Life Happens with Barb & Michelle

Healthy relationships require honesty, reciprocity, and the courage to stop self-silencing. In this episode of Life Happens, Barb and Michelle sit down with Alex Elle to unpack what it really means to outgrow people, rebuild trust, and tell the truth in your relationships before resentment takes over.
They discuss her new book, “The Company We Keep” which just launched today and can be found here:
The Company We Keep -- Book link: https://bit.ly/4fe0kbw
The Company We Keep tour link: https://sites.prh.com/alexelletour
This conversation will help anyone navigating changes in friendship, people pleasing, divorce, boundaries, and the painful reality that growth sometimes means letting go.
Together, Barb, Michelle, and Alex explore why saying yes when you mean no creates disconnection, how reciprocity shapes healthy friendship, and why “clarity is a radical act of love.” If you’ve been questioning your friendships, struggling to use your voice, or trying to understand what trust and alignment actually look like in real life, this episode offers both the emotional validation and the language to begin.
Learn how to recognize self-silencing and people-pleasing patterns
Understand the difference between growing together and growing apart
Get language for hard conversations about friendship, trust, and capacity
Reframe honesty as an act of love instead of conflict
Build healthier, more reciprocal relationships without abandoning yourself
If you’ve ever stayed in a friendship longer than you should have because you didn’t want to be the one who left... this episode will meet you right there. Alex’s book, The Company We Keep, is available on May 19, 2026. Don’t miss it.

💗 Connect with Alex:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_elle/
Substack: https://alexelle.substack.com/
💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.
📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕
🎙️ Host by:
https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/
Join our community⬇️
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/
Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/
🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens after the book tour ends, the championship is won, and the calendar goes blank? Michelle opens up about the unexpected emptiness she felt after her biggest accomplishment, and Barb reveals something she has never experienced: a void. This mother-daughter conversation uncovers why success can feel like getting fired, what it means to live like you are running out of time, and why the quiet after the loud season might be the most important chapter of all.
This episode dives into the generational divide between pushing through and pausing, the difference between rest and avoidance, and how two very different people navigate the same transition. Whether you just graduated, finished a big project, ended a season, or closed a chapter you poured everything into, this conversation will help you understand why the void is not a problem to fix but a space to fill on your own terms.
What you'll take away:
Why achieving your biggest goal can feel like getting fired overnight
The generational difference between 'keep moving' and 'feel your feelings' after a big moment
How Barb's micro-transitions throughout the day prevent her from ever hitting empty
The connection between running out of time, grief, and never allowing a void
How to recognize when sitting in the void becomes productive reflection vs. staying stuck

Don't let the quiet after the loud season convince you that the best part is over. Learn how to make the space count.
💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.
🎙️ Hosted by:
https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/
Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/
🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

0:00 — Intro: Michelle's post-book-tour void
0:58 — Welcome to Life Happens with Barb and Michelle
1:14 — It's bigger than a book: any major milestone
1:45 — Indiana football national championship & the "now what?"
2:44 — Barb's reaction: the joy of the unexpected
3:51 — Michelle's book journey and the feeling of the drop-off
7:39 — Barb never felt a void — a generational contrast
14:35 — What is rest? Defining it differently for everyone
21:32 — Vulnerable question: does living like you're running out of time come from grief?
24:28 — How will you know when you've done what you came here to do?
38:32 — Barb's Italy trip: sometimes the transition is fast
41:01 — Closing reflections & takeaways

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mean people are everywhere right now and the data confirms it. In this episode, Barb and Michelle unpack why cruelty seems to be escalating, breaking down the different types of mean people we all encounter and what actually drives their behavior. Barb shares a raw, personal story about being screamed at in a parking lot while her mother was dying in hospice, and what that moment taught her about judgment, control, and the stories we never see.
This conversation goes deep into narcissism, spiritual bypassing, the difference between empathy and giving someone a pass, and how to stop carrying what was never yours in the first place. Whether you are dealing with a cruel stranger, a toxic family member, or your own tendency to absorb other people's behavior, this episode gives you a practical framework for protecting your peace without losing your compassion.
What you'll take away:
Why the shift from "thinking it" to "saying it" is fueling a cruelty epidemic
The grocery store moment that reveals how we all judge without knowing someone's story
How to shift from asking "why are they like this" to "what can I do right now"
What a real narcissist looks like and why they genuinely cannot change
The practical difference between forgiving someone and simply being done with them

Don't let someone else's cruelty become the story you carry. Learn how to set it down.
💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.
📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕
🎙️ Hosted by:
https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community ⬇️
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/
Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/
🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg
📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend
If this episode resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time.
Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances.
It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself.
And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.
👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg
🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comparison is the one emotion everybody feels and nobody admits to — and Barb Schmidt and Michelle Maros of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle were scared to record this episode for a reason. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, they unpack the jealousy, resentment, and quiet self-destruction that comparison leaves behind — and make a case that might surprise you by the end.
From Michelle comparing her book sales to her friends' mid-tour, to Barb owning up to something she projected onto Michelle for years, this episode goes places most podcast conversations never do. If you've ever felt something ugly creep in while watching someone else win — and then felt ashamed of it — this one is for you.
What you'll take away:
Why 85% of your daily thoughts are negative — and how comparison supercharges the loop
How jealousy and envy are signals, not character flaws — and what they're actually pointing to
The self-talk method for catching comparison before it turns into resentment
Why "be better than yesterday" might be quietly doing more damage than good
How to let comparison fuel action instead of shame

Don't risk letting comparison keep stealing your joy without ever asking what it was trying to tell you. Learn how to read it instead.
Episode Breakdown ⬇️
0:00 Introduction
0:36 Where Does Comparison Come From?
0:52 The Science of Negative Thinking
7:07 Barb's Personal Story: Childhood & Comparison
9:19 Comparing Yourself to Yourself
11:23 Comparison, Jealousy & Envy
25:09 Michelle's Story: Visiting a Friend's Family
28:22 Self-Talk as the Key Tool
39:17 Can Comparison Actually Be Helpful?
40:50 Takeaways & Closing

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.
📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕
🎙️ Hosted by:
https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community ⬇️
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/
Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/
🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg
📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend
If this episode resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time.
Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances.
It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself.
And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.
👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg
🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You've read the books. You've tried the meditation. You've done the journaling, the breathwork, the therapy. So why do you still feel stuck?
In this episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, master well-being educator Devi Brown joins the conversation for one of the most honest discussions about healing we've ever had. Devi spent years teaching wellness to athletes, executives, and thousands of students through her Deeply Well podcast and her work at Chopra Global. Then her own life fell apart... and she discovered that everything she'd been teaching wasn't enough to save her.
What she built from that breaking point became her book Living in Wisdom... a completely different approach to healing that doesn't start with fixing yourself. It starts with being brave enough to actually meet yourself. This conversation goes beyond surface-level wellness and into the real, messy, uncomfortable process of becoming whole.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why "doing the work" can still leave you stuck... and what's actually missing
- The difference between surface-level wellness and true well-being
- What "Complex Lived Experience" means and why it changes how you think about your pain
- Why Devi's 8-step healing process starts with grief, not gratitude
- What it looks like to live in wisdom on an ordinary Tuesday... not just during a retreat
If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and still not feeling better... this episode is going to change how you think about the entire journey. Devi's book Living in Wisdom is available now in paperback (as of TODAY).

📍0:00 Introduction & Wellness Industry Overview
1:11 Welcoming Devi Brown
2:11 Healer Burnout & Passing the Torch
10:17 Creators, Art & Living for the Work
17:31 Music, Consciousness & Cultural Roots
18:13 Bridging Generations & Staying Curious
26:10 Navigating Uncertainty & The Shift from Hope to Faith
33:36 Freedom After Divorce
39:20 Surface Wellness vs. Real Healing
40:47 The Wellness Industrial Complex
59:38 Truth Telling & The Personal Healing Path
1:05:38 Closing Reflections & Where to Find Devi

Connect: @DeviBrown @DeeplyWellPodcast
Read: "Living in Wisdom" DeviBrown.com Now Available!
Substack: https://substack.com/@devibrown

The Deeply Well Podcast is available on:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n5hEIV…
Youtube: @devibrownwell-being  

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.