Life Academy

Alicia Banit & Dena Kaplan

On screen frenemies to real life besties, so of course we started a podcast! Stay tuned for your weekly questionable life lessons from Dena Amy Kaplan and Alicia Banit. Class is in session!

  1. 2 days ago

    The Off-Campus Cast Knows Who We Are?! We’ve MADE It!! | Life Lately

    dAlings, we have updates, we have chaos, and we have a VERY exciting Off Campus moment to scream about 🥳🩵 The girls are back with retreat prep, toddler bedtime progress, mum-life brain tabs, listener questions, American Sweethearts chat, and a major Dance Academy full-circle moment that has everyone absolutely spiralling in the best way 👀 Like… the fangirling is real. Then the episode turns into a gorgeous little reminder that your 20s do not have to be your whole story. The girls talk growing up, figuring yourself out, wrong relationships, career pivots, self-worth, and the kind of wisdom you only get after living through the messy bits. This one feels like a cosy bestie debrief with a side of nostalgia and a tiny life lesson. So remember, you are perfect just the way you are, dAlings, and we will always (ALWAYS) love you 🩵 Who knew wool was actually the most low maintenance fibre in your wardrobe?! The Dirt Company gave us some tips and tricks to make sure you never ruin your favourite wool pieces ever again. Shop The Dirt Company's refillable, Australian-made laundry products and get their delicate confidence guide FOR FREE with every purchase of their Wool and Delicate Detergent until the end of winter https://thedirtcompany.com.au/ 3:34 — Big-girl-bed win and the parenting hack that actually worked 9:05 — Trying for another baby, timing, career dreams, and the mental load 13:28 — The invisible mum load: appointments, groceries, hormones, and resentment 19:05 — Off Campus found the girls and everyone fully spiralled 23:04 — The group chat meltdown and why “yes, and” friends are elite 25:18 — Dance Academy, Off Campus, and manifesting a cameo 30:45 — American Sweethearts, listener questions, and future episode ideas 32:54 — Your 20s: feeling lost, career pressure, and relationships that were not it 41:43 — Why your 30s can feel softer, clearer, and more like you 48:50 — Regrets, body image, self-worth, and learning to back yourself 57:24 — Recs and homework: massages, reset time, and cosy winter essentials Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Book a massage — Even a quick massage counts. A little bit of body care and nervous system love. Try a sensory deprivation float — A quiet reset for anyone feeling like they have 5000 tabs open. Cleanseē Studio — A self-care rec for anyone wanting a proper glow-up and body reset. Lil Hottie heat pack — An electric heat pack that warms up fast and stays cosy for hours. Write to your younger self — A tiny homework moment: write one thing you wish your 20-year-old self knew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 2min

  2. 6 days ago

    I Got My Period Back After A Year | Life Lately

    Heyyy dAlings, just so you know this episode starts with clean hair and immediately becomes absolute CHAOS 🤣🤣 We’re back with the realest parts of life: being busy mums, toddler chaos, sleep struggles and everything else that's keeping us awake until 2AM 💀 The things keeping us grounded? 🥹 Gratitude, self-love, journaling, resilience, family support, and a tiny homework task that might make you feel a little softer toward yourself this week. We hope every mum listening feels a little less alone after this one! 🩵 3:00 — Dena’s chaotic morning: new rug panic, running late, and acupuncture magic 7:02 — Big-girl-bed update: four-hour bedtimes and parenting patience 9:50 — Alicia’s park story 13:05 — Sweet young boys, supermarket manners, and hope for future generations 20:54 — Weaning off breastfeeding and the emotional side of letting go 23:56 — Privacy? Never heard of her: toilet boundaries and toddler logic 26:16 — Teaching updates and exciting things we can’t talk about yet 29:12 — Chiropractic disaster story and the most mortifying adjustment ever 31:04 — Dreamwork homework: gratitude, self-love, resilience, and journaling Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/homework: Gratitude check-in — Write down two things you’re grateful for each morning! Self-love practice — Name two things you love about yourself every day for two weeks. End-of-day pride list — Before bed, write two things you’re proud of yourself for that day, even if one is just “I got through it.” Life Bloom Journal — A guided journal with prompts for gratitude, self-love, pride, and daily reflection. Fluffi freckle pen — A cute little beauty rec for quick, natural-looking freckles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  3. 16 June

    We Blind React To The Latest Pop Culture Moments (KATSEYE, Euphoria, Taylor Swift, Robert Irwin, and More)

    Pop culture class is in session dAlings… and please remember, your two favourite girls are not qualified 😅🩵 Dena is DEEP into podcast-listening research mode 🎧, Alicia is the MOST active member of busy gal club 💅 and somehow together they cover everything from Euphoria and Toy Story 5 to Robert Irwin at the Logies, Legally Blonde, KATSEYE, the Kardashian boyfriend universe, and more 👀 It’s giving group chat energy but with microphones 🎙️ The girls are guessing, reacting, spiralling, manifesting invites, defending their favourite shows, and absolutely promising nothing is properly fact checked. Which, honestly… is kind of the whole point 😂 Take a seat, relax, get cosy, and come spill some hot tea with us ☕ You guys are the best dAlings!!! 🩵 0:44 — Welcome to pop culture — we don’t fact check 2:00 — Euphoria finale spoilers: Rue, Nate Jacobs, and chaos 5:09 — Taylor Swift & Toy Story 5 6:56 — Robert Irwin is hosting The Logies and the girls want an invite 10:10 — Anne Hathaway, facelift rumours, and the slicked-back hair trick 11:38 — Off Campus rewatch and Heated Rivalry winning big 13:03 — Dena’s KATSEYE obsession and why Alicia needs to watch Pop Star Academy 16:01 — Legally Blonde prequel: Elle Woods is back 18:02 — The Wentworth spin-off 20:17 — Kim Kardashian, Lewis Hamilton, and the Kardashian boyfriend group chat 👀 24:19 — Wrap-up: gossip, no fact checking, and loving the silly era Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Pop Star Academy — Dena’s main homework for Alicia. Global girl group training, K-pop energy, Dance Academy vibes on crack. KATSEYE behind-the-scenes Coachella video — For anyone already in their KATSEYE era or ready to become obsessed. Heated Rivalry — The girls haven’t watched yet, but the hype is officially noted. Legally Blonde: Elle — Add the prequel series to the watch list because Reese Witherspoon being involved makes it feel promising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  4. 9 June

    Why I finally let myself go away without my daughter: solo travel mum edition | Life Lately

    We missed you dAlings and honestly… we have SO much to catch up on 🥹 Alicia's first solo trip to Townsville was everything her soul needed: incredible people, deep conversations, and a moment on that sailboat we will not be getting over any time soon 🥹 Dena meanwhile had one of the hardest weeks she's had in a while, said a bittersweet goodbye to Twerk After Werk, and dealt with a toddler who packed an entire suitcase to move into mum and dad's room!!! Oh and they are both DEEP in their Off Campus era and one of them may have already DM'd Garrett Graham!?!? No further questions. Love you SO much dAlings 🩵 2:05 — Dena's update: feeling better, back at school and a secret campaign shoot 6:07 — Alicia's Townsville trip! 13:57 — Magnetic Island, a sailboat and the smallest world moment 18:30 — Reflecting on the Harrison James episode and child safety 24:25 — Isla's scary night: 000 and staying calm under pressure 32:14 — The nasal rinse that saved winter and a PSA for Melbourne cold season 39:00 — The au pair's 30th birthday and why she has become family 43:38 — Maya's big girl bed: the packed suitcase, the 4am standoff and she finally got it 50:18 — Twerk After Werk closes: the end of an era and why it was the right call 54:27 — Rainbow unicorn birthday planning, Kmart haul and the new IKEA furniture 57:58 — Off Campus, Garrett Graham and the DM we are not discussing further 1:02:30 — Recs/Homework: Monte bag, Friends Keep Secrets and Jetstar deals Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Monty Bag — Australian small business, Mary Poppins energy. Friends Keep Secrets — Lil Dicky and Selena Gomez messing around in a house with celebrities. So funny!! Nasal Rinse — Non-medicated and genuinely miraculous for winter colds. Jetstar — Genuinely cheaper, genuinely great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 2min

  5. 3 June

    Midnight Hospital Runs, Missing Flights & Manifesting on Cleo Massey's Live Pod | Life Lately

    It’s Life Lately and this week the nervous systems are… not thriving 😅🩵 Dena is feeling low, overwhelmed, and behind on life in that very real way where even replying to messages feels like a full-time job. Alicia is also coming down from a scary health moment with Isla that had her back in protective mum mode and running on pure adrenaline. Somehow though, the episode still finds its sparkle 🥹 We talk Sydney, The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere, travel chaos, the most beautiful Pass Around The Smile live show, and all the ways rejection can secretly be redirection. Plus Mother’s Day, manifestation, vision boards, savage toddlers, book chat, beauty recs, and maybe a tiny little Life Academy live show dream being planted 👀 This one is soft, messy, magical, and very much for anyone who needs to feel less alone this week 🩵 This episode is brought to you by Protect-A-Bed: https://protectabed.com.au/ 1:19 — Dena’s low battery era: feeling flat, sore, and overwhelmed 4:32 — Alicia’s scary late-night mum moment with Isla’s breathing 9:12 — Running on adrenaline: health anxiety, nervous systems, and the crash after stress 13:25 — Sydney chaos: The Devil Wears Prada premiere and one very angry man 24:47 — Rejection as redirection: agents, auditions, breakups, and career pivots 32:02 — Dance Academy dreams, acting paths, and “God was listening” moments 34:13 — Vision boards, Bali manifestations, and dreams that actually came true 37:34 — Mother’s Day: sweet moments, savage toddlers, and “do you love me?” chaos 44:07 — Book chat, beauty recs, and the girls’ latest little obsessions Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Pass Around The Smile — Cleo’s podcast, live show, oracle cards and journals. Vision boards — Dena’s manifestation homework. Sit down, make one, and actually let yourself dream a little. Elsie Silver books — Dena’s spicy romance book rec before the TV adaptation comes out. Breeze Balm BB Cream — Dena’s current everyday skin rec. Juicy, buildable, and very glowy. MCoBeauty lip/cheek tint — Alicia’s Benetint-style rec! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    49 min

  6. 29 May

    Off-Campus, Some Of Our Hardest Days And Favourite Finds | Life Lately

    Cuteness alert!! Teddy is taking over the studio today 🐶🩵 This week we’re launching a brand new monthly segment: Favourite Four 💌 aka the four things we’ve been obsessing over and aggressively sending to each other all month long. And trust us… this lineup is GOOD. We’re talking the chicest dog products from Mochi and Michi (Teddy is now booked and busy as their newest ambassador 🐶), a skincare find from Serasilk that genuinely shocked us, the most gorgeous pieces from Francesca Jewellery, and the unexpected fashion era Kmart is currently having that we cannot stop talking about. Basically prepare to leave this episode wanting to do some retail therapy 💅🏼 Todays’ episode gets a little vulnerable 🤍 We chat mental health, chronic pain flare ups, relationship tension and why postpartum depression still isn’t talked about enough. Naturally in true us fashion we switch gears to DEVOURING Off Campus, Brett Goldstein's new movie with J-Lo?? 👀, and the wild moral dilemma of Margo's Got Money Troubles. Chaotic, warm and very very us. Love you dAlings SO much 1:00 — Dena opens up: mental health struggles & chronic pain flare ups 7:35 — Tension in relationships and what chronic illness really does to a relationship 17:45 — Real chat about post natal depression 23:49 — Dena’s show obsession: Off Campus & the hottest cast 26:07 — Brett Goldstein manifested a rom com with J.Lo & we are OBSESSED 32:20 — Margo’s Got Money Troubles: Elle Fanning, OnlyFans & what would YOU do? 35:28 — Book club chat & why we need one on the Facebook group 38:25 — FAVOURITE FOUR LAUNCHES! Inner Healing matching mum & daughter jewellery 41:55 — Mochi and Michi: Teddy models the harness, poop stash & stunning dog bowls 47:10 — Seresilk: the exfoliator that genuinely shocked us both 50:30 — Francesca Jewellery: the locket with Alex & Maya inside 53:10 — Kmart: the slay era neither of us saw coming! Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Recs/Homework: Mochi and Michi — Australian made, female owned dog brand. Harness, collar, poop stash & stunning bowls. Use code LIFEACADEMY20 for 20% off https://mochiandmichi.com/ Seresilk — The pure silk exfoliating cocoon that makes zero sense but leaves your skin unreal. 100% biodegradable, sensitive skin approved, lasts 2 years https://seresilk.com.au/ Francesca Jewellery — Custom lockets with your favourite people’s photos inside. The most beautiful gift you can give or ask for Kmart — $14 dresses. $59 trenches. Bomber jackets. Need we say more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 1min

  7. 26 May

    Losing His Daughter, His Childhood And Nearly His Life | Harrison James

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains topics which may be distressing to some viewers. “There is no happy ending. But there is a hopeful ending.” - Harrison James. This is one of those episodes that stays with you long after it ends 💙 Harrison James is a survivor, an activist, and one of the most extraordinary humans to ever walk into the Life Academy world. Abused by his stepmother from ages 13 to 16 😔 Forced into silence for years. Brought to his knees at 19. And yet, he took every single piece of that pain and turned it into real, tangible, legislative change 🙏 Today, he’s passed laws in four Australian states. He’s written a book. He’s about to become a father again. And he sat down with Alicia to share ALL of it: the abuse, the silence, the legislation, the healing, and what it actually means to transform pain into purpose. This is not an easy listen. But it is an essential one. Please share this with someone in your world who needs to hear it 💙 We are so grateful Harrison trusted us with his story. 🚨 If you, or someone you know, is in need of support, please contact LifeLine on 13 11 14 or visit Beyond Blue at http://www.beyondblue.org.au. 📱 For emergency crisis support, call 000 1:47 — Where it all began — Harrison opens up about his childhood 😔 4:12 — His father saw what was happening and said nothing 7:20 — The conversation with his mum in the passenger seat of a car 🥹 24:50 — "I didn't want to be here anymore" — the plan, the dream, and the decision that saved his life 29:38 — The "Your Reference Isn't Relevant" campaign — changing how courts treat convicted offenders 34:33 — Four states down, four to go — what real change looks like 🇦🇺 40:49 — Writing the book — and the toll it took to tell the whole truth 48:23 — Meeting Bella on Instagram, a first date in Italy & choosing peace 🥹 58:30 — The numbers that can't be ignored — and why silence is the real epidemic 1:06:55 — What's next: choosing contentment over the fight 💙 1:13:19 — Dreamwork: Healing Through Unsent Letters — Harrison's exercise from Chapter 1 Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 22min

  8. 20 May

    Dance Academy Cast Rewatch S1E5 | We Need To Talk About These Looks 😭

    You know what time it is… it’s REWATCH time babyyyy 🎭💅 This episode had EVERYTHING — chaos opinions about the opening credits (still tragic 💀), deep dives into Jewish cultural pressure and academic expectations, and some really honest, personal storytelling from Dena about growing up in that environment. We also get some amazing behind-the-scenes tea about bringing Tom and Jeff into a real Shabbat experience 🕯️🍷, Patrick continuing to be outrageously talented on screen, and Kat & Christian serving chemistry that honestly should’ve come with a warning label 🔥 Plus lots of nostalgia, confusion (because why don’t we remember our own show?), and plenty of laughing at ourselves the whole way through 😂 If you’re rewatching with us or just here for the stories, we love you heaps 💛 1:00 - Dena’s "Unnecessary" Hate for the Opening Credits 3:29 - Growing up Jewish: The Pressure to be a Doctor or Lawyer 7:02 - Behind the Scenes: Taking Tom & Jeff to Synagogue 9:16 - Christian at the Cemetery (Alicia is watching this blind!) 11:15 - Sammy’s Dad & The Perfect Hebrew Prayers 14:44 - The "Sexy" Chemistry Between Kat & Christian 16:11 - Alicia’s First Ever Scene & "White Purple" Lips 20:15 - Alicia’s Comfort Watch & Depression Era 22:09 - Why Episode 5 was "Boring" Without Abigail and Kat Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/lifeacademythepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeacademythepodcast Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/957273649851434/ Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAcademyThePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min
See All (71)

4.7
out of 5
152 Ratings

About

On screen frenemies to real life besties, so of course we started a podcast! Stay tuned for your weekly questionable life lessons from Dena Amy Kaplan and Alicia Banit. Class is in session!

Information

  • Creator
    Alicia Banit & Dena Kaplan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit

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