Shows
Bitter to BetterEp. 51: Making Your Dating Profile Work For YouIn this episode I walk you through how to make your online dating profile do more of the work for you. Drawing from my own experience—especially on Hinge—I share why using mixed media matters (photos, a voice note, video), and the specific photo types that help best display your personality and lifestyle. I also explain why you shouldn’t lead with your trauma or a list of “don’ts,” and how to keep your profile warm, inviting, and easy for potential matches to engage with.Beyond the profile itself, I offer simple usage habits to improve your...
2025-12-2211 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Lia AllenSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:In this energizing conversation, Tracie sits down with Lia Allen—entrepreneur, community builder, and networking powerhouse—to talk about the bold decisions that reshaped her life and business. Lia shares her “immigrant-to-impact” origin story, the career pivot that saved her health, how she built a thriving business from her skills (starting with transcription and virtual support), and the brave season where she homeschooling two boys while keeping her business alive. Along the way, you’ll hear why community is the secret ingredient to resilience...
2025-12-2125 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Mary LummerdingSend us a text🎧 Episode SummaryIn this feel-good (and wildly practical) conversation, Tracie sits down with Mary Lummerding—Chef Mary + cooking coach—to talk about the real reason so many people avoid the kitchen… and how to change that without turning cooking into another “should.” Mary shares how she helps clients fit cooking into their actual lives, why “enjoyment” is the missing ingredient, and how a simple playlist can turn kitchen chaos into culinary bliss.✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why enjoying cooking matters more than forcing yourself to “be bette...
2025-12-2129 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, with guest Clara MinorSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:In this powerful episode of the Bold and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie Root sits down with Santa Cruz community icon Clara Minor of Minorsan Self-Defense & Fitness. Clara shares her origin story—growing up with entrepreneurial parents, launching her first business in Alaska during the pipeline days (yes… Wild West energy!), and building a decades-long legacy in martial arts and fitness.The bold decision that changed everything? Clara chose to step fully into ownership and run the studio on her own—and the unive...
2025-12-2135 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Sharda RyanSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:What happens when a single mom in “hustle + survival mode” gets asked one simple question—“What would happen to your daughter if something happened to you?” In this episode, Tracie sits down with Sharda Ryan of Wealth Design Group to talk about how an “accidental” entry into finance became a purpose-driven career helping women create clarity, confidence, and real security with their money. Sharda shares the bold moves that reshaped her business (hello, niche + boundaries!), the lessons she learned starting her career right before the financial crisis, and why g...
2025-12-2136 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Donya FahmySend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:In this powerful conversation, Tracie sits down with Donya Fahmy, Alchemist-in-Chief at Sustainable Health Solutions and creator of Dropwise Essentials. Donya shares her long, bumpy “healing journey”—from years of chronic symptoms and frustrating dead-ends in traditional care to reclaiming her personal power and finding real relief through natural solutions. You’ll hear how essential oils became a surprising turning point, why Donya believes the future of health is personalized, and how her “whole life detox” approach helps clients create sustainable wellness without fear, g...
2025-12-2142 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Tina SpoletiniSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:What happens when your kids drive away… and you suddenly realize your entire identity just shifted? In this heart-opening episode, confidence coach and Confidence in Bloom podcast host Tina Spoletini shares how an “almost empty nest” moment sparked her reinvention—and how her work evolved from styling outfits to helping women rebuild self-trust, quiet self-doubt, and truly bloom into their next chapter. If you’ve ever questioned your purpose, battled negative self-talk, or felt like you’re starting over, Tina’s story will feel like a warm hand...
2025-12-2125 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Diana MorganSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:What happens when a “recovered corporate misfit” merges her inner geek with her spiritual heart—and turns it into a movement? In this episode, Tracie sits down with Diana Concoff Morgan, Conscious Digital Impact Strategist and author of The Whole Heart Social Media Success Formula™, for a truth-telling, permission-giving conversation about visibility. Diana shares how corporate culture nearly broke her, why her son’s words became a turning point, and how she built a purpose-driven business by cracking the code on Google… then evolving into the work s...
2025-12-2141 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Kat MitchellSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:What happens when life asks you to hold everything—a demanding career, caregiving, grief, big transitions—and you finally choose yourself? In this powerful episode, Tracie sits down with Kat Mitchell (Master Transformation Coach, NLP Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, and energy-work guide) to talk about the bold decision that changed her path from corporate tech to deep inner work. Kat shares her origin story, the unexpected “bridge” skills that made her successful in tech, and how her personal journey through loss and caregiving led her into neuroscienc...
2025-12-2130 min
The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie RootThe BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root, w/Guest Jen VertanenSend us a text🎧 Episode Summary:In this powerful and deeply human episode of the Bold and Brilliant Podcast, host Tracie Root sits down with Jen Vertanen, Chief of Staff at a health-tech startup and founder of We The Unruly. Jen shares the bold, vulnerable decision that reshaped her life, her marriage, and her relationship with herself.Through an honest conversation about identity, healing, leadership, and community, Jen reveals how doing the inner work—not just the strategic work—created the clarity, confidence, and impact she liv...
2025-12-2141 minBitter to BetterEp. 49: Mom Moments- The Great Escape with Devyn (Part 2)In this powerful Part 2 of Mom Moments with Devon (with a Y), I sit down with Devon as she shares the raw, riveting continuation of her story—from discovering her partner’s devastating betrayal to executing a literal great escape with her kids from a tiny Caribbean island during COVID. She recounts the terrifying boat ride on a wooden fishing vessel named “Real Shit,” the scramble to safety, and the emotional aftermath that led to rebuilding life in the States. We also dive into the complexity of co-parenting with boundaries, choosing not to weaponize children, and the nuanced grief of endin...
2025-12-1253 minBitter to BetterEp. 48: Mom Moments- Zero to One Hundred with Devyn (Part 1)In this Mom Moments episode I sit down with my friend Devyn who proudly claims the titles human, woman, mother, badass, and serial dater. We dive into her dating journey post-divorce: the freedom, the travel, the unforgettable island romances (hi, Pinky), and the realities of separating fun dating from life-partner potential. We unpack anxious reactions to commitment, the purpose of casual dating, and how to navigate exclusive dating agreements—especially across borders. Devon shares candidly about balancing motherhood with dating, pushing back on judgment, and insisting on reciprocity in relationships. We also explore her past: love-bombing, red flags, a hi...
2025-12-1047 min
Deep Thoughts About Stupid Sh*t: A Pop-Culture Comedy PodcastThe Land Before Time: Deep Thoughts About Grief, Animation, and How Much Scientific Verisimilitude We Require From Talking Dinosaur CartoonsSend us a message! Include how to reach you if you want a response. Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely.This week, Tracie brings her deep thoughts about the 1988 Don Bluth animated film The Land Before Time. Although both Guy girls were a little too old to appreciate this staple of Millennial nostalgia when it originally came out, Tracie loved the hand-drawn animation, the way Bluth's storytelling offered a kid-friendly meditation on grief, and the pop culture trope of found family when she watched the film repeatedly while regularly babysitting dino-obsessed...
2025-12-0953 min
Bitter to BetterEp. 47: Self-Evolution During Cuffing SeasonIn this episode of Bitter to Better, I dive into self-evolution during cuffing season—the cozy fall/winter stretch when dating often slows down and many of us naturally take stock of our lives. I guide you to dream big first then narrow into seasonal goals you can realistically integrate between now and early spring across areas like health, parenting, finances, relationships, and career. I share my own focus on building consistent habits plus how to identify your personal roadblocks and design simple, sustainable systems to overcome them. We also explore mindset practices that keep your energy aligned, including vi...
2025-12-0821 min
Bitter to BetterEp. 46: Benefits of Taking A Dating BreakIn this episode , I share why the holiday and cold-weather season can be the perfect time to take an intentional break from dating. While I always encourage consistency and showing up for your goals, I’m just as committed to honoring self-care—and sometimes that looks like pausing to recalibrate. I walk you through how to check in with your needs, set boundaries, and use this time to soothe your nervous system while also reflecting on what’s worked (and what hasn’t) in your dating life this year. I offer a practical two-part framework for your intention...
2025-12-0113 min
Deep Thoughts About Stupid Sh*t: A Pop-Culture Comedy PodcastHome for the Holidays: Deep Thoughts About Memory, Cringey Romance, and Why Tracie Can't Be Fooled Into Thinking BWI Looks Like O'HareSend us a message! Include how to reach you if you want a response. Well, that was absurd, let's eat dead bird!Just in time for Thanksgiving, Tracie brings her deep thoughts about the 1995 "romantic" comedy Home for the Holidays. Although the dysfunctional dynamics of the Larson family makes for realistic and funny storytelling, the romance between Holly Hunter's Claudia and Dylan McDermott's Leo seems to imply that women are just lacking a handsome man's tongue down their throat, no matter what they claim. (To be fair, Leo was simply following pop culture expectations of...
2025-11-2554 min
Bitter to BetterEp. 45: Preparing to Date in the Winter/During the Holidays as a MomIn this episode of the Better to Better podcast, I dive into how moms can prepare to date during the winter and holiday season. I cover practical ways to stay “date ready,” including curating a five-outfit cold-weather rotation, adjusting hair and makeup palettes, and lining up go-to indoor venues so you’re never scrambling for plans. I also share tips for setting realistic expectations as schedules slow down for travel and festivities, staying intentional with your calendar (hello, Thanksgiving Eve outing) and using travel to practice low‑stakes social skills. We also walk through potential winter dating pitfalls and I en...
2025-11-2415 min
Bitter to BetterEp. 44: Send It To The Group Chat: Mom Moments w/ Kim Forte Part 2In part two of Mom Moments with Kim Forte, we pick up right where we left off—navigating the hilarious, messy, and meaningful realities of parenting tweens in a digital age. Kim and I unpack “the Bronx Zoo incident,” where a spring field trip, permissive device policies, and very active animals collided, sparking a rapid-fire group chat saga and an unexpected teachable moment about intimacy, discretion, and age-appropriate conversations. We share how we handled it on the spot, what we said at home, and the inclusive resources we rely on to keep body, sex, and identity talks honest and develo...
2025-11-191h 03
Bitter to BetterEp. 43: Read the Room, Kid: Mom Moments w/ Kim Forte Part 1In this Mom Moments episode of Bitter to Better, I sit down with my dear friend Kim Forte—mom, mediator-in-training, longtime attorney, and all-around truth-teller—for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about the highs and lows of parenting and partnership. We celebrate a community win from a small-but-mighty Election Day bake sale that far exceeded fundraising goals, and we unpack the power of rupture-and-repair after tough moments with our kids. We talk about shifting from dependence to interdependence as our fifth graders grow, letting children try their own solutions, and staying grounded amid the never-ending mental load of passports, school sche...
2025-11-171h 12