, and self-awareness. She described herself as a "sex nerd," and I think that framing genuinely changed how I understood this whole world. It's not what most people picture — it's thoughtful, it's deeply personal, and it's fascinating. Follow Melanie: https://www.instagram.com/millicent.kent/  Sponsors: SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at https://www.skims.com/realstuff #skimspartner Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have been fascinated by today's guest ever since I came across a profile piece about her when I was working at Refinery29. I never got the chance to film a Lucie for Hire episode with her back then, but when we recently put a casting call out for people who have interesting jobs, Jen wrote in and the rest is history. Jen Glantz is a bridesmaid for hire. Brides from all over the country and beyond pay her to show up to their wedding, stand in the bridal party, and be the supportive best friend they needs on their big day. She attends engagement parties, bachelorette trips, and bridal showers. She memorizes a fake name, a fake backstory, and every detail of the bride's life so she can blend in seamlessly. In most cases, not even the person the bride is marrying knows she's been hired. What started as a half-joking Craigslist ad posted on a frustrated Friday night has become Jen's full-time business, with packages starting at $2,500, an hourly rate of around $200, and a team of bridesmaids she can send when she's double-booked. She's worked over 100 weddings since 2014 and the stories she has from those weddings are absolutely wild. In this episode, we talk about the many reasons why brides actually hire her; what the job really involves, the craziest things she's witnessed on the job, the ethics of the whole thing, and the emotional whiplash of stepping back into real life after a weekend undercover. I was absolutely riveted by this conversation and I think you will be too. And whether you could ever do something like this yourself or not, I promise you'll be thinking about it long after the episode ends. Find Jen: www.bridesmaidsforhire.com www.jenglantz.com www.instagram.com/jenglantz/ Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode of The Real Stuff, I'm sharing a theory I've been quietly developing for years. If you've ever watched my TEDx talk on The Power of Trying New Things, you know I've always championed getting out of your comfort zone. But today I’m going one layer deeper — asking the question: what is the underlying force that drives all of that trying? My answer: curiosity. I'm calling it The Curiosity Crisis — a societal theory about how and why adults gradually lose the childlike wonder they were born with, and what it's costing us collectively. Drawing on my own career journey — from pitching a YouTube show as a freshman at Johns Hopkins, to discovering stop motion animation, to launching this very podcast, to now writing a psychological thriller novel — I make the case that curiosity isn't just a personality trait. It's a life strategy. I break down the four forces I believe are dimming our curiosity light switches (societal skeletons, the burnout burden, toxic tech, and the fear factor), then I get practical. I share a handful of ways to start recharging your curiosity light bulb — from carving out just 10 minutes a day to explore something new, to practicing what I call "conscious content consumption," to simply looking up from your phone and noticing what's always been around you. This episode is equal parts personal reflection, cultural commentary, and pep talk. If you've ever felt stuck in a routine, disconnected from what excites you, or like you used to be a more interesting version of yourself, you’re going to want to listen to this. Thank you to our sponsors:  Clean Simple Eats: Shop the best tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com Blissy: Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code LUCIE for an extra 30% off at https://www.blissy.com/LUCIE Ogee: A higher standard for beauty. Go to https://www.ogee.com/LUCIE and use code LUCIE to get 15% off certified organic makeup that performs like luxury. SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at https://www.skims.com/realstuff #skimspartner Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I genuinely believe every single person needs to hear this conversation. Jackie Blankenship is an intersex advocate who was born with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome — meaning she has XY chromosomes, but her body couldn't respond to testosterone, so she developed externally female. She also has no internal reproductive system and no vaginal canal. And she didn't tell a single soul until she was 40. In this episode, Jackie walks me through everything: what it actually means to be intersex, what her childhood was like being told to keep her diagnosis a secret, the surgery she had at 15 that she wasn't fully informed about and didn't consent to, the dilation therapy she went through at 18, and what it was like navigating relationships, intimacy, and marriage while carrying this secret for decades. We also talk about her journey to motherhood — her sister served as her gestational carrier, and the process of choosing a donor egg is something you truly have to hear to believe. And then there's the moment that changed everything: Jackie won Mrs. America. And while crowning the next queen live on stage, she read aloud a rule that she realized — in real time — wouldn't have included her. That was the moment she knew she had to speak up. We get into intersex advocacy, nonconsensual surgeries on intersex children, what the word "intersex" actually means versus transgender, what it's like to come out publicly in today's politically charged climate, and why Jackie says she doesn't consider her diagnosis a disorder — just a really cool quirky trait that the world needs to understand better. This episode will genuinely expand the way you think about the human body, identity, and what it means to live authentically. Sponsors: Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at https://www.Ritual.com/REALSTUFF Clean Simple Eats: Shop the best tasting protein drinks at https://www.CleanSimpleEats.com Rhoback: Use code REALSTUFF at https://www.rhoback.com for 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Magnetic Me: Get 15% off at https://www.magneticme.com Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I put out a casting call asking for audience members with unconventional family setups and Laura's submission stopped me in my tracks. Honestly? I think it should be a movie. Laura is 40, lives in New York City, and is mom to her almost-two-year-old daughter Adeline. But the story of how Adeline came to be is one of the most intentional, creative, and genuinely heartwarming things I've ever heard. After a divorce in her early 30s, a traumatic IVF experience, and years of navigating the dating scene with a “ticking” biological clock, Laura made a decision: she was going to become a mom — with or without a husband. What she didn't expect was that the answer would come in the form of a DM to a peripheral acquaintance named Lenny. In this episode, Laura opens up about uncoupling motherhood from marriage, the very practical (and sometimes hilarious) process of co-parenting with your gay best friend, what it actually costs to do IVF out of pocket in New York City, how they navigated co-parenting agreements and reproductive lawyers, and what their unconventional but deeply loving family unit looks like today. We get into egg freezing, embryo transfers, single motherhood by choice, platonic co-parenting, the mental load of raising a child across two apartments, dating as a single mom, and why Laura says becoming a mother made her feel more free — not less — when it comes to finding love. This one is sweet, funny, and just a little bit life-changing. If you've ever questioned the "traditional" path to building a family, you need to hear Laura's story. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My husband Michael is back on the podcast— and this time, we're getting into the biggest life shift our family has made in years. At the end of last year, Michael made the decision to leave his corporate job in sports media after over a decade of climbing the ladder. He had no new job lined up… it was just a leap of faith toward a different kind of lifestyle. I've been watching him grind through high-pressure, around-the-clock work for years, and honestly? I've had a front-row seat to what corporate burnout, work-life imbalance, and sacrificing your well-being for a paycheck can really look like from the inside of a marriage. In this episode, we're co-telling the story of how we got here — from the cyclical conversations we kept having, to the moment I finally said what I needed to say in a way that actually landed, to Michael's very “Michael” way of making one of the biggest decisions of his career.  We're also getting into what comes next: Michael joining me at Lucie Fink Media, what it means to truly run your life like you run a business, and how we've been building our version of a "rich life" as a couple and as a family. We talk about corporate burnout, setting work-life boundaries, the mental load of running a household, couples and individual therapy, quitting your job without a plan, leaving a high salary, working with your spouse, and what it actually looks like to redesign your life from the ground up together. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have been waiting to have this conversation. Les Alfred — host of the She's So Lucky podcast and one of the most refreshingly honest voices in the self-development space — sat down with me in the studio, and we went deep. We talk about what it really means to want a big life. Les is unapologetically vocal about wanting wealth, success, and a life that is anything but average, and in this episode, she explains exactly why she thinks more women need to say that out loud. We get into the psychology of perfectionism and why it's rarely actually about getting things right; it's about the fear of being seen trying. I also open up about a very personal block I hit while launching my own YouTube course and how working through it completely changed the outcome. Les shares her theory on the post-peak pivot and why the most successful women know when to step back, lie low, and let the next chapter build. We use everyone from Rihanna to Jackie Aina to Taylor Swift as case studies. Plus, we get into the concept of creating your own luck, best-case scenario journaling, and why negative comments and criticism might actually be the best sign your career is growing. Follow Les: https://www.instagram.com/lesalfred/  Listen to the She's So Lucky Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/46muBfvOgp2U44ycqZJPPN  Sponsors: Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at Vuori.com/REALSTUFF Ritual: For a limited time, save 25% on your first month at Ritual.com/REALSTUFF Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wondered what it's actually like to be a twin? In this deeply personal episode, I'm going solo to share everything I've never fully unpacked on camera about growing up as a fraternal twin — my experience, my perspective, and yes, the fact that my twin Allie is very much not here with me for this episode (she's private, she's pregnant, and she said no... and I respect it). I'm diving into the science of fraternal vs. identical twins, what it means for your identity when you share your entire childhood with someone, and how Allie and I managed to stay incredibly close without ever feeling competitive with one another. I talk about twin telepathy (and exactly how ours works), the unique social dynamics of growing up as a "package deal," navigating friend group drama as a twin, going to college together, living together well into adulthood, and the emotional turning point when we finally branched off into our own separate lives. I also get into: birth order and how being one minute younger shaped my whole personality, the way our wildly different childhood interests perfectly predicted our adult careers, and what it means to be entering a new, exciting parallel chapter now that Allie lives just seven minutes away. This episode is for twins, siblings, people who have a ride-or-die best friend, and anyone who's ever been curious about the twin experience. Allie may not be with me for this one, but I've got more than enough to say for both of us. Sponsors: Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off at MagneticMe.com SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at http://skims.com/realstuff Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at Vuori.com/REALSTUFF Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm sitting down with an anonymous audience caller I'm calling "Emily," a married mom of two who has never told a single person (not a close friend, not a therapist, not ANYONE) about her husband's sexual kinks. Until now. What starts as a candid, almost lighthearted conversation about a husband with some unconventional sexual preferences quickly becomes something much deeper: a story about trauma, secrecy, isolation, and what it really means to be a supportive partner when your needs and your spouse's needs don't exactly align. We're talking bondage, sensory deprivation, a homemade "sex dungeon" above the family garage, snowsuits with padlocks, a chicken coop, a gas mask, and a key ring full of chains and locks. And yes...it is as wild as it sounds. But what moved me most about Emily's story wasn't the kink itself. It was the loneliness she carries. The weight of being sworn to secrecy. The tension between being a full-time working mom, a wife, and essentially a dominatrix, all at the same time. And the very real question of whether what's happening in her marriage has crossed from "adventurous sex life" into something that deserves more attention. I'll be upfront: somewhere in the middle of this conversation, I stopped being just an interviewer and started being a friend. You'll probably hear it in my voice. Emily wasn't asking for advice, but I couldn't help offering some because I genuinely care, and I think you will too by the end of this episode. Sponsors: Wedderspoon: Go to https://wedderspoon.com/discount/REAL20 and use code REAL20 for 20% off your order. Laundry Sauce: Get 20% off your entire order at Laundry Sauce with code REALSTUFF at laundrysauce.com/REALSTUFF and let them know we sent you. Pique: Unlock 20% off and begin your journey toward sustained wellness today at Piquelife.com/REALSTUFF Rhoback: Use code REALSTUFF at Rhoback.com for 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From high school breakouts to a low-dose of Accutane… to the massive hormonal flare-up I experienced after coming off birth control in 2020 — I know firsthand how consuming, painful, and isolating acne can be. It’s not “just skin.” It affects your confidence, your relationships, your work, and your mental health. In this episode, I’m joined by Kayleigh and Danielle, the co-founders of CLEARSTEM, a brand born out of their own devastating acne journeys. Danielle battled cystic acne for decades, tried Accutane three times, and eventually left the corporate world to study skin and open her own acne clinic. Kayleigh found her after nearly going on Accutane herself and what she learned in that first appointment completely changed her life. We talk about the emotional toll of acne (and why no one talks about it) and why so many traditional acne treatments don’t address the root cause. We get into the surprising supplement triggers that can worsen breakouts (vitamin D, B12, zinc, biotin… and more), hidden pore-clogging ingredients in skincare and makeup, and internal + external connections when it comes to clear skin, eggs, dairy, whey protein, blood sugar spikes — and how to test your personal thresholds. We explore over-exfoliating vs. under-exfoliating, hormonal acne, stress acne, and adult acne in your 20s and 30s, and what to do when you feel like you’ve “tried everything.” Tired of guessing what’s causing your breakouts? Find out in seconds by running your skincare + makeup products through CLEARSTEM's Pore Clogging Ingredients Checker. Head to clearstem.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF for 15% off your first order. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few years ago, I did something that most people would probably say is a terrible idea: I invited one of my online trolls onto a Zoom video chat. You may have heard a version of this story in one of my TEDx talks, but on this episode of The Real Stuff, I’m telling the full, unfiltered version (including ACTUAL audio from the call itself). I went back and listened to the 44-minute recording of our call and what I noticed five years later honestly surprised me. This woman had been leaving aggressive, deeply personal comments on my page about my body, my work, and my life. Instead of blocking her, I messaged her. And instead of escalating, she agreed to talk. What happened next was complicated. In this episode, I walk you through: What it actually feels like to confront someone who publicly criticizes you The psychology behind online hate (and what I learned about jealousy and comparison) The moment she broke down and told me what was really going on in her life Why I don’t believe most trolls are actually “evil” How this experience changed the way I handle negativity on the internet And why, five years later, I feel protective over the younger version of myself who took that call I also share how my perspective has evolved — from feeling afraid of being disliked to realizing it’s not my job to make everyone like me. This is a story about boundaries, compassion, ego, jealousy, and the strange difference between how people behave online versus face-to-face. And yes… I do even include some actual audio from the Zoom call. Sponsors: Wedderspoon: Go to https://wedderspoon.com/discount/REAL20 for 20% off your order. Ritual: For a limited time, save 40% on your first month at Ritual.com/REALSTUFF Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at Vuori.com/REALSTUFF Bird&Be: Visit birdandbe.com and use code REALSTUFF for 15% off your first purchase. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 11 years, I didn’t have a real menstrual cycle. I was on hormonal birth control from my teenage years into adulthood, and while it did exactly what it was supposed to do, it also meant I wasn’t ovulating, wasn’t having a normal menstrual cycle, and wasn’t exactly aware of how deeply hormones shape my energy, creativity, mood, libido, and even my confidence. In this episode, I’m expanding on a recent newsletter I shared and walking you through what I learned when my natural cycle finally came back. I break down the four phases of the menstrual cycle, what’s actually happening hormonally for me in each phase, and how those shifts show up for me physically, emotionally, and creatively in my work. I also share how tracking my cycle changed the way I plan my life and manage my energy, and also stopped me from spiraling every month when motivation or confidence dip. This is not an anti–birth control episode. The pill is an incredible tool for so many people, and everyone’s bodies and needs are different. This is simply my personal experience of reconnecting with my cycle and the unexpected sense of trust, peace, and empowerment that came from finally understanding my body’s rhythms. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “bad at routines,” inconsistent, unmotivated out of nowhere, or confused by sudden shifts in how you feel, you’re not broken. You’re cyclical. And there’s wisdom in that. Sponsors: Bayer: Check out Bayer's trusted lineup of products, available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Wedderspoon: Go to https://wedderspoon.com/discount/REAL20 for 20% off your order. Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at Vuori.com/REALSTUFF Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off at MagneticMe.com Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I’m finally telling the full story of the spiritual experience that changed my personality and my entire approach to life. It’s the story of a dream I had about my late “Uncle” Donald — a man who wasn’t biologically related to me, but who was woven into the fabric of my family and my life in a way that’s hard to put into words. He was my parents’ best friend, the person who introduced them to one another, and someone who felt just as much like family as any blood relative. After he passed away suddenly in 2011, something happened that completely changed the way I understand the world. The night of his funeral, I had a dream that felt different from any dream I’d ever had before — one that has stuck with me more than a decade later. In this episode, I talk about that dream, the strange and meaningful signs that followed, and why I believe he stayed with me (and my family) for a decade after he passed. I share how those signs showed up at major moments in my life — my career, my wedding, becoming a mother — and how they continue to shape the way I move through the world today. This story touches on loss, spirituality, dreams, and the ways we stay connected to the people we love, even after they’re gone. I know this kind of story isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay. But for me, it’s brought comfort, peace, and a deeper sense of connection to life itself. If you’ve ever lost someone and wished for a sign, or wondered whether the people we love ever really leave us, I hope this episode resonates with you. Thank you for being here and letting me share this part of my story. Sponsors: Bird&Be: Visit birdandbe.com and use code REALSTUFF for 15% off your first purchase. Laundry Sauce: Get 20% off your entire order at Laundry Sauce with code REALSTUFF at laundrysauce.com/REALSTUFF Pique: Unlock 20% off and begin your journey toward sustained wellness today at Piquelife.com/REALSTUFF SKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at skims.com/realstuff Bayer: Check out Bayer's trusted lineup of products, available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of The Real Stuff, I recorded my very first LIVE podcast taping and used it as an opportunity to get honest about wellness, what actually matters, and the moment my body forced me to slow down. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how wellness culture has become overly complicated. We’re obsessing over tiny optimizations and trendy hacks while completely ignoring the foundational habits that actually impact how we feel. In this episode, I talk about why I believe real wellness needs to go back to the basics: getting enough sleep, eating real food, and moving your body (all while, of course, taking care of your mental health). I also share how my relationship with sleep has completely changed over the years—from barely needing it as a teenager to treating it as one of the most sacred parts of my day as an adult. And then I open up about something I haven’t shared on the podcast before: a terrifying night terror that escalated into a physical injury and became a major wake-up call for me. I walk you through exactly what happened to me, how stress and hustle culture played a role, and the changes I’ve made since to protect my nervous system, my sleep, and my overall health. This episode isn’t about perfection or wellness trends — it’s about listening to your body before it has to scream at you. If you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or like you’re constantly chasing “better” but still feeling exhausted, I hope this conversation helps you zoom out, reset, and focus on what actually supports your well-being. Thank you to Bayer for partnering with us on this episode. If you’re ready to get real about your wellness this year, check out Bayer’s trusted lineup of products available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Use as directed. Subscribe to Eric Villanueva’s substack, Syllabus Health: https://syllabushealth.substack.com Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of The Real Stuff, I’m sitting down with Brandon Sudduth for a vulnerable and very important conversation.  Brandon is known online for creating joyful, family-centered content alongside his wife, Destene, but behind that joy is a story he carried silently for more than 35 years. For the first time publicly, Brandon opened up about experiencing sexual abuse as a child, the lifelong impact of carrying that experience in silence, and why he finally felt called to share his story — first on his own podcast (which you can watch here) and now with our audience. We talk about being raised by a single mother and how childhood sexual abuse quietly shaped Brandon’s relationships, sexuality, self-worth, and emotional armor as an adult. He shares how that unspoken pain showed up in his twenties, his first marriage, and later in his relationship with Destene, including moments of fear, avoidance, and deep self-reflection. He also shares the ways in which this experience doesn't impact him on a daily basis and the interesting ways in which it weighs on him. This episode also dives into Brandon and Destene's IVF journey and how becoming a father ultimately forced Brandon to confront the parts of himself he had long avoided. We explore faith, masculinity, healing, and what it means to break generational cycles — not just for yourself, but for your children. Most powerfully, Brandon explains why he chose to finally speak out: the responsibility he feels to other survivors, especially men, and the belief that healing begins when secrets are brought into the light. Follow Brandon: https://www.instagram.com/sudduth84 Follow Destene: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsdestene_ Sponsors: Bayer: Check out Bayer's trusted lineup of products, available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Laundry Sauce: Get 20% off your entire order at Laundry Sauce with code REALSTUFF at laundrysauce.com/REALSTUFF Bird&Be: Visit birdandbe.com and use code REALSTUFF for 15% off your first purchase. Magnetic Me: New customers get 15% off at MagneticMe.com Ritual: For a limited time, save 40% on your first month at Ritual.com/REALSTUFF Vuori: Get 20% off your first order at Vuori.com/REALSTUFF Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of The Real Stuff, I’m sitting down with Samantha Diamond, CEO and co-founder of Bird & Be, a company born out of her personal experience with PCOS, pregnancy loss, and the deep gaps in reproductive health education. Despite being married to an OB/GYN, Samantha realized she still didn’t understand her cycle, fertility window, or the silent struggles that so many women face—until she became one of them. We talk candidly about how hormonal birth control masked her PCOS for years, her experience with pregnancy loss and infertility, and why fertility is not just a woman’s issue (hi, sperm!). We also discuss the shame and confusion so many couples face while trying to conceive, and how she used her background in beauty and CMG to build a company that’s changing the game for modern fertility support. Bird&Be offers everything from at-home fertility tests to prenatals for both men and women, but this episode isn’t just about products; it’s about empowerment.  Samantha opens up about the emotional toll of TTC, how the packaging of fertility products made her feel unseen, and why redefining pregnancy culture is so important. Whether you’re navigating PCOS, thinking about your fertility future, or supporting someone through a difficult season, this conversation is for you. Visit birdandbe.com and use code REALSTUFF for 15% off your first purchase. Follow Samantha on IG: @startupmamma Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you discover your partner has over $400,000 in student loan debt and they didn’t even know it existed? In today’s audience caller episode of The Real Stuff, I’m sitting down with Brittany, a listener who bravely came on the podcast to share one of the most raw, honest, and financially transparent stories we’ve ever featured. Brittany opens up about putting herself through college after her parents divorced, graduating with $100,000 in student loan debt, and spending her 20s working nonstop to pay it off while attending a private university surrounded by students from much wealthier families. She had a clear financial plan for her life: get her master’s degree, become debt-free before 30, and feel financially secure before starting a family… then she met her now-husband. One night, lying in bed scrolling on her phone, Brittany discovered something that completely changed the course of their relationship. The student loan debt her partner believed was around $200,000 was actually more than $400,000, and she was the one who had to uncover it, piece it together, and tell him the truth. In this episode, Brittany shares exactly how she found the debt, what it felt like to confront the person she loved most, and why this discovery shattered her sense of trust, security, and honesty in their relationship. We talk about why this wasn’t just about money, but about transparency, reliability, and the emotional weight we attach to financial independence. She opens up about how she processed everything, the guilt and shame she felt for questioning her relationship because of money, and how unsupported she felt when others minimized her concerns. What makes this conversation especially powerful is Brittany’s willingness to be incredibly specific. We talk REAL numbers — student loan balances, salaries, mortgage payments, rent, savings, and the sacrifices required to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt without letting it completely control their lives. Brittany also shares how navigating debt reshaped their relationship, became the foundation of their marriage, and ultimately forced them to redefine what success and happiness really look like. We also talk about family planning, having their first baby, choosing to leave a three-bedroom house with a low mortgage to live in a one-bedroom apartment in the NYC area, and why she’s never been happier — proving that happiness and fulfillment don’t always come from traditional financial milestones. If you’ve ever felt ashamed about debt, questioned a relationship because of money, or struggled to balance financial goals with actually living your life, this conversation will make you feel far less alone. Brittany has recently begun building a platform called Be Loan Wise, focused on helping others navigate the emotional and financial sides of student loan debt. You can follow along at @beloanwise on Instagram! Sponsors: Bayer: Check out Bayer's trusted lineup of products, available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Pique: Unlock 20% off and begin your journey toward sustained wellness today at Piquelife.com/REALSTUFF Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Eva Amurri, the daughter of Susan Sarandon, for an honest, layered conversation about motherhood, identity, and what it really looks like to rebuild your life when everything changes at once. Eva opens up about navigating separation and divorce while pregnant with her third child, and what that season of her life actually looked like behind the scenes. We talk candidly about the emotional and logistical challenges of divorce during pregnancy, the pressure many women feel to “hold it together,” and why she ultimately believes that staying together “for the kids” can sometimes do more harm than good. Eva shares how therapy helped her gain clarity, how she approached co-parenting with intention, and why she now views her relationship with her ex as a long-term partnership centered around their children — even when it requires constant communication, boundaries, and work. We also spend time unpacking Eva’s experience growing up as the daughter of the iconic actress Susan Sarandon. Eva reflects on what it was like to be raised in the public eye before social media, how fame shaped her sense of self, and how those early experiences continue to influence her parenting choices today. We dive into the “nepo baby” conversation, the complicated mix of access and insecurity that can come with having famous parents, and how Eva’s relationship to that label has evolved as she’s built her own career outside of acting. Throughout the conversation, Eva shares thoughtful insights about motherhood, dating after divorce, finding love again, and redefining success in your forties. We talk about breaking generational patterns, letting go of perfection, and accepting that parenting, like life, is often about doing your best with the information you have at the time. This episode is for anyone who has gone through a major life transition, questioned old narratives about family and success, or is trying to create something healthier for themselves and their kids. Eva is incredibly reflective, grounded, and refreshingly honest, and I think so many listeners will see pieces of themselves in her story. If you’ve ever navigated divorce, co-parenting, pregnancy during a crisis, or growing up under the weight of expectations, this conversation will stay with you. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of The Real Stuff is a really special one for me. I’m sitting down with my older brother, Rob Fink, and two of his best friends, Lukas Effman and Alex Goldstein — the three guys behind the indie folk-pop band, East Love. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you already know their music: East Love’s song Rolling Stone has been the intro music to this podcast since day one! You can listen to their new single “Never Mine” on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5a1ncej7fWKv0Bk8o5Do3z In this conversation, we go all the way back — from growing up together and the boys meeting in elementary and middle school, to forming a band in high school that somehow turned into a 20-year creative partnership. Today, all three of them are in their mid-30s, with kids, full-time careers, and families... and they’re still making music together. We talk about what it actually looks like to balance a passion project with adult life, why they chose not to pursue music full-time, and how East Love has stayed together when so many bands fall apart. We get into friendship, creative fulfillment, choosing stability, and redefining what success looks like outside of the traditional music industry grind. They also open up about songwriting and vulnerability, including the story behind East Love’s newest single “Never Mine,” which is based on a real heartbreak from Rob’s college years, and how writing that song years later helped him process it in a completely different way. This episode is about music, but it’s also about long-lasting male friendships, growing up together, and building something meaningful that evolves as your life does. It’s warm, nostalgic, funny, and honestly one of my favorite conversations I’ve had on this show. If you’ve ever wondered how a band survives adulthood, or how to keep creativity alive while building a full life, this one’s for you. 🎶 Listen to East Love on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0xGSNh06Su9UthAz4o1cvM Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you’re a parent or shopping for one, visit MagneticMe.com now, and new customers will receive 15% off! Obé: Sign up for a 30-day FREE trial of Obé Fitness using my code LUCIE at https://obefitness.com Seed: Get ahead of the New Year with a routine that helps you now by going to Seed.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF to get 20% off your first month. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on every single revenue stream (there are over 13 of them) that powers my business as a content creator — the ones you see, the ones you don’t, and the ones people rarely talk about publicly. So often, being a creator looks like posting on social media and doing the occasional brand deal. But behind the scenes? It’s a layered, strategic business with multiple income streams happening at once (at least it can be). In this episode, I walk you through how it actually works — from brand partnerships and sponsored content, to platform payouts, whitelisting and boosting, coaching, courses, digital products, affiliate income, speaking engagements, podcast monetization, and more. This episode gives you the overview of all aspects of my business, but if you want the REAL numbers, deeper strategy, pricing insights, and screenshots I can’t share publicly on social media, that’s all living inside my new paid newsletter, Creator Confidential. Creator Confidential is where I go all in every other week: sharing real earnings, platform breakdowns, behind-the-scenes decisions, and the exact strategies I use to run my business. If this episode intrigues you, the newsletter is truly this conversation on steroids. Sign up at luciefink.com/confidential.  I also share how and why I’ve intentionally built additional revenue streams beyond brands and platforms, not just to grow, but to protect myself long-term in an industry that’s constantly changing. And as a special bonus segment, I’m bringing you a short conversation with Denise Woodard, founder of Partake Foods, about entrepreneurship, building a business from scratch, and how Amazon has helped her scale her brand — because this episode isn’t just about creator income, it’s about modern entrepreneurship in all its forms. You can shop Partake and a curated selection of incredible products from small businesses by looking for the Small Business Badge and visiting the Amazon Small Business Holiday Shop at amazon.com/smallbusinessgifts. If you’ve ever wondered how creators actually make money or how to think like a creator-entrepreneur, this episode is for you!  Apply to do 1:1 social media coaching with me: https://luciefink.com/apply-coaching  Apply for my 8-week course, "Launch Your Dream YouTube Series" here: https://luciefink.com/youtube-course  Check out my Motherhood Superguide: http://luciefink.com/motherhood Apply to join ShopMy here: https://shopmy.us/join/luciefink Start your own newsletter on Beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Lucie-Fink Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you’re a parent or shopping for one, visit MagneticMe.com now, and new customers will receive 15% off! Storyworth: Right now, save $10 or more during their Holiday sale when you visit Storyworth.com/REALSTUFF  Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reza Khan was living the dream on paper — a steady job at Google, great benefits, a clear career path, and the kind of structure most people work hard to reach — until he realized it wasn’t the life he wanted. Today, Reza is a full-time content creator sharing the hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes chaotic reality of fatherhood online with his wife, Puja. In his first-ever long-form interview, Reza goes deeper than he ever has before. He talks about the moment he realized corporate life wasn’t for him, the emotional and financial leap into creator life, and the identity shift that came with becoming a dad. He also opens up about boundaries, burnout, partnership, and how creating content about fatherhood unexpectedly helped him reconnect with himself. If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to leave a “dream job,” redefine success, and build a creative life while raising young kids — this one’s for you. Follow Reza: https://www.instagram.com/therezakhan/ Sponsors: CLEARSTEM: Go to CLEARSTEM.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF at checkout for 15% off your first order. Magnetic Me: If you’re a parent or shopping for one, visit MagneticMe.com now, and new customers will receive 15% off! Seed: Get ahead of the New Year with a routine that helps you now by going to Seed.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF to get 20% off your first month. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential":  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, you heard Part 1 of my conversation with Maya McHenry, where she opened up about her years-long journey with endometriosis. What you didn’t get to hear until now is the moment at the end of that interview when I brought up her sister, Lyric McHenry, who I knew personally from our time working together at Refinery29. What unfolded next is one of the most emotional recordings we’ve ever had on The Real Stuff. Maya shared, in the most intimate and detailed way she ever has, the story of losing Lyric in 2018 — the shock of it, the media whirlwind, the unanswered questions, the guilt, the grief, and ultimately the strength she’s had to find in order to survive it. In this episode, Maya talks about the last time she saw her sister, the moment she received the phone call that changed her life, and what it was like to navigate unimaginable pain while also protecting her family and correcting the damaging narrative the media created around Lyric’s story. She shares how grief shows up years later and how she’s learned to stay connected to Lyric through small signs, laughter, memory, and purpose. We also talk about the extraordinary fellowship Maya built in Lyric’s honor at Stanford — a program that now helps young creatives access opportunities that would otherwise be financially out of reach. Hearing how she transformed such deep heartbreak into something that actively changes lives is extraordinary. If part 1 of my interview with Maya was about chronic illness, resilience, and self-advocacy, part 2 is about love, loss, legacy, and the ways we keep the people we’ve lost alive. This conversation meant so much to me, both as someone who knew Lyric and as someone who believes that grief doesn’t end — it just changes shape. I am endlessly grateful to Maya for trusting me, and for trusting all of you, with this part of her story. Donate to the Lyric McHenry Community Arts Fellowship here: https://www.lyricmchenry.com/donate The Endometriosis Foundation of America: https://www.endofound.org Follow Maya: https://www.instagram.com/mayamchenry/ Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you’re a parent or shopping for one, visit MagneticMe.com now, and new customers will receive 15% off! Timeline: My friends at Timeline are offering 20% off, just for my listeners! Head to timeline.com/realstuff to get started. Storyworth: Right now, save $10 or more during their Holiday sale when you visit Storyworth.com/REALSTUFF  Seed: Get ahead of the New Year with a routine that helps you now by going to Seed.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF to get 20% off your first month. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I’m sitting down with Maya McHenry — a model, publicist, philanthropist, and board member of the Endometriosis Foundation of America — for a conversation I’ve been wanting to have on this show for a long time. Maya’s been deep in this advocacy work for years, and it’s clear why—in today’s interview, she shares just how much trauma and hardship she’s been through. In our conversation, Maya walks me through the first time she ever experienced an “endo episode,” when the pain was so severe she passed out. She shares how she spent years being dismissed by doctors, misdiagnosed, and told that her symptoms were “just anxiety.” Hearing how long she suffered before finally getting a diagnosis was heartbreaking, especially knowing that her story isn’t unusual. Many women wait 7–10 years for answers, and Maya brings so much honesty, clarity, and compassion to this topic. We also talk about how chronic illness impacts mental health, how trauma can intensify physical symptoms, and the tools she’s learned to use when her flares hit without warning. Maya’s vulnerability in sharing what this disease has taken from her and how she’s learned to advocate for herself is incredibly powerful. At the end of the conversation, I asked her about her sister, Lyric McHenry (my former coworker and friend from Refinery29 who tragically passed), and what Maya shared with me was so emotional and so profound that I realized it deserved its own full episode. So today’s episode is only Part 1, focusing on Maya’s endometriosis journey. Next week, you’ll hear Part 2, where Maya opens up about grief, healing, and the beautiful ways she continues to honor Lyric’s legacy. This is one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had on The Real Stuff. I hope it brings comfort, insight, and validation to anyone who has ever felt overlooked or unheard in the medical system. The Endometriosis Foundation of America: https://www.endofound.org Follow Maya: https://www.instagram.com/mayamchenry/ Sponsor: CLEARSTEM: How to claim your free Hydration Heroes Mini Kit: Go to CLEARSTEM.com, add the Hydration Heroes Mini Kit plus $75 of other CLEARSTEM products to your cart, and enter code REALSTUFFHH at checkout — the kit is yours for free! Offer ends December 2nd. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tori Dunlap is back on The Real Stuff! 💸 I asked my audience on Instagram to answer some of the most taboo money questions, like whether it’s rude to ask what someone’s house costs, if couples should split expenses 50/50, and how people really feel about money in relationships. If you haven’t listened to my first episode with Tori yet, go check it out at the link below! This time, we’re taking the conversation even deeper.  In this conversation, Tori and I go through your replies one by one, breaking down the psychology behind money, greed, success, and why women in particular are taught to feel guilt or shame around wanting wealth. We also talk about financial privilege, debt, and what an equitable partnership looks like when incomes don’t match. Money isn’t moral or immoral — it’s a tool. And as Tori says, money means options. Listen now for a financial expert’s take on the most taboo money-related questions. Watch our previous episode with Tori here: https://youtu.be/1zqDOt0sKPY?si=ZwAEe3CrzNe47KHZ Follow Tori on Instagram: @herfirst100k Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you haven’t ordered Magnetic Me yet, now is the time! Check out their Black Friday sale starting November 21st for 25% off select styles, no code needed. Rhoback: Use the code “REALSTUFF” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first order through the end of this week. CLEARSTEM: Go to CLEARSTEM.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF at checkout for 15% off your first order. How to claim your free Hydration Heroes Mini Kit: Go to CLEARSTEM.com, add the Hydration Heroes Mini Kit plus $75 of other CLEARSTEM products to your cart, and enter code REALSTUFFHH at checkout — the kit is yours for free! Offer ends December 2nd. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Subscribe to my newsletter: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Emily picked up the phone at work one random afternoon, she had no idea the woman on the other end would change her life forever. At 37, Emily was married with twins, living in her dream house and running her own audiology practice. But then, one chance encounter set off a chain of events that made her finally face the truth: she was gay. In this epic audience caller episode, Emily opens up about what it’s really like to come out later in life, while married, with kids, and everything to lose. From her husband’s shocking response and her father-in-law’s unethical diagnosis, to the first time she fell in love with a woman — this is one of the most gripping, emotional, and unexpectedly funny conversations we’ve ever had on The Real Stuff. If you’ve ever wondered what it means to start over and live authentically no matter the cost, this episode will stay with you long after it ends. You can reach out to Emily at [email protected]. Sponsor: CLEARSTEM: Go to CLEARSTEM.com/REALSTUFF and use code REALSTUFF at checkout for 15% off your first order.   Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I talk to “Josie,” an anonymous audience caller who shares one of the most difficult and thought-provoking stories we’ve ever had on The Real Stuff. Three years ago, Josie’s dad chose to end his life through MAID — Medical Assistance in Dying. It’s a legal medical procedure in Canada that allows people facing unbearable suffering to choose when and how they die. But Josie’s story isn’t just about death, it’s about the messiness of love, family, and grief. Her relationship with her dad was complicated, filled with both disappointment and affection. When he decided to pursue MAID, Josie found herself navigating conflicting emotions: heartbreak, relief, guilt, and understanding. We talk about what it’s like to know the exact day someone you love will die, the ethics and humanity of MAID, and how Josie is learning to carry compassion and peace for a parent who was never perfect, but was deeply human. If you’ve ever experienced complicated grief or wondered how far autonomy should go at the end of life, this is a conversation you won’t forget. Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you’re a parent, or shopping for one, go now to MagneticMe.com and new customers will get 15% off! Rhoback: Use the code “REALSTUFF” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Timeline: My friends at Timeline are offering 20% off, just for my listeners! Head to timeline.com/realstuff to get started. Happy Mammoth:Try Prebiotic Collagen Protein risk-free AND get 15% off your entire first order with code REALSTUFF at checkout. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of our sub-series “Don’t Hang Up,” I called my talent manager, Sam, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about what it’s really like to work together. Sam and I have been working side by side for years, and on this call, we talk openly about everything from how the creator–manager relationship actually works to the differences between an agent and a manager, how to find good representation, and what makes a partnership successful. I even ask her the questions I’ve never asked before — like how many other clients she manages, how she pitches me to brands, and what she really thinks it takes to build a sustainable creative career. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the business side of content creation and the friendships that keep it all running. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When today’s audience caller, Lindsey, was seven months pregnant, her husband walked out — leaving her to face the end of her marriage and the start of motherhood alone. In this raw, emotional episode of The Real Stuff, I sat down with Lindsay to unpack the unbelievable story of love, betrayal, and resilience. We talk about the moment everything changed, how she found the strength to rebuild her life, and what it really feels like to be abandoned in the middle of pregnancy. This honest conversation explores marriage, divorce, motherhood, and healing after heartbreak — with the empathy and depth that defines this podcast. Listen if you’ve ever experienced heartbreak, felt blindsided by someone you trusted, or needed a reminder that you can start over, even in your darkest moment. Sponsors: Rhoback: Use the code “REALSTUFF” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Magnetic Me: If you haven’t ordered Magnetic Me yet, now is the time! I know you’ll love these, too. If you’re a parent, or shopping for one, go now to MagneticMe.com and new customers will get 15% off! Happy Mammoth: Right now, you can try Prebiotic Collagen Protein risk-free AND get 15% off your entire first order with code REALSTUFF at checkout. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try Mimi’s amazing platform, Activations, with an exclusive 14-day free trial + a major discount for our listeners at activations.com/realstuff ✨ What if you could literally rewire your brain and re-route your life? This week on The Real Stuff, I sit down with Mimi Bouchard, founder of the viral app Activations, who went from having just $8 in her bank account to building an 8-figure empire by her late twenties. Yes, a DECAMILLIONAIRE! We talk about what it really takes to change your life from the inside out: how to break free from the money mindset you grew up with, how to take full responsibility for your future, and the science behind rewiring your subconscious mind for success. Mimi opens up about her childhood, the early days of struggle, and the exact steps that helped her build wealth, confidence, and purpose. We also unpack how her app Activations uses visualization, cinematic audio, and neuroscience to transform everyday moments into powerful mindset shifts. If you’ve ever felt stuck or destined for “more” but didn’t know how to get there, this episode is your sign. Sponsors: Magnetic Me: If you haven’t ordered Magnetic Me yet, now is the time! I know you’ll love these, too. If you’re a parent, or shopping for one, go now to MagneticMe.com and new customers will get 15% off! Laundry Sauce: Make laundry day the best day of the week! Get 20% off your entre order @ LaundrySauce with code REALSTUFF at https://laundrysauce.com/REALSTUFF #laundrysaucepod #ad Rhoback: Use code REALSTUFF at Rhoback.com for 20% off your first order through the end of this week. Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Don’t Hang Up episode, I call my dad, Jimmy Fink, to talk about the family business that shaped generations of our family — The Fink Baking Company. Before he was a radio guy, my dad was a bread guy. My childhood was filled with the smell of freshly baked loaves, “bring your daughter to work” days at the bread factory, and animal-shaped loaves for show-and-tell. But like most family businesses, things weren’t always simple. My dad opens up about the history of the bakery and walks me through how it started in the 1880s, grew into a massive operation supplying bread to Yankee Stadium and New York City schools, and eventually came to an end. We talk about what it was like to work alongside family, the tensions that came with it, and the bittersweet reality of closing a 100-year-old company. Sponsors: Happy Mammoth: Try Happy Mammoth's Prebiotic Collagen Protein risk-free and get 15% off your entire first order with code REALSTUFF at checkout. Timeline: Get 20% off Mitopure Gummies at timeline.com/REALSTUFF Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX  To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod  Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink Website: https://luciefink.com/  Executive Producer: Cloud10 Produced by Dear Media. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices