What's on Your Bookshelf?

What's On Your Bookshelf
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This is a life and leadership podcast where we live out loud the pages of books on our bookshelves. Hosted by Denise Russo, Sam Powell, and produced by Zach Elliott woyb.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    180 The Let Them Theory: The Truth No One Told You about Adult Friendships

    Why does making friends feel so much harder as an adult? In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo dive into Chapter 11 of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory: The Truth No One Told You about Adult Friendships. Remember when friendships just seemed to happen? You went to school together, played on the same team, or saw each other every day. Then adulthood happened. People moved, careers changed, families grew, and suddenly maintaining friendships required a whole lot more effort. This week, we’re exploring why that happens, what actually makes friendships work, and why sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is allow a friendship to change without feeling like we’ve lost something. In this episode we discuss: * Why adulthood brings a “great scattering” of friendships—and why so many of us feel unprepared for it. * The three invisible pillars of friendship: proximity, timing, and energy. * Why even the strongest friendships require flexibility as our lives and priorities change. * How to recognize when a friendship is worth investing more energy into—and when it’s okay to loosen your grip. * Why a friendship doesn’t have to last forever to have been incredibly meaningful. One Big Takeaway Friendships aren’t meant to stay exactly the same as our lives change. Let Them move through their own seasons, priorities, and experiences. Let Me invest in the relationships that matter, appreciate what we’ve shared, and give friendships room to evolve. Why This Episode Matters We often measure friendships by how frequently we talk, how often we see each other, or whether things still feel the way they used to. But adult friendships don’t operate under the same conditions they did when we were younger. Sometimes the distance grows. Sometimes the timing isn’t right. Sometimes the energy that brought two people together changes. And none of that automatically means something went wrong. Understanding what makes friendships work can help us become more intentional about the relationships we want to nurture—and more gracious about the ones that naturally change. A Question to Consider Is there a friendship you’ve been holding onto because of what it used to be, rather than appreciating it for what it is today? What might change if you allowed that relationship to look different without seeing it as a loss? Coming Next Next week, we continue exploring adult friendships with a question many of us have struggled with: Why do some friendships naturally fade? 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  2. Oct 14

    179 The Let Them Theory: How to Make Comparison Your Teacher

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with Chapter 10: How to Make Comparison Your Teacher. We all compare ourselves to other people. Their careers, their businesses, their accomplishments, their relationships, their success. But what if the problem isn’t that we compare?What if the problem is what we do with the comparison? This week, we explore how to turn jealousy into curiosity, someone else’s success into a roadmap, and the things we wish we had into actions we’re willing to take. In this episode we discuss: * Why comparison doesn’t have to make you feel behind—it can show you what’s possible. * How someone else’s success can become a roadmap rather than a reason to question your own progress. * Why we often admire the results without considering the sacrifices, habits, and work behind them. * The difference between wanting something and being willing to consistently do what it takes to pursue it. * How jealousy can reveal something important about what your future self wants. One Big Takeaway Someone else’s success can show you the way. But you still have to walk the path. Let Them accomplish what you’re dreaming about.Let Me learn from how they did it, decide what I’m willing to do, and start putting in the work. A Question to Consider Think about someone whose success makes you a little jealous. If you could ask them one question about how they got there, what would you want to know? And perhaps more importantly, what are you willing to start doing with the answer? Coming Next We’ve reached the halfway point of The Let Them Theory, and the next section takes us into a different kind of challenge: relationships. Next week, we’re talking about adult friendships — why they’re sometimes so difficult to build and maintain, and how letting people be who they are might help us create stronger, more fulfilling connections. One line that captures this episode: Don’t just admire the destination. Get curious about the road—and decide whether you’re willing to travel it. 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  3. Sep 30

    178 The Let Them Theory: Yes, Life Isn’t Fair

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory and tackle something almost all of us know we’re not supposed to do — but do anyway: Compare our lives to everyone else’s. From careers and businesses to kids, sports, relationships, and success, it’s incredibly easy to look around and wonder: Why are they farther ahead? Why did they get that opportunity? Am I falling behind? But what if comparison itself isn’t the problem? What if the question is how we use it? In this episode we discuss: * Why chronic comparison can turn someone else’s success into evidence that you’re somehow failing. * Why we’re often comparing someone else’s visible outcome to all the invisible work still happening in our own lives. * The difference between using comparison as torture and using it as a teacher. * How curiosity can change “Why do they have that?” into “What can I learn from how they got there?” * Why gratitude may be one of the simplest ways to interrupt the spiral when comparison starts stealing your joy. One Big Takeaway Someone else’s success doesn’t have to be evidence that you’re behind. It can be evidence that something is possible. Comparison becomes a lot more useful when you stop asking, “Why them and not me?” and start asking, “What can they teach me?” Why This Episode Matters We spend a lot of time looking at where other people are without seeing what it took for them to get there. We see the job, the business, the followers, the athlete, the opportunity, the outcome. We don’t see all the reps before it. And when we compare outcomes without understanding the process, it’s easy to create a story that everyone else is somehow farther ahead. Maybe the better move is to get curious about the process. A Question to Consider Think about someone you find yourself comparing your life to. What changes if, instead of using their success to measure yourself, you use it to learn something? Coming Next Next week, we stay with comparison—but turn toward its more useful side: How do you actually make comparison your teacher? Instead of letting someone else’s success make you feel worse about where you are, what if it could help show you where you want to go—and what you might need to do differently to get there? 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  4. Sep 23

    177 The Let Them Theory: The Right Decision Often Feels Wrong

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a chapter about a particularly difficult kind of courage: What do you do when you know the right decision... but making it still feels wrong? Sometimes it’s leaving a relationship. Sometimes it’s changing careers. Sometimes it’s walking away from a dream or identity that no longer fits. And sometimes the hardest part isn’t knowing what you need to do — it’s knowing your decision may disappoint or hurt someone you love. In this episode we discuss: * Why the “right” decision can be much easier to see from the outside than when you’re the person living through it. * The tension between living as your authentic self and living as the person someone else expects you to be. * Why avoiding a hard conversation or over-explaining your choices can become an attempt to manage someone else’s reaction. * How allowing someone to be disappointed can actually be an act of honesty, courage, and care. * Why confidence is ultimately self-trust—believing you can make the hard choice and handle what happens afterward. One Big Takeaway Sometimes the right decision doesn’t bring immediate relief. Sometimes it hurts. The courage is trusting yourself enough to do what’s right even when you can’t protect everyone — including yourself — from the feelings that come with it. Why This Episode Matters It’s tempting to use discomfort as evidence that we’re making the wrong choice. But sometimes discomfort is simply the price of honesty. You can disappoint someone and still love them. You can grieve what you’re leaving and still know you need to leave. And you can make the right decision while still wishing it didn’t hurt so much. A Question to Consider Is there something in your life you already know is true...but you’re avoiding acting on it because of how someone else might feel? Coming Next Next week, Sam and Denise turn to another uncomfortable part of being human: What do you do when life doesn’t feel fair? It’s a conversation about chronic comparison, the highlight-reel world of social media, and what happens when we look around and wonder, Why do they get that—and I don’t? 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  5. Sep 16

    176 The Let Them Theory: When Grown-Ups Throw Tantrums

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with a question that shows up everywhere—from the office to the sidelines to our closest relationships: What do you do when a grown-up throws a tantrum? The answer isn’t to manage their emotions for them. It’s learning to let other people have their reactions while getting much better at managing your own. In this episode we discuss: * Why guilt trips, outbursts, passive aggression, and other emotional reactions can quietly start dictating our choices. * The difference between compassionately allowing someone to feel their emotions and jumping in to rescue, fix, or smooth things over for them. * Why you can’t change another person—but you can decide what you’ll engage with, where you’ll set boundaries, and what you’ll say yes or no to. * The uncomfortable flip side of the conversation: What if sometimes you’re the grown-up throwing the tantrum? * How Sam’s Read → Reset → Respond™ framework creates space between feeling an emotion and reacting to it. One Big Takeaway You are allowed to let someone else be upset. And you’re allowed to feel upset yourself. The skill is learning that neither emotion has to dictate what you do next. A Question to Consider Think about a relationship where you regularly adjust yourself to avoid someone else’s reaction. What would you choose differently if managing their emotions wasn’t your responsibility? Coming Next Next week, Sam and Denise take on an even harder question:What happens when the right decision feels wrong? Because sometimes the choice that’s best for you can still hurt your heart, challenge a relationship, or require you to walk away from something familiar. 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  6. Aug 12

    175 The Let Them Theory: How to Love Difficult People

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo explore one of the most emotionally challenging chapters in Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory: How do you love difficult people — especially when they’re family? From parents and siblings to in-laws and blended families, this conversation dives into the tension between accepting people as they are and protecting your own well-being. It’s a chapter about grace, boundaries, expectations, and choosing peace without pretending the hurt isn’t real. In this episode we discuss: * Why the people closest to us often have the strongest opinions — and why those opinions can hurt the most. * The difference between understanding someone’s behavior and excusing it. * How leading with curiosity instead of unsolicited advice can transform relationships. * Why expectations often create disappointment, especially within families and across generations. * How to decide when to strengthen a relationship, create healthy boundaries, or lovingly let go. One Big Takeaway You can’t control how the people you love show up. But you can choose how you respond — and whether you continue carrying the weight of their opinions. Why This Episode Matters Family relationships are rarely simple. The people who know us best can also challenge us the most. This episode is a reminder that loving someone doesn’t require agreeing with them, and protecting your peace doesn’t require abandoning your values. A Question to Consider Is there someone in your life you’re hoping will become a different person... when what might actually bring you peace is accepting who they are today? What Stood Out Most One of the most powerful ideas from this chapter is that people can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves. That perspective doesn’t erase the pain — but it can create the compassion needed to stop carrying it. Coming Next Next week, Sam and Denise tackle another difficult reality: What do you do when someone else’s emotional reactions become your burden? It’s a conversation about emotional responsibility, boundaries, and learning not to carry feelings that don’t belong to you. 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  7. Aug 5

    174 The Let Them Theory: Let Them Think Bad Thoughts about You

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo unpack one of the most freeing — and uncomfortable — chapters of Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory: What if you stopped living your life around other people’s opinions? Whether it’s changing careers, raising your kids differently, making a bold life decision, or simply choosing a path that’s true to you, this conversation explores why fear of judgment often keeps us from living the life we actually want. In this episode we discuss: * Why other people’s opinions are often projections of their own fears, experiences, and limiting beliefs. * How worrying about judgment can quietly lead to self-rejection instead of self-confidence. * The difference between thoughtfully considering advice and allowing someone else’s opinion to direct your life. * Why trying to make everyone happy rarely works — and often leaves you disappointing yourself. * How living boldly means accepting that someone, somewhere, will always disagree with your choices. One Big Takeaway You can’t build a life you’re proud of if you’re constantly editing it for someone else’s approval. Why This Episode Matters Most of us don’t miss opportunities because we lack ability. We miss them because we spend too much time worrying about what other people might think. This episode is an invitation to stop giving away that kind of power. A Question to Consider Is there a decision you’ve been delaying... not because it’s wrong for you, but because you’re worried about how someone else will react? What Stood Out Most One of the most powerful ideas in this chapter is that trying to avoid disappointing everyone else often leads to disappointing yourself. And that’s a price far too many people pay for approval they’ll never fully earn. Coming Next Next week, Sam and Denise shift from fearing judgment to navigating relationships with the people closest to us. How do you love difficult people without losing yourself in the process? 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

  8. Jul 29

    173 The Let Them Theory: Let Them Stress You Out

    In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue through Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory with one of the book’s most practical chapters: How do you handle a job that’s stressing you out? Rather than focusing on changing your boss, your company, or your circumstances, this conversation explores the one thing you always have control over: your next move. In this episode we discuss: * Why work is one of the biggest sources of stress—and why your relationship with your job matters as much as the job itself. * The difference between waiting for your circumstances to change and deciding to change your response. * Why coaching, books, and mentors don’t change your life — you do. * The danger of staying stuck, waiting for the “perfect” decision instead of simply taking the next step. * How the “Let Them” mindset shifts your focus from what others should do to what you can do next. One Big Takeaway You may not control your current situation. But you always control your next move. And that next move is where your power lives. Why This Episode Matters Many people feel trapped by a difficult boss, a frustrating workplace, or a career that no longer fits. This episode is a reminder that while you can’t always change your circumstances overnight, you can always choose your response — and begin moving toward something better. A Question to Consider Where in your life have you been waiting...instead of choosing?What’s one small step you could take today that moves you forward? What Stood Out Most One of the most powerful ideas in this chapter is that being stuck is often a decision we don’t realize we’re making. Progress doesn’t require having every answer — it starts with making the next choice. Coming Next Next week, Sam and Denise tackle one of the hardest parts of the Let Them Theory: How do you let go when the opinions that hurt most come from the people you love? It’s a conversation about approval, relationships, and finding the courage to live your own life. 📖 Buy the book and come along on the adventure with us. We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you. How to reach us: Denise: LinkedIn | Substack | School of Thoughts LinkedIn Sam: LinkedIn | Substack | LeadtheGame’s Locker Room | Website Subscribe and Review on Apple and Spotify.Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit woyb.substack.com

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About

This is a life and leadership podcast where we live out loud the pages of books on our bookshelves. Hosted by Denise Russo, Sam Powell, and produced by Zach Elliott woyb.substack.com

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  • Creator
    What's On Your Bookshelf
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    188
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © What's On Your Bookshelf
  • Show Website
    What's on Your Bookshelf?