Cat & Nat Unfiltered

We're joined by Emese Gormley, a fashion and beauty creator, for a session that covers A LOT. From arriving in Canada from Hungary in a handwoven basket to building a business through Instagram, launching her own fragrance and collaborating with Jenny Bird on a new ring, Emese has been busy! We get into why content creation and linking products is very much a REAL business, dealing with people who think you shouldn't make money off social media, and the art of clapping back at people who have way too much time on their hands. Plus, we get a full tour of her makeup bag, the beauty products worth spending money on, Botox, red light therapy, neck cream, fall fashion trends and why shopping in Canada is basically a sport. And of course, we get the story behind her new fragrance, launching November 11th. We cover a lot of ground, have approximately 700 side conversations and are already planning a part two.

Emese Gormley spent 20 years as a marketing executive in the fashion industry before turning that insider knowledge toward helping women 40+ figure out what’s actually worth buying (and what isn’t). Her 200K-strong Instagram community tunes in for her honest takes, including her series Expensive Sh*t That’s Worth It. She also cohosts the podcast Lipstick on the Rim and writes a Substack newsletter, Tell Me More with over 10k subscribers. Find Emese @emesegormley.

Keywords
Fragrance, Instagram business, social media creator, beauty products, makeup tips, skincare, Toronto fashion, Canadian entrepreneurs

Key Topics
- Emese describes building a livelihood through social-media curation, affiliate links, audience service and performance data.
- She argues that creator businesses carry on the ad-supported role once played by magazines, while detailing the labor behind finding and sharing products.
- Her upcoming fragrance is described as musky, woody, comforting and unisex.
- Emese discusses responding to harsh comments, setting boundaries and blocking people who repeatedly send hostile messages.
- Beauty talk ranges from red-light therapy and neck care to Botox, facial filler and under-eye surgery, with personal views distinguished from universal advice.
- She shares practical makeup habits and products, including keeping duplicates in a travel bag, nightly face tanning and applying foundation with a setting-spray-dampened brush.
- The hosts and guest trade fall-style opinions on coats, leopard print, stripes, scarves, barrel-leg jeans and finding fashion in Canada.
- Emese and the hosts reflect on limited Canadian retail access, cross-border shopping memories and the price and shipping hurdles of shopping from abroad.
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What if the key to helping your teen figure out what they want to do with their life isn’t asking them what they want to be, but helping them understand who they are first? We sit down with Courtenay O’Hea and Cora Brady, founders of Be You Media, to talk about why knowing your values, natural aptitudes and interests can make such a difference in the decisions young people make. From choosing a university program and navigating pressure from parents and social media, to figuring out what actually makes them happy (instead of just following the path that looks good on paper), this conversation gets into what kids might be missing when everyone is focused on grades, résumés and getting into the right school. Plus, why understanding yourself can help you stand out in a job market shaped by AI, build better relationships, and have a little more confidence in who you are. We think adults could probably use this work just as much as the kids!

Be You Media helps young people better understand themselves so they can intentionally build lives that reflect what matters most to them. Both Courtenay and Cora are Becoming You Certified Practitioners, trained directly by Professor Suzy Welch through the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing. They combine scientifically validated assessments, research-backed frameworks and guided reflection to help young people gain clarity about who they are and make more informed decisions about their future. For more on Be You Media find info at https://beyoumedia.ca/ and @be.you_media.

Keywords
teen self-discovery, personal values, career choices, university decisions, natural aptitudes, parenting teens, youth career guidance, Be You Media

Key Topics
Courtenay O’Hea and Cora Brady introduce Be You Media’s programs, which help young people explore their personal values, aptitudes and interests.
They distinguish values, which shape personal choices, from virtues such as honesty and courage and explain that Be You Media assesses 16 values, ranked uniquely for each person.
A student who left an engineering program realized that family mattered more than meeting perceived expectations or following a prestigious path.
They recommend asking curiosity-led questions, such as what excited a young person at school, rather than demanding a career plan too early.
The “Whose life do you want?” exercise uses admired people and “no thank you” observations to help uncover a young person’s values.
They explain that aptitudes are hardwired and generally set by about age 15, while values tend to settle around the early twenties. She stresses that having the language to understand yourself is valuable even as you continue to develop.
They discuss confidence, empathy, relationships, university choices, AI-driven job uncertainty and communicating strengths in interviews.
Be You Media runs monthly, in-person high school workshops lasting approximately three and a half hours, as well as monthly virtual young-adult cohorts held over four Tuesdays.
• Participants can receive a certificate and LinkedIn course entry
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Youth sports: where getting your kid on a team can feel like negotiating a business deal, coaches have celebrity-level status, and somehow the parents are often more invested than the players. We get into the behind-the-scenes world of competitive sports, from parents negotiating ice time, positions, and even team fees, to recruiting, roster politics and the pressure to keep your kid one step ahead. Plus, why are coaches so intimidating, how do rumours get started, and what is it about a youth sports coach that apparently gives them so much “aura”? It's a whole world of deals, drama and sideline behaviour, and the kids might just be the least dramatic people involved.

Keywords
youth hockey, hockey parents, team recruitment, youth sports, hockey coaching, sports parenting, team selection

Key Topics
• The hosts distinguish team offers and negotiations from parents demanding a guaranteed role, captaincy, jersey number, or special treatment.
• They discuss how promises of position, power-play time, penalty-kill time, and other perks may influence a family’s team choice.
• The hosts argue that deals made for adult status or preference can undermine a child’s development and standing with teammates.
• They warn that kids overhear parents criticizing other players, and those comments can shape how children treat one another.
• They explore why some parents see coaches as inaccessible or intimidating, and how limited contact can fuel rumors and an exaggerated sense of coach status.
• The conversation covers the timing and uncertainty of roster decisions, including early recruiting, January feedback, and the frustration of late notice.
• They discuss captain selection, favoring a team vote when possible to maintain players’ trust.
• A listener’s account of feeling a coach dislikes their child prompts the hosts to suggest clear communication or finding a better fit.
• They describe how former coaches may keep in touch with families as part of future recruiting.
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Is ADHD suddenly everywhere, or are we just finally recognizing what’s been going on in our brains this whole time? We’re getting into ADHD, neurodivergence, brain fog, hormones and why so many women seem to be struggling as they get older. We talk about whether phones are creating ADHD-like behaviours, how masking and years of coping can eventually catch up with you, and why some kids can look like they’re listening when their brains are actually somewhere completely different. We also get into the different ways ADHD shows up, executive functioning, learning disabilities and why finding the right support can make such a difference. Plus, we discuss the very real gift of being able to move on quickly, not take everything personally, accept constructive criticism without spiralling, and why we might just be a little toxically positive.

Keywords

ADHD in women, neurodivergence, executive functioning, masking ADHD, learning differences, school support, working memory

Key topics
The co-hosts wonder whether changing hormones and life demands can make previously manageable ADHD traits feel more difficult, and distinguish their questions from medical advice.
They discuss ADHD masking, anxiety, brain fog, and the importance of exploring what is causing a real-life difficulty rather than pursuing a label for its own sake.
One host describes executive-function challenges in her child, including transitions, working memory, and the effort of appearing focused while mentally overwhelmed.
They recall childhood struggles in school and ask whether earlier ADHD recognition and appropriate support might have helped, while acknowledging that outcomes vary.
The hosts reframe traits like moving on quickly, accepting constructive feedback, and taking risks as possible strengths, while recognizing these are personal experiences rather than universal traits.
They discuss gratitude and a naturally positive outlook, using Halloween candy and children's excitement as examples of finding happiness in small moments.
They describe practical patterns they associate with ADHD, such as working better with someone nearby and relying on visible piles to organize belongings.
The conversation questions whether learning assessments explain why a student struggles and imagines schools designed around different learning needs, including more outdoor learning.
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Are we too hands-off as parents, or have we somehow stumbled onto a parenting strategy that actually works? We’re getting into the great parenting debate: how involved should we really be in our kids’ schoolwork, academics and future plans? We talk about raising seven kids who, somehow, have become pretty self-sufficient and intrinsically motivated when it comes to school, whether that was intentional or just sheer luck. We get into university pressure, when kids finally start caring about their grades, why fighting over homework might do more harm than good, and using AI to actually help with studying (not cheating). Plus, we question whether we've done a great job parenting or whether our kids have just figured out how to parent themselves. Honestly, we're still not sure.

Keywords
parenting, education, child development, independence, motivation, school, university, homework, parenting strategies

Key Topics
* Changing parenting philosophies over time
* Balancing hands-on and hands-off parenting
* The role of schools and teachers in child success
* Encouraging intrinsic motivation and independence
* The impact of technology and AI on learning
* Pathways and career planning for teens
* The importance of early habits and routines
* Parenting challenges with homework and school involvement
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