Get Messy with Maddie

Reclaiming Your Life Narrative: Are You the Author of Your Own Story?

Someone has been narrating your life — and there's a real chance it isn't you. In this episode, I'm sharing a conversation I had with a close friend that completely cracked me open. She's a painter trying to make the leap into paid creative work, and when a roadblock came up, what stopped her wasn't the obstacle itself — it was the story she'd built around it. A story that wasn't even hers. We get into the comfort of denial (and why it costs you more than you think), how to tell the difference between something you genuinely want and something you're just speed skating in your head about, and why fear is, truly, the worst writer in the room. This episode is an invitation to pause, question the narrative, and ask yourself: who is actually holding the pen right now? TIMESTAMPS [00:00] — Someone is narrating your life right now — is it you? [00:58] — The conversation that started it all: a friend who felt like absolute shit [03:56] — A painter trying to go from free work to paid work — and the wall she kept hitting [07:49] — "Everyone who does digital art started at 18 or 19" — and the story hiding inside that [09:11] — The moment I stopped being shocked by the roadblock and started being shocked by the story [01:18] — Welcome to Get Messy [04:41] — Denial is comfortable — not in a luxurious way, more like a padded cocoon with a nail in it [06:22] — Why complaining is more comfortable than change (and what it's actually costing you) [06:17] — Have you ever handed someone else the pen to your life story? [07:24] — The story my mom told me about the 2006 Olympics — and why she was right [07:51] — "You're speed skating in your head" — and the difference between loving a dream vs. actually wanting it [07:49] — Do you love it enough to sacrifice for it? [09:31] — When the real answer underneath "I'm too old" is actually just fear of failing [09:32] — By not trying, you are failing before you even give yourself the chance to fail [10:01] — Failing your way into success — why failure is information, not a verdict [10:01] — Do not let fear be your narrator. Fear is a terrible writer. [10:58] — You are the lead of your own life story — everyone else is a side character [11:12] — Whenever you hear an opinion about your life, pause before you absorb it as truth [12:09] — How different would her story look if she picked up her own pen? [13:04] — This is your story. Tell it like you mean it. [13:14] — If this episode stirred something up — send me a DM, leave a review, share it RESOURCES MENTIONED * Listen to Get Messy: Do You Want the Goal or Just the Glory? A Real Talk on Sacrifice, VO Life & Knowing Your Season [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie/id1765146695?i=1000751371960] * Listen to Get Messy: You Got You: Building Self-Trust and Impact as a Creative [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie/id1765146695?i=1000741672238] ✨ Connect with Maddie ✨ Explore Maddie's Website [https://maddiemcguirecoaching.com/] | @messywithmaddie [https://www.instagram.com/messywithmaddie/]

62. Redefining Success and Happiness with Stella Stephanopoulos

This one felt like a therapy session and a masterclass in joy — all in one conversation. I sat down with Stella Stephanopoulos, innovation consultant at Accenture, yoga instructor at Equinox, and the founder of Everyday Endorphins — a happiness podcast and wellness community she's been building since high school. Five-plus years, nearly 180 episodes, and a perspective on happiness that genuinely stopped me in my tracks. We get into what it actually means to choose happiness (spoiler: it has nothing to do with forcing positivity), why we're living in a loneliness epidemic and what's really driving it, the difference between chasing labels vs. building an identity, and how to move from limiting beliefs to liberating ones. Stella is brilliant, warm, and so deeply thoughtful — I came out of this conversation feeling genuinely lighter. In This Episode We Cover: * The "discovery" chapter — why Stella feels younger at 26 than she did at 22, and what it means to finally give yourself time * Holding two identities — being a corporate consultant and a wellness community builder without losing yourself in either * Building something from the beginning — how Everyday Endorphins started as a high school Instagram account and became a 180-episode blueprint for how Stella wants to live * The loneliness epidemic — why connection is the common denominator of joy, and why we've lost our ability to create it * We don't experience the world, we experience our nervous system — what this actually means and how to use it * Happiness is a choice — and the burnt toast theory that will change how you respond to everything * Limiting vs. liberating beliefs — the framework from Beyond Belief that helps Stella flip self-doubt into confidence * The Kid Cudi quote that hit different — "The victim and the villain are the same" * Asking for what you need — why advocating for yourself is the thing Stella is still learning, and why so many of us are right there with her * Signing your own permission slip — the difference between seeking advice and seeking validation * Rapid fire: the messiest thing about Stella (it's the hair — and her mom will back me up on this) Timestamps * 0:00 — Introducing Stella Stephanopolous! * 0:30 — Stella's current chapter: "Discovery" — and why she feels younger at 26 than she did at 22 * 4:08 — The pressure to rush through life & what patience actually means as a practice * 7:52 — "Wherever you go, there you are" — holding two identities: corporate consultant and wellness community builder * 8:08 — How Stella cross-pollinates her day job and Everyday Endorphins * 15:44 — How the podcast started in high school and evolved into 180 episodes * 25:08 — What people are actually needing to hear right now: we're in a loneliness epidemic * 25:08 — Why we've socially atrophied and lost the skill of talking to strangers * 35:57 — We don't experience the world — we experience our nervous system * 41:40 — Happiness as a choice: the burnt toast theory * 33:20 — "This is not a dress rehearsal" — presence, impermanence, and being happy now * 33:27 — Limiting vs. liberating beliefs and the Beyond Belief framework * 42:35 — The Kid Cudi lyric Stella lives by: "The victim and the villain are the same" * 42:35 — What Stella is learning to trust: having conviction behind her choices without outside permission * 44:29 — Signing your own permission slip (and why we keep asking others to do it for us) * 44:29 — The fear of accountability behind seeking validation * 49:37 — What's next: putting her needs first and advocating for herself * 44:29 — Rapid fire: the messiest thing about Stella * 45:37 — What Stella is most excited about right now — personally and professionally ✨ Connect with Stella ✨ * Podcast: Everyday Endorphins [https://everydayendorphins.com/] — on Apple, Spotify, and all listening platforms * Instagram: @everydayendorphins [https://www.instagram.com/everydayendorphins/] * TikTok: @everydayendorphins [https://www.tiktok.com/@everydayendorphins] * Personal Instagram & LinkedIn: * @stellastephanopoulos [https://www.instagram.com/stellastephanopoulos/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellastephanopoulos123/] ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie's Website [https://maddiemcguirecoaching.com/] | @messywithmaddie [https://www.instagram.com/messywithmaddie/]

60. Taylor Misiak on Imposter Syndrome, Trusting Your Gut, and Why "Making It" in Hollywood Isn't What You Think

Today's guest is someone I actually worked with early in both of our careers, which makes this conversation extra special. Taylor Misiak is known for FX's Dave and is currently starring on Fox's Going Dutch (plus filming Tires Season 3 and more). By every measure, she's someone who has "made it" — and she's here to tell you exactly why that phrase is a myth. In this episode, we get into the real mindset shifts that actually sustain a career in this industry. We talk about her tradition of labeling champagne bottles to mark milestones as a mental health anchor, reframing auditions as the job (not just a means to a job), what it's really like to be married to a fellow creative, and why booking a hit show doesn't mean the hustle stops. She's charming, hilarious, and so authentically honest — this one is a warm, giant hug for every actor grinding it out. In This Episode We Cover: * "Booking the job isn't the finish line" — and why understanding that is what finally sets so many actors free * The champagne bottle tradition — how Taylor uses milestone labeling as a real mental health anchor * Reframing auditions as the actual job of an actor, not just the road to it * What it's really like to be married to a fellow creative — the beauty and the chaos * Trusting your gut and handling rejection without losing perspective * Why booking a hit TV show doesn't mean the hustle stops — and what comes after "making it" * The myth of arrival — why success looks different up close than it does from the outside ✨ Connect with Taylor ✨ * Instagram: @taylormisiak [https://www.instagram.com/taylormisiak/] ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie's Website [https://maddiemcguirecoaching.com/] | @messywithmaddie [https://www.instagram.com/messywithmaddie/]

58. From NICU Nurse to Viral Photographer: How Nicole Chino Built a Business Around Motherhood

Okay, this one is extra special to me — because I've known today's guest since we were five years old. Nicole Chino is a NICU nurse of 10+ years, a mom, a wife, and the founder of Nicole Chino Photography — a booming newborn, maternity, and family photography business she built from scratch while balancing 12-hour hospital shifts and raising her babies. In just the last year, she went from 500 to 14K followers and had a reel cross 500K likes. Yeah. We're talking about all of it. In this episode, we get into the real, messy truth of building something while you're still figuring out who you are. We talk charging your worth, the loneliness of being your own boss, going viral, pushing through the cringe of showing up online, and why motherhood became the engine behind everything she's built. If you're a creative trying to turn your passion into something real — or you're just in a season of becoming — this episode is for you. In This Episode We Cover: * The "becoming" season — what it actually feels like to be figuring out who you are as a mom, wife, business owner, and creative all at the same time * Why motherhood was the catalyst for starting Nicole Chino Photography — and how it stayed the motivation throughout * The first scary financial decision: charging real money and what that moment meant for how she saw herself as a professional * When and how to raise your prices — and why a packed schedule was the signal she needed * Going from 500 to 14K followers and a viral reel with 500K+ likes — what she thinks actually made it take off * Overcoming the cringe of posting yourself online and why human connection beats a perfect feed every time * Entrepreneurship as a mindset game — why talent alone won't cut it and how "fake it till you make it" is actually legit * The loneliness of being your own boss — even when you have support, the buck always stops with you * Virtual photography sessions — how Nicole is now working with clients across the country without leaving her home state * The fear she hasn't faced yet: learning to say no and cap her bookings to protect her family time * What she's most excited about as her kids and her business grow up together ✨Connect with Nicole✨ * Instagram: @nicolechino_photography [https://www.instagram.com/nicolechino_photography/] * Website: nicolechinophotography.com [https://www.nicolechinophotography.com/] * Book a session or send an inquiry through the link in her bio! ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie’s Website | [https://maddiemcguirecoaching.com/] @messywithmaddie [https://www.instagram.com/messywithmaddie/]

56. The Real Reason Your Routines Fall Apart (And What to Do Instead) with Ana Builds Habits

If you've ever started a new habit with the best intentions — only to watch it fall apart two weeks later — this episode is going to hit different. I sat down with Ana Cordera, the NYC-based creator and speaker behind Ana Builds Habits, and honestly? I felt like I was getting free therapy the entire time. Ana breaks down why most habits don't stick (spoiler: it has nothing to do with discipline or willpower) and what you actually need to do first, before you build a single routine. We get into identity, perfectionism, the messy middle of building a creator brand while working a 9-to-5, and what Coco Gauff writing "I will win the French Open" the night before she actually won has to do with your creative journey. — Introducing: Ana Cordera! — Why habits really fail (it's an identity problem, not a discipline problem) — The running story: how Ana learned to commit to a new identity — Growing up across multiple countries & how structure became both a superpower and a trap — Taking $10K worth of coaching — and the real shift that finally clicked — The tactical moves that helped Ana claim the identity of a creator — The mindset coach question that moves you out of overthinking and into action — Coco Gauff, the French Open, and reverse-engineering your success through identity — What Ana's week actually looks like: balancing a 9-to-5, wedding planning & a creator brand — How to build a household that actually works when two people have different work styles — The habit that surprised Ana the most: Alyssa Liu and the joy of the process — What people romanticize about being a content creator (and the real difference between influencers vs. creators) — Unfavorable habits Ana has had to break — including one that's still a work in progress — Why rest is Ana's hardest habit to build (especially living in NYC) — How to schedule a doom-scrolling session (yes, really — and it works) — What to do when confidence and doubt show up at the same time — Using a physical challenge to build confidence in a totally different area of your life — How Ana recharges creativity when she hits a wall — Rapid fire: the messiest thing about Ana — What Ana is still figuring out: learning to let go of the outcome — What Ana is most excited about right now (personally & professionally) ✨Connect with Ana✨ @anabuildshabits [https://www.instagram.com/anabuildshabits/] | Keep up with Ana on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-cordera/] ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie’s Website | [https://maddiemcguirecoaching.com/] @messywithmaddie [https://www.instagram.com/messywithmaddie/]