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. 1 day ago

    Taylor Swift Has A Thousand Wedding Guests & NOT ONE Photo Has Leaked?! | Pop Culture

    Pop culture is giving us absolutely no peace this week, dAlings 🍿 We’re back with another wildly unqualified catch-up featuring unexpected celeb pairings, relationship updates, Taylor Swift theories, a little Off Campus chaos and an Anne Hathaway performance that has Dena rethinking EVERYTHING. There’s also some heavier news in the mix, plus a few very random detours because obviously we cannot stay on topic. Drop the pop culture story we absolutely HAVE to talk about next week 🩵 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 1:07 Belmont Cameli + Martha Stewart in the most random ad pairing 2:37 New Harry Potter casting & the J.K. Rowling controversy 5:39 Kim Kardashian & Lewis Hamilton go public 7:50 The sad celebrity news dominating the week 12:36 Postpartum mental health & the Lindsay Clancy case 16:16 Travis Scott’s surprise role in The Odyssey 17:29 Our latest Taylor Swift wedding photo theory 18:43 Alicia on why she still can’t watch the Logies 19:38 Moulin Rouge! is coming back to Australia 21:02 Nicole Kidman’s undercover Ibiza raving era 22:55 Anne Hathaway’s HUGE year & Mother Mary 26:15 Final pop culture thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 6 days ago

    Why I Finally Admitted I'm Struggling with Body Image | Life Lately

    We’re grateful for our bodies… but some days, loving them is really bloody hard 😭 This week gets a little more honest than usual, dAlings. Dena opens up about cancelling a Sydney photoshoot because her body confidence had hit such a low point, and we talk about that awful space where you can know all the “right” things about body positivity, gratitude and self-love… and still look in the mirror and feel completely disconnected from yourself. We also get into Alicia’s own insecurities around ageing and her face, why raising daughters makes all of this feel even more important, and how we’re trying to model self-compassion without pretending we’ve magically figured it all out. Plus, there’s a very sweet friendship moment, toddler updates, beauty recs and some classic Life Academy chaos to balance out the heavier stuff. Tell us what helps you feel more like yourself again on the hard body-image days, dAlings 🩵🩵 3:04 Therapy, nervous-system overload & finally letting it all out 6:21 Toddler survival mode is slowly easing 8:24 A surprise gift & a very sweet bestie moment 13:21 The honest body-confidence conversation 19:49 When someone telling you “you’re beautiful” isn’t enough 26:35 Grieving the body and identity you used to have 31:12 Why inclusive sizing still has such a long way to go 37:43 Trying not to pass body issues down to our daughters 45:50 Why self-compassion has to be modelled, not just taught 51:19 Raising kind girls who can also stand up for themselves 57:18 Recs/Homework Recs/Homework Dermal lip balm — Alicia’s new replacement for her much-missed discontinued Blistex... Morphe setting spray — Dena’s current favourite for keeping makeup in place without killing the finish. Full blood work — Dena’s homework after discovering a significant B12 deficiency that may have been contributing to fatigue and brain fog. 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: Dermal lip balm — Alicia’s new replacement for her much-missed discontinued Blistex... Morphe setting spray — Dena’s current favourite for keeping makeup in place without killing the finish. Full blood work — Dena’s homework after discovering a significant B12 deficiency that may have been contributing to fatigue and brain fog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 11 Aug

    Dance Academy Cast Rewatch S1E7 | The Crushes Were MESSIER Than We Remembered

    Dance Academy, but make it IMAX… because we’re watching it WITH you 🩵🩵 We’re watching Season 1, Episode 7 together and there is SO much going on. Bad-on-purpose hip-hop, Kat and Tara being an absolute crush disaster, Sammy quietly falling for Abigail, and enough early-2010s wardrobe choices to keep us emotionally occupied for the full episode. We also spill some very random memories from filming — old auditions, dancers we’d worked with before the show, the Sydney location we still miss, and the absolute nightmare of trying to dance, hit your mark, stay in time AND act at the same time. Honestly… we forgot how much was packed into this show 🍿 Same episode. Whole new experience. Welcome to the live watch special dAlings🩵 0:50 Dena on deliberately dancing badly as Abigail 6:02 The Dance Academy location we still can’t get over 7:46 Tim trying to dance 9:54 Kat enters + the audition story we still remember 12:50 “You’re the best dancer I know” 14:17 Kat, Sammy & the crush confusion gets messy 18:02 The hardest Dance Academy scenes to film 20:58 Cariba Heine: from mermaid to ballerina 23:29 Sammy tells Kat: “I love you… just not like that” 28:13 Sammy finally admits how he feels about Abigail 31:43 Proof Kat liked Christian first? 33:10 Our verdict on the first live rewatch 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

  4. 23 Jul

    UNFILTERED chats on dating apps, ghosting & bare minimum men | Life Lately

    We came for a cosy catch-up and somehow ended up fixing modern dating 😭 We’re talking school holidays, magical fairy days, friendship, burnout, trauma study, body pain and the daily chaos of looking after both toddlers and pets. There is also psychic baby news and a tiny daddy’s girl with absolutely no respect for personal boundaries. We also have a LOT to say about ghosting, dating apps, emotional unavailability and why the bare minimum is suddenly being treated like romance. Plus, paparazzi culture, misplaced justice and a very quick detour into Taylor Swift’s stadium wedding because apparently that is where peace lives now. Honestly… this one is cosy, chaotic and slightly furious. Love you dAlings 🩵 0:48 — School holiday magic, dinosaurs and the fairy era 5:49 — Girl trips, missing friends and the isolation of mum life 7:52 — Trauma training, lived experience and becoming a therapist 19:30 — Psychic baby predictions and another girl joining the family 23:03 — Winter date-night guilt and the three-hour bedtime routine 25:18 — Modern dating is dismal and why ghosting hurts so much 32:02 — Graffiti, crime and what society chooses to punish 34:19 — Prince Harry, paparazzi and the cost of public harassment 37:45 — Taylor Swift’s stadium wedding and iconic behaviour 40:57 — Creative freedom, brand micromanagement and trusting creators 42:39 — Recs, social media culls and The Self Retreat 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: Romyli jewellery — Personalised necklaces with initials and meaningful birthstones; a sweet gift without the scary jewellery price tag. Social media cull — Unfollow the accounts and brands that make you feel worse, then intentionally follow people who inspire, teach or make you laugh. The Brick — A phone-boundary tool to help break the automatic doom-scrolling habit. The Self Retreat — A one-day retreat for anyone who wants a proper reset without committing to the full three-day experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 1 Jul

    The Truth About Trauma, Dissociation & Why Your Body Remembers | Georgia Verry

    Sometimes healing is not just talking. Sometimes it’s learning to feel safe in your body again. In this episode, Alicia sits down with Georgia Verry about Conscious Combat Club, a Melbourne-based charity using trauma-informed martial arts to support women and gender-diverse people impacted by violence. They chat through gender-based violence, fight-flight-freeze responses, dissociation, breathwork, grounding, and why reconnecting with the body can be such a huge part of recovery 🌿 What makes this conversation so special is how practical it is. Georgia breaks down what actually happens before someone joins a class, how triggers and boundaries are handled, why choice matters so much, and how the team is building a space where people can move, pause, cry, rest, try again, and be supported through it all. This episode is honest, hopeful, and such a different way to think about healing. If this conversation speaks to you, please check out Conscious Combat Club, share their work, or donate if you’re able. Love you dAlings 🩵 1:18 — What Conscious Combat Club does and why it exists 4:59 — Why martial arts can help trauma recovery 5:28 — Traditional self-defence vs trauma-informed martial arts 12:27 — Dissociation, eating disorders, and reconnecting with the body 15:48 — Why breathwork does not work for everyone 19:51 — Building Conscious Combat Club and turning it into a charity 25:23 — Inside the trauma-informed gym and grounding room 29:50 — How to join Conscious Combat Club 32:23 — Why long-term access matters more than short-term programs 36:41 — The ten-year vision for Conscious Combat Club 45:48 — Pound and ground: the nervous system homework 48:26 — How to support Conscious Combat Club 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

  6. 16 Jun

    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

  7. 31 Mar

    The Emma “Memma” Watkins You Don’t Know: Life Behind The Wiggles Yellow Bow

    dAlings!! We have the most incredible guest on today and we are still freaking out 💜💜💜 Dr Emma Watkins is here – yes, THE Emma Wiggle, now Emma Memma – and honestly this woman is everything. She flew in to chat with us about her journey from Yellow Wiggle to PhD, creating Emma Memma with her deaf co-performer Elvin, and bringing Auslan to kids everywhere. We go DEEP – how she became a Wiggle (there was no audition!!!), doing her PhD while touring four shows a day six days a week (!!!), and now running her own children's entertainment company with her husband and sister. Plus she collabed with BLUEY?! We also have the most beautiful conversation about endometriosis, fertility, and pushing through pain as performers. This one is special. So much warmth, so much wisdom!!! 💕 1:00 Welcome Dr Emma Watkins – Dena's family connection & fangirling 7:00 How She Became The Yellow Wiggle – There was no audition!!! 10:00 The Wiggles Schedule – 4 shows a day, 6 days a week 14:00 Emma Memma Is Born – PhD research meets children's entertainment 20:00 The Bluey Collab – Dancing with Bingo and Bluey!!! 25:00 Endometriosis Journey – Surgery, pain, and speaking out 29:00 Fertility & Motherhood – An honest conversation about the future 34:00 Fame & Disguises – The wig that didn't work 😂 36:00 Emma's Mission – Making Auslan accessible for every family 39:00 Recs – Period undies, Soak House & Convo app Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/denaamy https://www.instagram.com/aliciabanit https://www.instagram.com/emmawatkinsofficial/ https://www.instagram.com/the.clinical.coach/ 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: Wunderthings Period Undies: Sleek, comfy, almost sexy – not like nappies! Dena's new obsession. Soak House Melbourne: Head spa, scalp massage, sensory experience – Alicia fell asleep it was that good. Convo App: Australia's first 24/7 on-demand sign language interpreting app – Emma's rec for businesses and families. Emma Memma Live: Get tickets at Live Nation or https://www.emmamemma.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 24 Mar

    Life lately: Bye Poo Era & Welcome Kinder Mum Friendship Era!

    Poo era who?! Welcome to the kinder mum friendship era!!! 💜 Alicia made a mum friend at drop off and squealed in her car about it – we're entering a new chapter darlings. She also MC'd her first wedding, and we need to chat about Crocs being poisonous??? Dena thinks Alex might propose on their 9am date (gut feeling activated), retreats have been chaotic, she's got a new acting agent, and we end up talking about why women read spicy books instead of watching porn. Such a big catch up energy this week!!! And we missed you guys so muchhhh 💕 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: Little Soles: Paediatrician-approved kids shoes that slip on like Crocs but aren't poisonous! Aussie brand, designed for busy little bodies. Gaia Detangler Spray: Natural, organic, magic in a bottle – brush through knotty toddler hair without the screaming. Benefit Benetint: The OG lip and cheek tint – chuck it on with no makeup and you don't look like a corpse at kinder drop off. Nature Time: Go pick fruit, sit in the garden, watch dogs at the park – we all need it right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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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
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit