Watching Our Egos: The Podcast

Jealousy, Intuition vs Insecurity, and Social Media’s Role in Manufacturing Constant Comparison

This week Jake and Missy dive into a topic a lot of people don’t want to admit they frequently experience: Jealousy. Is jealousy about your partner- or about how you see yourself? When are we being insecure rather than intuitive about our partners? Jake and Missy also discuss how social media can badly inflate people’s jealousy. Open relationships vs monogamous relationships are once again discussed.

Control in Relationships

Jake and Missy dive into what control means to them. Missy shares what it was like to lose her phone in Bali. Jake shares how control in his family of origin drove him insane. Is control an illusion? Are we ever truly in control? How does control develop and show up in our daily lives? How do unpredictable life events change your perception of control? Listen to find out.

Communication That Works

Communication is the thread that runs through everything: love, work, family, and the quiet stories we tell ourselves when we do not know how to say what we mean. We start with a simple question that gets surprisingly big fast: when someone says they’re “struggling with life,” how much of that is really a communication problem including the inability to express needs, name emotions, or stay present during conflict? From slouched posture to zoning out, we look at the signals our bodies send when our voices cannot. We unpack how family systems, especially alcoholic or chaotic environments, can teach us to retreat into our heads as a coping mechanism. That matters in adult romantic relationships because the same pattern shows up as freezing mid-conversation, misreading tone, or assuming the worst. We share a funny but painfully relatable miscommunication story about boiling eggs twice, then pivot into deeper territory: pre-verbal emotion, nervous system activation, and a practical strategy for moments when you “can’t find the words” by describing sensations in your body first. From there we go straight at abandonment fear, ego defence, and why people sometimes burn bridges even when they crave connection. The most grounding takeaway is the commitment to never self-abandon, because when you stay aligned with your values, other people’s reactions become survivable. We also talk couples therapy as proactive skill-building, “receiving the communication” without reacting, and how workplace communication and social media make all of this harder. If you want better communication skills, stronger boundaries, and healthier relationships, hit play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review with the one idea you’re taking with you.

Friendship Breakups, Complexities of Parenting, and New Life Stories

Jake dives right into a vulnerable current event in his life. The complexities of parenting as it relates to taking care of yourself, the right to privacy, and doing what's best for your kids is discussed. Missy shares stories from her past and Jake comments on what his future relationship with alcohol might look like.

Permission, Patriarchal Male Parenting, and More Political/Cultural Commentary

Missy dives into what the concept of permission really means in an alcoholic family system. Jake recounts a very vulnerable conversation with his dad. Both continue their conversation about today’s political and cultural climate.