Vertically Unstable

S2 Ep 15: Why Summer Break is a Scam

This week on Vertically Unstable, Kelly and Christy unpack the absolute delusion that is summer vacation as a parent. Because while kids think summer means freedom, moms know it actually means sports schedules, snack inflation, sunscreen battles, destroyed WiFi, emotional support camps, and spending the GDP of a small nation on volleyball and childcare. The episode takes a hilarious turn as Kelly and Christy realize they’re living completely different versions of summer. Kelly has officially entered the “grown kids and freedom” era, while Christy is still deep in the trenches of sports schedules, chaos, and trying to survive summer with kids constantly home, hungry, and loud. The girls also dive into nostalgic Gen X summers before cell phones existed, the pressure parents feel to create magical memories, why travel sports have become a full-time lifestyle, and the realization that the moments kids actually remember are usually nothing like the ones parents stress over creating. Funny, chaotic, nostalgic, and painfully relatable for every overstimulated woman trying to survive summer break.

S2 Ep14 Why Men Suck (But Also Need Hugs)

This week on Vertically Unstable, we welcome our first ever male guest, Casey Hurbis… and immediately ask him why men are emotionally unavailable, why dads turn everything into a competition, and how he’s somehow been hit by FOUR separate cars. Naturally, we also spiral into parenting guilt, work-life balance being a complete scam, sports-parent trauma, executive burnout, emotional suppression, AI taking over humanity, and why every family has at least one child actively lowering the collective GPA. Casey opens up about raising teenagers while leading massive brands like Rocket Mortgage and BetMGM, Kelly questions whether ambitious parents accidentally turn childhood into performance reviews, and Christy debates whether getting lightly hit by a car for a week of uninterrupted sleep is actually… worth considering. This episode is funny, painfully relatable, mildly therapeutic, and proof that nobody knows what they’re doing. Some people just have better branding.

S2 Ep 13 Enneagrams: An Emotional Hostage Situation, But Fun

This week, Kelly and Christy are joined by Enneagram expert Kenzie for a conversation that starts with personality types and quickly turns into a full-blown identity audit. From leadership styles and conflict patterns to childhood conditioning and why certain people make us absolutely lose our minds, the three unpack what the Enneagram actually reveals about how we move through the world. Kelly comes to terms with being an Enneagram 8 who treats vulnerability like a security threat, while Christy realizes being everyone’s emotional support human may not always be the healthy choice she thought it was. Somewhere between laughing about corporate personality tests and accidentally unpacking decades of coping mechanisms, they discover why certain friendships work, why some relationships feel impossible, and why the people who intimidate you are sometimes just aggressively authentic marshmallows. Equal parts hilarious, uncomfortably accurate, and slightly therapeutic, this episode may explain more about your life than you were emotionally prepared for.

S2 Ep12 Girls Trips: Came for the Vibes...Left With Clarity

What starts as a girls’ trip to Miami quickly turns into something a little more… revealing. Somewhere between outfit changes, late-night conversations, and “one more drink,” Kelly and Christy realize that a weekend away doesn’t just help you escape your life, it shows it to you in high definition. In this episode, they unpack the unspoken roles that show up in every group, the version of yourself you thought you were bringing vs. the one who actually arrives, and why confidence seems to shape-shift depending on the room (and the lighting). From deep belly laughs to subtle tension, nothing stays hidden on a girls’ trip. They also get into the real magic and complexity of female friendships, why those connections matter more than ever, and what happens when the trip ends and real life quietly taps you on the shoulder again. Because sometimes the biggest takeaway from a weekend away isn’t the memories… it’s the clarity.

S2 Ep11 The Guilt Carnival: Moms Playing Games No One Wins

Welcome to the guilt carnival… where the rides are rigged, the prizes are fake, and somehow moms are expected to win anyway. In this episode, Kelly and Christy rip the mask off “perfect motherhood” and say the quiet part out loud: we are all winging it. And despite what Instagram says, that’s not failure… that’s reality. From chaotic tournament weekends that push Christy to the brink, to Kelly’s wildly relatable parenting confessions (yes, including questionable braiding skills and creative storytelling hacks), this episode is equal parts hilarious and uncomfortably honest. We get into: * The invisible pressure to be the “perfect” mom (and why it’s a losing game) * What mom guilt is really hiding * Co-parenting chaos and how divorce reshapes everything * Why being real with your kids might be the best thing you ever do * Letting go of the selfless-mother myth without losing yourself This isn’t about doing more. It’s about dropping the act. If you’ve ever felt exhausted, stretched thin, or like you’re the only one barely holding it together… you’re not. And you don’t have to pretend here. 🎧 Come for the laughs. Stay for the truth. Because the bravest moms aren’t perfect… they’re honest.