Work Wives & Real Lives

Everyone loves supporting women... until a woman gets the promotion, opportunity, spotlight, or success they secretly wanted for themselves.

In this episode, Katie and Ava dive into the difference between performative support and genuine female empowerment. From comparison culture and scarcity mindsets to the women who changed our lives, we're having an honest conversation about what it really means to champion other women—eve...

We're back with a much-needed catch-up episode! It's been a while since Katie and Ava sat down together, and life has been anything but boring. From pregnancy updates, hospital visits, and moving to travel adventures, weddings, work, motherhood, and everything in between, we're sharing all the behind-the-scenes moments that have kept us busy lately.

Of course, we couldn't end the episode without diving into sports recaps, childhood ...

How do you know if you need a weekend off… or a complete career change?

This week, we’re diving into the difference between burnout and misalignment — because sometimes exhaustion isn’t about needing rest… it’s about being in the wrong environment altogether.

We talk about the pressure women feel to “hold it all together,” the signs you may have outgrown your job, and the fear that co...

Life doesn’t slow down—even after a major announcement. This week, Ava and Katie catch up on pregnancy updates, chaotic life moments, and yes… a little husband roasting. From spotting Cybertrucks in the wild to navigating homeownership and the mental load women carry, the conversation is real, unfiltered, and relatable.

Then, we dive into the main topic: why modern workplaces are drowning in meetings, how microman...

We had a whole episode planned… and then life said absolutely not. 

In this raw, emotional, and unexpectedly funny episode, Ava drops a surprise that completely shifts the conversation—she’s pregnant! What follows is an unfiltered, real-time reaction between best friends and “work wives” navigating shock, excitement, and the immediate “what now?” moments that come with life-changing ne...

Everyone says they hate office politics… but somehow they still shape every workplace. 

In this episode, we’re breaking down the game no one admits they’re playing — office politics. Not the backstabbing, gossip-filled version you see on TV, but the real dynamics that influence careers: visibility, relationships, power structures, and knowing how decisions actually get made. 

We share the political ...

High standards… or just high cortisol? 

In this episode, we’re unpacking the leadership behaviors many of us were taught to tolerate — the ones disguised as “high standards,” “fast-paced environments,” or “just being blunt.” From micromanagement to emotional volatility, we’re talking about the red flags that workplaces normalized for far too long. 

We share storie...

What actually worked, what was a scam, and what nearly broke us.

If productivity hacks actually worked the way the internet promises… we’d all be millionaires with color-coded lives by now. Instead? We tried everything so you don’t have to.

In this episode, Ava and Katie unpack the chaos of modern productivity culture—from overpriced planners and aesthetic routines to mindset tricks that lasted less than 48 h...

Confidence is powerful—but performing it? Exhausting. 

In this episode, we revisit the idea of main character energy and unpack how the internet quietly turned confidence into a full-time job. From aesthetic morning routines and curated vulnerability to the pressure to look healed, happy, and productive at all times, we talk about the difference between living your life and performing it for approval. 

We break down w...

Everyone wants a “soft life” — but no one talks about the hard choices it actually requires.

In this episode, we unpack what the soft life really means (and what it doesn’t). From career pivots and uncomfortable boundaries to letting go of hustle culture and redefining success, we’re getting honest about the decisions that don’t make it to social media — but change everything behind the scen...

Season 2 is officially here. 

We’re kicking things off with a full reset — what changed, what we’re no longer tolerating, and the boundaries we’re actually keeping this year. From burnout lessons and unpopular opinions to Katie’s travel days from hell and a reality TV deep dive into Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and The Traitors, this episode is equal parts growth and chaos.

Intentional boundari...

🚨 EMERGENCY EPISODE ALERT 🚨

Because apparently people do not stop peopling during the holidays—and we officially could not catch a break. 

This week, we’re joined by our biggest fan: Katie’s husband, Garrett (aka GBaby). After months of interrupting during filming, he finally makes his debut—offering live reactions to the madness, sharing his own work horror stories, and bravely sitting in silence while...

In our last episode of the year, we’re doing a full year-end inventory: the wins that flew under the radar, the losses that taught us the most, and the moments that stretched us emotionally, professionally, and personally. We talk career growth, shifting boundaries, burnout survival, friendship, and how Work Wives & Real Lives became more than just a podcast this year.

You’ll also meet our newest segment, Unpopular O...

In this episode of Work Wives and Real Lives, Ava and Katie step into the yearly whirlwind that is December—the month where the to-do list triples, emotions run high, and somehow we’re all still expected to “soak up the magic.” Spoiler:
We’re soaking up something, but it’s definitely not magic. 

From holiday events and business deadlines to membership pushes, teacher schedules, family cha...

Starting a business sounds cute… until you’re crying in your car between meetings, Googling “how to do taxes for adults,” and wondering why no one warned you about any of this.

In this episode of Work Wives and Real Lives, we’re pulling back the curtain on the parts of entrepreneurship that don’t make it to Instagram — the messy beginnings, the unexpected failures, the tiny wins that kept u...

Work Wives & Real Lives — where business, friendship, and chaos collide

In this episode, Ava and Katie unpack what it really means to step into your Main Character Energy—and when that confidence accidentally drifts into full-blown burnout performance. From Italian adventures to retail markdown meltdowns, this one is equal parts unhinged, honest, and career-girl validating.

Whether you're navigating small business lif...

This week, Ava & Katie report live from a cruise ship in Croatia — breaking down vacation chaos, reality TV drama, and how they actually use AI to work smarter, not harder. 🌊💻🍾

Katie checks in from somewhere between Dubrovnik and Split (wine in hand - obvi) sharing cruise highlights. Ava reacts from home, pretending not to be jealous. Then, they dive into their favorite ChatGPT hacks — from managing emails...

Because apparently… we can’t even talk about pizza anymore. 🍕🔥

This week, Ava & Katie unpack the unpopular opinions that the internet loves to fight about — from pineapple on pizza to why people weaponize “professionalism” when women dare to have a personality.

We kick things off with weekend chaos: sleepwalking incidents, a run-in with what may or may not have been a drug house, and an emotionall...

Why trend fatigue is the new burnout - and how to stop letting the algorithm tell you who you are.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted trying to keep up with “the latest aesthetic,” or if you’ve changed your entire personality because TikTok told you to… this one’s for you.

In this episode, we dive into the chaos of microtrends (looking at you, “67 trend”) and talk honestly about the pressur...