NDA: No D*cks Allowed

Amanda Kochirka & Elizabeth Cippola
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Self-Improvement

Most NDAs keep people quiet. Ours does the opposite. On this podcast, NDA stands for No D*cks Allowed — not men, but the behaviors that keep women small. Each episode explores the patterns women experience in work and life, and the moments when they decide they’re done shrinking and ready to rise.

  1. 2d ago

    When Friendship Turns Toxic

    Send us Fan Mail We talk a lot about toxic romantic relationships, but toxic friendships can be harder to recognize, especially when there’s history, loyalty, and genuinely good memories mixed in. In this episode, we’re talking about the friendships that leave you second-guessing yourself, editing your joy, explaining away behavior that doesn’t sit right, and feeling guilty for setting boundaries. We dig into the red flags we tend to minimize, what happens when a friend makes you pay for saying no, and why a long history with someone doesn’t automatically mean they still deserve access to you. We also talk about what it actually looks like to step back from or end a friendship, why closure doesn’t require mutual agreement, and how to sit with the fact that someone may misunderstand or misrepresent your decision. Because usually the hardest part isn’t realizing the friendship has changed, it’s giving yourself permission to leave. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  2. Sep 8

    Permission to Want

    Send us Fan Mail Women are taught to care about other people. But somewhere along the way, many of us also learned that our own wants and preferences are not enough. We feel pressure to justify why we want something, and just as often, why we don’t.  Saying yes feels easier when we can explain how it benefits someone else. Saying no feels more acceptable when we can prove how we've earned it, how we're needed somewhere else, or otherwise have a reason that sounds sufficiently legitimate. In this episode, we talk about the pressure to justify our choices, soften our boundaries, manage other people’s disappointment, and make our decisions easier for everyone else to accept all in the name of avoiding the accusation of being selfish. We unpack where that pattern comes from, how it shows up in everyday life, and why someone else being inconvenienced, disappointed, or unhappy does not automatically mean you made the wrong choice. Sometimes the reason really is just: I want to. Or I don’t want to. And that's enough. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  3. Sep 1

    The Noise in Your Body

    Send us Fan Mail TW: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, disordered eating, body image, weight, dieting, and exercise-related behaviors. Listener discretion is advised.  We spend an enormous amount of time thinking about our bodies: how they look, what we eat, whether we have exercised enough, what other people might be noticing, and what we should be doing differently. In this episode, we’re joined by eating disorder and body image therapist Brittany Manchester, LMHC-D, PMH-C, CYT, to talk about where that constant body noise comes from, how early we learn it, and what it costs us. We unpack the messages women absorb about food, weight, movement, and appearance, why exercise so often becomes punishment or repayment, and how body monitoring can quietly take over our attention, choices, relationships, and enjoyment of our lives. Most importantly, Brittany shares practical ways to begin building a more compassionate relationship with your body, your movement, and the space you allow these thoughts to occupy. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  4. Aug 25

    Honesty as a Weapon

    Send us Fan Mail There’s a difference between being honest and using honesty as cover for cruelty. In this episode, we unpack the kind of “honesty” that shows up as unsolicited criticism, backhanded comments, judgment disguised as concern, and the familiar excuse: I’m just being honest. We talk about why this behavior shows up so often between women, how insecurity, competition, resentment, and personal history can sit underneath it, and what it does to trust, confidence, and psychological safety. We also get into what healthier honesty actually sounds like: addressing behavior instead of attacking identity, separating preference from fact, and being willing to say what is really underneath the criticism. Because sometimes the most honest thing you can say has nothing to do with the other person’s choices, personality, or behavior. Sometimes it’s about what their presence is bringing up in you. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  5. Aug 18

    Prepared for Everything, Safe from Nothing

    Send us Fan Mail We like to think being prepared means being safe. If we anticipate every possibility, make the backup plans for the backup plans, manage the details, read the room, stay useful, and keep everything moving, maybe nothing can catch us off guard. But control is often less about the outcome and more about the feelings we are trying to avoid. In this episode, we unpack the different ways control shows up, from over-preparing and over-functioning to managing other people’s reactions, silencing ourselves, and taking responsibility for things that aren't ours. We also talk about where those patterns can come from, why they can feel so protective, and what it looks like to shift from trying to prevent every possible problem to trusting ourselves to handle what happens next. Because being prepared can be useful. But when preparation becomes the only way we know how to feel safe, it can leave us exhausted, isolated, and carrying far more than we need to. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  6. Aug 11

    Not Wrong, Just Different

    Send us Fan Mail Type A is treated as the standard for what responsible, prepared, and successful should look like. When someone operates differently, their process is frequently mistaken for disorganization, procrastination, or a lack of commitment. In this episode, Elizabeth talks honestly about what it feels like to be a Type B person in a world that does not always understand or appreciate her way of working. We explore time optimism, flexibility, structure, trust, and the tension that can surface when different operating styles depend on one another. We also unpack the assumptions placed on women who do not fit the expected mold of always being organized, early, and in control. Different ways of working can still be effective, but making those differences work requires self-awareness, communication, and a willingness to stop treating one style as the only right one. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  7. Aug 4

    When Feelings Become Facts

    Send us Fan Mail Content note: This episode includes a detailed account involving a firearm and a perceived threat of gun violence. Listener discretion is advised. Self-doubt is not always proof that we are unqualified. Sometimes it points to a real opportunity to learn, prepare, or grow. Other times, it's old criticism, conditioning, and fear that we view through a self-created filter as objective truth. In this episode, we challenge the way imposter syndrome is often discussed and examine why so many women are quick to question their competence, minimize their accomplishments, and treat uncertainty as evidence that they do not belong. We explore how to separate useful self-doubt from the stories that keep us small and why confidence is built through evidence, not empty reassurance. Because the answer is not to stop questioning ourselves. It's to get better at questioning our questions. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

  8. Jul 28

    The Competence Curse

    Send us Fan Mail You're the one everyone depends on. The one who always steps up, solves the problem, picks up the slack, remembers the details, and gets things done. Those qualities make you incredibly valuable. But they can also become the very things that keep you stuck. In this episode, we unpack what Amanda calls the competence curse: the pattern where women become known for their reliability and execution, only to find themselves overlooked for opportunities to lead, influence, and grow. But this pattern doesn't just show up at work. It shows up in our friendships, our families, our relationships, and even in the expectations we place on ourselves. The more capable we become, the more people come to rely on us, until solving everyone else's problems starts to feel like part of our identity. Together, we explore why so many women learn to equate their "place" in life and work with being indispensable, how that mindset quietly reinforces itself over time, and what it takes to stop being seen as the person who fixes everything and start creating space for yourself, and the people around you, to grow. Because competence shouldn't be a cage, it should be the foundation upon which you build your next chapter. Thank you for listening to NDA! If this episode made you think, challenged a perspective, or helped you recognize a pattern in yourself, consider sharing it with someone else who might need the conversation. You can connect with us on Instagram at @nda_pod, where we continue the discussion between episodes. Until next time, notice the pattern. Then decide what happens next.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Most NDAs keep people quiet. Ours does the opposite. On this podcast, NDA stands for No D*cks Allowed — not men, but the behaviors that keep women small. Each episode explores the patterns women experience in work and life, and the moments when they decide they’re done shrinking and ready to rise.

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Kochirka & Elizabeth Cippola
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 NDA: No D*cks Allowed
  • Show Website
    NDA: No D*cks Allowed

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