Why can't we stop scrolling? And what happens when we mistake watching other people improve their lives for actually improving our own? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with nonfiction author and digital wellness advocate Heather Henderson, whose ten years inside Big Tech—at Google, Uber, and Visa—gave her a front-row seat to the technology shaping how we think, work, and live.

Heather shares the story behind her new book, Reclaim: How to Stop Scrolling Through Your Life and Start Living It, exploring addictive design, the dopamine loop that keeps us coming back, and the phenomenon she calls Growth Theater—the illusion that consuming self-improvement content is the same as growing. Her takeaway is unforgettable: "You can't consume growth. You have to grow through it."

But this conversation goes far beyond digital wellness. Heather reveals what it's really like recruiting software engineers for Google and Uber, why imposter syndrome workshops exist even at the highest levels of tech, the psychological cost of layoff culture, and why AI could actually make some young professionals more valuable. She also opens up about how technology has personally transformed her experience living with hearing loss—and shares the Google Bus moment that changed how she viewed technology forever.

Plus, practical strategies for reclaiming control without abandoning technology altogether: the First 10 Minutes Rule, the One-to-One Rule, the Digital Self-Audit, and understanding your personal red, yellow, and green attention dials.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation about escaping digital autopilot, the five human needs driving our habits, and how to actually live your life instead of scrolling through it.

Find Heather here:

Website:

https://www.iamheatherh.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iam.heatherh/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What if you landed a traditional publishing deal for an entire six-book series—before writing a single manuscript? That's exactly what happened to authors Sabina Berlin, Lindsay Flanigan, and Cambria Williams, and in this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with Sabina and Lindsay to share the wild story behind Holiday Magic, a young adult romance series where every holiday brings a new love story and just a touch of magic.

These three friends created interconnected standalone novels—from Fourth of July treasure hunts and Labor Day romance to Christmas heartbreak and second chances—filled with hidden Easter eggs, unexpected connections, and plenty of romantic complications. Sabina and Lindsay reveal how they pitched an entire series to a publisher, what it really takes to collaborate with your best friends (the supportive parts and the occasionally frustrating ones), and whether more Holiday Magic books might be on the way.

Along the way, Sabina shares how an unexpected stop in a small airplane inspired a novel she wrote in just six weeks, while Lindsay explains how her daughter's experience being called "weird" inspired her fantasy series. Plus, they uncover some incredible real-life coincidences—including a ghostwriting project that reunited Lindsay with a piece of her family's history, and the terrifying emergency landing that connected these two authors long before they ever met.

Tune in for a fun, inspiring conversation about friendship, collaboration, and the magic of saying yes to big creative risks.

Find Sabine here:

Website:

https://www.sabineberlin.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lindsayflanaganauthor/

Find Lindsay here:

Website:

https://authorlindsayflanagan.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorsabineberlin/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What do you do when life hands you circumstances you never would have chosen? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with Christian inspirational author Russ Hedge for an incredibly moving conversation about faith, cancer, perspective, and the power of choosing how you live.

Russ shares the story behind his book Life Happens and Then You Choose, and why his cancer diagnosis pushed him to publicly share a journey he once would have kept private. He opens up about four years of treatments, setbacks, surgeries, and unexpected miracles—including a devastating turn this summer when doctors discovered another brain tumor, leading to brain surgery and later the removal of part of his small intestine after two additional tumors were found.

Through it all, Russ talks about learning to hear God in the quiet, accepting help when you're used to being the one helping everyone else, and living with uncertainty without letting fear steal the time you have. He also explains why encouraging other people actually helps him through his own hardest days—and shares the incredible full-circle moment ahead: traveling to New York as a keynote speaker at a cancer conference while TWO of his books appear on a Times Square billboard.

From scaling back six weekly podcasts to two after a difficult summer, to his upcoming anthology Intentional Perspective: Finding Joy When Life Gets Messy, Russ's story is a testament to faith, resilience, and the choice to keep showing up.

Tune in for a conversation about hearing God in the quiet, refusing to live afraid of what might happen, and why "life happens and then you choose."

Find Russ here:

Website:

https://www.russhedge.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rhedge1/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What if the people who hurt us most were never meant to be avoided—but were souls we chose to meet? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with author Kelly O’Hearn for one of the most compassionate and thought-provoking conversations yet, exploring soul connections, past lives, and the stories we tell ourselves about the pain we carry.

Kelly's books—including Whispers in the Forest and Secrets of the Madonna, and the Arcanum series born from tarot, a dark night of the soul, and channeling past lives—follow five souls who encounter one another across lifetimes, including the concept of a "villain soul" whose role may ultimately help another soul grow. Along the way, they explore the karmic cycle of being the mystic, mistress, or muse but never the wife, the difference between historical accuracy and modern storytelling, and why certain people and places feel instantly familiar.

But the episode's biggest takeaway is a powerful truth about trauma: the injustice or betrayal may have happened decades ago, but if we continue carrying it, we're keeping it alive. The person who hurt us may have moved on, forgotten, or even passed away—while we're still holding the pain. Kelly also challenges the easy advice to simply "let go," and reveals why soulmates aren't always romantic and aren't always good.

Kelly's own journey—taking the hardest experiences of her life and transforming them into a life of compassion, purpose, and grace—makes her message all the more powerful.

Tune in for a conversation about releasing what no longer serves you, the souls who burn us down so we can rise stronger, and the uncomfortable truth about who keeps old pain alive.

Find Kelly here:

Website:

https://www.arcanumtheseries.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kellyohearnauthor/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What does it take to write from the perspective of a woman carrying profound childhood trauma—and do it with honesty and compassion? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with literary fiction author Mitchell Hadley for a fascinating deep dive into his latest novel, The Book of Revelations, and the challenge of portraying a protagonist piecing together her identity while confronting PTSD, survivor's guilt, and the mystery surrounding her past.

But Mitchell is far more than a novelist. He's a relentless experimenter who isn't afraid to break the rules—whether that means writing a novel without quotation marks, juggling multiple POVs, or playing with tense to serve the story. He shares his unusual approach to plotting entirely in his head, writing a book a year, and sitting on one idea for twenty years.

Beyond fiction, Mitchell has built an incredible writing life: essays on Substack, original short stories of 6,000 to 9,500 words sent to newsletter subscribers featuring beloved characters from his books, and—for the past sixteen years—four in-depth articles every week for his classic television website, It's About TV, where he connects classic TV episodes to history, literature, culture, and life today. He even explains how classic TV predicted AI, Big Brother, social isolation, and modern culture.

And in one of the episode's most candid moments, Mitchell admits he loves writing but absolutely hates the business of being an author—plus he shares his "Schrödinger's Book" philosophy on why a book doesn't really exist until someone reads it.

Tune in for a conversation about creativity, discipline, heart, and the beautiful mess of building a writing life on your own terms.

Find Mitchell here:

Website:

https://mitchellhadley.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mitchellhadleyauthor/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What happens when a completed trilogy inspires a major plot twist that changes everything—and suddenly three books become six? In this episode, GiGi Meier welcomes back award-winning fantasy author Peter Gribble for a celebratory and deeply fascinating conversation about the evolution of his City of Magicians saga.

Since their first interview, Peter has completed his award-winning trilogy—which took home the BookFest Gold Medal—and dropped a twist at the end of book three that has expanded the story into a six-book series. He's currently writing book four and shares what's next for this richly imagined world.

Peter takes us deep into his creative process, revealing how his lifelong love of history, astrology, mythology, and philosophy shaped every corner of his fantasy world. He also opens up about his fascination with languages—inspired by a childhood split between Canada and France—which led him to create an original language complete with its own symbols, as well as a personal shorthand for capturing story ideas. And if that weren't enough, he also designed the legal system, court structure, and governing order that bring authenticity and depth to his fictional world.

From writing the ending before the beginning to spending twenty-two years bringing his vision to life, Peter's journey is a testament to patience, curiosity, and the joy of lifelong learning.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about world-building, persistence, and the magic of letting your story grow beyond what you first imagined.

Find Peter here:

Website:

https://petergribble.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/petergribble3/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What does it take to build an entire fantasy world while working full-time, raising four children, and navigating the challenges of ADHD? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with dark fantasy author M.T. Riverbooke for an honest, vulnerable, and inspiring conversation about creativity, persistence, and the winding path to publication.

M.T. shares the story behind his upcoming dark fantasy novel, Bloodbound, the first book in his Shadow Trial Saga, and how a lifelong love of world-building—inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Harry Potter—led him to create morally gray characters and immersive fantasy worlds. He opens up about years of experimenting across genres, his journey back to writing after high school, and how he finally discovered his unique voice.

But this conversation goes deeper than craft. M.T. speaks candidly about living with ADHD—the hyperfocus, the self-doubt, the burnout—and how it both fuels and complicates his creative process. He also discusses the realities of balancing family life with writing, the challenges of marketing and social media, and the dream of one day becoming a full-time author.

Whether you're a fantasy writer, a working parent with creative ambitions, or someone navigating neurodivergence, this episode is a powerful reminder that your path doesn't have to be straight to be meaningful.

Tune in for a raw, heartfelt conversation about world-building, resilience, and chasing big dreams in the middle of a full life.

Find M.T. Riverbrooke here:

Website:

https://books.by/silent-rebel-publications

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mt_riverbooke/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier

What happens when a simple goal to "write a book" turns into a thirteen-year journey of perseverance, mentorship, and accidentally discovering you're writing romance? In this episode, GiGi Meier sits down with debut novelist Amy Lorowitz for an honest and inspiring conversation about the unexpected path to publication.

Amy shares the story behind her debut novel, Summer Husband—a romance set against the nostalgic backdrop of a sleepaway camp that's really about so much more: confidence, friendship, motherhood, and second chances. She opens up about spending years in a writer's workshop, learning to handle critique, cutting nearly 100,000 words from her manuscript, and the moment she realized she had written a romance novel without even intending to.

But the conversation goes beyond the craft. Amy also reflects on the unforgettable "pinch me" moments of her publishing journey—from meeting her childhood hero Judy Blume (and sending her the finished novel!) to finding the perfect publishing home with She Writes Press and finally seeing her debut on bookstore shelves.

Whether you're a romance reader, an aspiring writer, or anyone who's ever wondered if it's too late to chase a creative dream, this episode will remind you that perseverance, trust, and a little bit of accidental magic can take you further than you ever imagined.

Find Amy here:

Website:

https://www.amylorowitz.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/amylorowitz.author/

How to find GiGi:

Website:

https://www.gigimeier.com/

Free Bonus and Deleted Scenes:

https://www.gigimeier.com/freebies

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/authorgigimeier

Substack:

https://gigimeier.substack.com

The Cougar Den Facebook Reader Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorgigimeier

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@gigimeier