Ahead of their sixth Best Chapter Yet retreat, Kari and Lisa talk about why time spent in the company of other women can be so powerful. Women in their 20s through their 70s have attended these retreats, finding the rare opportunity to be fully seen, heard, supported and witnessed—without having to take care of anyone else or prove anything about who they are. Some return again and again because that kind of connection continues to matter; for others, attending once created exactly the clarity, belonging or shift they needed.

In this conversation, Kari and Lisa reflect on what these weekends have meant to the women who attend, what they have meant in their own lives, and why they plan to keep creating them for as long as they can. The next Best Chapter Yet retreat will take place April 9–11, 2027, at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Chandler, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. Early-bird pricing is available through October 31, 2026; listen to the episode for the discount code. [LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE]

At 85, Patricia Morin is proof that it is never too late to begin a whole new chapter. Kari and Lisa sit down with Kari's mom to talk about the many lives she has lived: growing up as the oldest of six, welcoming her Vietnamese daughter Soi into the family through foster care, building a nearly 50-year marriage, raising four very different children, leading major church and community events, beginning again after the death of her husband, and learning how to love adult children without trying to direct their lives. Most of all, they talk about Pat's decision to leave the home and community she had known for nearly 50 years and, in her 80s, create a new home, new friendships, and a rich new life. Inspired by the loving toasts shared at her 85th-birthday celebration, this is a conversation about family, community, legacy, and never being afraid to try something new.

"In a real sense, if you don't vote, you don't exist." Recording just after the death of Gloria Steinem, Kari and Lisa talk about why voting in the 2026 election matters—and why participating in democracy means more than casting our own ballots. They discuss threats facing election workers, changing voting laws, AI-generated misinformation, the importance of getting election information from trusted sources, and the privilege of having the time, access, and resources that make voting relatively easy. They also ask what each of us can do to make voting easier for someone else—and invite listeners to consider one essential question before casting a ballot: What am I voting to protect, and who am I remembering besides myself when I vote? Check your registration and find current voting information at Vote.gov, get help through the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE, or learn how to become a poll worker.

What happens when witnessing injustice is no longer enough? In this episode of The Things We Know, Kari and Lisa welcome back Kristy Morrow, whose advocacy took on new urgency when her son's soccer teammate, Ricardo Hernandez Navarrete, and his mother, Liliana Navarrete, were detained during a scheduled asylum check-in. Kristy shares what it took to keep their story visible, how community action helped bring national attention to their detention, and what their eventual release could not restore. Together, they examine what current immigration statistics leave out, how enforcement tactics are changing, and the many ways ordinary people can support immigrant families beyond attending a protest. They also explore white privilege, learning in public, the power of women organizing together, and why staying informed, voting, and participating in our communities matter, even when the political system leaves us feeling discouraged or overwhelmed.

Here are some links Kristy encourages you to check out, follow and/or support:

Ricardo & Liliana's Story: Mom and Son Detained and Separated by ICE

https://indivisibleedgewater.org/

Help support Lilliana and Ricardo: GoFundME

Instagram: @buildtomorrow.chi and @Hickorylanehome

When Kari and Lisa released a previous episode, The Exhaustion of Staying Safe, many women said they felt seen, heard, and understood, while several men thanked them for helping put words to experiences they had never fully considered. Then video clips from the episode reached an unexpected audience on social media, and a few comments quickly became hundreds. What began as a conversation about the vigilance and calculations many women carry became a debate about something Kari and Lisa had never said. In this follow-up episode of The Things We Know, they explore what that response revealed, why another person's experience can be difficult to hear without comparison or defensiveness, and how quickly empathy can be replaced by distortion when conversations move online. They also reflect on the women who recognized themselves in the original conversation and the men who listened, cared, and understood that acknowledging women's experiences does not diminish their own.

There is only a week left to go for it if you've been wanting to experience one of our retreats! If you're ready to embrace what makes you uniquely you, we'd love to have you at our upcoming retreat, YOUnique & Amazing, September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon. It's right around the corner, but may still have a spot for you! Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

What if the key to feeling more confident isn't becoming someone new, but finally giving yourself permission to be fully yourself? In this episode, Kari and Lisa sit down with relationship and confidence coach Lark Ericson to explore the lifelong habit of seeking external validation and what it takes to outgrow it. Together, they discuss people-pleasing, belonging, anger as a catalyst for change, and the quiet freedom that comes from trusting yourself more than other people's opinions. Whether you've spent years trying to be accommodating, easy to like, or everything to everyone, this conversation is an invitation to stop performing and start living from a place of authenticity, self trust, and genuine connection.

For more on Lark

https://www.meetup.com/awkward-to-awesome-be-yourself-be-confident-find-love/

https://womenscollective.larkericsoncoaching.com/home--the-awkward-to-awesome-womens-collective

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

Lark recently joined us at our Best Chapter Yet retreat, and you'll hear her share why experiences like these can be such powerful catalysts for stepping into your own awesomeness. If you're ready to stop living from everyone else's expectations and start embracing what makes you uniquely you, we'd love to have you at our upcoming retreat, YOUnique & Amazing, September 18–20 in Portland, Oregon. It's right around the corner, but may still have a spot for you! Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

How much of life do women miss while watching themselves live? In this episode of The Things We Know, Lisa and Kari examine the exhausting inner and outer conversations women have about their bodies and question why appearance remains such a constant measure of worth. They explore the difference between caring for a body and criticizing it, the hidden cost of treating it as a lifelong renovation project, and what might become possible if women reclaimed some of the attention spent evaluating themselves. This is an honest conversation about aging, health, beauty, body neutrality, and learning to give the body that carries your life the care and respect it deserves, then getting on with the business of living.

If this conversation leaves you craving a space where you can stop performing and simply show up as your authentic self, we'd love to invite you to our Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026. It's a weekend designed to help you reconnect with who you are, embrace what makes you uniquely you, and step confidently into your next chapter alongside an incredible community of women. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026

What happens when women stop trying to become someone else and start telling the truth about who they already are? In this episode, Lisa and Kari sit down with Megan Dirks, founder of The Girl on the Left, two-time international bestselling author, and brand strategist, for a powerful conversation about visibility, self-worth, and the pressure women feel to package their lives into neat transformation stories. Together, they explore the hidden costs of glow-up culture, why fear of being seen is often rooted in very real experiences, the difference between vulnerability and performing healing, and what becomes possible when women stop waiting until they're "finished" to own their stories. Lisa also shares what it meant to contribute a chapter to The Girl on the Left Volume 2 anthology and why this project resonates so deeply with her.

The Girl on the Left: Volume 2 is out now!

USA:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

United Kingdom:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Germany:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Australia:

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

Ireland:

https://www.amazon.ie/dp/B0HBRZ6BDH

If this conversation leaves you craving a space where you can stop performing and simply show up as your authentic self, we'd love to invite you to our Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026. It's a weekend designed to help you reconnect with who you are, embrace what makes you uniquely you, and step confidently into your next chapter alongside an incredible community of women. Learn more and reserve your spot: Best Chapter Yet Fall Retreat 2026