This episode isn’t about doing more.
It’s about being honest about what’s enough — and what unlimited actually means.
In the quiet space between Christmas and New Year’s, I found myself reflecting — not because anything went wrong, but because something underneath the surface was asking to be noticed.
What started as a simple word exercise turned into something a lot deeper than I expected — a reckoning with responsibility, over-giving, self-permission, and the realization that being enough doesn’t have to be earned — and that unlimited doesn’t mean limitless output.
In this episode, I reflect on:
This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a pause.
A conversation about being enough and living unlimited — on your terms.
🎶 MUSIC CREDITS
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
The holidays can be emotionally complicated — even when things are good, even when you love your family, even when there’s laughter, food, and tradition.
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, we slow down and talk about what the holiday season often brings beneath the surface: family dynamics, old roles, grief, guilt, and the quiet emotional labor of showing up.
This conversation explores:
• why family gatherings aren’t neutral spaces, but emotional archives
• loving families that are still layered and draining at times
• grief during the holidays — both visible and unspoken
• how growth and change can feel personal to others
• navigating guilt without resentment
• protecting your mental health while staying connected
• and giving yourself grace as Christmas approaches
This isn’t about blame or fixing anything. It’s about honoring complexity, releasing what no longer serves you, and entering the season with more compassion — for others and for yourself.
If the holidays feel beautiful and heavy, you’re not doing it wrong.
🎶 Music credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
Music promoted by Audio Library
December has a way of asking for more than we have to give.
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about the social side of the holidays — the invitations, gatherings, family expectations, work parties, and the quiet pressure to be everywhere, for everyone, all at once.
We unpack:
• why not everything is worth the stress it costs
• how to set boundaries without guilt or drama
• the invisible energy tax of holiday socializing
• adult-only events, babysitters, and weeknight logistics
• choosing peace over obligation
• and why loving from your couch is still loving
This isn’t about opting out of connection — it’s about choosing presence where it actually fits.
If you’re feeling festive and fatigued, this one’s for you.
🎶 Music credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
Music promoted by Audio Library
December is not a month — it’s a personality.
In this lighthearted episode of Unmuted by Nola, Nola unpacks the cozy chaos of the holiday season: the magic, the germs, the deadlines, the sugar, the emotional whiplash — and the annual selection of which mom will be taken out by sickness first.
From advent books and toddler Christmas energy to travel prep and making magic while sick, this episode is equal parts funny, honest, and deeply relatable. It’s about choosing presence over perfection, letting go of the pressure to perform the holidays, and remembering that even when you’re tired, the magic still counts.
If December already feels like a lot… this one’s for you.
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Why do so many of us feel invisible — even in rooms where we show up fully?
Why does competence sometimes make us more overlooked, not less?
And why does the quiet longing to be understood feel so universal?
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, we explore the deep human hunger to be seen — not for what we do, produce, or hold together, but for who we truly are beneath the roles.
This episode digs into:
• How childhood roles shape adult invisibility
• The difference between being needed and being known
• Why belonging is a psychological need, not a luxury
• How the ache reveals itself in the quiet moments
• What emotional visibility actually feels like
• How internal clarity creates external belonging
This is a soft, reflective conversation for anyone who has ever wondered whether people know them — or just the version they perform.
⸻
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
In this deeply honest fireside-style episode, Nola cracks open a quiet truth so many high-achieving, high-caring people carry but rarely name out loud:
Why doesn’t it ever feel like we’ve done enough?
From spiraling over 25 Christmas books and first-class Santa train tickets to shrinking in professional rooms with “more traditional” lawyers, Nola explores how internalized pressure — not outside expectations — can make even a full, beautiful life feel insufficient.
She unpacks:
This episode isn’t a five-step fix — it’s a human moment. A confession. A mirror.
A breath for anyone who keeps showing up with tenderness even when they’re tired.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re falling behind — or falling short — this conversation is the permission you didn’t know you needed.
You’re not too much.
You’re not behind.
And you are already enough.
🎵 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
This week’s episode came out a little late — and honestly, that’s part of the story.
I’m learning to let the world spin without me for a bit, to honor my capacity, and to tell the truth about what it feels like to love a life that’s beautiful, exhausting, and fuller than I ever imagined.
This isn’t a breakdown.
It’s a breather.
I talk about lying awake wedged between my daughter and my post-surgery dog, longing for community but craving silence, feeling guilty for wanting a kid-free weekend, and realizing that so many of us carry our lives alone — even in rooms full of people.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt stretched thin inside a life they’re grateful for…
and wondered if they’re the only one.
You’re not. And I’m okay — just human.
🎧 Take a breath with me.
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
We love a good “starting Monday” fantasy, don’t we?
A gallon of water, a new Peloton plan, a fresh dose of delusion. And by Friday? We’re already promising to start again next week.
In this episode of Unmuted by Nola, I’m talking about The Restart Spiral — that endless cycle of hope, hustle, and “maybe next time.” We’ll laugh about the comedy of it all, dig into why we keep hitting reset, and get honest about what it really costs to start again (and again).
Because maybe we’re not inconsistent — maybe we’re just alive.
If you’re somewhere between self-discipline and self-compassion right now, this one’s for you.
🎵 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
SoundCloud
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library — youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
What if your dream doesn’t need your full time — just your full heart?
Most of us keep waiting for the right time — for life to slow down, for the money to line up, for the stars to cooperate. But the truth is, the “right time” rarely comes.
In this episode, I sit down with my sister Kara — my built-in business buddy and creative consultant — to talk about what it really looks like to build a dream in the middle of real life.
We talk about:
✨ Stealing time when there’s never enough
✨ Redefining success when slow doesn’t mean stuck
✨ The magic (and messiness) of sisterhood while chasing something of your own
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late or too hard to start, this episode will remind you: the dream doesn’t need your perfection. It just needs your participation. 💜
⸻
🎵 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
It’s 3 a.m., and the house is finally quiet — except for my thoughts.
The dog’s sighing, my daughter’s asleep, and I’m lying here realizing the armor that used to protect me — the composure, the control, the calm — has started to pinch.
This episode is about that moment when success stops feeling like peace.
When the version of you that’s always been capable starts asking, “At what cost?”
When the Armor Starts to Pinch is a late-night reflection on leadership, identity, and learning to show up with less performance and more presence.
Nothing’s falling apart here — it’s just finally honest.
———
🎵 Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
What started as a Des Moines Performing Arts donor trip to New York turned into something much deeper.
✨ Mojitos and music at Buena Vista Social Club
💔 The ache of the 9/11 Memorial
🎶 The breathtaking artistry of Ragtime
🌉 A Brooklyn rain break and 20,000-step wander
💪🏾 A Peloton miracle with Tunde Oyeneyin
Through it all, one refrain echoed in me: it keeps happening. Unexpected grace. Open doors. Joy sneaking in through detours.
This episode isn’t a recap — it’s about leadership, legacy, gratitude, and motherhood. It’s about what happens when you stop putting yourself on the back burner and start noticing how favor keeps showing up.
🎶 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Season 2 of Unmuted by Nola is here — and we’re evolving. As I teased in the Season 1 finale with my sisters, this podcast won’t just be my reflections anymore. You’ll still get those, but now you’ll also hear conversations with guests I admire — people balancing life, work, leadership, and joy in their own way.
To kick it off, I sat down with my friend Kat. She’s an accomplished attorney who made the leap from Big Law to social justice work — the kind of work that carries immense weight. But in the midst of fighting for justice, Kat has also learned to protect joy.
We talk about:
💥 The myth that advocates have to mute their joy
💥 Joy as resistance in the middle of heavy work
💥 Fashion and fitness as lifelines
💥 Redefining health beyond shrinking your body
💥 Why joy isn’t frivolous — it’s fuel for the work
⚡️ Editing Note: This episode is unedited — likes, ums, and all. After two failed attempts that distorted my voice, I decided the most Unmuted thing I could do was give it to you raw. Sometimes, hitting publish is the boldest move you can make.
🎶 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Every superhero has a lair. Ours just happens to be a group chat — and we call it the Bat Cave.
In this extended episode — almost a full 60 minutes — I sit down with my sisters, my original built-in kitchen table, to let you eavesdrop on the daily FaceTime calls that hold us together. We talk about how the Bat Cave started, share our funniest “receipts,” and get real about the moments we’ve carried each other through postpartum meltdowns, parenting chaos, and those days when life just feels too heavy.
This conversation is about more than sisterhood — it’s about finding your people, the ones who witness your life in real time and remind you that you’re not alone.
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Balance isn’t a perfect day. Or even a perfect week. Sometimes it’s not even a perfect year.
In this episode, I get real about what balance actually looks like in my life — as a mom, a lawyer, an executive, and a person who still wants to do big things. I talk about leaving work at 5:00 for daycare pickup, why that doesn’t make me less committed, and why we should stop apologizing for our non-negotiables — whether it’s daycare or Pilates.
We dig into why balance feels so hard (spoiler: it’s not just you — the whole system is designed to make us feel like we’re failing) and even get into how first-thing-in-the-morning meetings hit differently for caregivers running half a marathon before 8:30 a.m.
And finally, I share six words — Family. Work. Health. Creativity. Joy. Faith. — that I’m using to guide how I measure balance over a season, a year, and even a career.
If you’ve ever gone to bed feeling like you “dropped every ball today,” this episode is your invitation to zoom out and start measuring your life by the whole picture — not the single day.
🎶 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Some rooms were never built for us — but we still have to decide whether to speak up when the moment comes.
In this episode, I talk about what it feels like to sit in that tension, how I decide when to use my voice, and why staying silent can sometimes feel like self-betrayal.
It’s honest, a little chaotic (featuring a real-time kitchen/dog/toddler/pasta moment), and a reminder that your voice matters — even when it shakes.
🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
• Why silence can feel safe — but isn’t always right
• How I decide when to speak up or save my energy
• A very real parenting story about chaos and finding your breath
• Why making space for multiple perspectives matters more than ever
🎶 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Sometimes faith isn’t loud. Sometimes it isn’t even articulate.
Sometimes it’s just sitting in the quiet and remembering you’re not the one holding the whole world together.
In this unedited and unpolished episode, I share the story behind my be still tattoo — why I got it after surviving one of the darkest seasons of my life, and why I’m clinging to it now as the world feels overwhelming again.
Take a deep breath with me, pause for a moment, and remember: you don’t have to be perfect or strong for God to meet you. You just have to be still.
🎵 Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
This week’s bonus episode isn’t about leadership or the workplace — it’s about my other full-time job: vacation planner.
From coordinating safari-chic zoo outfits, to spiraling over San Diego vs. Anaheim hotels, to the Target runs, Amazon orders, and boutique splurges that somehow felt mandatory before we even left…the chaos was real.
And then came the Harper mutiny — because of course my toddler in her dress era wasn’t going to let my perfectly curated Disneyland looks stand unchallenged. Cue the tears, the pleading, and me finally realizing: the outfits weren’t worth ruining the day.
But then there’s the real payoff: Harper’s joy when she saw Mickey, and her little voice pointing at our family photos saying, “Mommy, Daddy, Harper…so happy.” That’s what makes it all worth it.
So if you’re wondering whether to take the trip? My advice is simple: take it.
⸻
Music Credits:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
For years, I believed hustle culture when it told me exhaustion was proof of my worth. Law school guilt. Billable hour pressure. Pinterest-worthy parenting. That little voice whispering: “Don’t really unplug. Stay productive. Prove your dedication and loyalty.”
But here’s the truth: I was enough all along. And so are you.
In this episode, I read my official break-up letter to hustle culture and reflect on how busyness became our badge of honor — and how that badge is costing us our health, our joy, and our presence. I share what it’s like to overdo it, to carry invisible struggles, and to finally choose rest as rebellion.
Because you don’t have to hustle for your worth. You already are enough. And when you believe that? You give yourself permission to stay loud enough to hear yourself, soft enough to feel it all — but most of all, to stay unmuted.
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
Making friends as an adult feels…complicated. Gone are the days of “wanna play?” on the playground. Now it looks more like drafting Facebook DMs with ChatGPT, holding on to old friendships across different life stages, or craving the kind of casual community your grandma had — where people just dropped by for coffee and donuts before church.
In this episode, Nola gets candid about what friendship looks like when you’re a team of one at work, when being seen as “leadership” adds a wall you didn’t ask for, and when life’s logistics mean even your closest friends are knee deep in glitter at the dance studio and on soccer fields instead of at your kitchen table.
From daycare mom outreach to a 521-day Snapchat streak, from IF:Table to potty-training playdates, this episode is about the awkward, humbling, and absolutely necessary work of building adult friendships.
Stay tuned to the end — because this conversation sets the stage for what’s next on Unmuted: deeper connections, maybe even a few new voices joining the mic.
⸻
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng
“Motherhood isn’t a rebrand” is just the starting point. In this episode, I dive into why we should stop making someone’s “no” for them — whether they’re a parent, a caregiver, or in a completely different season of life.
You’ll hear the story of a friend passed over for a leadership opportunity because someone assumed she couldn’t handle it — despite her track record. We’ll unpack how those protective assumptions happen in both directions, why asking matters more than we think, and how boundaries and ambition can co-exist.
Because when we stop assuming and start asking, we make room for people to surprise us — and sometimes even surprise themselves.
Music Credit:
Tuesday Vibes by Snoozy Beats
https://soundcloud.com/snoozybeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/snoozybeats/tuesday-vibes
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Gd5msntuOng