Mostly Together

Mostly Together
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Self-Improvement

Mostly Together is a thoughtful, grounded podcast about identity, ambition, and life's pivots. Hosted by former TV news anchor Nicole Nalepa, it features candid conversations with creators, leaders, and culture-shapers — from household names to trailblazers making an impact. Together, they explore the questions that matter most: who are we becoming, how are we navigating change, and how to hold it all together without the pressure to be perfect.

  1. Heather Chauvin: Motherhood, Self-Abandonment & Feeling Alive Again

    9h ago

    Heather Chauvin: Motherhood, Self-Abandonment & Feeling Alive Again

    She is an author, speaker, podcast host — and someone whose work asks a question so many women feel, but don't always say out loud: What happens when being "the good mother" starts costing you yourself? In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Heather Chauvin, author of Dying to Be a Good Mother and host of the podcast, Emotionally Uncomfortable. Heather became a mother at 18, and for a long time, her son was the reason she got out of bed every morning. Motherhood gave her purpose, drive, and a reason to keep going. But over time, she began to ask a deeper question: was she truly living for her children, or losing herself in the identity of being a mother? This conversation lives in the space between devotion and self-abandonment. It's about motherhood, burnout, ambition, survival mode, and the quiet ways women learn to put everyone else's needs ahead of their own. Heather also opens up about the diagnosis that forced her to look at the life she was living, the whispers she had been ignoring, and why feeling alive, energized, and connected to yourself is not selfish — it's part of how we show up for the people we love. In this conversation, we talk about: • Breaking generational patterns • Resentment and the cost of abandoning yourself • Heather's Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and the wake-up call it became • Listening to the tiny whispers before life gets louder • The difference between a hard season and a life that no longer fits • What it means to feel "Mostly Together" on the edge of growth Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx   Connect with Nicole: 📲 Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv 📲 Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod   Connect with Heather: 📲 Follow Heather on Instagram: @heatherchauvin_ 🌐 https://www.heatherchauvin.com

    59 min
  2. Hena Doba: The Girl from Queens, the Anchor Desk & the Reckoning

    Jun 17

    Hena Doba: The Girl from Queens, the Anchor Desk & the Reckoning

    She is a national journalist, a network news anchor, a storyteller, a TED speaker — and someone whose latest chapter is rooted in honesty, resilience, and self-reflection. In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Hena Doba, anchor at NewsNation. Hena was born and raised in Queens as the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, growing up in a low-income neighborhood where no one on television looked like her. Her family imagined one path for her — but her heart kept pulling her toward journalism. What began with a camcorder after 9/11 became the start of a career in storytelling — one that would take Hena from local newsrooms to WFSB in Connecticut, CBS News, Cheddar, and now NewsNation. This conversation lives in the space between public success and private truth. It's about what Hena is learning to own now — the girl from Jackson Heights, the survival skills that shaped her, and the TED Talk that helped her see her childhood, her ambition, and herself in a new way. In this conversation, we talk about: Growing up Pakistani American in Queens Finding her voice after 9/11 Her Connecticut chapter and years at WFSB Building a national career in news The difference between resilience and survival mode Her recent TED Talk, Reckoning Learning to own the parts of your story you once kept hidden Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx Connect with Nicole: 📲 Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv 📲 Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod Connect with Hena: 📲 Follow Hena on Instagram: @henadoba

    48 min
  3. Andromeda Peters: Mental Health, Heritage & Miss Universe Ghana

    Jun 10

    Andromeda Peters: Mental Health, Heritage & Miss Universe Ghana

    She is Miss Universe Ghana, a licensed psychotherapist, a mental health advocate, a performer — and a woman whose story goes far beyond the crown. In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Andromeda Osam-Peters, Miss Universe Ghana and founder of Your Mind Matters Global. Andromeda grew up Ghanaian American in Western Massachusetts, moving between cultures, identities, and expectations while learning what it meant to be seen fully. From Springfield and Easthampton to the global stage, her journey has been shaped by performance, pageantry, therapy, healing, heritage, and a deep commitment to helping others feel less alone. But Andromeda's story was never really just about beauty. It's about belonging. It's about becoming. It's about learning how to stop editing yourself and bring every part of who you are into the room. In this conversation, we talk about: Growing up Ghanaian American in Western Massachusetts Learning to move between cultures and identities The meaning behind her name and what it means to be truly seen How performance and pageantry helped shape her confidence Becoming Miss Universe Ghana and representing her heritage on a global stage Mental health, therapy, trauma, healing, and safe spaces The mission behind Your Mind Matters Global What it means to become whole without leaving parts of yourself behind   Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx   Connect with Nicole: 📲 Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv 📲 Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod    📲 Follow Andromeda on Instagram: @andromedapeters  🌐Learn more about Andromeda and Your Mind Matters Global: https://www.andromedapeters.com

    1h 3m
  4. Michael Pollack: Turning New Haven Pizza Into Art, Culture & Impact

    Jun 3

    Michael Pollack: Turning New Haven Pizza Into Art, Culture & Impact

    He helped turn something the whole country started talking about into art: highway signs, a 9,000-pound monument, a statewide pizza movement — and somehow, it all started with one slice. In this episode of Mostly Together, I sit down with Michael Pollack, the artist behind New Haven Pizza Club, live from the Yale Innovation Summit 2026. Michael is one of the creative forces who helped bring Connecticut's "Pizza Capital of the United States" movement to life visually and culturally — a campaign originally spearheaded by the state's then-chief marketing officer, Anthony Anthony. But Michael's story was never really just about pizza. He became an artist at 40, walked away from the expected path, and turned one of the most universal things in the world into art, community, culture, and a philanthropic movement that has helped raise half a million dollars for families of critically ill children. In this conversation, we talk about: Betting on yourself when the path is uncertain Why the lows can make you stronger than the highs How New Haven pizza became part of a larger cultural movement The role of art, storytelling, and community in giving back Michael's work with Feeding Families Foundation and families facing childhood cancer Why tangible impact matters in philanthropy The power of collaboration, trust, and handshake deals Building momentum without losing the heart behind the work Why the thing that brings us all together might just be a slice Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/ 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 🎧  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx 📲Connect with Nicole: Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod 📲 Follow Michael on Instagram: @nhvpc 🌐 https://newhavenpizzaclub.com/

    50 min
  5. Paula Reid: From CBS Intern to CNN — Career, Motherhood & Becoming Undeniable

    May 27

    Paula Reid: From CBS Intern to CNN — Career, Motherhood & Becoming Undeniable

    Sixteen years ago, Paula Reid and I were interns at CBS News — walking through the same newsroom, swapping stories, taking in the history around us, and wondering where this industry might take us.   Today, Paula is CNN's Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent, covering some of the biggest legal and political stories in the country.   But what makes this conversation so powerful is not just the résumé. It's the persistence, preparation, pivots, and life behind it.   On this episode of Mostly Together, Paula and I reflect on the full-circle nature of reconnecting all these years later — from our CBS News intern days and BoltBus memories to the path that took her from law school to legal journalism, from fact-checking behind the scenes to reporting on national television.   Paula opens up about the moments that shaped her career, including the early opportunities that taught her to say yes, the Mueller investigation breakthrough that opened the door to a bigger role at CBS, and the advice that has stayed with her through high-pressure moments: always go back to the work.   We also talk about ambition, motherhood, marriage, health, family support, and the tradeoffs that come with building a demanding career while protecting what matters most.   This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered whether they are too late, too behind, too different, or too far from where they want to be. It's a conversation about building your lane, trusting your preparation, making peace with tradeoffs, and remembering that sometimes the work itself is what steadies you.   Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/   📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod   🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737   🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx   📲 Connect with Nicole: Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod   📲 Follow Paula: Instagram: @paulareidcnn

    1h 2m
  6. Don Stroud: From Hawaii to Hollywood, Survival & Sobriety

    May 20

    Don Stroud: From Hawaii to Hollywood, Survival & Sobriety

    Hollywood character actor Don Stroud has lived the kind of life that sounds scripted — except every word of it is real. From surfing in Hawaii to the Sunset Strip, the Whiskey A-Go-Go, Universal Pictures, and more than four decades in film and television, Don's story moves through some of Hollywood's most iconic corners. His credits include Coogan's Bluff and Joe Kidd with Clint Eastwood, The Buddy Holly Story, The Amityville Horror, the James Bond film Licence to Kill, and Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. But what makes this conversation so powerful is not just the résumé. It's the human being behind it. On this episode of Mostly Together, Don opens up about the unexpected turns that shaped his life: the moment he went from the beach to a Universal Pictures contract, the wild energy of old Hollywood, surviving a plane crash and a violent attack, his struggle with addiction, and the sobriety that helped save his life. With humor, honesty, and a storyteller's soul, Don reflects on fame, survival, reinvention, and why being a working character actor meant more to him than chasing movie-star status. This is a conversation about a life fully lived — the beautiful parts, the brutal parts, and the grace of still being here to tell the story.  Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mostlytogetherpod Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx Connect with Nicole: Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod

    29 min
  7. Dr. Rachel Goldman: Burnout, Identity Shifts & Why Being Mostly Together Is Enough

    May 13

    Dr. Rachel Goldman: Burnout, Identity Shifts & Why Being Mostly Together Is Enough

    Dr. Rachel Goldman — known as Dr. Rachel — is a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, NYU professor, speaker, and author specializing in the mind-body connection. She's been featured in The New York Times, TIME, and CNN, appeared as an expert panelist with Oprah, been a guest on The Mel Robbins Podcast, and her new book, When Life Happens, is out now. So many of us are working, parenting, showing up, answering emails, and pushing through — looking like we're functioning on the outside while feeling depleted on the inside. So how do we know the difference between functioning and actually being okay? On this episode of Mostly Together, Dr. Rachel and I talk about burnout, identity shifts, self-talk, and what it really looks like to keep going when life doesn't go according to plan. And near the end of our conversation, Dr. Rachel says something about the name Mostly Together that I didn't see coming — and it's worth sticking around for. In this episode: • The difference between a busy season and burnout • Why we keep pushing through instead of pausing • What happens when an identity, role, or season no longer fits • Why even positive change can feel overwhelming • How to shift from "why is this happening to me?" to "what can I do about it?" • Why sometimes maintaining is the goal   Explore Mostly Together — new episodes every Wednesday: 🌐 https://www.mostlytogetherpod.com/   Connect with Nicole: Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod   Learn more about Dr. Rachel Goldman: 🌐 https://www.drrachelnyc.com/ 📘 When Life Happens: https://whenlifehappensbook.com/

    56 min
  8. Jenny Hubbard: Catherine's Legacy, The Sanctuary & The Practice of Forgiveness

    May 6

    Jenny Hubbard: Catherine's Legacy, The Sanctuary & The Practice of Forgiveness

    Jenny Hubbard and I have known each other for several years — first through interviews on my former lifestyle show, then through the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation, where I've had the honor of co-emceeing the Butterfly Party alongside Scot Haney. Over time, I've come to know Jenny not just through her story, but through the way she continues to carry it forward. Jenny is a mother, advocate, and the founder of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown, Connecticut. Her life changed forever on December 14, 2012, when she lost her 6-year-old daughter, Catherine, in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In the years since, Jenny has navigated unimaginable grief — and found a way to build something meaningful in its place. The sanctuary is a space rooted in compassion, connection, and the love Catherine had for animals. Through her work, Jenny continues to honor Catherine's spirit while creating something that brings kindness into the world. Her next book, on forgiveness, arrives this fall. On this episode of Mostly Together, we talk about grief, forgiveness, purpose, and the quiet, ongoing work of healing — and what it looks like to move forward, not by forgetting, but by carrying love differently. In this episode: • How the sanctuary began — in a way no one expected • Why grief is not linear, and never something you "check off" • The difference between forgiveness as a moment…and forgiveness as a practice • How something meaningful can still grow from unimaginable loss • Why vulnerability and sharing our stories matters more than we think Learn more about the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary:  🌐 https://www.cvhfoundation.org/  Instagram: @cvhanimalsanctuary Explore Mostly Together:  🌐 mostlytogetherpod.com 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mostly-together/id1871317737  🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Q2TPERHFNgnapvuOQJqSx?si=093aff84cc6546c9 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR1UBeBQxFdxIQB3xjDfz6A  Connect with Nicole:  Instagram & Facebook: @nicolenalepatv Podcast IG & FB: @mostlytogetherpod

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Mostly Together is a thoughtful, grounded podcast about identity, ambition, and life's pivots. Hosted by former TV news anchor Nicole Nalepa, it features candid conversations with creators, leaders, and culture-shapers — from household names to trailblazers making an impact. Together, they explore the questions that matter most: who are we becoming, how are we navigating change, and how to hold it all together without the pressure to be perfect.

Information

  • Creator
    Mostly Together
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Mostly Together

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