High Five Hot Mess Podcast

High Five Hot Mess Podcast

The High Five Hot Mess Podcast is where we show up, glow up and inevitably spill something. Hosted by longtime friends and 30 year “we’re fine, everything’s fine” veterans Lisa and Lisa, this weekly show turns everyday chaos into connection through real life stories, pop culture commentary, product and experience reviews and listener submissions. If you’re out here juggling work, life, side hustles, family, therapy, hydration goals and the existential dread that hits at 3 a.m., welcome home. At its core, High Five Hot Mess is about finding the high five moments in life—the tiny wins, the off t

  1. 4d ago

    I Love My Life. Why Do I Want to Run Away from Home at 55?

    I had a go bag. Not a hurricane go bag. A leave-my-life go bag. For years, Lisa Wilson kept a secret "leave-my-life" bag at work...cash, a burner phone, extra clothes, and a plan to disappear if she ever needed to start over. The strange part? She wasn't trying to escape a bad life. She loved her husband. She loved her friends. She loved her job. So why did she still feel the need to have an exit strategy? In this episode of High Five Hot Mess, Lisa Wilson and Lisa Smith explore the difference between performing a life and actually living one. They talk about: ✅ The secret "go bag" that started a seven-month therapy conversation ✅ Feeling grateful for your life while still feeling disconnected from it ✅ Why so many people fantasize about running away, starting over, or living a completely different life ✅ The hobbies, dreams, and parts of ourselves that quietly disappear as responsibilities grow ✅ Being known only as "the capable one" ✅ Why "just because I'm good at it doesn't mean I want to do it" became the accidental theme of the episode ✅ Fantasy careers, floral shops, dance studios, cult leadership, and the lives we imagine we'd be living if nobody expected anything from us Most importantly, they ask a question many people secretly wonder: Are you living your life... or performing it? Question for the comments: What percentage of your life feels like living... and what percentage feels like performing? 🎙️ High Five Hot Mess is a comfort-comedy podcast about friendship, reinvention, happiness, modern life, and all the weird contradictions that come with being human. If you've ever looked around and thought: "Wait... how did I get here?" This episode is for you. ❤️ #HighFiveHotMess #Podcast #Midlife #Friendship #LifeTransitions #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth #WomenOver40 #GenX #ComfortComedy #Reinvention #MentalHealth #SelfDiscovery #PerformingALife #LivingYourLife

    40 min

  2. May 28

    Do People Who Say NO...Live Longer?

    Do people who say no actually live longer? This week Lisa and Lisa get into the emotional cost of always saying yes — and why so many women feel guilty setting boundaries, disappointing people, or putting themselves first. It starts with a study Lisa found claiming that people who resist outside pressure and act on their own terms may actually live longer. Which immediately sent both of them into a spiral about: • people pleasing • guilt • over-functioning • emotional exhaustion • and why women are so often taught that saying no makes them selfish They also talk about: • growing up in the 70s where “no” wasn’t really an option • why Lisa Smith says yes to almost everything • why Lisa Wilson absolutely does not • workplace pressure and career boundaries • friendship guilt • negotiating commitments instead of automatically saying yes • and whether constantly saying yes slowly disconnects us from ourselves This episode is not about becoming ruthless or cutting everyone off. It’s about figuring out where the line is between being kind… and disappearing yourself in the process. Mentioned in this episode: @mrsemmawalz Follow High Five Hot Mess everywhere: Instagram: @highfivehotmess YouTube: High Five Hot Mess Podcast

    41 min

  3. May 21

    We Hit Every Goal. Still Not Happy. Here's Why.

    You got the job. You hit the number. You built the life. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, you started wondering why you still feel tired, restless, or quietly empty. Turns out, that's not a personal failure. That's your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do. This week Lisa Wilson and Lisa Smith went down a happiness rabbit hole and found Yale professor Laurie Santos — whose class on the science of happiness is the most popular in Yale's history (and free online). What they discovered stopped her cold: our brains were not designed to choose happiness. They were designed to survive. And somewhere along the way, a lot of us confused productivity with happiness — and have been on the treadmill ever since. This week we get into: The happiness treadmill — why your brain keeps moving the goalposts no matter what you achieveWere we raised to earn happiness rather than just feel it?Why stillness feels uncomfortable — and what that says about how we grew upTwo Netflix shows proving we're not always great at choosing what's good for usThe Southern Ladies Council on Appropriateness and Manners — and why every woman needs a group that tells her the truthWhat did you think would make you happy — that didn't? New Here? High Five Hot Mess is a comfort-comedy podcast for everyone looking for a high five in this hot mess world. Two real friends with zero guru energy. Honest conversation and a lot of "wait, me too." Drop us a review if this episode felt like it was written for you — it genuinely helps people find us. Let's hang out! Find us: •       YouTube: @highfivehotmess •       Instagram: @highfivehotmess •       Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-five-hot-mess-podcast/id1883400763 •       Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1FJGMijJvEVb6TfE7p8KpG •       TikTok: @highfivehotmesspod •       Website: highfivehotmesspod.com

    37 min

  4. May 14

    How We’re Making Life Work Without Cutting Everything

    Tide Pods are $30. Gas is $5.50 a gallon. Streaming services somehow cost as much as cable now… and one of us is unemployed. So no — we’re not cutting everything. We’re making trades. In this episode of the High Five Hot Mess Podcast, we talk about the emotional math women are doing right now to keep life working without giving up every single thing that still brings joy. We talk about: ✋ cutting cable but keeping the trip ✋ making homemade laundry detergent ✋ grocery store sticker shock ✋ spin classes during unemployment ✋ subscriptions quietly draining money ✋ how Lisa used ChatGPT to audit the podcast subscriptions and save $500 ✋ why “intentional spending” looks different for everyone This isn’t financial advice. It’s two Gen X women trying to figure out modern life in real time — while still trying to find the high fives. Because maybe the answer isn’t cutting everything. Maybe it’s making better trades. 🎙️ High Five Hot Mess Podcast New episodes every Thursday.

    42 min

  5. May 7

    We Said We Were Fine… But We Weren’t | Recalibrate, Don’t Restart

    We’ve all said it: “I’m fine.” “I’m okay.” “It’s all good.” But what if we’re not? This week on High Five Hot Mess, Lisa Wilson and Lisa Smith talk about the quiet weight so many women carry—stress, family pressure, changing goals, health fallout, emotional overload, and the pressure to keep functioning while life piles on. From buffalo humps and burnout to honesty, boundaries, and redefining happiness, this is a real conversation about what happens when life gets heavy. Sometimes the answer isn’t starting over. Sometimes the answer is recalibrating. 🖐️ Listen / Watch High Five Hot Mess: 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/ 🎙️ Recorded at The Pod Place – Las Vegas, Nevada https://thepodplace.com/ If this episode felt like your life right now, share it with a friend who keeps saying she’s “fine.” Please follow, rate, review, comment, and subscribe. It helps more than you know.

    39 min

  6. Apr 30

    She Built a Handmade Business… Without Losing Herself|Marci Scharko of Turnrow Bath Body & Home

    What happens when you start with less than $50, two kids with sensitive skin, and a need for something that works? This week, Lisa from High Five Hot Mess, sits down with Marci Scharko, founder of Turnrow Bath Body & Home, to talk about building a handmade business from scratch, staying true to your values, and growing without losing the heart behind the brand. They talk about: • Starting a business with almost no money • Why scaling up isn’t always the answer • Handmade vs mass-produced products • The reality of running a small business • Burnout, self-doubt, and asking for help • The 50-pound wax disaster story • Why customers still matter more than automation • Building a life that fits you—not just your business If you’ve ever wanted to create something of your own but felt scared to start, this episode is for you. Connect with Marci / Turnrow Bath Body & Home: Website: https://turnrowbathbody.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turnrowbathbody/ Connect with High Five Hot Mess Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspodcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and share — it helps us grow more than you know. 🖐️

    40 min

  7. Apr 27 ·  Bonus

    They Quit Great Jobs, Pulled Their Kids from School & Hit the Road

    What happens when two successful parents in their 40s walk away from stable careers, pull their kids out of school, and spend two years living on the road? Hilary is back on High Five Hot Mess to tell the truth about long-term van/RV life with kids — and it’s not the filtered Instagram version. We talk about saving for years to make it happen, what people said when they announced it, homeschooling on the road, discovering their daughter’s dyslexia, marriage inside 300 square feet, campground showers, public laundromats, Arctic Ocean adventures, and what freedom actually costs. This episode is funny, honest, emotional, and full of the kind of reality nobody posts online. In this episode: Why they quit high-paying jobsSaving for years to chase one big dreamWhat family and friends really thoughtHomeschooling while traveling full-timeDiscovering dyslexia on the roadRV life expectations vs realityParenting inside a tiny spaceMarriage under pressureSwimming in the Arctic OceanLearning when to say yes—and when to say no If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like to leave the safe path and choose a different life, this one is for you. Listen / Watch Everywhere: YouTube: @highfivehotmesspodcast Apple Podcasts: High Five Hot Mess Spotify: High Five Hot Mess Podcast Instagram: @highfivehotmesspodcast

    1h 30m

  8. Apr 23

    What Happens When You Stop Playing It Safe and Start Saying Yes

    She was a fire dancer… a flight attendant… a CPA… and a mom. And somehow—none of it is random. In this episode of High Five Hot Mess, we sit down with Hilary, whose life completely breaks the idea that you’re supposed to pick one path and stick to it. From performing at circus festivals around the world… to navigating imposter syndrome… to rebuilding her identity more than once… This is a real conversation about what happens when your life doesn’t look anything like you expected—and why that might actually be the point. If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt behind, or wondered if you’re doing life “wrong”… this episode will hit. IN THIS EPISODE: • Fire dancer to CPA (yes, really) • Career change and non-linear life paths • Imposter syndrome in unexpected places • Circus performance and festival life • Confidence vs self-doubt across identities • Rebuilding after trust is broken • Small habits that impact mental health • Feeling lost vs being exactly where you need to be LISTEN / WATCH: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highfivehotmesspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ CONNECT WITH US: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highfivehotmesspod LISTENER QUESTION: Are you where you thought you’d be in life right now? FOLLOW THE SHOW: New full episodes every Thursday + bonus episodes every Monday. Hydrate. Unclench your jaw. Give someone a high five. #HighFiveHotMess #CareerPivot #ImposterSyndrome #LifePath #GenXPodcast

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The High Five Hot Mess Podcast is where we show up, glow up and inevitably spill something. Hosted by longtime friends and 30 year “we’re fine, everything’s fine” veterans Lisa and Lisa, this weekly show turns everyday chaos into connection through real life stories, pop culture commentary, product and experience reviews and listener submissions. If you’re out here juggling work, life, side hustles, family, therapy, hydration goals and the existential dread that hits at 3 a.m., welcome home. At its core, High Five Hot Mess is about finding the high five moments in life—the tiny wins, the off t

Information

  • Creator
    High Five Hot Mess Podcast
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 High Five Hot Mess Podcast
  • Show Website
    High Five Hot Mess Podcast

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