Living Understaffed

Living Understaffed

"Living Understaffed," hosted by two empowered and witty women, offers candid discussions on the challenges faced by millennial women. From dissecting office politics to navigating modern relationships, the show shares unfiltered stories and diverse book recommendations, all served with sarcasm. Tune in for genuine conversations embracing the complexities of being a millennial woman. Laugh, learn, and liberate your thoughts with humor and sass.

  1. 55 - Side Quests, Spartan Women & "Say My Name Again"

    JAN 21

    55 - Side Quests, Spartan Women & "Say My Name Again"

    Welcome back to Living Understaffed, where time isn’t real, everyone is dehydrated, and productivity is mostly a rumor. This week, Sarah & Erika are joined by indie author Eisley Rose for round two of beautiful chaos, and somehow we cover all of this in one episode: 🧠 ADHD side quests (cleaning one thing turns into reorganizing your entire life) ✈️ Planes, trains, automobiles, and storage units that cost more than rent 🍞 Sourdough starters with old-lady names 🐕 Dogs eating sweatpants and surviving purely on vibes 📚 Writing dystopian, action-packed, feminist-rage-fueled books that actually make you feel something Eisley walks us through her Glitched series, a genre-bending dystopian saga featuring modern-day Spartans, secret civilizations, revenge arcs, mythology, romance, rage, and women who absolutely do not wait to be rescued. We talk writing process, rejection, self-publishing, playlists for fight scenes, accidental kink leaks, and why “say my name again” is the line. 🔥 Also discussed: • Why writer’s block is fake (for Eisley, at least) • Third-person POV supremacy • Emotional damage as a literary device • Men who want to be called “good boy” (unprompted) • Why being direct isn’t being mean • Darkness, light, and absolutely no compliment sandwiches This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt understaffed, overstimulated, underestimated, or one minor inconvenience away from becoming a vigilante. Listen now before we reorganize something unnecessarily and forget what we were doing in the first place. 💅📖🚨 Affiliate Shoutouts Because Capitalism Still Exists: If you enjoyed this episode and want to support the pod without emotionally overextending yourself, check out our affiliates in the show notes. 🎧💸 Grab a $15 Instacart credit for your first order (because grocery stores are a sensory nightmare), stock up on things that make life easier, and help us keep the lights on, the mics hot, and Erika marginally hydrated. As always, using our links helps support Living Understaffed at no extra cost to you—and we appreciate you more than our unfinished to-do lists appreciate us. ❤️ LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod Are you interested in the Good Boy Special???? Check out our Linktree for more information. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    1h 22m
  2. 54 - Goals, Grief & Getting Our Shit (Mostly) Together

    JAN 1

    54 - Goals, Grief & Getting Our Shit (Mostly) Together

    Here we go—Season 3 energy, fully unhinged, lightly reflective, and extremely on-brand. 🥂🎉 🎆 Happy New Year, you beautiful under- and over-achievers. 🎆 Living Understaffed is ready, baby—Season 3 starts NOW with Sarah & Erika doing what they do best: existing loudly, being wildly unprepared, and accidentally having deep conversations while absolutely not sticking to the plan. Episode 54 kicks off 2026 with the girls recording together in Alabama (yes, really), fresh off antique treasure hunts, Barnes & Noble chaos, travel trauma, lost luggage grief, and one extremely unfortunate suitcase incident that involved missing journals, emotional damage, and—somehow—penises. So. Many. Penises. 🧳✈️💀 Why???? What starts as a casual New Year catch-up quickly spirals into: Goal setting (eventually… like 54 minutes in)What success actually looks like after two years of podcastingBeing confident while also admitting we don’t know what the hell we’re doingMental health, feminism, careers, kids (or not having them), and why anxiety is basically a personality traitFriendship > content creation (but also… pls like, share, and subscribe)Proof that “understaffed” is not a phase—it’s a lifestyle This episode is part reflection, part chaos, part heartfelt reset—and a reminder that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be real. We’re not experts, we’re just honest, tired, and still showing up. And honestly? That’s the vibe for 2026. 🥂 New year. 🎙️ New season. 🔥 Same understaffed nonsense. Welcome to Season 3. We missed you. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    1h 22m
  3. 12/24/2025

    53 - Leadership, Loneliness & Learning to Rest

    This week on Living Understaffed, Sarah & Erika sit down with Alan Mueller for a conversation that somehow manages to be inspiring, grounding, and still wildly unhinged (our brand). We’re talking burnout, leadership, community, hustle culture lies, and why rest is actually productive—even when your brain says otherwise. 😵‍💫 Alan shares how improv comedy intersects with leadership, adaptability, and executive presence, plus real-life lessons from solopreneur life that make building something of your own feel a little less terrifying. Honestly? He made Sarah’s many side hustles feel possible instead of daunting—and for that alone, we are grateful. 🙌 🎤 Also worth the hype: Alan’s TED Talk is a must-watch if you’re into leadership, presence, and not losing your soul to work. Truly inspiring human behavior. 📘 Get his NEW book: Improv Comedy and the Art of Leadership by Dr. Alan Mueller ✨ Want more Alan? Visit Adaptive Challenge Consulting to check out his services and work. [www.adaptivechallengeconsulting.com] Check out his socials also for the Etsy shop and travel agent biz. Listen... we're here for the hustle. ✨ Want more us? Head to our Linktree for all the things—including a $15 Instacart coupon for your first order, because feeding yourself matters. 🛒 [https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod] Huge thanks to Alan for the inspiration, the wisdom, and the reminder that we might actually be doing okay. 🎧🔥 Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    1h 15m
  4. 52 - Sunstones, Swamp Witches & Stories That Slap

    12/10/2025

    52 - Sunstones, Swamp Witches & Stories That Slap

    Featuring: Indie author Trisha Otis of Daughter of Broken Light Today’s episode arrives sizzling like a sunstone dropped straight out of the sky and into your group chat. 🔥💬 Sarah is still in her Moving Era™ (a saga sponsored by stubbed toes and college boys who load trucks like Jenga). Erika is beefing with ID cards, printers, and her caffeine addiction. And Trisha? She pulled up ready to unleash her villain origin story with the finesse of a fantasy heroine who definitely has a dagger tucked somewhere. ⚡📖 Once we settle into the chaos, we dive into Trisha’s debut novel Daughter of Broken Light, where magic, mayhem, and emotional ruin dance together like they paid extra for VIP admission. Also… the amulet? The amulet. We are Not Okay. 🗝️🔥 Inside this episode: ✨ How a stolen sunstone sends an entire kingdom into meltdown ✨ The secret truth that her MMC is her husband in book-boyfriend form (collective gasp) ✨ Her lifelong dream of writing fantasy finally taking flight ✨ D&D character sheets, worldbuilding spirals, and swamp lore we enthusiastically endorse ✨ Her upcoming surgery and why she may sit at Lit & Libations like a politely wounded Victorian ✨ The audacity of Reddit giving her a FAKE one-star review (justice will be served) Plus: 🐶 A tender tribute to Raiku, the dog who shaped her story more than he knew 🐈‍⬛ Cameo chaos from Maggie and Elrond 🧹 Erika and Sarah being written into Book 2 as cannibal swamp witch coven leaders (the honor of all honors) If you love fantasy, friendship, chaos, and indie authors who drop stories that slap, this episode is your new comfort listen. Grab the book: https://a.co/d/gDBCdAQ Then come scream with us about Eldren, the ball scene, and the spicy enchanted accessories we will not emotionally recover from. 😭✨ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod #LivingUnderstaffed #PodcastChaos #IndieAuthor #DaughterOfBrokenLight #FantasyReaders #SunstonesAndSwampWitches #TrishaOtis #LivingUnderstaffedPodcast #IndiePod #IndiePodcast #Fantasy #Amulet #bookboyfriend Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    1h 10m
  5. 51 - Self-Awareness, Sobriety & Soft Lips

    11/12/2025

    51 - Self-Awareness, Sobriety & Soft Lips

    🚨 Trigger Warning: This episode contains candid discussions of drug use, addiction, alcoholism, and sobriety. Please listen with care and step away if you need to. ❤️ It’s a Living Understaffed reunion episode — and yes, Daddy Kol (forever known as such) is back in the chaos seat. Sarah and Erika catch up with him on life, loss, laughter, and his incredible seven-month journey of sobriety. Sarah’s free from the woods, but her webcam didn’t get the memo. 🎥🚫 Erika and Daddy Kol carry the chaos while Sarah’s voice floats in from the void. Between laughs, near-tears, and one very unfiltered sobriety journey, this episode reminds us that growth is messy—and sometimes blurry. From near-death experiences and heart attacks to parent-teacher conferences and shark vacuums, Kol gets real about turning his life around — all while roasting his own hair, collecting compliments, and demanding a T-shirt that says “Soft Lips & Nine Toes.” This one has it all: 🌀 Chaos (obviously) 🧠 Deep conversations about recovery and purpose 💅 Sarcastic commentary from your favorite duo 😂 Way too much talk about vacuums and Subaru lesbians ❤️ Proof that healing, humor, and heart can absolutely coexist So grab your coffee (or coin), press play, and join us for an episode that’s both unfiltered and unforgettable. 🎧 Living Understaffed with Sarah & Erika — where chaos meets compassion, one Daddy Kol at a time. 🔗 All links & chaos here: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod #LivingUnderstaffed #SobrietyJourney #AddictionAwareness #DaddyKolForever #PodcastChaos Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    1h 13m
  6. 50 - Costumes, Chaos & Champagne-Fueled Milestones

    11/08/2025

    50 - Costumes, Chaos & Champagne-Fueled Milestones

    FIFTY. FREAKING. EPISODES. 🥂✨ Somehow, Sarah and Erika (yes, with a K, thank you very much) have survived nearly two years of caffeine dependency, questionable decisions, and Wi-Fi issues to make it here — Episode 50! 🎉 Sure, it was supposed to drop Wednesday alongside Episode 49 with Madison Chase, but as usual, we’re a day late and a dollar short. ⏰💸 Because chaos? It’s our love language. But today? Today’s special. Because not only are we celebrating 50 episodes of Living Understaffed… it’s also the Lit & Libations: Great Gatsby Edition in Kansas City! 🥂💃✨ And yes — Sarah is absolutely f*ing showing up in costume.** Pearls? Feathers? Champagne in a travel mug? Don’t worry about it. Tune in as we get real about two years of podcasting, long-distance friendship, emotional growth(ish), and how we’re somehow still not rich but definitely funnier. Also featuring: Dolores the dramatic plant, married men who still don’t get it, and the mutual realization that we might just be thriving through the chaos. 🎧 Listen now and come toast our 50th with us — flapper dress optional, sarcasm required. 👉 Affiliates & chaos management tools: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod #LivingUnderstaffed #GreatGatsby #PodcastChaos #LitAndLibations #DayLateDollarShort #LivingUnderstaffedPodcast #podast #indiepod #indiepodcas #KCBookBeat #KCBB #KansasCity #KansasCityMO Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    58 min
  7. 48 - Milkshakes, Misogyny & Men Who Miss the Point

    10/15/2025

    48 - Milkshakes, Misogyny & Men Who Miss the Point

    Did Erika miss her ADHD evaluation by an hour and a half? Absolutely. Did she also forget what day it was? Also yes. Welcome to another week of Living Understaffed, the podcast where chaos has a punch card, the reward is emotional damage (with a side of bagels and apricot jam) and the everlasting question of if our milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, is it even worth it? 🥯✨ This week, your favorite hot mess duo unpacks Logan Ury’s “How to Not Die Alone” — a dating book that hurts their feelings in the most educational way possible. From dissecting dating types (Romanticizers, Maximizers, Hesitators 👀) to ranting about men who think “friends with benefits” means “free therapy,” Erika and Sarah are on one. Other highlights include: 🧺 The emotional trauma of folding fitted sheets. 🐶 Erika’s ironclad rule: only reply to exes who text dog pics. 💔 The “pool” of dating being a full-blown swamp, and yes, Sarah is Fiona. 🚐 The dream van that’s one disco ball away from a true-crime podcast episode. 📚 A chaotic love letter to Lit & Libations (booth 21 + 22, come see us!) 📍 Co-Op at Shoal Creek — 6816 N Church Rd #101, Pleasant Valley, MO 64068 📅 November 8, 2025 🕰 6 PM – 9 PM (VIP Early Entry: 4:30 PM) Also featuring spirit fingers, caffeine dependency confessions, and the mutual realization that maybe they just need therapy and a nap. 😅 Don't forget to join our discord and check out all the badass things on our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod 🎧 Listen now before one of them joins a Facebook group for “men who only own fleece blankets.” #LivingUnderstaffed #DatingFails #FittedSheetWars #HowToNotDieAlone #PodcastChaos Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/living-understaffed/donations

    48 min
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

"Living Understaffed," hosted by two empowered and witty women, offers candid discussions on the challenges faced by millennial women. From dissecting office politics to navigating modern relationships, the show shares unfiltered stories and diverse book recommendations, all served with sarcasm. Tune in for genuine conversations embracing the complexities of being a millennial woman. Laugh, learn, and liberate your thoughts with humor and sass.