As we wrap up 2025, I wanted to revisit this powerful conversation I had with Neha Ruch during one of the first episodes of TNOTY. We'll be taking a short pause of our own, and we'll be launching Season 2 of TNOTY later in January! Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the latest.

About the episode: I’ve talked to a lot of women about their careers—but what Neha Ruch said about “nailing the dismount” when leaving a job? That stuck with me, and I knew I wanted to learn more.

In this episode, Neha, the founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause, opens up about the quiet grief of stepping back from work, the invisible expectations placed on modern mothers, and the mindset shifts that helped her, and thousands of others, reclaim their career and life narrative on their own terms. She and I dive into the real stuff: the pressure to “lean in,” the fear of losing your spot, the quiet guilt that follows moms into daycare pickup lines and exit interviews.

Neha shares the practical strategies and hard-earned insights that help women take intentional pauses from work, stay connected to their ambition, and return with clarity, confidence, and strength.

What You’ll Discover:

• Why Neha traded a dream job for a different kind of fulfillment (18:30)
• How to talk about being “on pause” in a way that feels strong and self-defined (25:09)
• Why women need to start “nailing the dismount” when stepping back from a job (28:11)
• How motherhood can spark, not stifle, creativity and reinvention (38:01)
• Practical tools for navigating finances, identity shifts, and career pivots (47:18)
• Neha responds to listener questions about how to approach a pause (53:04)

Whether you’re a parent navigating your own pause, a partner trying to understand it, or simply someone rethinking what success looks like—this conversation is a guidepost. Neha's groundbreaking work is shifting how we view, understand, and talk about career pauses.

Neha doesn’t just talk about redefining ambition. She shows us how it’s done.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dMf4v5Ah4Dk

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/neha-ruch-30

To connect with Neha Ruch, check out:

The Power Pause site: www.thepowerpause.com

Find Neha on Instagram @neha_ruch

Before we turn the page on the year, I wanted to pause and look back at some of the conversations from this season that lingered with me the most. This year-end highlights episode brings together some of the most memorable moments from Things No One Tells You, the ones that sparked reflection, surprise, and honest self-examination.

Across these clips, a few themes kept surfacing: confidence that wavers, pressure that doesn’t always show on the outside, and the question of who we are after the milestone moment passes or when we’re on shifting ground.

What You’ll Hear:

• Losing confidence right after success (03:18, Stephanie Szostak)
• Mentorship as a stabilizing force in high-pressure rooms (08:24, Kadi Lee)
• The importance of relationships in high pressure situations (17:03, Daniel Jones)
• The emotional reality of climbing the mountain, then staying there (22:46, Craig Melvin)
• Scrappiness and meeting the moment when it matters most (26:03, Aliett Buttelman)
• How faith can play out during intense moments in the NFL (35:15, Len Vanden Bos)
• A powerful reminder about what our kids need from us (42:09, Bridget KerMorris)
• What it looks like when you bet on yourself (47:40, Brooke Baldwin)

These conversations are a reminder that behind every highlight reel is a human story. If you’re heading into the new year with questions, hopes, or a little uncertainty, you’re not alone.

We’re looking forward to kicking off Season 2 of TNOTY in the new year! Follow Lindsay and TNOTY on Instagram to keep up with the latest.

To watch or listen to the full episode for any of the highlighted clips in this 2025 Highlights episode, click on the blog links below.

Tough Love with SOUL ON FIRE Actor Stephanie Szostak: Ep 18

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/stephanie-szostak-18

Things No One Tells You About Creating a Conscious Brand with Kadi Lee: Ep 7

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/kadi-lee-07

Staying Grounded in the NFL Spotlight with Colts QB Daniel Jones: Ep 23

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/daniel-jones-23

Things No One Tells You About The Work Behind the Spotlight with Craig Melvin: Ep 6

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/craig-melvin-06

Things No One Tells You About Glitter Freckles and Grit with Aliett Buttelman: Ep 8

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/aliett-buttelman

Faith in Football with the Buffalo Bills: Ep 16

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/buffalo-bills-16

What Our Kids Need More Than Rules with Bridget KerMorris: Ep 21

https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/bridget-kermorris-21

The Unraveling That Changes Everything with Brooke Baldwin: Ep 5

When I first visited Stable Recovery, I knew something meaningful was happening there: not just treatment, but transformation. In this episode, founder Christian Countzler shares his journey from addiction to building a place designed to remove the barriers he faced when trying to get well. Alongside him are Sandy and Dave Schimizzi, my aunt and uncle, who speak openly about losing their son Alex and the heartbreaking gaps they encountered while trying to help him.

Together, we talk about the individuality of addiction, the pressures families aren’t prepared for, and the moments that make long-term recovery so difficult without real support. This is an emotional episode, but it’s also hopeful, a reminder that change is possible when communities, not just individuals, show up.

What You’ll Discover:

• Christian’s story and the origins of Stable Recovery (06:25)
• Alex’s journey and early emotional struggles (11:57)
• The fear and uncertainty families live with daily (23:01)
• The critical need for purpose and follow-up care (27:44)
• The depth of despair people can experience (57:09)
• The limitations of sentencing and current treatment options (72:19)
• Why it’s important to not give up on loved ones (80:05)

This conversation doesn’t offer easy answers. But it does offer truth, the kind that helps people feel less alone.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PKllImyOOlo

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/stable-recovery-28

Check out more from Stable Recovery:

See their website.

Follow Stable Recovery on Instagram.

Donate today.

Learn more about Lindsay’s visits to Stable Recovery from these videos:

Horses Hold the Power on Path to Lasting Sobriety

The Healing Power of Horses ‘Putting People Back Together’

Mike Lowery’s Passion for Horses and Gratitude for a New Lease on Life

Read more from Christian Countzler about navigating sobriety during the holidays with his article: “If you’re navigating sobriety during the holidays, know you’re not alone”

If you are in the US and need immediate help, connect with treatment and mental health referrals near you by: Calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357) Texting your zip code to HELP4U (435748)

What struck me in this conversation with my husband, Craig Melvin, was how creativity shows up in the most unexpected corners of our lives. For Melvin, candlemaking isn’t about building a brand or launching a product. It is about finding quiet moments in the middle of busy days and having something that doesn't depend on deadlines or breaking news.

In this episode, Melvin shares the early missteps, the science he had to learn from scratch, and the almost meditative rhythm of getting each detail right. But beneath that is something deeper: the memories tied to fragrance, the mission to support cancer organizations close to our hearts, and the courage it takes to create something that feels personal.

We also talk about what happens emotionally when you share that creation with the world: the nerves, the hope, and the moments you wonder if it will resonate.

What You’ll Discover

• How candlemaking started in therapy and landed in our kitchen (08:55)
• Why giving back is built into the mission (13:20)
• A crash course in wax, wicks, and what can go wrong (14:50)
• The fear of releasing something personal into the world (21:36)
• Lightning round questions for Melvin (42:54)

Melvin’s story is about more than launching a candle company. It’s about finding a place to land when life feels unrelenting, honoring the memories that shape you, and trusting that creativity can open a door you didn’t expect. If you’ve ever felt the pull to follow a creative pursuit, this one is for you.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3mrwI3ca_fQ

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/craig-melvin-27

Check out more from Craig Melvin and Melvin Made:

Browse the candles: https://melvinmade.com/

Follow Melvin Made on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melvinmadeco

Check out this article to learn more: https://people.com/how-craig-melvin-turned-his-hobby-into-a-family-business-benefiting-cancer-exclusive-11857057

Follow Craig Melvin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigmelvinnbc/

When I sat down with Lauren Stephens of Dudley Stephens, what struck me most was how many beginnings sit inside her story: the career she thought she’d have, the infertility journey that shifted her path, and the unexpected moment she realized she had an idea worth betting on.

In this conversation, Lauren shares how she launched a family business before she felt ready, and why signing a formal agreement early on became one of the smartest decisions they made.

Lauren also opens up about the parts no one prepares you for: managing people for the first time, staying steady when customers or employees aren’t happy, and learning where to draw boundaries so the business doesn’t swallow the rest of your life.

What You’ll Hear

• The moment life forced her to rethink everything (00:00)
• Bringing her mom and sister into the idea (01:21)
• Why clear roles and ownership matter (11:32)
• How cozy-at-home culture fueled unexpected growth (20:07)
• Hiring lessons and learning to lead (24:51)
• Different phases of motherhood and how evolving careers (36:24)

Lauren’s story is about more than entrepreneurship. It’s about listening to the quiet nudge that tells you to begin, trusting your own pace, and allowing the hard seasons to shape the ones that follow. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “ready” to start something new, this one is for you.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A_0BsOeWAno

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/lauren-dudley-stephens-26

Check out more from Lauren and from Dudley Stephens:

Visit www.dudley-stephens.com. Take advantage of 30% off sitewide until December 2, 2025 using the code HOLIDAY30.

Check out the new Manchester pullover that Lauren wore during the episode.

Keep up with the latest on Instagram: @dudley_stephens

Connect with Lauren on Instagram: @laurendudleystephens

This season always pulls me back to the voices and moments that shaped me most. This week, we’re bringing back a special conversation from a couple of years ago, one that feels especially meaningful during the holidays. It’s a visit inside my Grandma Vee’s home in western Pennsylvania, where three generations sat down to talk about life: my grandmother, my mom Terri, and me.

What unfolds is a warm, funny, deeply personal look at family stories, the lessons that stay with us, and the unexpected moments that help us understand who we are. My grandma talks about building a life from scratch, raising kids in a one-bedroom house, finding her own strength after loss, and the quiet bargains she made with herself to stay grounded.

From coal-mining memories to the quiet strength of a 95-year-old woman reflecting on love, loss, and presence, this episode is all heart.

What You’ll Hear:

• Growing up in a coal-mining town and the resilience it built (06:54)
• How a young couple built their home, literally, board by board (10:25)
• Motherhood across three generations (16:07)
• The stories that reveal who we become (23:09)
• Grief, strength, and learning to stand on your own (54:16)

Tune in to hear how our generational past impacts our present lives. This is the kind of conversation that reminds you to ask the questions, hold the moments, and take in the stories right in front of you that shape who you are.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z0ULjUXmBHI

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/grandma-vee-25

If you follow Allison Kuch online, you probably know her for her humor, her honesty, and the way she makes real life feel a little less lonely. She’s an influencer, podcast host, interior designer, and NFL wife whose career grew from one simple idea: tell the truth.

In this episode, Allison and I talk about the stories behind the highlight reel: what it feels like when your husband loses his job in the league, how motherhood has changed her, and why she keeps sharing even when she’d rather log off.

From marathon training to postpartum depression, Allison opens up about the tension between gratitude and exhaustion, love and growth, public life and private moments.

What You’ll Hear:

• Life as an NFL wife, and what fans don’t see (06:45)
• Building community through honesty (12:09)
• Marriage, money, and identity in transition (19:18)
• Postpartum truths and new boundaries (25:37)
• The marathon of balancing work, motherhood, and self (33:22)

Tune in to hear Allison share about how she and her husband, former NFL defensive end Isaac Rochelle, have learned to navigate big changes together, from sudden team moves to new seasons of parenthood.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone can stay grounded while living such a public life, this one’s for you. Allison’s story is a reminder that authenticity is powerful, community is built through honesty, and sometimes success looks like giving yourself permission to be real.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r8cgSusCNJA

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/allison-kuch-24

Check out more from Allison Kuch:

Follow Allison on Instagram

Check out Allison’s TikTok

Don’t miss Allison’s recent exciting announcement!

When the Colts shocked the NFL world by trading for All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner, quarterback Daniel Jones found out like the rest of us, on his phone, between meetings. Shortly after the news broke, he sat down with me to talk about what that moment meant inside the building.

In this episode, Daniel opens up about what big moves like that say about a team’s belief in itself, and how he’s learned to lead through constant change. From the chemistry he’s building in a new locker room to the art of resetting after both wins and mistakes, this is a candid look at Daniel’s composure, leadership, and belief.

What You’ll Hear:

• Reaction to the Sauce Gardner trade (02:32)
• Adjusting to Indianapolis and new teammates (06:04)
• How Daniel stays even-keeled through ups and downs (09:24)
• Building chemistry off the field (11:26)
• The power of relationships in the locker room (14:02)
• Belief, composure, and focusing on the next play (24:56)

Tune in to hear Daniel share about how he builds relationships and why they matter, what life is like from week to week in the NFL, and how his mindset shapes the work he does. This one is for anyone who wants to know what it feels like to stay calm in the spotlight.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TVdyL41jLqg

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/daniel-jones-23

Mentioned in the Episode

Faith in Football with the Buffalo Bills from Episode 16

Check out more from Daniel Jones:

Follow Daniel Jones on Instagram

Check out the Indianapolis Colts on Instagram