10 Things To Tell You

This is a very special episode of Best Books Lately. Special because it's been awhile since we've had one, special because it's with my longtime internet friend and book twin Liz Hein, and special because we're weaving together some of the most important themes of 10 Things To Tell You: sharing your stuff, connection, and, of course, BOOKS.In this conversation, Liz and I are not only talking about the best books we've read lately (and we've both read some great things!), Liz is also sharing about the life of her father, legendary Chicago photographer Rich Hein, who passed away unexpectedly last month. Liz's book selections are inspired by her dad, and I love that we could honor his memory in this way.Follow Liz Hein @lizisreading_ on InstagramRich Hein's obituary was on the front page of the Chicago Sun-TimesFULL SHOW NOTES HEREJoin the SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUBLAURA'S BOOKS:Beautyland by Marie Helene BertinoWitchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady HendrixCue the Sun! by Emily NussbaumLiars by Sarah MangusoWe Used

As the headlines get harder, the politics more divisive, and the platforms themselves more corrupt, many of us are rethinking our social media usage in 2025.Yeah, sure, we've all said this before in the past. So we take breaks, or delete the apps off our phones, but we always come crawling back. Social media is just an ingrained part of our lives now. It's where we get our news, it's how we connect with others, it's a source of entertainment and expression.And yet...there is something different about this moment in internet history. People really are fed up, but it also seems impossible to quit cold turkey. There has to be a middle ground between spending large chunks of our day scrolling and walking away from social media completely. In this episode I'm walking through my own personal process of changing my relationship with my phone.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Opal appRELATED episodes:Ep 253: Regrets and Reflections After 15 Years of Working on the InternetEp 246: A Funeral for TwitterEp 2

Sometimes you read a friend's book and you're jealous they wrote something this good. This is how I felt when I read writer and podcast Melanie Shankle's latest Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma.This book is about Melanie's very complicated relationship with her mom, woven together with her own Big Feelings about the mean girls that took over her daughter's high school experience. As someone who regularly preaches that all of us should be sharing our stuff, my jaw dropped at some of the stories that Melanie is able to share so well.In this conversation, Melanie and I talk about all of those things. It's a tender topic, but Melanie is, as always, full of humor and wisdom in the face of it all.Follow Melanie Shankle on IGBuy Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational TraumaListen to The Big Boo CastFULL SHOW NOTES ARE HEREMENTIONED in this episode:The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman NeedsEp 243: Best Books

Now THIS is truly a conversation you won't hear anywhere else. My friend, television show runner Stacy Rukeyser, joins me to talk about making R-rated art when you're a mom.Stacy has written on some really great shows over the years, but she was tasked with creating Netflix's first foray into erotica with her show Sex/Life back in 2021 and it brought up some questions about making this type of creative content when you're a mom. Stacy rightly points out that men likely wouldn't be asked (or be asking) the same type of questions, but it was a fascinating conversation to explore.Stacy shares her fascinating Hollywood career trajectory, the column that broke open a One Tree Hill scandal, and the differences working in female-led writer's rooms.This episode is a bit of a curve ball, but I think you'll be riveted.Follow Stacy Rukeyser on IGFULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Stacy's great grandfather Hall CaineThe Manx ManDinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy LenzUn-real on Netflix44 Chapters About 4 Men by

Continuing my look back on 15 years of working on the internet (and the last decade as working as a podcaster), I'm addressing a question that I've gotten fairly often recently: Any advice on starting a podcast?Based on my own mistakes working on three different shows, and observations about the podcast listening community and industry, in this episode I'm sharing what I would do if I started a new podcast today. While I speaking pretty specifically about podcasting in this episode, I also think that a lot of what I talk about applies to most creative endeavors on the internet in 2025.I'm talking about creativity, marketing, mindset, equipment, and more. And at the end I give a little pep talk that maybe we all need.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Audacity recording/editing softwareRiverside.fm software for remote recordingSingle microphone I used for years recording in personCurrent microphone I useRELATED episodes:Ep 124: Behind the Scenes of PodcastingEp 205: 10 Things All Podcast Fans Should

This month marks FIFTEEN years that I have been pursuing a career primarily by sharing myself on the internet. Starting with the Hollywood Housewife blog in January 2010, then building a social media presence, then becoming a podcaster and an author, and I have so many stories and thoughts to share about the last decade and a half.On this episode, I'm talking about the things I did right, the things I definitely got wrong, and how I've evolved right along with the World Wide Web.Join SECRET STUFF to hear even MORE behind-the-scenes stories.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMORE episodes on this topic:Ep. 73: I Wrote a Book!Ep. 63: Working From HomeEp. 111: Behind The Scenes of Publishing, Marketing, and Launching a Book (with Kelly Gordon)Ep. 166: How To Write a Book (in 10 Steps)Ep. 174: 3 Things I've Learned While Working With a Business Coach (A Conversation with Retha Nichole)MENTIONED in this episode:Ep. 251: 10 Things I Learned in 2024Sorta Awesome podcastSmartest Person in the Room podcastRacial Bias series on SPITR

No matter the question, reading is the answer. And in a year starting off like 2025 is, we certainly need a lot of answers to life's questions.I am thrilled to welcome fellow Angeleno bookworm Traci Thomas (host of The Stacks podcast) to talk about the most anticipated new book releases of 2025. We talk about novels and nonfiction by debut and beloved authors publishing this year and sorry not sorry about this conversation that will send your book budget soaring. There are so many good books to look forward to in the next six months.Also in this episode, Traci really gives me a lot to think about in terms of how we talk about books and why it's okay to be publicly critical of books that don't work for us. As an author who is jumpy about that concept, Traci really shifted my perspective on this.You can listen to Traci on The Stacks podcastYou can follow Traci on IGYou can read Traci on her substack UnstackedYou can join Traci's PatreonFULL SHOW NOTES HEREJOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUBMOST ANTICIPATED 2025 BOO

It may already be January, but it's time for my annual year-end reflection with 10 of the biggest things I learned that I hope will also resonate with you.2024 was a weird year in so many ways. My lessons were all over the place, from examining self-confidence vs. self-esteem, finding out who I am in a crisis, being honest about what home renovations can bring up emotionally, facing my addiction to the news cycle, and discovering the big thing that motivates our family decisions.It was a year full of light bulb moments. I hope this helps you reflect upon your own lessons, struggles, and triumphs of the last year.JOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUB HEREFULL SHOW NOTES ARE HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Ep 201: 10 Things I Learned in 2023Ep 238: The Conversation That Changed My YearEp 246: A Funeral for TwitterThe neck alignment thing that really works SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on Fa

It's the reading episode we look forward to all year! My real life book club members Yasmin Dunn and Stephanie Newman-Smith join me for a supersized conversation about the best books we read in 2024.JOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUBSince Stephanie, Yasmin, and I did a half-year Best Books episode together during the summer, we only gloss over a few of the books we discussed in depth in June. You can see the show notes from Ep 224: Best Books of the Year (So Far).Also an EXTENDED CUT of this episode and the BONUS episode where the three of us share books that didn't work for us this year (including a big surprise from me) is available for paid members SECRET STUFF (now on Substack!)FULL SHOW NOTES HEREFollow me @laura.tremaine on IGFollow Yasmin @yasminheartsbooks on IG(Stephanie doesn't post books on IG)MENTIONED in this episode:Yasmin’s Best Books:Ours by Phillip B. WilliamsThe Wedding People by Alison Espach Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee by Mikita Brottman Us: Getting Past You & Me

I know why you don't journal. I also know why you should journal.In this episode, I'm sharing all the benefits you'll gain from the occasional journal session and how to combat the (many) obstacles that keep you from starting. Then I'll share the 4 types of journaling that you can try in order to see growth and clarity in your life.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:My favorite plain notebookThe Artist's Way by Julia Cameron SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on FacebookJOIN the 10 Things To Tell You Connection GroupSIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notesJOIN the Secret Stuff PatreonBUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura TremaineBUY THE BOOK: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My friend Nora Dahlia Zelevansky is a journalist, a novelist, a wellness writer, and now she's a romance author! As we celebrate the release of her latest book PICK UP, Nora and I chat about her writing trajectory, the differences between publishing and marketing the romance genre, and why she decided to write this book using a different name.We also talk about how fiction helps us process our pasts, and especially how our high school selves might not have grasped the full story, and how we wrestle with that in adulthood.So many aspects to this great conversation!PICK UP by Nora Dahlia is out now!Learn more about Nora Dahlia ZelevanskyFollow Nora on IGFULL SHOW NOTES ARE HEREMENTIONED in this episode:NaNoWriMoauthor Sarah MacLean's booksCompetitive Grieving by Nora ZelevanskyRoll, Red, Roll: Rape, Power, and Football in the American Heartland SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on Faceb

As Taylor Swift ends her earth-shattering Eras tour this weekend after a year and a half of dominating the charts and the headlines, I'm sharing how her music and her professional presence has shaped me as an artist, a mom, a business woman, and a former angsty teenager.I hope this episode inspires you to share your own favorite Taylor Swift memories, songs, lyrics, and more.FULL SHOW NOTES ARE HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Kate Kennedy’s Be There in Five podcastFollow Kate Kennedy on IGEp 246: A Funeral for Twitter“Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on FacebookJOIN the 10 Things To Tell You Connection GroupSIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notesJOIN the Secret Stuff PatreonBUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura TremaineBUY THE BOOK: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine Learn more ab

One of the books that has made the biggest impression on me in the last few years is The Perfectionist's Guide To Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler. I have talked about this book EVERYWHERE and insisted that even people who do not self-identify as "perfectionists" would get something out of it.So you can imagine that I was thrilled with the Secret Stuff members chose TPGTLC as a book club pick and I was doubly thrilled when author Katherine Morgan Schafler agreed to attend our regular monthly book club meeting to discuss it.JOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUB HEREThis episode is a replay of our book club discussion that was held over zoom, where Katherine and I held a great conversation about some of the major points of the book (including the five different types of "perfectionists"), and then Secret Stuff members got to ask her questions.I loved our conversation so much that I wanted everyone to hear it (and to read the book!). If you like these types of book club meetings, consider joining the Secret

I joined twitter in 2009 and for 15 years - until this very month - it has been my favorite social media platform. The one place where I am only a consumer and not a creator. The place where I met my earliest online friends. The place where I made most of my best online memories following breaking news, political, scandal, and pop culture.And the only other person I know who has been obsessed with twitter for as long as I have been? None other than friend and podcaster Jamie Golden. Jamie and I have shared many obsessions over the years - and I write about her in The Life Council as the Fellow Obsessive friend - but our love of twitter has always been our biggest shared passion. And despite saying numerous times over the years that we'd never leave, we both decided in the last few weeks to depart our formerly favorite space.And thus, a funeral for twitter.In this conversation, Jamie and I talk about our earliest days on twitter, why we loved it so much, our favorite moments, a few of our regrets, and, of cour

When the world feels hard, and our lives feel loud, it can be difficult to find equilibrium. In this episode, I'm sharing 5 practices in various areas of my life that make me feel a little more like myself, a little more like a human, a little more sane and calm.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Learn more about #OneDayHHJoin our Secret Stuff community for regular Symposium conversationsMiracle Morning by Hal ElrodEpisode 195: Why Do Smart People Love Dumb TV? with Matt Marr SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on FacebookJOIN the 10 Things To Tell You Connection GroupSIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notesJOIN the Secret Stuff PatreonBUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura TremaineBUY THE BOOK: The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.co

With less than two months left in 2024, I'm sharing ten questions that will help you finish the year strong. We're talking achievable goals, mantras, connecting with others, and lingering decisions that need to be made. These questions will give you clarity for the weeks ahead and and let you set intentions for how you want to feel and who you want to be at the end of 2024.As always, you can take these questions to your journal for introspection and growth, or use them as conversation starters with friends and family.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREJOIN US FOR the 12th Annual #ONEDAYHHMENTIONED in this episode:BONUS: How To Decorate For The Seasons Without Buying More Stuff ( Conversation with Myquillyn Smith, The Nester)Other Year-end Questions Episodes:Ep. 45: 10 Questions for the End of the Year 2019Ep. 95: 10 Questions To Ask Yourself at the End of the Year 2020Ep. 148: 10 Questions for the End of the Year 2021Ep. 198: 10 Questions for the End of the Year 2023 SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an e

Reading is always the best form of therapy, distraction, entertainment, and education. And in this episode we talk about titles that serve all of those purposes.Sophie Hudson (aka Boo Mama) is the co-host of The Big Boo Cast and she's also the author of seven books, including her latest A Fine Sight To See. She is always so fun to talk to and we had a blast talking about how long we've known each other, where we first met, how we both feel strongly about women in leadership, and, of course, the best books that we've read lately.JOIN THE SECRET STUFF BOOK CLUBAs usual, my book selections were all of the place. And as a former English teacher, Sophie recommended all kinds of books to make us feel and think.FOLLOW Sophie on IGLISTEN to Sophie on The Big Boo CastREAD Sophie's latest book A Fine Sight To SeeFULL SHOW NOTES HERESophie’s picks:Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelly Van PeltI Cheerfully Refuse by Leif EngerThe Kingdom, The Power and The Glory: American Evangelicals in An Age of Extremism by Tim Albert

I want you to go on a girls trip in 2025. I want it to be a priority. But if you've never been on a girls trip - or it's been a long time - the logistics can be daunting. So I'm helping you out! In this episode, I'm sharing thoughts and tips on:Deciding the vibeChoosing the guestsWhere to goWhere to stayWhat to eatWhat to doHow to documentProviding fun extras...and more. You will leave this episode excited to plan your own little getaway, whether it's a staycation with one friend or a milestone trip with a group.FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Ep 240: Favorite Things Fall 2024Splitwise appShare Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura Tremaine SUBSCRIBE to 10 Things To Tell You so you never miss an episode!CLICK HERE for episode show notesFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on InstagramFOLLOW @10ThingsToTellYou on FacebookJOIN the 10 Things To Tell You Connection GroupSIGN UP for episode emails, links, and show notesJOIN the Secret Stuff PatreonBUY THE BOOK: Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. by Laura TremaineBU

Lori Zuker Briller co-founded a staffing and recruitment agency almost 20 years ago, and in the last few years she's noticed a concerning trend among the young people who are applying for positions in various industries: a decline in professionalism, a lack of understanding of the job market and job search processes, and an overall deterioration in etiquette.As a mom of two daughters herself, Lori set out to create something that would help teenagers get back to the basics of professionalism and prepare for the adult world.In this conversation, Lori and I discuss how we got here as a society (hint: Covid, a more casual culture, and a change in modern communication styles) and just a few things we can teach our teenagers to set themselves up for success.Learn more about The Grapevine AgencyLearn more about Prepped for LifeJoin my SECRET STUFF book club and communityFULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED in this episode:Bosses Are Firing Gen Z Grads Just Months After Hiring Them (Fortune)Why So Many Companies Are Firing

My favorite things for the Fall of 2024 include a bra, a neck alignment thing-y, a documentary, a book, what's making me feel pretty, and two unexpected events that turned out to be some of my favorite moments of the year (so far).We share our Favorite Things around here because a) it's fun b) it forces us to notice our life and c) it serves as a gratitude list of sorts.BONUS: this episode also contains a dozen recommendations from fellow listeners and members of the SECRET STUFF community.JOIN SECRET STUFFShare YOUR favorite things by making a list, posting on social media, or texting a friend. (Or all three!)FULL SHOW NOTES HEREMENTIONED BY LAURA in this episode:Recent Girl's Trip posts HERE and HEREUnder Outfit braMeeting Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey story HEREA Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe HaileyNeck alignment thing-y“Nothin’ But a Good Time” on Paramount Plus1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami AttenbergEmma J. Shipley wallpaper