Two Millennials and Mom

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Welcome to “Two Millennials and Mom,” a podcast where generational perspectives collide in the most delightful way. Join Callie, Cole, and Mecca as this trio dives into a wide range of topics, from the latest headlines and cultural commentary to everyday quirks and the intriguing questions we all ponder—like “what’s your texting age?” and “does swearing make you smarter?” With a mix of humor, warmth, and the occasional gentle ribbing, “Two Millennials and Mom” offers a unique blend of insightful discussions and lighthearted moments. Whether you’re looking for a fresh perspective on current events, a good laugh, or just a cozy chat, this podcast is the perfect companion. Tune in and curl up with us as we navigate the complexities of this modern world, one episode at a time.

  1. HACE 1 D

    068: Nice Isn’t Kind: Being Nice Is Easy. Being Kind Is Work.

    Would you rather be known as nice or kind? It sounds like an easy question—until you sit with it. In this episode, Cole, Callie, and Mecca unpack why niceness and kindness are often confused, why niceness is socially rewarded, and why kindness is harder, heavier, and more meaningful. From online cruelty and boundary-setting to grief, addiction, gender expectations, and real-world examples of compassion, the trio explores how kindness requires intention, effort, and sometimes conflict—especially in today’s internet-fueled culture.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: The Question That Started It All: Nice or Kind? What sounds like a simple “would you rather” quickly turns complicated. The trio explores why most of us instinctively choose “kind”—but often default to “nice” in real life because it’s safer, smoother, and more socially rewarded. Defining the Difference: Comfort vs. Intention: Niceness is framed as polite, agreeable, and conflict-avoidant—often motivated by keeping the peace or maintaining approval. Kindness, on the other hand, is intentional and effortful. It may disrupt comfort in the short term, but it’s rooted in care, honesty, and long-term well-being. When Nice Enables Harm: Through examples like addiction, grief responses, and online hostility, the conversation examines how niceness can actually protect dysfunction. Kindness sometimes means setting boundaries, telling hard truths, or refusing to let behavior slide—even when it makes you look like the problem. The Internet Isn’t Nice… And Silence Isn’t Kind. Callie shares her Threads experience to illustrate how cruelty is often excused as “honesty.” The hosts unpack why refusing to absorb hostility quietly isn’t unkind—and how responding with boundaries rather than bitterness is a form of strength. The Generational and Gender Programming of ‘Be Nice’: Mecca reflects on how being nice—especially for women—was often equated with being good. The trio discusses how that conditioning can make boundary-setting feel wrong, even when it’s necessary. Kindness Has Weight. Kindness requires effort, empathy, and sometimes sacrifice. It’s not always warm or pleasant, and it doesn’t always feel good in the moment. But unlike niceness, it moves things forward. As Cole puts it, “Niceness buys a ticket to the show. Kindness invests in the theater.”   Memorable Quotes: "It's good to be likable for the people around you to like you, but it's great to have haters because that lets you know you're doing something right." – Cole “Kindness is much more active. Kindness requires more effort. And sometimes that effort is uncomfortable.” – Callie “I came from a generation, maybe more than a generation, that taught women to be nice, to be accommodating, and to do things for other people. And we found that that niceness didn't always serve us well.” – Mecca "Kindness isn't always nice." – Cole “Ignorance is not an excuse.” – Callie “Kindness doesn't just make other people feel good, it makes you feel more competent and connected.” – Mecca "Possible that an asteroid that a black hole opens up and an asteroid comes out of it and smokes the earth this afternoon." – Cole “It's okay to be nice sometimes, but it's not mandatory.” – Mecca “Saying please and thank you and having those manners, even with something as distant and unreal as an AI chatbot, still matters and helps me develop that habit to be consistent when I am talking to a human.” – Callie   Take a moment this week to notice when you’re choosing niceness to avoid discomfort—and when kindness might ask more of you. Ask yourself: Am I doing this to look good, or to do good? If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s navigating boundaries, conflict, or hard conversations right now.

    59 min

  2. 6 FEB

    067: Technology Overload: When the Tools Start Using Us

    Technology was supposed to make life easier. Faster. More efficient. Somewhere along the way, it quietly became exhausting.   In this episode, Cole, Callie, and Mecca unpack what technology overload actually looks like in everyday life. The constant notifications, fractured attention, cognitive overload, and the creeping sense that we’re always “on.” We explore how smartphones hijack our micro moments, why boredom feels unbearable now, and how this constant stimulation impacts critical thinking, relationships, and child development.   The conversation centers on a viral but surprisingly simple 10-day phone reset attributed to a Finnish teacher. It's not a ban on technology, but a way to restore intention and personal agency. The trio also wrestles with AI’s growing role in communication, especially for younger generations, and we ask what happens when discomfort, failure, and awkwardness get outsourced before we ever learn from them.   This isn’t an anti-technology episode. It’s a pro-awareness one.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: From Tool to Weight: Technology started as something meant to reduce friction and save time, but many of us now experience it as a constant mental load. The phone isn’t just present…it’s persistent, quietly demanding attention even when we don’t consciously choose it. Cognitive Overload & the Firehose Problem: Our brains have limits. Between nonstop news, social feeds, notifications, and AI-generated content, we’re asking our minds to process far more than they have evolved to handle and often without recovery time. The result isn’t more knowledge, but less clarity. Micro Moments Are Being Hijacked: Waiting in line. Walking down a hallway. Sitting in the car. These once-neutral pauses are now filled automatically with phone use. Those “micro moments” add up and historically, they've tended to be where reflection, creativity, and human connection used to live. Why This Isn’t About Willpower: The trio pushes back on the idea that phone overuse is a personal failure. These systems are engineered for attention capture. When design exploits human psychology, discipline alone isn’t a fair or effective solution. The 10-Day Finnish Phone Reset: A viral, research-backed approach focused on awareness rather than restriction: Name your intention before picking up your phone Pause for 10 seconds before unlocking Add distance (just 16–22 inches matters) No phones in transitions. The result? Fewer unlocks, less anxiety, better focus. All without banning apps or screens. Kids, Phones, and the Abyss of Information: With the average child receiving a smartphone around age 11, the group examines what it means to introduce unlimited information, constant comparison, and AI-assisted communication before critical thinking skills are fully developed. AI, Communication, and Emotional Training Wheels: AI isn’t just answering questions. It’s helping draft texts, manage conflict, and avoid discomfort. The concern isn’t just AI itself, but what happens when young people never practice failure, awkwardness, or emotional repair on their own.   Memorable Quotes: "You're reprogramming your brain to recognize technology as the tool it's supposed to be, not as just this constant fix." – Cole “We're missing the elements of connecting with other human beings because we're connected to our phones so much.” – Mecca “I'm concerned about Gen Z and definitely Gen Alpha. They don't know what silence is or looks like. It's always filled with something else.” – Callie "If AI is effectively helicopter parenting a generation through their hardest social moments, what happens to their cognitive and emotional development when the training wheels never come off?" – Cole “Where I grew up, back pockets had a Skoal can. Now it's an iPhone.” – Mecca “Moving phones 16 to 22 inches further away led to a 37 % drop in the number of pickups.” – Callie "The really dystopian view is that we just have a generation of little Sam Altman drones. And that's really scary." – Cole “You have that abyss of information that is interfering with every important fact that you need to know already.” – Mecca “Our brains can't focus on one thing for long enough to absorb it because we're pulled in a new direction all the time.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: Check out this quick read by BBC on Dunbar’s Number. Basically how our brains can only handle ~150 meaningful relationships, no matter how many followers we have. Makes the social media overload make a lot more sense. This Medium article breaks down how brands use ‘micro moments’ (waiting in line, boredom scrolling, etc.) to nudge us into buying things. Eye-opening once you notice it happening. Here's a NYT piece Mecca read on how kids are outsourcing hard social moments to AI instead of learning through failure, awkwardness, and conflict. Kind of unsettling, honestly. Callie mentioned a book called Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. Written by a former Wall Street Journal reporter who compares American parenting to French parenting and why French kids tend to have more independence and fewer behavioral issues. (affiliate link)   Try the 10-day phone reset this week. We dare you. Name your intention out loud before you unlock your phone. Wait 10 seconds before unlocking it. Put it farther away while you work/eat/do life. Skip defaulting to your phone in moments of transition. (Waiting. Anxiety. Boredom. Decision making. Moving.) We're not asking you to use technology less. But try out using it on purpose.   If this episode made you rethink your relationship with your phone, you're not alone. Share it with someone you’ve noticed scrolling right next to you. Then? Let us know how your efforts go. We're in this together, y'all.

    58 min

  3. 30 ENE

    066: The Social Spectrum We All Live Within: Observers, Initiators & Workhorses

    How do you enter a room? Do you watch first? Jump right in? Find something useful to do?   In this episode, Cole, Callie, and Mecca slide around the social interaction spectrum. Not introvert vs. extrovert, but the many different ways people connect, belong, and manage social risk. Using real-life stories (including grocery store oversharing, airplane seatmates, work parties, and childhood classrooms), the trio explores how observing, initiating, or serving as a “workhorse” are all valid strategies, each with different strengths, costs, and payoffs.   Their big takeaway: you’re probably not socially awkward. You’re just wired differently. And once you understand your own approach, you can stop wishing you were someone else and start using your strengths on purpose.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: It’s Not Introvert vs. Extrovert. It’s Much More Than That. The conversation reframes social behavior as when and how people engage: observing first, initiating early, or stepping in with a role. None of these are better or worse…just different. Observers Aren’t Anti-Social: Cole explains how watching, reading dynamics, and waiting for the right moment often gets mislabeled as being quiet or unsocial, when it’s actually a form of discernment and efficiency. Initiators Lower the Barrier to Connection: Callie talks about curiosity, compliments, and risking rejection to make fast connections. How she's quick to create momentum and help others feel seen, even if it sometimes leads to rejection or awkward moments. Purpose Creates Comfort: Mecca shares how having a task or role instantly changes her social comfort level, and how being useful often allows her to connect without becoming the center of attention. The Cost of Each Style: Fast connectors may make many more shallow connections while observers tend to build fewer but deeper ones. All while the workhorses are quietly the unsung heroes of society. Each approach comes with tradeoffs. Boundaries Are a Skill, Not a Personality Flaw: From grocery store encounters to workplace emails, the trio discusses how being “too nice” can invite unwanted interaction and how setting boundaries may require learning new tools, not changing who you are. Self-Awareness Is the Advantage: Knowing where you land on the spectrum helps you adapt your approach when the situation demands it without abandoning your core personality.   Memorable Quotes: "Sometimes you don't have to be polite and it works very well. There is no requirement to be polite to everyone." – Cole “Maybe you are exactly who you're supposed to be.” – Mecca “I am not advocating for violence against cats.” – Callie "I have RBF, especially walking through the grocery store." – Cole “Where are they at on the spectrum? What can I observe about what they're doing that will enlighten me of where they are and how can I meet them there?” – Mecca “[Not using babytalk is] the parenting version of 'dress for the job you want.'” – Callie "I am not a blower of smoke or a rainbows and unicorns kind of guy." – Cole “[Cole] has a, 'don't F me' vibe. I have that vibe too. A lot.” – Mecca “I'm six foot freaking tall. I should be intimidating at least a little bit!” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: This book explains SO much about why Callie says yes to conversations with strangers! Shonda Rhimes' Year of Yes is all about showing up, pushing past comfort zones, and how small social risks can totally change your life. We highly recommend the read. (affiliate link) If you’ve ever wondered why you interact the way you do with people, Cole found his results for this test to be a wild ride. CliftonStrengths basically puts language to how your brain works and why certain social situations feel easy or exhausting. This is really good news! The American Cancer Society shared research showing people are living about five years longer after a cancer diagnosis than they used to. Better treatments, earlier detection, real progress. Not only is it worth the read, it's worth celebrating.   Pay attention to how you enter rooms this week. Do you observe, initiate, or look for something useful to do? What does that approach give you…and what does it cost you? And how might a little awareness change the way you show up next time?   If this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s ever said, “I wish I was better with people.”

    1 h 17 min

  4. 23 ENE

    065: Why Travel Feels Different Now: Comfort, Cost & Curiosity

    Travel used to feel like a privilege. Now it often feels more like logistics. In this episode, Cole, Callie, and Mecca unpack how travel has changed across generations. Who gets access, how intention has shifted, and whether we’re traveling to engage, escape, or just to prove that we went. From pajama pants on planes to solo trips, van life, to road trips versus flights, and why Europeans can cross multiple countries in a weekend while Texans need snacks and a playlist just to leave the state, this conversation explores what travel says about modern day culture, class, comfort, and courage.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: When Travel Was a Privilege, Not a Convenience: Mecca reflects on growing up when flying was rare, intentional, and treated as a privilege. It was something you planned and prepared for. That mindset contrasts sharply with today’s more casual, frequent, and expectation-driven approach to travel. Access Has Changed…and So Have Assumptions: Callie explains how travel has always felt possible for her generation, even when it isn’t easy or cheap. We explore how access, technology, and independence have reshaped expectations and how that shift can make it easy to forget travel hasn’t always been this attainable. Why Are We Traveling, Really? Cole questions whether modern travel is about engagement or accumulation…experiences versus proof. From challenging hikes to curated trips, we unpack the difference between traveling to grow and traveling to collect moments, photos, or status. Comfort, Clothing, and How We Behave in Shared Spaces: A debate about pajama pants on planes turns into a broader discussion about how we dress affects how we act and therefore how we’re treated. The conversation touches on respect, self-awareness, and what we owe one another in shared public spaces. Economics, Fear, and the Shrinking World: Despite valuing travel highly, Americans are traveling internationally less due to rising costs, economic uncertainty, safety concerns, and global tension. We examine how money, media, and geopolitics shape not just where we go but whether we go at all. Road Trips vs. Flights and how Geography Shapes Perspective: Growing up in Texas means measuring distance in time, not miles. We're contrasting American road-trip culture with Europe’s ease of crossing borders, and how geography influences curiosity, patience, and cultural exposure. Travel as a Skill, a Choice, and a Trade-Off: From solo trips and van life to short-term rentals and remote work, we explore travel as a muscle you build over time. Freedom is powerful…but it comes with trade-offs around stability, safety, work, relationships, and long-term roots.   Memorable Quotes: "I don't really go on vacations for the luxury of where I'm staying. I go on vacations or travel to places because I want to see what those places have to offer." – Cole “I would have been a completely different person if I'd made that trip.” – Mecca “They thought I was weird. Well….byeeeee!” – Callie "If I'm walking around with a tie and a jacket on, I'm gonna carry myself differently than if I'm wearing pajama pants and slippers." – Cole “You could have two people, from the same place, walk in somewhere and be received totally different but just because of how they behaved.” – Mecca “This is why I'm not a dude.” – Callie "I'm not gonna go to Afghanistan and expect there to be a hamburger on every menu." – Cole “There wasn't a lot of, 'are we there yet,' kind of thing because we just knew we weren't there until we got there.” – Mecca “I need one and a half sentences out of my mouth and they already know that I'm not from here.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: The John Muir Trail is 200+ miles of ‘do this to test yourself, not to post about it’ travel. Cole’s kind of trip. This Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives map elite road-trip planning—pick your route based entirely on where Guy Fieri ate. Lambert’s Cafe in Ozark, Missouri literally throws rolls at you. Yes, on purpose. Mecca assured us it was worth the short stop. @KayleeAndrew has inspired Callie to take solo day trips. That she's still sleeping in her own bed that night is wildly inspiring and slightly unhinged—in the best way! @ToreysTreasures showed what month-to-month living in new cities actually looked like while she was working remotely during COVID—costs, chaos, and all. Some Like It Hot is a classic travel-by-train comedy and one of Callie’s all-time favorites. Plus it's Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. What could go wrong? Check out recent U.S. travel numbers: Americans take about 97% domestic trips versus only 3% international, with record outbound travel abroad and hundreds of millions of total trips each year—great context for how we move around. (U.S. Travel Assoc.)   How do you think about travel? Is it a luxury, a necessity, or a skill you’ve learned over time? Let us know especially if your answer has changed with age, money, or experience.

    1 h 25 min

  5. 16 ENE

    064: Family Fusions: How Time Changes the Way We Do Family

    This week’s episode is rooted in a weekend that stirred up more memory, belonging, and perspective than any of us were prepared for. After traveling several hours for the funeral of Cole and Callie’s great‑grandmother’s brother, we're reflecting on what it means to come from very large families — plus or minus a few from a baker's dozen siblings — while growing up in a much smaller, tighter immediate family.   Through stories of reunions, funerals, heirlooms, and unexpected connections, the conversation explores how family dynamics have shifted across generations. Cole and Callie reflect on how their generation often leans more heavily into chosen family — relationships built through proximity, shared values, and mutual care — especially after losing their grandparents nearly two decades ago. That absence has shaped how they understand belonging, continuity, and what it means to build family intentionally rather than simply inherit it.   Mecca offers a contrasting perspective, having had deep, active relationships with her grandparents well into adulthood. She reflects on the richness of sustained generational overlap and the sense of loss she feels knowing her children didn’t experience that same level of involvement. Together, we explore how the family tree may stay the same, but the culture, weight, and meaning we give to family (whether by blood or by choice) continues to enrich us even as it evolves.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: Big Families Then, Small Families Now: Both sides of the family came from households of 11–13 siblings — a level of built‑in community that shaped identity, responsibility, and belonging. Cole and Callie reflect on what it’s like to inherit that legacy while growing up without cousins, constant gatherings, or a large immediate circle. Belonging Without Catching Up: Cole shares how people he hadn’t seen since childhood immediately knew who he was and where he fit. No backstory required. The group discusses how recognition, rootedness, and shared history can persist even when time and distance intervene. Objects That Carry Stories: From wooden windmills to old photographs and family artifacts, Mecca reflects on how tangible items become vessels for memory. The conversation unpacks why some people hold tightly to physical reminders not necessarily for their value, but for the people and stories they represent. Genealogy vs. Family Culture: The family tree hasn’t changed, but the weight we give various branches has. The trio discusses how younger generations often know less about medical history, ancestry, and extended relatives not out of indifference, but because culture, mobility, and communication have shifted. Being Loved by Proxy: What does it mean to be accepted because someone loved your people? Mecca reflects on families who embrace you simply because of shared respect and history, while Callie explores how those inherited bonds feel different from relationships we actively build. What We Missed…and What We Gained: The episode holds space for both sides: the loss of built‑in cousins and constant gatherings, and the gain of intimacy, intentionality, and deep one‑on‑one relationships. Smaller families may lack volume, but not necessarily depth.   Memorable Quotes: "At that time, [in the Greatest] generation, you couldn't afford to not have that many kids and now you can't afford to have that many kids." – Cole “I worry that our photographs of our life are on our phones and not in our hands to go back to share with some kid of a later generation.” – Mecca “We can't be so stuck on the hamster wheel that is history and valuing that history that we can't build our own.” – Callie "We didn't have that inherited support structure. So we went out and built our own, and found our own." – Cole “Lord, if Facebook is my history, I'm screwed.” – Mecca “A pound of feathers and a pound of bricks is still a pound.” – Callie "I have lots of nieces and nephews that I am an uncle by buddyship." – Cole “What struck me most was how quickly the unfamiliar turned into something recognizable. And when we ended, we weren't strangers who had connected through a radio story. We were a family.” – Mecca “I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am incredibly blessed, lucky, grateful for the life experience that I have, for the family that I get to experience. I also know without a shadow of a doubt that not everybody out there has it as good as I do.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: Okay but The Family Stone is such a perfect watch if you’re thinking about family dynamics…messy, loving, complicated, chosen family energy, all of it. Somehow cozy and uncomfortable at the same time, in the best way. Callie referenced this Ethan Chlebowski video about how there are basically infinite spice combinations — meaning you can’t be an expert at all of them. She used it as a metaphor for family too: sometimes you’re less close to people who live nearby, and feel more connected to family who’s far away. Proximity doesn’t always equal closeness. Weird story: Mecca’s sister was listening to an NPR Christmas Eats segment, heard their very uncommon last name, and then the storyteller mentioned their aunt and uncle by name. Turned out to be a second cousin none of us knew existed. A random radio story turned into a real family connection!   If this episode made you think of a relative you haven’t talked to in a while…reach out. Ask a question. Request a story. Family history only survives if someone cares enough to carry it forward.

    1 h 13 min

  6. 9 ENE

    063: Pantless Ranch Energy?: Hypotheticals About Money, Power, and Purpose

    What would you do if you won half a billion bucks? Would you quit your job immediately, buy a red Ferrari, or quietly invest and keep working? And what if that money came with a catch…like an immortal snail determined to end you?   In this episode, we dive headfirst into some hypothetical questions that range from playful and absurd to deeply revealing. Along the way, we explore money, freedom, purpose, superpowers, time travel, education, legacy, and what really matters when everything (or almost nothing) is on the table.   Expect laughter, pantless ranches, moral philosophy, and a surprising amount of agreement about feeding people and not buying private jets.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: Winning the Lottery: What $500 Million Really Buys. The conversation kicks off with the classic hypothetical: winning $500 million. Rather than wild extravagance, all three focus on freedom, comfort, and security. From Mecca’s dream of a tall red vehicle, to Callie’s practical home-and-garden upgrades, to Cole’s vision of a Montana ranch. The discussion quickly reveals how values shape spending far more than the number on the check. Money, Freedom, and the Question of Work: The trio wrestles with whether they’d keep working after a massive windfall. Cole argues that true wealth is the ability to walk away immediately, while Mecca and Callie lean toward scaling back rather than quitting outright. Beneath the banter is a deeper conversation about purpose, identity, and why doing something meaningful still matters. Eccentric Billionaire Energy (a.k.a. The Pantless Ranch): As the hypotheticals loosen up, the episode veers into what wealth might quietly change — from Cole’s unapologetically pantless Montana ranch, to Callie’s love of bold color, art, and surprising aesthetics, to Mecca’s dream of gardeners, float-worthy pools, and collaborative outdoor spaces. The throughline: comfort and joy beat flash every time. Power With a Catch: The Snail of Destiny & Superpowers. When hypotheticals come with consequences…like an immortal snail that can kill you, or reality-altering superpowers…the hosts reveal their moral instincts. Everyone takes the money (and hires snail security), but approaches power differently: Callie helps when she stumbles into it, Mecca wants to open minds gently, and Cole positions himself as a selective, high-impact helper. Time Travel, Memory, and the Butterfly Effect: Faced with limited time travel, the trio avoids changing history and instead focuses on witnessing it. From MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech to the moon landing to the American Revolution, the discussion explores reverence for history and the fear that changing the past could unintentionally make the future worse. Scarcity Scenarios: Deserted Islands and Limited Time. Whether imagining ten years on a deserted island or only a year, month, or week left to live, priorities sharpen quickly. Family, creativity, music, food, and meaningful connection rise to the top, while prestige and productivity fall away. These hypotheticals become quiet mirrors for what already matters most. If Humanity Worked Together on One Thing. The episode closes on its most unifying idea: if the world could agree on one goal, it would be ending hunger. All three land on the belief that feeding people (with empathy and dignity) could fundamentally change everything else, from education to peace to progress.   Memorable Quotes: "if I could go back in the past and talk to the teenage me I'd say, 'focus more on math. Don't sleep through math class.'" – Cole “I'm not a fashion icon apparently in my son's mind.” – Mecca “I can't just sit here and eat bonbons on the porch all day with somebody peeling grapes and fanning me with a palm frond.” – Callie "I really want to sneak the word fuck into the Declaration of Independence." – Cole “There are men I don't want to be in their brains.” – Mecca “I don't need a private jet. It's a lot of maintenance and logistics that I just don't want to have to deal with.” – Callie "if you need my help, call me, but it better be for a good cause. Because I'll have to put pants on." – Cole “I'm not sure you can bring Elon home for dinner.” – Mecca “Baloney bedsheets? I'm out.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: ConversationStartersWorld.com has hundreds of hypothetical questions ranging from ‘What two animals would you like to switch the sounds they make?’ to ‘What would be your strategy for a zombie apocalypse?' We pulled a bunch from here and honestly could’ve done at least three more episodes!   Call to Action: If you had $500 million, a superpower, or a time machine…what would you do? Send us your favorite hypotheticals, share this episode with someone who loves a good ‘what if,’ and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss us getting weird again!

    1 h 34 min

  7. 2 ENE

    062: Booze, Boundaries, and the Social Contract: How Alcohol Became the Standard

    With the new year upon us, we're taking a clear-eyed, judgment-free look at alcohol. What role it plays in our lives, why it’s so socially embedded, and when it stops being helpful. From drinking as a social default and a lifestyle, to sobriety curiosity, mocktails, THC drinks, and generational shifts, this episode unpacks the fine line between enjoyment and harm. Along the way, the conversation tackles accountability, peer pressure, cultural normalization, and what we might need to relearn if alcohol weren’t at the center of so many social spaces. Plus: a drunk raccoon, animals that accidentally get buzzed, and a genuinely hopeful Good News story about prosthetics changing lives around the world.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: Alcohol as a Default, Not a Decision: We're talking how drinking has become the assumed backdrop for much of social life like something you’re expected to participate in unless you actively opt out. Callie shares how not drinking often requires explanation, while drinking rarely does, revealing how deeply alcohol is woven into our social scripts. Multiple Generations, Different Relationships with Booze: From Mecca’s occasional, intentional drinking, to Callie’s evolving boundaries, to Cole’s past experience with alcohol as a full-blown lifestyle, the conversation highlights how age, environment, and responsibility shape our relationship with alcohol differently and why no single narrative fits everyone. Social Lubricant or Slippery Slope? Alcohol can lower social anxiety and make connection easier, but the same qualities that loosen inhibitions can quickly erode judgment and accountability. We unpack how hard it can be (especially for some drinkers) to recognize when that line has been crossed. When Fun Turns Into a Punchline: From blackout stories and drunk alter egos to movies and memes that glamorize excess, we reflect on how harmful behavior has been normalized as comedy. We're questioning what gets lost when we laugh instead of asking why someone is drinking that much in the first place. Moderation, Accountability, and Knowing Your Line: The conversation returns repeatedly to the idea that moderation is highly personal and not equally accessible to everyone. Setting limits, being truly honest with yourself, and recognizing when abstaining is the healthier choice are framed as acts of responsibility, not weakness. Relearning Social Life Without Alcohol at the Center: Bars are easy gathering places because they lower barriers and create instant community, but they aren’t the only option. We wrestle with what social connection would look like if alcohol disappeared, and what skills we might need to relearn around creativity, vulnerability, and accountability. What We Gain by Drinking Less: Instead of framing sobriety or moderation as loss, we're reframing it as gain. Clearer mornings, safer choices, lower costs, and fewer regrets. We're encouraging listeners to reframe things and see reduced drinking not as deprivation, but as a different kind of freedom.   Memorable Quotes: "There is very much a spectrum between drinking for the effect and drinking for the flavor or the experience." – Cole “Can you not drink and still have fun?” – Mecca “We were experiencing [alcohol] and enjoying it as an art form, not as an escape.” – Callie "It is much slower going to develop friendships [outside of bars] because you don't have that substance breaking down the social barriers, lifting those inhibitions." – Cole “Is it really harder [to socialize without alcohol] or are we just not prone to think that way?” – Mecca “There's danger in [drinking in excess] that we have glamorized and made too much of a punchline that we need to be more cognizant of.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: In this episode of Diary of a CEO, Scott Galloway suggests alcohol works as a social lubricant and why that logic can be helpful, especially for younger people. Cocktail Kingdom Hospitality, founded by Greg Bohme, shows the craft side of drinking with tools, technique, and a culture that extends far beyond just getting drunk. In the movie Vacation Friends, the chaos is hilarious, but it also shows how booze-fueled behavior often gets treated like a punchline. The 'drunk raccoon breaks into a liquor store’ story is exactly as absurd as it sounds—pecan whiskey, a wrecked aisle, and a bathroom floor nap. Check out the pics if you've been living under a rock and missed them somehow! This CNN story covers Koalaa, a UK-based company, who is rethinking prosthetics to make them more affordable, adaptable, and accessible worldwide.   Call to Action: As we head into the new year, take a moment to reflect—without judgment of yourself or others—on what role alcohol plays in your life. Ask yourself what you’re gaining, what you might be avoiding, and what accountability looks like for you. And if you’re choosing not to drink, support others who do the same. Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is allow people to be honest.

    1 h 6 min

  8. 26/12/2025

    061: Reaching the Top Shelf & Slaying Dragons: What Community Looks Like Today

    Community is one of those words everyone uses but rarely defines. In this episode, Cole, Callie, and Mecca talk about what community is actually for, how it’s changed over time, and what we’ve gained (and lost) as community has shifted from something inherited to something chosen. From farming neighbors and church retreats to Reddit threads and Uber Eats soup, we’re exploring obligation, accountability, loneliness, generational differences, and whether modern communities are built to last….or optimized to exit.   10,000-Foot View of this Episode: Community Was Built for Care, Not Comfort: Historically, community existed to meet real needs like food, childcare, illness, survival, and norm-setting. It wasn’t just to make people feel good. We explore how shifting away from obligation and accountability has changed what community even means today. From Inherited Communities to Chosen Ones: Earlier generations were embedded in communities by geography and necessity; today, we curate them based on values, interests, and alignment. That freedom is empowering, but it also raises questions about durability, responsibility, and what happens when participation becomes optional. Low Exit Costs Change Everything: When leaving a community is easy, commitment becomes more fragile. We unpack how modern communities are often optimized for exit rather than repair, and whether something essential is lost when disagreement becomes a reason to leave instead of work through. Digital Community Counts…But It Does Different Work: Callie and Cole agree that online or long-distance communities can provide real care, knowledge-sharing, and emotional support, but they don’t replace every function of physical proximity. Not all communities are meant to show up in the same ways, and expecting them to can set everyone up for disappointment. Community Shifts Across the Life Cycle: Callie breaks down how community ebbs and flows based on timing and needs within one’s lifespan. In early life, community helps us shape identity and experimentation; in midlife, it becomes about coordination and shared responsibility; then, later in life, it’s about continuity, care, and interdependence. We discuss how community need (and definitions) evolve as quickly as life does. Loneliness, Participation, and Personal Responsibility: We wrestle with whether today’s loneliness epidemic is primarily structural or self-imposed and what role participation, vulnerability, and reciprocity play. Community can’t exist if people only show up when it benefits them. There’s Always a Cost. Even to Belonging. Time, emotional regulation, conflict management, and care are the price of admission. We land on the idea that community is not something you consume—it’s something you contribute to, even when it’s inconvenient. You get out of it what you put into it.   Memorable Quotes: "A Reddit forum with a hundred thousand people in it is much different than a party of four who goes and slays dragons together on the weekend. It's not the same." – Cole “If you are anticipating participating in a community there are trade-offs. You can't do that alone. You have to do that with in conjunction with somebody and there has to be a like thought there to some degree.” – Mecca “As Millennials, we don't know anything about stability. We have lived in the most tumultuous timeline of chaos, at all of these very inopportune moments and times, in our lives that has shaped the way that we address life, much less our community.” – Callie "I don't think you can expect to garner the advantages of community without putting in the effort yourself to participate." – Cole “[Gen Z] is not getting MacGyver, they're going to Google it. Google's going to give them an answer of some kind.” – Mecca “I don't relate to lots of things about somebody who would consider themselves MAGA, but they still like to eat hamburgers and I make a pretty mean one. And I would be glad to feed them, as long as they're not gonna be assholes.” – Callie "'That person over there only eats vegetables. Well, we're meat eaters. So they're stupid. Nothing they say can be valid.'" – Cole “Community isn't something you feel just in good moments, but something that you practice through consistency and intentionality, and that the payoff can be relationships that truly outlast time itself.” – Mecca “Part of community requires a vulnerability that we, as a culture, have kind of put on the back burner.” – Callie   Resources Mentioned: Do you wonder why people feel lonelier, trust each other less, and stop showing up? Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone connects the dots between fading community ties and everything from health to democracy. Give it a read…it’s more unsettling than it sounds. (affiliate link) Check out Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. He’s a French outsider in the 1800s who clocks something Americans didn’t see in themselves: we solve problems by forming groups. It’s wild how much of what he noticed still holds true and explains us today. Callie and Mecca just started HBO’s The Newsroom. It’s a lens into truth, disagreement, and what happens when institutions try to serve the public instead of chasing outrage. We’re hooked. Check out these women who met in their “Group” for over 44 years for a beautiful look at a real-life chosen community: a group of women who’ve met weekly since the ’80s, navigated marriages, kids, losses, and life together. It’s like a masterclass in community longevity.   Community shows up not just in who we rely on, but in the assumptions we carry…often without realizing it. So we leave you with our Weird Thought from this episode:   You find out the plane you’re on is going down. They ask if anyone knows how to land it. Two people stand up—a man and a woman—both say they can. Who do you choose?   Share your answer with us. We want to know why you chose who you did.   If this episode stirred something for you (about trust, belonging, or the kind of community you’re building) share it with someone you’d actually have this conversation with, and tell us what you decided.

    1 h 32 min
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Welcome to “Two Millennials and Mom,” a podcast where generational perspectives collide in the most delightful way. Join Callie, Cole, and Mecca as this trio dives into a wide range of topics, from the latest headlines and cultural commentary to everyday quirks and the intriguing questions we all ponder—like “what’s your texting age?” and “does swearing make you smarter?” With a mix of humor, warmth, and the occasional gentle ribbing, “Two Millennials and Mom” offers a unique blend of insightful discussions and lighthearted moments. Whether you’re looking for a fresh perspective on current events, a good laugh, or just a cozy chat, this podcast is the perfect companion. Tune in and curl up with us as we navigate the complexities of this modern world, one episode at a time.

Ficha técnica

  • Creado por
    tmampod
  • Años en activo
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodios
    69
  • Clasificación
    Explícito
  • Derechos de autor
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Sitio web del podcast
    Two Millennials and Mom