Off the Record

Pets are the new kids. While we may choose them, often it feels like they chose us. Today’s guest says “If we listen to pets, we don’t have to suffer.” And Miranda Alcott, animal communications counselor, is helping us to do through her HarmoniousListening™ approach that combines her gifts of non-verbal communication, conscious intuitive connection, and deep understanding. Whether you believe this type of communication is possible, all I can say is that everything she told me rang true. She shares the lessons we can learn from our animals, utilizing our skills of nonverbal communication, and connecting more deeply with our companions. Resources: mirandaalcott.com@mirandaalcottBetterHelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

There’s nothing like running a business to reveal the deepest core of who you are. This episode, for example, started with the tease of a new SkinOwl product—the first in over two years. But what starts with business quickly leads to talking about the trajectory of running a business, making a conscious effort to put yourself back into the world after bunkering down, and creating a life that works for you. Resources: @offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Whether teaching people around the world how to upcycle, conserve, buy nothing new for a year, or just give a shit, Ashlee Piper is doing the heavy lifting on work most people don’t want to even acknowledge. If you’ve ever thought your litter was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, so do millions of others. Then there are people like Ashlee Piper, trying to do the most to make sure the planet benefits rather than implodes. She’s been a political strategist, author, speaker, TV personality, and brand strategist for some of the world’s most ethical and innovative companies. She gives us the tangible, baby steps we can take toward a better world. Resources: ashleepiper.com@ashleepiperGive a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.How small actions can save a big planet@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

It’s time to get clear on your boundaries once and for all. We all know how important boundaries are, right? It feels like we’ve been having the discussion for decades. And yet, who has actually taken the time to define what they are—and most importantly, hold them strong in our daily lives? Especially as we head into holidays, which are filled with friends and family and each of them making demands on you and your time, all while trying to take a vacation and relax and enjoy the holidays yourself. It’s a whole thing. We’re going to talk about why setting boundaries is so challenging, why you deserve to do it anyway, and how to find clarity once and for all on where those lines lie. Resources: betterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

On the surface, it may seem you and your partner put in equal parts effort when it comes to the home, relationship, and parenting. But underneath all the tangible to-dos lives an invisible emotional layer of emotional labor. There’s a level of exhaustion brought on by the constant, unrelenting consideration of others that women are so familiar with. It’s thanks to Eve Rodsky that I’m even aware of this phenomenon, let alone have the vocabulary to express it. She’s out on a mission to change 21st-century relationships by giving a solution to an age-old problem: The uneven domestic and childcare burden carried mostly by women. She turned a personal breakdown into the catalyst for change that led to one profound question: What if we treated our homes as our most important organization? Her NYT bestselling book Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) is a system to help couples rebalance the burden and reimagine their relationships. She gives us the magic formula for “fair play” in the home and learning to see the undervalued thought work that goes behind the obvious execution. Resources: everodsky.comfairplaylife.com@everodskybetterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Controversial statement incoming: Relationships are hard. No, but seriously, whether it’s friends, family, or romantic partnerships, coordinating our individual journeys and evolutions alongside others is complicated. All the relationship advice of the past feels woefully outdated, which is where Stacey Sherrell and Rachel Facio, AKA Decoding Couples, come in. They are both licensed marriage and family therapists that know firsthand the struggles of partnership. They’re here to turn relationship self-help upside-down. We discuss the real state of modern marriage, closing the gap between what you want and how to get it, and the essential ingredients to a successful relationship. Resources: decodingcouples.com@decoding_couplesStop Fighting Start Talking!@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Guess what, ladies—that “time of the month” isn’t just affecting us at one time. In fact, our monthly cycle can affect us all differently from week to week… including our skin. Most of us don’t know what to do about acne, especially when it comes on infrequently. If you’re breaking out consistently every month but don’t know why or what to do about it, I’ve got you covered. I’m going to break down the four phases that happen every month, and what products you should be using during each part of that cycle. Resources: @offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Looking back at our evolution can be challenging. All the evidence is there—a digital paper trail of memories that, at times, seems hard to believe comes straight from the lives we once lived. While it can be hard to embrace the changes we’ve gone through, nothing is more healing than seeing them as a side-effect of the life you’ve lived, not the destroyer of the life you had. Enter the “roundtable of real” with past Off The Record guests Nicole Sciacca and Sharzad Kiadeh, where we talk about all the change, from feeling unexpectedly happy to dealing with mortality and death, and the value in not having it all. Resources: sharzad.comsweatandstillness.com@nicolesciacca@sharzadkiadeh@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Dani Beinstein is an Off The Record alum four times over, but for those of you meeting her for the first time, know this: She is a whip-smart psychological shepherd, an intuitive astrologer based in Nashville. She has a beautiful way of articulating the universe’s many celestial dances while caring for our soul-ular side from the inside-out. In this conversation, she puts words to the feelings of burnout, disconnectedness, and lack of presence that so many of us are struggling with. Resources: daniellebeinstein.com@danibeinsteinbetterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

We are children of the 90s, and let’s be real: things were very different then. Our only point of reference for the world was TV and the people around us—and, I guess, Seventeen Magazine. Nowadays kids have to contend with social media and seeing a (fake) version of people’s lives that looks so much better than their own life. Parenting in the 90s was about as different as being a kid in the 90s. We’re going to discuss the beast that is parenting around all of that, the fears and expectations around sex and coming of age that only get more difficult in a world of instant connection, why The Offspring sucks, and wax philosophical on Neil Patrick Harrison. Resources: @offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Life moves fast. Before you know it you’re raising a toddler, your second marriage is suddenly outpacing your first, and you’re building a business across the country from where you’ve lived most of your adult life. We need rest. Humans find it so hard to just allow ourselves to be present, optimistic, and slow down for just long enough to understand how short and beautiful life is. Let’s talk about celebrating the small wins in life, the massive lie of multitasking that has led to our collective exhaustion, and the joy of focusing on one thing at a time. We were not put on this planet to hustle and suffer and die. Slow. Down. Resources: issuu.com/offtherecord@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Many of us want to leave our mark on earth to show that our time here meant something. The internet gives us unrestricted access to (certain parts of) the lives of complete strangers as we watch them live their dreams, find their purpose, and—most surprisingly—follow their meal plans. We’re picking up where the last generations left off, trying to do the work internally and externally, think both globally and locally, and unpack our own baggage carefully and intentionally. Krista Williams, co-host of the top 50 podcast Almost 30, embodies this perfectly. We spoke on the podcast in 2019 and Krista has been constantly evolving since—she’s the friend you need to feel less alone, more courageous, and more like yourself. We dive into her internal journey, how her mindset and spirituality have evolved over the years, and the ways in which microdosing has supported her transformation. Resources: almost30.com@itskristabetterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Folks, we’ve made it. Two hundred episodes. If you would have told me that I’d experience a pregnancy, childbirth, cross-country move, and a global pandemic, there is no way I would have been able to believe it. When I thought about what this episode should be about, I considered what the podcast has been missing. And one of those things is just straightforward recommendations. I get asked for recommendations all the time, but I’ve never had a chance to share them here on the podcast. So listen in for tried-and-true recommendations for anything, from skincare, to makeup, to travel destinations, to socks, to podcasts to listen to, and more. Resources: InsideTracker.com/offtherecord@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Fariha Róisín, on paper, is a writer, speaker, poet, and artist born in Ontario, Canada, raised in Sydney, Australia, and now residing in Los Angeles, California. She’s committed to unpacking everything from the white wellness movement to the margins and limits we all get lost in as humans. Her conversations around #wellness, contemporary Islam, and queer identities has appeared in The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Vice, Village Voice, and others. An established novelist, she is releasing her first nonfiction book with Who Is Wellness For? We dive deep into Fariha’s now retired “hamster wheel of perfection,” and the price of compromising your needs in order to upkeep someone’s illusion of you. Resources: fariharoisin.com@fariha_roisinfariharoisin.substack.comWho Is Wellness For?betterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

A warning up front: This is a podcast about nothing. That’s not to say it’s not about anything, or there isn’t value to be had, but it goes to some places we didn’t expect. Just like parenting, you never know what you’re going to get from The Parenthood Remix. One of the best things about this podcast is making time for conversations as a couple, and sometimes that means getting it all off your chest: Protecting your kid from taking a dangerous leap off the couch, the way we show up as people to our kids, and how parenting feels at once so fast and so slow. Resources: BetterHelp.com/annieMagicMind.co/record@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

One of the blessings of the modern era of online connectivity is the ability to find a like-minded cohort of whatever you’re going through or interested in, be it a bordering-on-unhealthy obsession with Corgis or a knack for kitchen organization. We all want to belong, and that’s what Nicki Marie delivers in droves. She somehow manages to keep it real all while pulling us into her life. In this conversation, we discuss how her 'come as you are' social media style amassed millions of followers worldwide, what it took to rebuild after a failing marriage in the midst of a pandemic, how Dunkin’ Donuts and Instagram DMs saved Nicki’s life, and the importance of finding people who don’t judge you for who you are. Resources: @nickimarieinc@nickiunpluggedbetterhelp.com/annieinsidetracker.com/offtherecord@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Brittany Piper is a storyteller in the most relatable and approachable way. She understands that life is not itself good or bad, but the entirety of our experiences. Brittany has spent her life on the front lines of the fight for the lives of women, from South Africa to the United States. And through that she has seen what they all have in common: A desire to feel loved, be seen, and be heard. We talk about the difficulties of living with your trauma, the lifelong journey to healing, and finding the tools to move through pain in your life. Resources: myhealinghub.com@healwithbritt@healwithbrittmagicmind.co/recordinsidetracker.com/offtherecordISSUU.com/podcast@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Every once in a while, I’m fortunate enough to be on the other end of the mic on some amazing podcasts—and often I think they would make a great listen here with you. That’s the case with Courtney Swan’s podcast, Realfoodology. She breaks down the food industry, busts myths, and helps put people on a path to eating better without the struggle. She’s been a guest of Off The Record in the past, and I was honored to be a part of hers. We talk about my backstory and why I founded SkinOwl in the first place, as well as a deep dive into the ingredients that make up our make-up. Resources: realfoodology.cominsidetracker.com/offtherecordmagicmind.co/record@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

Life becomes easier or harder based on the state and quality of your relationships. From our early relationships with our parents, to friends and siblings, eventually to our own children—and let’s not forget our relationship with ourselves—our relationships shape who we are and act as a lever adjusting the stress and strain of life. Sheleana Aiyana, the founder of Rising Woman, helps women take those relationships and bring them home to self. We’re going to look at how you can learn to trust your body, make peace with past relationships, and clear the path for healthy, conscious love. Resources: sheleanaaiyana.comrisingwoman.com@sheleanaaiyanaBecoming the Oneinsidetracker.com/offtherecordbetterhelp.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com

SkinOwl is nearing a decade since it was founded, and in that time a lot has changed—for me and for the business. These last two years in particular have been transformative, and in that time I’ve seen a new vision for the future of SkinOwl and what it’s going to become. I’m going to share with you the full journey, from where it all started, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. If you’re a business owner, I hope this story inspires you, helps you, and shows you what can be unraveled when you allow yourself the time to pull on the threads of your interests and see where it takes you. Resources: magicmind.co/recordcalm.com/annie@offtherecordwithyou@skinowlskinowl.comSkinOwl.com