The Real Stuff is a weekly podcast series hosted by Lucie Fink who has spent the past decade getting curious and creating engaging and educational content for an audience of millions. On this show, you won’t hear your favorite guests talk about things they typically share — rather, Lucie pulls them deep into some of the world’s most taboo topics, asking intensely personal questions about sex, money, and mental health, all in an effort to help you feel less alone as you navigate through the world. And the best part: we want to invite YOU onto the show. Apply to call in as an anonymous guest at luciefink.com/apply. Pop in your voyeuristic headphones, or call in and spill your secrets! Visit Lucie on Instagram (@luciebfink) and find the show across social media @therealstuffpod.
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The Real Stuff is a weekly podcast series hosted by Lucie Fink who has spent the past decade getting curious and creating engaging and educational content for an audience of millions. On this show, you won’t hear your favorite guests talk about things they typically share — rather, Lucie pulls them deep into some of the world’s most taboo topics, asking intensely personal questions about sex, money, and mental health, all in an effort to help you feel less alone as you navigate through the world. And the best part: we want to invite YOU onto the show. Apply to call in as an anonymous guest at luciefink.com/apply. Pop in your voyeuristic headphones, or call in and spill your secrets! Visit Lucie on Instagram (@luciebfink) and find the show across social media @therealstuffpod.
This week, I’m sitting down with Maya McHenry — a model, publicist, philanthropist, and board member of the Endometriosis Foundation of America — for a conversation I’ve been wanting to have on this show for a long time.
Maya’s been deep in this advocacy work for years, and it’s clear why—in today’s interview, she shares just how much trauma and hardship she’s been through. In our conversation, Maya walks me through the first time she ever experienced an “endo episode,” when the pain was so severe she passed out. She shares how she spent years being dismissed by doctors, misdiagnosed, and told that her symptoms were “just anxiety.” Hearing how long she suffered before finally getting a diagnosis was heartbreaking, especially knowing that her story isn’t unusual. Many women wait 7–10 years for answers, and Maya brings so much honesty, clarity, and compassion to this topic.
We also talk about how chronic illness impacts mental health, how trauma can intensify physical symptoms, and the tools she’s learned to use when her flares hit without warning. Maya’s vulnerability in sharing what this disease has taken from her and how she’s learned to advocate for herself is incredibly powerful.
At the end of the conversation, I asked her about her sister, Lyric McHenry (my former coworker and friend from Refinery29 who tragically passed), and what Maya shared with me was so emotional and so profound that I realized it deserved its own full episode.
So today’s episode is only Part 1, focusing on Maya’s endometriosis journey.
Next week, you’ll hear Part 2, where Maya opens up about grief, healing, and the beautiful ways she continues to honor Lyric’s legacy.
This is one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had on The Real Stuff. I hope it brings comfort, insight, and validation to anyone who has ever felt overlooked or unheard in the medical system.
The Endometriosis Foundation of America: https://www.endofound.org
Follow Maya: https://www.instagram.com/mayamchenry/
Sponsor:
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Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX
To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.
I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.
Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod
Find Lucie here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink
Website: https://luciefink.com/
Subscribe to my newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Executive Producer: Cloud10
Produced by Dear Media.
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The Real Stuff with Lucie Fink
The Real Stuff is a weekly podcast series hosted by Lucie Fink who has spent the past decade getting curious and creating engaging and educational content for an audience of millions. On this show, you won’t hear your favorite guests talk about things they typically share — rather, Lucie pulls them deep into some of the world’s most taboo topics, asking intensely personal questions about sex, money, and mental health, all in an effort to help you feel less alone as you navigate through the world. And the best part: we want to invite YOU onto the show. Apply to call in as an anonymous guest at luciefink.com/apply. Pop in your voyeuristic headphones, or call in and spill your secrets! Visit Lucie on Instagram (@luciebfink) and find the show across social media @therealstuffpod.
