This week, we’re talking about something that looks easy on the internet but feels hard in real life: how to be vulnerable without losing your peace.
I get into what real authenticity actually is, why self-protection isn’t a flaw, how to tell the difference between hiding and listening to your body, and why discernment matters when you’re sharing your story. We talk Matthew 7:6, Brené Brown’s vulnerability hangover, over-explaining as a survival reflex, and the quiet confidence that comes with finally trusting yourself.
If you’ve ever posted something and immediately regretted it, or opened up to the wrong person and felt exposed after—this one’s for you.
Listen in for a real conversation about vulnerability, authenticity, boundaries, healing, and learning how much of yourself to share.
If this episode hits something in you, send it to a friend who gets it, follow the show on Spotify, and come hang with me on Instagram at @idkmybffjude. Bonus episodes will still be dropping during the mid-season break—so don’t go anywhere.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
Hosting sounds fun… until you’re knee-deep in oven timers, missing ice, and guests are already at your door. In part two of my How-To series, I’m breaking down what it really takes to host a party that feels effortless—and why the best ones are never about perfection.
My best friend Gladys (a.k.a. the hostess with the mostest) joins me to talk guest lists, menus, prep chaos, and the secret art of the Ghost Host. Whether you’re planning a dinner party or just trying to keep your plants alive before company arrives, this episode is your permission to do it your way.
Follow me on Instagram @idkmybffjude for behind-the-scenes moments, hosting inspo, and future How-To drops.
Keywords: how to host a party, how-to series, party planning tips, dinner party ideas, modern hostess, entertaining podcast, IDK My BFF Jude
Hosted and written by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
There are hard things you choose—and then there are the ones that choose you. IDK, This Is Really Hard marks the start of our How-To Series, where we explore what it means to do the hard things we never actually asked to learn.
In this first episode, I talk with my friend and holistic nutritionist Diana Tenbrink about walking through infertility, early menopause, and grief, and learning how to hold onto faith, resilience, and self-compassion when life doesn’t go as planned.
We talk about choosing grace over grind, mental health, healing, and what strength actually looks like when it’s quiet, hormonal, sweaty, or full of tears. It’s about the kind of emotional strength that doesn’t get applause—but matters the most.
Content Warning: This episode includes mention of miscarriage, IVF, and grief. Please take care and listen when you’re ready.
You can follow Diana at @balance_with_d on Instagram and TikTok.
If this episode gave you a little room to exhale, share it with a friend who’s in their own hard season or tag @idkmybffjude on Instagram so I know it reached you. New episodes drop every other Tuesday.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
faith, resilience, infertility, early menopause, grief, miscarriage, IVF, women’s health, mental health, healing, emotional strength, vulnerability, friendship, self-compassion, doing hard things, podcast for women, faith-based healing, real conversations, Jude, IDK My BFF Jude, Diana Tenbrink
“I don’t know” used to feel like failure — like I was supposed to have an answer for everything. But somewhere between perfectionism and faith, I learned that not knowing can actually be the start of something good.
In this solo episode of IDK My BFF Jude, I talk about learning to live in the gray, staying curious when clarity doesn’t come easy, and trusting God even when the plan doesn’t make sense. If you’ve ever felt pressure to have it all figured out — this one’s for you.
Plus, a sneak peek at the next series: How-To’s for Real Life — how to do hard things, how to host a party, and how to move through what no one prepared you for.
If this episode hit, send it to a friend who needs the reminder, or leave a review — it helps more than you think. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just follow the podcast — that’s one mystery solved.
Follow along on Instagram @idkmybffjude for behind-the-scenes and new episodes every other Tuesday.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
Ever catch yourself asking, “IDK, are you mad at me?” Welcome to episode 8, where I get real about my lifelong relationship with people-pleasing. From saying yes before I even thought about it, to unpaid commitments I regretted, to buying a book called How to Say No back in 2008—I’ve lived the cycle.
In this episode, I unpack how fear of rejection kept me agreeable, how faith and duty complicated my yes, and how a fallout with a friend finally flipped the switch from compulsion to choice. If you’ve ever struggled with boundaries, resentment, or the pressure to be liked, this one’s for you.
Listen in as we talk people-pleasing, rejection, boundaries, integrity, and learning how to finally say no.
Follow me on Instagram @idkmybffjude for more episodes, behind-the-scenes, and unfiltered thoughts.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
Are you delulu... or just finally trusting yourself?
This week, we're getting real about self-trust: how to build it, how to hear it, and how to stop outsourcing your gut to everyone else. If you've ever second-guessed a decision, spiraled after a bold move, or wondered whether you're intuitive or just impulsive — this one's for you.
We’re talking intrusive thoughts, gym follow-throughs, haircuts with no warning, and what it really takes to rebuild confidence when you’ve lost your way.
No preaching, no perfection — just a love letter to the messy middle where self-trust is forged.
🎧 Listen, reflect, and maybe… stop asking everyone else what you already know.
📲 Follow me on Instagram @idkmybffjude for more hot takes, behind-the-scenes chaos, and future episode drops.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
Everyone swears they don’t gossip—but let’s be real, we all do. In this episode of IDK, My BFF Jude, we’re unpacking what gossip really means: is it just messy whispers, or can it actually be survival, connection, and even protection?
I’m joined by my longtime friend Joss as we dive into:
Why gossip shows up in every culture (yes, even in church).
The difference between venting, storytelling, and slander.
How “whisper networks” protect women and marginalized communities.
Why gossip feels intimate, powerful, and sometimes dangerous.
Whether silence protects peace—or just protects power.
From chisme to prayer requests to the tea in your group chat, we’re asking: who benefits when we call it gossip, and who gets silenced?
🔗 Come tell me what kind of gossiper you are (Vault, Livestream, Historian?) over on Instagram: @idkmybffjude.
Written and hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
In this episode of IDK My BFF Jude, I’m taking you to Chicago for three unforgettable true stories you won’t hear anywhere else. From a hilarious yet harrowing World War II family history about my aunt being “stuck in a tree,” to a spontaneous dance battle in Chinatown, to a late-night Red Line encounter with a mystery paper bag labeled “FREE EATS,” this episode is full of funny travel stories, slice-of-life moments, and real Chicago energy.
If you love storytelling podcasts, family history, and the kind of personal stories that make you feel like you were right there, this one’s for you. Whether it’s public transit tales, unexpected human connections, or history told through the people who lived it, you’ll find it here.
Follow me on Instagram @idkmybffjude for behind-the-scenes moments, Chicago stories, and more episodes that feel like catching up with your effortlessly cool friend.
Written and hosted by: Judith Sallador
Producer: Michael Gonzales
This week’s episode wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to talk about gossip, but yesterday marked one year since my life blew up, and I couldn’t ignore that.
So instead of tea, this is a heart-to-heart. A grief podcast episode about emotional healing, but not just the kind we talk about at funerals. This is about breakups, identity shifts, friendships that ended, and dreams that didn’t happen. It’s for anyone grieving something they can’t quite name.
I’m sharing what grief taught me: how it ambushed me, how it expanded me, how it changed my voice. I didn’t follow a timeline. I chose closure, even when it wasn’t given. And somehow, I made it here.
If you’re healing after loss, or still finding the words, this one’s for you.
If the episode resonates, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. And come say hi on Instagram @idkmybffjude I’d love to hear your story too.
Written and Hosted by Judith Sallador
Produced by Michael Gonzales
I built a life that looked good—on paper, at least. But behind the image was someone who had vanished from her own story. In this episode, I talk about what it means to stop disappearing, start choosing yourself, and reclaim the parts of you that were never meant to be sacrificed.
We’re not talking about narcissism or main character syndrome. We’re talking about presence. About identity. About the quiet ache of trying to earn love when you were already made with it.
From passport photos to Little Mermaid metaphors to a surprise encounter outside my old Chicago apartment—this one’s for anyone trying to come home to themselves again.
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🎧 Listen now
💬 Share your thoughts on Spotify
📱 Come hang on Instagram @idkmybffjude
📝 Leave a review—it helps more than you know
Host: Judith Sallador
Producer: Michael Gonzales
Oldest Child Syndrome? Yeah… we’ve got it. Bad.
In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and fellow eldest sibling Michael as we spiral (with structure) through the highs, lows, and unspoken job description of being the oldest child. We talk birth order bias, pressure to perform, gender dynamics, and why being “the responsible one” is wildly overrated.
There’s sibling shade, emotional realism, a kombucha story gone sideways, and maybe a few identity crises along the way.
If you grew up keeping the peace, managing the group chat, or crying in silence while solving everyone else’s problems — this one’s for you.
Tap in. Your inner oldest child will thank you.
📣 If this resonated, follow the show and come back every other Tuesday.
📣 Leave a review or DM me @idkmybffjude on Instagram and say “same.”
Host: Judith Sallador
Producer: Michael Gonzales
What if you stopped performing and just lived? A messy,honest start to a podcast about becoming—without having it all figured out.
Hey, it’s me. And I honestly can’t believe I’m doing this. But here we are—mic on, spirit willing. Welcome to IDK, My BFF Jude, the podcast that feels like catching up with your favorite friend on a random Tuesday.
In this first episode, I’m showing up mid-healing, post-burnout, and not even close to having it all figured out. This isn’t curated. It’s not aesthetic. It’s real talk in the messy middle—about identity, purpose, faith, and what happens when you stop performing your life and start actually living it.
I share how I went from wanting to be Oprah to working in finance (??), how I shrank myself to fit what other people expected, and how I hit a wall that forced me to reimagine everything. No more color-coded perfection. No more hiding. Just me—trying to become the version of myself that doesn’t need to be “enough” to be worthy.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re unraveling while becoming, this one’s for you.
🔑 What You’ll Hear:– Why I walked away from corporate life for the sake of my sanity– Reclaiming your identity outside of productivity and performance– How faith still matters to me– The awkward pivots, the low-energy days, the “showing up anyway” moments
💬 “I don’t want to perform my life anymore. I want to live it—with nothing to prove and nothing to hide.”
📣 If this resonated, follow the show and come back every other Tuesday.📣 Leave a review or DM me @idkmybffjude and say “same.”
Host: Judith Sallador
Producer: Michael Gonzales
Welcome to IDK MY BFF JUDE—a podcast for the deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and late-night overthinkers who are just trying to heal without losing their edge. In this teaser, I’m giving you a little taste of what’s to come: voice notes, unfiltered thoughts, and conversations that feel like your smartest, funniest friend just pulled you aside to say, “Okay, real talk…”
This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a soft launch for my next era.
Episodes drop every other Tuesday starting June 17. Let’s go.