This week on Everything Is the Best, I sit down with Crappy Childhood Fairy—aka Anna Runkle—to talk about practical recovery for adults who grew up with chaos, neglect, or inconsistency. We get specific about how trauma shows up in daily life (overreacting, shutdowns, people-pleasing, money and relationship spirals) and how to interrupt those patterns with simple, repeatable tools.

Anna—an Oakland resident and Berkeley native—has shown people how to heal symptoms of childhood trauma for nearly thirty years. Known to more than a million followers across platforms (including ~929K YouTube subscribers and 78M+ views), she’s a survivor herself, and her methods are changing lives every day.

We also dive into her forthcoming book, CONNECTABILITY: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People, and Feel (At Last) Like You Belong (Hay House; October 7, 2025). Anna explains why a haunting sense of disconnection is an almost universal adult symptom of childhood trauma (and increasingly common even for those with “normal” childhoods), and how to rebuild connection with clear, doable practices.

You’ll learn:

A plain-language framework for nervous system dysregulation—and how to come back online

The two-part daily practice (brief writing + short meditation) to reduce reactivity in under 20 minutes

How to spot “trauma time,” respond to triggers (yes, even unanswered texts), and choose self-compassion over withdrawal

Scripts and boundaries to rebuild trust, navigate conflict, and “read the room” without shame

Why consistency—not perfection—creates the conditions for real connection

About the book:

In Connectability, Anna offers research-backed lessons, self-reflection prompts, and daily connection plans to help you: notice early signs of dysregulation, lean into healthy vulnerability, set confident boundaries, master the art of apologizing, and build the kind of close, reliable relationships that support lifelong well-being. It’s a hopeful, practical path for anyone who struggles with people—whether you have a trauma history or simply carry old connection wounds in a lonely era.

Produced by Dear Media

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

This week I’m joined by my friend Meghan Rose — astrologer, intuitive guide, and spiritual teacher who helps people make sense of their lives through the lens of the cosmos. Meghan and I go deep into what’s happening astrologically right now and how we can work with the current energy in our relationships, careers, and personal growth.

But what I love most about this conversation is how open Meghan is about her own life. She recently broke off her engagement and made the bold move to Rome — fully practicing what she preaches about trusting yourself, following your intuition, and starting over when something no longer aligns. We talk about what it really looks like to live your chart instead of just reading it, and how to lean on astrology as a tool for grounding when life feels uncertain.

If you’re curious about the stars, navigating big transitions, or simply need permission to choose yourself, this episode is for you. ALSO! Don't forget to subscribe to her Substack!!

Produced by Dear Media

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

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Berlingeri, co-founder and co-CEO of HigherDOSE, to explore what it takes to bring wellness tech into everyday life.

From her early career as a model and TV host to becoming a holistic nutritionist and health coach, Lauren’s journey is a blend of grit, curiosity, and reinvention. Together, we dig into what inspired her to co-launch HigherDOSE (with Katie Kaps), how she discovered the power of infrared saunas and red-light therapy, and how she channels biohacking into tools people can use at home.

Lauren also opens up about:

* Her personal health wake-ups and how they shaped her mission

* Her journey to get pregnant and how its more than OK to take moment to pause

* How she balances motherhood with leading a fast-growing company

* The philosophy behind HigherDOSE’s “natural high” — boosting dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins through tech and ritual

If you’re curious about how to design self-care that’s rooted in science (not hype), or how a founder leans into disruption and wellness simultaneously—this conversation offers rare access and real wisdom.

Visit HigherDOSE.com and use code PIA15 at checkout for 15% off your first purchase.

Produced by Dear Media

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