High Five Hot Mess Podcast

We Hit Every Goal. Still Not Happy. Here's Why.

You got the job. You hit the number. You built the life. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, you started wondering why you still feel tired, restless, or quietly empty. Turns out, that's not a personal failure. That's your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do. This week Lisa Wilson and Lisa Smith went down a happiness rabbit hole and found Yale professor Laurie Santos — whose class on the science of happiness is the most popular in Yale's history (and free online). What they discovered stopped her cold: our brains were not designed to choose happiness. They were designed to survive. And somewhere along the way, a lot of us confused productivity with happiness — and have been on the treadmill ever since. This week we get into: * The happiness treadmill — why your brain keeps moving the goalposts no matter what you achieve * Were we raised to earn happiness rather than just feel it? * Why stillness feels uncomfortable — and what that says about how we grew up * Two Netflix shows proving we're not always great at choosing what's good for us * The Southern Ladies Council on Appropriateness and Manners — and why every woman needs a group that tells her the truth * What did you think would make you happy — that didn't? New Here? High Five Hot Mess is a comfort-comedy podcast for everyone looking for a high five in this hot mess world. Two real friends with zero guru energy. Honest conversation and a lot of "wait, me too." Drop us a review if this episode felt like it was written for you — it genuinely helps people find us. Let's hang out! Find us: •       YouTube: @highfivehotmess •       Instagram: @highfivehotmess •       Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-five-hot-mess-podcast/id1883400763 [http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-five-hot-mess-podcast/id1883400763] •       Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1FJGMijJvEVb6TfE7p8KpG [http://open.spotify.com/episode/1FJGMijJvEVb6TfE7p8KpG] •       TikTok: @highfivehotmesspod •       Website: highfivehotmesspod.com [http://highfivehotmesspod.com]

How We’re Making Life Work Without Cutting Everything

Tide Pods are $30. Gas is $5.50 a gallon. Streaming services somehow cost as much as cable now… and one of us is unemployed. So no — we’re not cutting everything. We’re making trades. In this episode of the High Five Hot Mess Podcast, we talk about the emotional math women are doing right now to keep life working without giving up every single thing that still brings joy. We talk about: ✋ cutting cable but keeping the trip ✋ making homemade laundry detergent ✋ grocery store sticker shock ✋ spin classes during unemployment ✋ subscriptions quietly draining money ✋ how Lisa used ChatGPT to audit the podcast subscriptions and save $500 ✋ why “intentional spending” looks different for everyone This isn’t financial advice. It’s two Gen X women trying to figure out modern life in real time — while still trying to find the high fives. Because maybe the answer isn’t cutting everything. Maybe it’s making better trades. 🎙️ High Five Hot Mess Podcast New episodes every Thursday.

We Said We Were Fine… But We Weren’t | Recalibrate, Don’t Restart

We’ve all said it: “I’m fine.” “I’m okay.” “It’s all good.” But what if we’re not? This week on High Five Hot Mess, Lisa Wilson and Lisa Smith talk about the quiet weight so many women carry—stress, family pressure, changing goals, health fallout, emotional overload, and the pressure to keep functioning while life piles on. From buffalo humps and burnout to honesty, boundaries, and redefining happiness, this is a real conversation about what happens when life gets heavy. Sometimes the answer isn’t starting over. Sometimes the answer is recalibrating. 🖐️ Listen / Watch High Five Hot Mess: 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ [https://podcasts.apple.com/] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast] 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ [https://open.spotify.com/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/] 🎙️ Recorded at The Pod Place – Las Vegas, Nevada https://thepodplace.com/ [https://thepodplace.com/] If this episode felt like your life right now, share it with a friend who keeps saying she’s “fine.” Please follow, rate, review, comment, and subscribe. It helps more than you know.

She Built a Handmade Business… Without Losing Herself|Marci Scharko of Turnrow Bath Body & Home

What happens when you start with less than $50, two kids with sensitive skin, and a need for something that works? This week, Lisa from High Five Hot Mess, sits down with Marci Scharko, founder of Turnrow Bath Body & Home, to talk about building a handmade business from scratch, staying true to your values, and growing without losing the heart behind the brand. They talk about: • Starting a business with almost no money • Why scaling up isn’t always the answer • Handmade vs mass-produced products • The reality of running a small business • Burnout, self-doubt, and asking for help • The 50-pound wax disaster story • Why customers still matter more than automation • Building a life that fits you—not just your business If you’ve ever wanted to create something of your own but felt scared to start, this episode is for you. Connect with Marci / Turnrow Bath Body & Home: Website: https://turnrowbathbody.com [https://turnrowbathbody.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turnrowbathbody/ [https://www.instagram.com/turnrowbathbody/] Connect with High Five Hot Mess Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ [https://podcasts.apple.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast] If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and share — it helps us grow more than you know. 🖐️

They Quit Great Jobs, Pulled Their Kids from School & Hit the Road

What happens when two successful parents in their 40s walk away from stable careers, pull their kids out of school, and spend two years living on the road? Hilary is back on High Five Hot Mess to tell the truth about long-term van/RV life with kids — and it’s not the filtered Instagram version. We talk about saving for years to make it happen, what people said when they announced it, homeschooling on the road, discovering their daughter’s dyslexia, marriage inside 300 square feet, campground showers, public laundromats, Arctic Ocean adventures, and what freedom actually costs. This episode is funny, honest, emotional, and full of the kind of reality nobody posts online. In this episode: * Why they quit high-paying jobs * Saving for years to chase one big dream * What family and friends really thought * Homeschooling while traveling full-time * Discovering dyslexia on the road * RV life expectations vs reality * Parenting inside a tiny space * Marriage under pressure * Swimming in the Arctic Ocean * Learning when to say yes—and when to say no If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like to leave the safe path and choose a different life, this one is for you. Listen / Watch Everywhere: YouTube: @highfivehotmesspodcast Apple Podcasts: High Five Hot Mess Spotify: High Five Hot Mess Podcast Instagram: @highfivehotmesspodcast