Mic'd Up & Unfiltered with Kristine & Amy

Kristine Barnes and Amy Dabbelt
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Two women navigating life, health, relationships, home, and business—out loud. We’ve lived a lot of life, and we’re still figuring plenty of it out. We talk about the things we’re experiencing, questioning, learning, unlearning, and changing our minds about—with honesty, curiosity, humor, and two perspectives that don’t always match. No pretending we have it all figured out. Just real conversations about being human and trying to live a life that feels good, means something, and actually works for you.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 33: When Your Kids Need You Less: Motherhood, Mom Guilt & What Comes Next

    We spend years teaching our kids to be independent. So why does it hurt when they actually are? This week on Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Amy and Kristine talk about the strange tug of war between being proud of your kids and missing how much they used to need you. Amy opens up about approaching an empty nest after 36 years of raising children, the quiet moments that catch her off guard, and wondering who she wants to be in this next chapter. They also get into mom guilt, parenting your younger kids differently than your first, and dreaming about the future with your spouse when you haven’t even figured out this weekend. There are detours into sleepless nights, college life, and the questionable things we survived growing up. Because apparently, becoming more independent is an adjustment for the moms, too.

  2. Oct 5

    Episode 32: Friendship, Getting Older & a Cruise Gone Wrong

    A racerback sports bra on backward. A first cruise that might also be the last. And the friends who make life a little lighter. This week on Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Amy and Kristine catch up on a rough cruise, the surprises of getting older, and the different kinds of friends we need in our lives. From the friend who tells you the truth in the fitting room to the one you can call when everything goes sideways, they talk about feeling connected and how much a good conversation can fill your cup. There are a few detours, plenty of laughs, and a reminder that sometimes, time with a friend is exactly what you need.

  3. Sep 28

    Episode 31: She Doesn’t Like Me | Comparison, Envy & the Stories We Tell Ourselves — Part 2

    How often have you convinced yourself that someone doesn’t like you, is judging you, or has something you don’t, without actually knowing what they’re thinking? In Part 2 of their conversation about judgment and empathy, Amy and Kristine explore envy, comparison, and the stories we create inside our own heads. They talk about parenting children who need love in different ways, misinterpreting text messages, feeling lonely even when we enjoy being alone, and how social media gives us tiny snapshots that rarely tell the whole story. They also ask an important question: When comparison starts stealing your joy, how do you interrupt the story you’ve already convinced yourself is true? It’s a funny, honest conversation about insecurity, connection, vulnerability, and learning to see life through a lens other than our own.

  4. Sep 21

    Episode 30: Am I a Bad Person for Not Feeling Sad? | Empathy, Judgment & Understanding Pain

    What happens when someone is hurting—or grieving—and you just… don’t feel what you think you’re supposed to feel? Does that make you a bad person? And can you truly understand someone’s pain if you’ve never experienced what they’re going through? In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Amy and Kristine dig into the messy space between sympathy, empathy, compassion, and judgment. From losing beloved pets and parents to complicated grief, generational trauma, and breaking cycles, they explore how our own experiences shape the way we connect with—and sometimes judge—other people. It’s an honest conversation about finding empathy even when someone’s story looks nothing like your own, recognizing familiar feelings inside unfamiliar circumstances, and learning that understanding someone’s pain doesn’t mean excusing the behavior that caused it.

  5. Sep 14

    Episode 29: If You Really Knew Me, Would You Still Like Me? Vulnerability, Shame & Being Seen

    What’s the difference between being vulnerable and simply oversharing? And why can saying “I need help” feel so much harder than pretending we have it all together? In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Amy and Kristine talk honestly about vulnerability, shame, and the fear hiding beneath both: If people really knew me, would they still like me? They explore the difference between guilt and shame, the pressure created by picture-perfect social media, and the quiet shame women carry around motherhood, business, aging, relationships, asking for help, and never feeling like they’re doing enough. Kristine & Amy dig into why vulnerability can create connection, what happens when we share with someone who isn’t ready to receive it, and how honesty helps other people realize they aren’t alone. It’s honest, funny, a little messy, and a reminder that vulnerability isn’t weakness. Sometimes it’s the bravest way we can show up.

  6. Sep 6

    Episode 28: You Reap What You Sow: Raising an Entrepreneurial Mindset

    What if entrepreneurship is an opportunity available to far more people than realize it? This week, Amy and Kristine are joined by their friend Suzanne Holt, one of only four Norwex Silver Senior Vice Presidents in the world. Suzanne started her business from home when her boys were just 3 and 6. Today, she leads a team of approximately 11,000 people — and has raised two sons with entrepreneurial minds of their own. Together, they talk about what it really means to work for yourself: the freedom, the responsibility, the self-motivation, and the work ethic it takes to build something from the ground up. Because entrepreneurship isn’t reserved for people who grew up knowing it was an option. The opportunity may be there for more of us than we realize — what we do with it is another story. And, naturally, the conversation takes a few unfiltered detours along the way. 😂 At the end of the day, whether it’s business, parenting, or life, you reap what you sow.

  7. Aug 31

    Episode 27: RV Life, Family & Finding Freedom with Kara Amaloot

    What happens when a family of six packs up their life, moves into a 39-foot travel trailer, and spends 10 months exploring North America? This week, Amy & Kristine sit down with their friend Kara Ameloot — aka Clean with Kara — for a hilarious and honest look at RV life with four kids. From homeschooling and ferry ramps to Florida storms, roadside potty breaks, running a business from the road, and six people sharing one VERY small space… Kara has stories. And underneath the adventure is a story about marriage, anxiety, sobriety, simplifying life, and what can happen when you step outside of everything familiar. Learn more about Thousand Trails: https://thousandtrails.com/memberships

  8. Aug 24

    Episode 26: When No Doesn’t Feel Safe: Consent, Abuse & Learning to Trust Yourself Again

    What happens when you’ve been taught to be polite, question your instincts, or believe someone else’s wants matter more than your own boundaries? Picking up where last week’s conversation about alcohol left off, Amy and Kristine go much deeper this week—into consent, vulnerability, abusive relationships, workplace harassment, predators, and the complicated reasons we don’t always recognize danger or leave when we know something isn’t right. Kristine shares parts of her story that she has rarely spoken about publicly, including experiences that shaped the way she understood relationships, boundaries, safety, and her own self-worth. She also shares the moment she knew something had to change—and what it took to begin choosing a different life for herself. This conversation isn’t about asking, “Why didn’t you just leave?” or “Why didn’t you say no?” It’s about understanding what can happen to a person’s sense of self over time. How boundaries get blurred. How manipulation works. Why we sometimes explain away the feeling in our gut. And what consent actually looks like. Amy and Kristine also talk about what comes after: rebuilding trust in yourself, teaching our children that their bodies and voices belong to them, recognizing red flags, and imagining who you could become on the other side of fear, addiction, abuse, or trauma. This one is deep, personal, and vulnerable. It’s also about finding your fire again, learning to trust yourself, and believing you were made for more. Content note: This episode includes personal discussions of domestic abuse, sexual assault, drug-facilitated assault, workplace harassment, alcohol, and trauma. ----- If you or someone you know needs help: If something in this episode feels familiar, you do not have to navigate it alone. Abusive or unsafe relationships — National Domestic Violence Hotline Free, confidential support is available 24/7. Advocates can help you understand what you’re experiencing, explore your options, connect with local resources, and create a safety plan—including if you are thinking about leaving. Call: 800-799-SAFE (7233)Text: START to 88788Help & live chat:https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/ Safety planning:https://www.thehotline.org/plan-for-safety/ Dating abuse & healthy relationships — love is respect Confidential 24/7 support for teens and young adults, as well as concerned friends and family. Advocates can help with questions about healthy relationships, dating abuse, boundaries, safety planning, and getting out of an unhealthy relationship. Call: 866-331-9474Text: LOVEIS to 22522https://www.loveisrespect.org/get-relationship-help-24-7-365/ Sexual assault — RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline Free, confidential support is available 24/7 for anyone who has experienced sexual assault. RAINN can help connect you with medical care, local support services, counseling resources, and information about your options. Call: 800-656-HOPE (4673)Text: HOPE to 64673Online support & chat:https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/ If you have recently experienced sexual assault or believe you may have been drugged or assaulted: Consider seeking medical care as soon as possible. You can ask about a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) or Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE). You can seek medical care and learn about evidence-collection options even if you are not ready to report to law enforcement. What to do after sexual assault:https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/if-youve-been-assaulted/ If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
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5 Ratings

About

Two women navigating life, health, relationships, home, and business—out loud. We’ve lived a lot of life, and we’re still figuring plenty of it out. We talk about the things we’re experiencing, questioning, learning, unlearning, and changing our minds about—with honesty, curiosity, humor, and two perspectives that don’t always match. No pretending we have it all figured out. Just real conversations about being human and trying to live a life that feels good, means something, and actually works for you.

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