PODCAST · society
Unmuted by Nola
by Nola Cartmill
Unmuted by Nola is a space for the quiet truths that deserve to be spoken out loud.Through bold reflection, layered identity, and hard-earned wisdom, Nola explores what it means to show up fully — as a leader, a mom, a storyteller, and a whole-ass person.It’s not just about finding your voice.It’s about using it.
Episodes
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Maybe You Didn’t Miss It
What if the life you thought you missed…didn’t miss you at all? I’ve been thinking a lot about timing lately. The things we thought would happen by now. The paths we assumed we’d take. The things we once wanted badly enough that we never stopped to ask whether we still want them. And then I had a...
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Your Out-of-Office Is Telling on You
I recorded this episode right before vacation, then actually went on vacation, let my out-of-office do its job, and came back to discover that everything was still standing. So why do so many of us announce that we’re unavailable and then immediately explain all the ways we can still be reached?…
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The Optimization Trap
What if all that research isn’t actually making you feel more prepared? We have access to more information than ever before. So when life feels uncertain, we do what responsible people do: we research. We read the reviews. Watch the TikToks. Join the Facebook group. Ask the experts. Compare the...
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Unmuted Court: The People v. Being Human
Life has felt a little heavy lately, so court is taking a recess from the usual proceedings. In this special session of Unmuted by Nola, I am using my expensive legal education to examine the truly urgent cases of adulthood: Target receipts, Disney spreadsheets, girl math, toddler testimony, the...
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From Juneteenth to the Fourth of July: I Choose Blackness
What does it mean to love something complicated? Recorded in the stretch between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, this episode begins at 2 a.m. with Harper asleep on my chest, me scrolling through images from the Obama Presidential Center opening, and one question I could not shake: If I could...
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The Life You Planned vs. The Life You Actually Got | Redefining Regret with Joyce Baker-Leggett
What happens when life doesn’t unfold the way you thought it would? In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I sit down with Joyce Baker-Leggett, author of Redefining Regret: Starting Over Without Shame, At Any Age, At Any Stage, for a conversation about the life we planned versus the life we actually...
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Can We Just Catch Up?
After weeks of overthinking my return to the podcast, I finally decided perfection was overrated. So yes, the audio gets a little glitchy in spots. Yes, I have one (or two) surprise guest hosts. And yes, we’re rolling with it. In this Season 3 kickoff episode, I’m catching you up on Costa Rica,...
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What Motherhood Taught Me About Work That No Leadership Book Did
People often talk about motherhood as something women have to manage around work. Or as the thing that somehow turns us into magical multitaskers. Honestly? Neither story has ever felt completely true to me. In this season two finale, I unpack eight ways motherhood has quietly made me better at…
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Who’s the Daddy? And Other Questions We’re Still Answering
Some conversations don’t end when the mic turns off. They keep going in group chats. On sister calls. At the kitchen table. This was one of those. After my last episode sparked bigger conversations, I invited my sisters Tiffany and Kara back to keep it going. We talked about motherhood, faith,...
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Doing It Out of Order (And Still Getting It Right)
I thought my life would follow a certain order. Marriage. Then family. Then everything else falling into place. But at some point, life stopped feeling theoretical… and started feeling real. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about what happens when your life doesn’t follow the...
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There Is No Version of This That Works
What if the problem isn’t you? What if it’s not your time management, your discipline, or your ability to “handle it all”? What if the math just… doesn’t work? In this episode, I sit with something I’ve been trying not to fix—and start asking a different question: What if this isn’t something…
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Too Close to See It
This wasn’t supposed to be a deep moment. I came home from a girls’ day and my garage was clean. Not “a little better” clean… but completely rearranged in a way I hadn’t been able to do for months. And I couldn’t stop thinking about why. Why it took me so long… why it felt so hard… and how…
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You Can’t Out-Perfect Real Life
Perfectionism isn’t just about high standards. It’s about what you make things mean when they don’t go the way you expected. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, Nola shares a real-time experience of showing up, knowing she wasn’t fully ready, and what happened when preparation didn’t translate…
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The Math Ain’t Mathing on This “We All Have the Same 24 Hours”
We hear it everywhere. “We all have the same 24 hours.” It’s usually framed as motivation — a reminder that discipline and hard work are the difference between where we are and where we want to be. But what happens when that phrase quietly turns into a measuring stick? In this episode, I unpack…
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You Can’t Die Before Me
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m joined by my friend and fellow lawyer Kelsey Knowles. What started years ago as a “work best friend” relationship has grown into something closer to adult sisterhood. In this conversation, we talk about the kind of strength that often goes unnoticed — the...
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It Hits Different
Sometimes nothing is wrong… and it still hits different. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I explore the quiet second layer many of us carry as we move through the world — noticing patterns in storytelling, leadership, and everyday life. This isn’t about outrage. It’s about awareness. And the...
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Everyone Is Excited…So Why Am I Spiraling?
Everyone has been so excited about my return to private practice. Supportive. Encouraging. Certain I’ll be great. So why does coming back feel more disorienting than expected? This episode is about returning to something familiar as a different version of yourself — and the quiet recalibration…
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Who Am I Trying to Impress?
Lately I’ve been sitting with a quiet question: Who am I trying to impress? Not dramatically. Not in a spiral. Just honestly. This episode is a reflection on polish, belonging, and the subtle pressure to signal success once you find yourself in rooms you didn’t grow up in. The internal math. The...
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My Last Day at My Dream Job: Why Leaving Something Good Doesn’t Mean Something Went Wrong
When you tell people you’re leaving something you once called a dream job, they immediately assume something went wrong. They look for burnout. They want the tea. But sometimes… nothing broke. In this short Unmuted by Nola episode, I reflect on my last day at a role that changed me — what this...
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How We Keep Going
Lately, I’ve been sitting with a quiet but unsettling question: How do we keep going when cruelty is happening in plain sight—without becoming numb, hardened, or detached from our humanity? This episode isn’t about politics, persuasion, or having the right answers. It’s about moral clarity...
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Choosing What Lights Me Up (Even When It Doesn’t Go)
In this episode, I reflect on what happens when you stop outsourcing your preferences — and start choosing what actually lights you up. From event outfits and bold shoes, to the rug that doesn’t “go,” to opening the champagne even when the moment isn’t perfect, this isn’t an episode about style....
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It’s Not That Deep: A Few Hot Takes for the New Year
This episode isn’t about reinventing yourself or doing more. It’s about questioning the things we’ve been told matter — and deciding what actually does. I’m sharing a few of my current hot takes on work, wellness, ambition, parenting, and why so much of what we stress over is unnecessary. Some of...
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Enough, Unlimited — On My Terms
This episode isn’t about doing more. It’s about being honest about what’s enough — and what unlimited actually means. In the quiet space between Christmas and New Year’s, I found myself reflecting — not because anything went wrong, but because something underneath the surface was asking to be...
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Family Is Loving — and Layered — During the Holidays
The holidays can be emotionally complicated — even when things are good, even when you love your family, even when there’s laughter, food, and tradition. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, we slow down and talk about what the holiday season often brings beneath the surface: family dynamics, old...
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Protecting Your Peace During the Holidays: Softness, Sanity, and Saying “No”
December has a way of asking for more than we have to give. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about the social side of the holidays — the invitations, gatherings, family expectations, work parties, and the quiet pressure to be everywhere, for everyone, all at once. We unpack: • why...
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Little Joys, Big Chaos
December is not a month — it’s a personality. In this lighthearted episode of Unmuted by Nola, Nola unpacks the cozy chaos of the holiday season: the magic, the germs, the deadlines, the sugar, the emotional whiplash — and the annual selection of which mom will be taken out by sickness first.…
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The Human Hunger to Be Seen
Why do so many of us feel invisible — even in rooms where we show up fully? Why does competence sometimes make us more overlooked, not less? And why does the quiet longing to be understood feel so universal? In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, we explore the deep human hunger to be seen — not for...
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When Enough Never Feels Like Enough
In this deeply honest fireside-style episode, Nola cracks open a quiet truth so many high-achieving, high-caring people carry but rarely name out loud: Why doesn’t it ever feel like we’ve done enough? From spiraling over 25 Christmas books and first-class Santa train tickets to shrinking in...
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I’m Not Burned Out — I’m Just Full
This week’s episode came out a little late — and honestly, that’s part of the story. I’m learning to let the world spin without me for a bit, to honor my capacity, and to tell the truth about what it feels like to love a life that’s beautiful, exhausting, and fuller than I ever imagined. This…
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The Restart Spiral
We love a good “starting Monday” fantasy, don’t we? A gallon of water, a new Peloton plan, a fresh dose of delusion. And by Friday? We’re already promising to start again next week. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about The Restart Spiral — that endless cycle of hope, hustle, and...
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Building a Dream in Your Spare Time (ft. Kara)
What if your dream doesn’t need your full time — just your full heart? Most of us keep waiting for the right time — for life to slow down, for the money to line up, for the stars to cooperate. But the truth is, the “right time” rarely comes. In this episode, I sit down with my sister Kara — my...
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When the Armor Starts to Pinch
It’s 3 a.m., and the house is finally quiet — except for my thoughts. The dog’s sighing, my daughter’s asleep, and I’m lying here realizing the armor that used to protect me — the composure, the control, the calm — has started to pinch. This episode is about that moment when success stops feeling...
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It Keeps Happening: Lessons from New York, Leadership, and Motherhood
What started as a Des Moines Performing Arts donor trip to New York turned into something much deeper. ✨ Mojitos and music at Buena Vista Social Club 💔 The ache of the 9/11 Memorial 🎶 The breathtaking artistry of Ragtime 🌉 A Brooklyn rain break and 20,000-step wander 💪🏾 A Peloton miracle…
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Fashion, Fitness & Fighting for Justice (with Kat)
Season 2 of Unmuted by Nola is here — and we’re evolving. As I teased in the Season 1 finale with my sisters, this podcast won’t just be my reflections anymore. You’ll still get those, but now you’ll also hear conversations with guests I admire — people balancing life, work, leadership, and joy…
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Group Chat Therapy: Inside the Bat Cave
Every superhero has a lair. Ours just happens to be a group chat — and we call it the Bat Cave. In this extended episode — almost a full 60 minutes — I sit down with my sisters, my original built-in kitchen table, to let you eavesdrop on the daily FaceTime calls that hold us together. We talk…
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The Myth of Balance
Balance isn’t a perfect day. Or even a perfect week. Sometimes it’s not even a perfect year. In this episode, I get real about what balance actually looks like in my life — as a mom, a lawyer, an executive, and a person who still wants to do big things. I talk about leaving work at 5:00 for…
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The Courage to Speak (Even When It’s Messy)
Some rooms were never built for us — but we still have to decide whether to speak up when the moment comes. In this episode, I talk about what it feels like to sit in that tension, how I decide when to use my voice, and why staying silent can sometimes feel like self-betrayal. It’s honest, a…
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Be Still and Know (When the World Feels Heavy)
Sometimes faith isn’t loud. Sometimes it isn’t even articulate. Sometimes it’s just sitting in the quiet and remembering you’re not the one holding the whole world together. In this unedited and unpolished episode, I share the story behind my be still tattoo — why I got it after surviving one of...
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Confessions of a Chronic Vacation Planner — The Aftermath
This week’s bonus episode isn’t about leadership or the workplace — it’s about my other full-time job: vacation planner. From coordinating safari-chic zoo outfits, to spiraling over San Diego vs. Anaheim hotels, to the Target runs, Amazon orders, and boutique splurges that somehow felt mandatory...
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My Break-Up Letter to Hustle Culture
For years, I believed hustle culture when it told me exhaustion was proof of my worth. Law school guilt. Billable hour pressure. Pinterest-worthy parenting. That little voice whispering: “Don’t really unplug. Stay productive. Prove your dedication and loyalty.” But here’s the truth: I was enough...
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How Do You Even Make Friends as a Grown-Up?
Making friends as an adult feels…complicated. Gone are the days of “wanna play?” on the playground. Now it looks more like drafting Facebook DMs with ChatGPT, holding on to old friendships across different life stages, or craving the kind of casual community your grandma had — where people just...
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Motherhood Isn’t a Rebrand — And Capacity Isn’t Yours to Assume
“Motherhood isn’t a rebrand” is just the starting point. In this episode, I dive into why we should stop making someone’s “no” for them — whether they’re a parent, a caregiver, or in a completely different season of life. You’ll hear the story of a friend passed over for a leadership opportunity...
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Where’s the Adult I’m Supposed to Escalate This To?
When you’re the default adult in every space — at home, at work, in your family — there’s no “escalation path” for the overwhelm. It all lands on you. In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about the emotional and logistical weight of being “the one” everyone depends on, the quiet toll…
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I Didn’t Thrive. I Endured.
People always ask me what Harvard Law was like. And I usually offer some polished version — say it was great, just not really my scene. That I’m not an East Coast person. But that’s not the whole truth. And until now, I’ve never really told it. In this episode, I open up about what it was…
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They Just Know: The Deep Power of Representation
What starts as a sweet daycare story between two toddler besties turns into a deeper reflection on why representation still matters—at every age. In this episode, I share the quiet beauty of watching Harper form a friendship rooted in shared knowing, and I open up about my own friendships that…
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Strong Everywhere, Soft Nowhere
What happens when the world only sees your strength — and never your softness? In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m reflecting on the quiet burden of being “the strong one.” I talk about where I learned it, how it nearly cost me my health, and the emotional toll it still takes in motherhood,...
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The Myth of Being Low Maintenance
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, we’re unlearning the myth that being “low maintenance” makes us more lovable, more promotable, or more worthy. From middle child peacekeeping to workplace professionalism to romantic relationships where silence became a survival skill, Nola explores how…
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The Door May Be Unlocked, But It’s Still Not Open
The Civil Rights Act was signed 61 years ago. It promised change. It offered keys. But a key is not the same as a welcome. And a hallway is not the same as a seat at the table. This isn’t a history lesson. It’s a personal one. About doors that stay closed. About merit that still isn’t enough.…
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Her Hair. Her Beads. Her Boundaries.
What does it really mean to own your voice? In this episode, I share the quiet moment that followed a big keynote — a moment that didn’t happen on a stage, but in a text to my toddler’s teacher. It was about Harper’s hair. Her beads. Her boundaries. And the cultural nuance that often goes…
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Piece by Piece: An Origin Story
I didn’t lose my voice all at once. It happened slowly—piece by piece. In this first episode of Unmuted by Nola, I share the quiet unraveling that started long before I ever had a title, a platform, or a podcast. From being called a know-it-all as a kid to shrinking in professional spaces where I...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Unmuted by Nola is a space for the quiet truths that deserve to be spoken out loud.Through bold reflection, layered identity, and hard-earned wisdom, Nola explores what it means to show up fully — as a leader, a mom, a storyteller, and a whole-ass person.It’s not just about finding your voice.It’s about using it.
HOSTED BY
Nola Cartmill
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Unmuted by Nola have?
Unmuted by Nola currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Unmuted by Nola about?
Unmuted by Nola is a space for the quiet truths that deserve to be spoken out loud.Through bold reflection, layered identity, and hard-earned wisdom, Nola explores what it means to show up fully — as a leader, a mom, a storyteller, and a whole-ass person.It’s not just about finding your voice.It’s...
How often does Unmuted by Nola release new episodes?
Unmuted by Nola has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Unmuted by Nola?
You can listen to Unmuted by Nola on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Unmuted by Nola?
Unmuted by Nola is created and hosted by Nola Cartmill.
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