Codependency recovery, Al-Anon, and inner child healing—this week’s episode is all about breaking free from dysfunctional patterns and rewriting the story you tell yourself. If you’ve ever struggled with people-pleasing, boundary setting, or losing yourself in relationships, this conversation will feel like a thought hug.
I’m joined by Jessica Graham, a storyteller and brand strategist whose own journey through 12-Step recovery, Al-Anon meetings, and inner child work has shaped the way she helps women heal. Together, we talk about:
🌟 Glow Work (this week’s practice): Take a God walk. Go outside without headphones, talk to God as if He’s your best friend, and notice how your energy and clarity shift.
💻 Connect with Jessica:
💖 If you loved this episode:
Until next week, Glow Up Gang, I’m holding you tight in a thought hug. Love you, bye.
This week on Glow Up and Show Up, I’m joined by Alexis M. Carpenter—author, speaker, and truth-teller—for a raw, powerful conversation about faith, resilience, and the masks we wear to survive.
Alexis and I connected instantly because, like me, she’s navigated alcohol, binge eating, and toxic relationships—but her story of healing goes even deeper. From losing her stepson, brother, and career in the same season, to rebuilding her faith after years of shame and silence, Alexis is proof that God can use even the hardest parts of our story to unlock purpose.
We talk about:
💔 The grief that cracked her open to faith again
🎭 The “faces we wear” and how to identify your own mask
🍽️ How binge eating and body image can become a shield after trauma
🙏 The six phases of healing (and why awareness alone isn’t enough)
💡 Why self-leadership is the foundation for confidence, freedom, and authentic connection
This episode is one big thought hug and reminder that you are not alone in your struggles—and that your glow up is always possible, even if it starts at rock bottom.
🌟 Glow Work of the Week:
Journal on this question → What do you believe about faith, God, or your higher power? Write down not just what you currently believe, but what you want to believe. Then, practice “acting as if” that belief is true this week.
🔗 Connect with Alexis:
Her book: Changing the Reflection: The Faces We Wear and the Truths They Hide
Free quiz: https://forms.fillout.com/t/3Y5kj7mBMjus
Instagram: @alexismcarpenter
Website: RaisingHopeLLC.org
✨ If this episode spoke to you, please take a hot minute to leave a rating + review on Apple or Spotify. It helps so much in getting this show into the ears of more women who need it.
I believe in you. I’m rooting for you. I love you.
– MLB 💖
Babygirl… this one is a thought hug and a fire-up-your-soul pep talk all in one.
Today, I’m joined by my friend and mental performance coach, Meredith Brick, to co-create The Mental Glow Up Framework , a set of powerful mindset boundaries you can keep in your back pocket when you’re in the thick of your glow up and your life doesn’t look different yet.
We go deep into:
✨ The plateau of latent potential — and why most people quit right before the magic happens
✨ The difference between dreaming of change vs. deciding to change
✨ How to keep showing up when no one else is clapping for you yet
✨ Building “comeback energy” and bouncing back faster after setbacks
✨ Why your self-talk literally rewires your brain (and how to make it work for you)
✨ How to be ambitious and compassionate while you’re still healing
Meredith shares tangible tools for self-awareness, simple mindset practices that actually stick, and her own vulnerable stories about loss, healing, and finding joy again. You’ll leave this episode feeling clear, capable, and ready to be the hottest, wisest, baddest version of yourself — brick by brick.
Glow Work for this week:
Grab a notebook and write at the top: Where do I feel stuck?
Brain dump everything — no editing, no judgment.
Ask yourself: What would the version of me who already got through this believe?
Start showing up as her.
Connect with Meredith:
Instagram: @brickwaltraining
Website: brickwaltraining.com
Let’s Connect:
Instagram: @marylaceybanks
If you loved this episode, share it with a bestie who’s in the middle of her own glow up. 💌
If you've ever felt like food was running your life, this episode is for you.
This week on Glow Up & Show Up, we feature Dr. Kristina Dobyns, host of Beyond Binge Eating, PhD in Somatic Psychology, and one of the most compassionate and science-backed voices in the recovery space.
This episode unpacks what actually helps stop binge urges, why moderation doesn’t work for everyone, and how sensory tools like tapping and self-massage can literally change your brain in the moment. Kristina also opens up about her own 20+ year journey with bulimia, binge eating, and what finally brought her peace.
It’s full of healing, empowerment, and realness. This isn’t about perfection, it’s about learning how to stay present, regulate your nervous system, and build a life you don’t want to numb from.
✨ In this episode, we cover:
The truth about abstinence-based recovery
Why somatic tools help when willpower doesn’t
How to stop being hijacked by binge urges
What nervous system regulation actually looks like
The surprising “glow up” moment Kristina never thought she’d have
👯♀️ Glow Work: Kristina’s Glow Work assignment this week? Take two mindful minutes with one meal. No distractions, just you and your body.
🔗 Learn more about Dr. Christina Dobbins:
Conscious Bites course: www.BeyondBingeEating.com/Conscious-Bites
Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com
Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/
Youtube: www.BeyondBingeEating.com/@BeyondBingeEating
Instagram: @beyondbingeeating
📦 Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/
—
💌 Subscribe & Review:
Loving the podcast? Be sure to follow, leave a 5-star review, and share with someone who needs this message today.
Welcome back, babygirl 💕
In today’s episode, I’m joined by journalist, educator, and author Mallary Tenore Tarpley, whose new memoir Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery gave me literal chills.
We talk about what it means to live in the middle place, that messy, unpolished space where you’re not where you were, but not fully healed either. It’s not often talked about, but for many of us, it’s where life actually happens.
We unpack:
Why “full recovery” doesn’t have to be the goal
How to start before you feel ready
Why slips are not failures
Making peace with the gray area of healing
How motherhood changed Mallary’s relationship with her body
The quiet power of showing up while you’re still becoming
If you’ve ever felt like you should be further along by now, this one’s for you.
✨Glow Work This Week:
Speak your middle out loud. Tell someone where you’re really at without trying to shrink.
💌 Connect with Mallary:
Preorder her memoir SLIP: https://a.co/d/6RFvzTB
Instagram: @mallarytenoretarpley
🎙 Let’s Stay Connected:
Follow the pod on IG: @marylaceybanks
DM me your thoughts or tag the show when you’re listening!
📩 Sign up for the newsletter: https://mary-lacey-banks.kit.com/e45adf91f8
#EatingDisorderRecovery
#MentalHealthAwareness
#RecoveryJourney
#TheMiddlePlace
#BodyImageHealing
#GlowUpAndShowUp
#ProgressNotPerfection
Welcome to the very first episode of Glow Up and Show Up—a podcast for the girlies who want to create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.
In this debut episode, I’m sharing the full story behind the biggest glow up of my life, one I never saw coming.
Two years ago, I was broke, addicted, 40 pounds heavier, and living in my dad’s basement. And still, I started a personal development podcast.
That decision changed my life.
In this episode, I walk you through:
• How podcasting saved my life
• Why joy and grit matter in the healing journey
• The real meaning of a glow up (and why it’s never just about how you look)
• What to expect from Glow Up & Show Up going forward
✨ Glow Work this week:
What are you waiting to do until you “feel ready”? Do it anyway. This week, take 1 micro action towards the thing you've been waiting to do.
If this episode resonates with you, share it with a friend. Leave a review.
Welcome to the Glow Up Gang.
We’re just getting started, baby girl.
Rejection doesn’t just sting—it can wreck your confidence, cloud your judgment, and send you spiraling into self-doubt.
I know because I’ve been there.
This episode was inspired by a powerful listener question:
“Have you ever felt deeply let down by someone you admired?”
Whew. The moment I read it, I felt it in my gut.
So today, I’m sharing a story I’ve never told on the podcast before—and the exact mindset shift that helped me take my power back.
You’ll learn:
Why rejection feels so personal (and what to do about it)
The hidden reason we stay stuck in shame after a “no”
The science behind why wallowing can feel good… and how to break the cycle
My 4-step framework: MLB’s Rejection Survival Guide
This week’s Glow Work to help you move forward now—not six months from now
Whether you’re healing from a breakup, a job rejection, or just feeling unseen by someone who should’ve known better—this episode is your invitation to make peace with the pain and reclaim your momentum.
🎧 Grab your journal. We’re getting real, and we’re getting free.
This episode is for the girl who’s wondering if it’s bad enough to quit. For the one who didn’t have a dramatic rock bottom… just a quiet knowing that something had to change.
In this raw solo episode, I take you back to the night I had my very last sip of alcohol — not in chaos or crisis, but in a cozy cabin in Wyoming, after a half marathon, while making friendship bracelets. It should have been a celebration… but that one sip brought back every painful memory, every close call, every ounce of dread I had tried to forget.
We talk:
What it means to trust yourself in recovery
Why I believe sobriety doesn’t have to start in rock bottom
The moment I created my own God (shoutout to Dolly Parton + Gary Vee)
And how we’ve been conditioned to think joy requires alcohol (spoiler: it doesn’t)
Plus, I share this week’s Glow Work — a joyful challenge to help you reconnect with your inner child and reclaim FUN without substances.
🎉 Let’s make having a damn good time without alcohol normal again.
✨ This Week’s Glow Work:
Do something fun in public — dance at Target, skip down the sidewalk, spin in the cereal aisle. Joy is your birthright. And I want to see it. 💃
Tag me on Instagram @marylaceybanks with what you did so I can cheer you on. 💕
If this episode moved you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, or DM me what landed — it means the world.
Sending you the biggest thought hug ever,
MLB 🤍
Hello, hello friends and welcome back to another episode of The Mary Lacey Banks Show! Tis I, MLB—and today, you’re in for a powerful and deeply personal convo that I know so many of you will feel in your bones.
I’m joined by my new friend Julie Benson, who I literally felt spiritually assigned to meet in a yoga circle (yes, really). What started as a chance encounter turned into this rich, heartfelt conversation about sobriety, rock bottom, recovery glow-ups, and what it actually means to be “sober curious.”
Julie opens up about hitting rock bottom at age 20, getting sober, living in a halfway house, rebuilding her life from scratch, and what she’s learned in her 13-year recovery journey. We also talk about:
The difference between sobriety and quality sobriety
Recovery outside of 12-step programs
Why she doesn’t track her sober date anymore
Living on borrowed time and why it’s a gift
Creating a life you don’t want to numb from
Switching addictions (yep, we go there)
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like recovery has to look a certain way—this episode is for you.
💌 Let this be your permission slip to find your own path, trust your own pace, and take it one beautifully imperfect day at a time.
🛎 If you love the show, here’s how to support it (and me!):
Please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify 🙏
Drop a sweet review on Apple Podcasts 💌
Send this episode to a friend who might need to hear it 🫶
Your reviews help this little pod baby get into more ears, and it seriously means the world to me.
Love you so much. Holding you in the biggest thought hug ever.
MLB
Welcome to another episode of The Mary Lacey Banks Show! In this special episode, Mary reflects on her personal growth and transformation over the past two years, celebrating her second soberversary while also sharing exciting updates on the future of the podcast and the MLB brand.
🎉 Milestone Moment:
Mary discusses her journey through recovery—how it has shaped her life and how she’s moving forward with more clarity and strength. From struggling with addiction to finding freedom in sobriety, Mary opens up about what it means to create your own recovery path.
💡 The New Era of MLB:
The podcast is shifting focus, embracing the "Recovery Glow Up." Mary is determined to offer a fresh perspective on recovery, one that inspires women to build lives they don’t need to escape from. It's not just about staying sober; it's about creating a life that lights you up, filled with joy, excitement, and creativity.
🌟 What to Expect Going Forward:
Get ready for weekly Glow Work—actionable steps that you can apply to your own life. Mary introduces this exciting new concept to help you implement real change while having fun along the way. Forget about mindlessly consuming content—Glow Work is about transforming your life, one joyful step at a time.
👩🏫 The Power of Coaching:
Mary shares how meeting her friend and mentor, Kylie Lewis, helped her turn the knowledge she’d consumed into real, tangible action. Kylie’s influence inspired the new direction of MLB and is a big part of why Mary is so passionate about helping others move from consumption to implementation.
🌱 A Message of Empowerment:
Mary challenges you to step into your own personal growth journey and embrace the idea of being the person you want to be right now. There’s no need to wait for the “perfect moment” to live the life you deserve.
Takeaways from this Episode:
Create your own path in recovery—it's about what works for you.
Stop holding off on your happiness. Choose joy now.
Start applying Glow Work to transform your life—small intentional steps, big impact.
✨ Clarity Assignment:
Mary encourages you to write your own clarity statement: What season are you stepping into and what are you leaving behind? Use this as a guiding question to reflect on where you are and where you’re headed.
🔮 Join the Glow Up Movement:
Ready to get started on your recovery glow up? Reach out to Mary via DM to work through your Glow Work assignments together! You’re not alone on this journey—let’s grow, glow, and live our best lives.
If you’re loving the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Spotify and Apple! Share this episode with a friend who could benefit from a little inspiration. 💕
“You don’t become who you’re meant to be. You be her now.”
Connect with Mary:
Instagram: @marylaceybanks
DM Mary for your Glow Work assignments!
This week’s episode is a full-blown celebration—balloons, crowns, confetti, and all! It’s not only my 31st birthday, but also the 2-year anniversary of The Mary Lacey Banks Show. And to celebrate? I’ve got two of my favorite people—Ashley Whitmore and Kylie Lewis—on the mic for a special “turn the tables” episode. That’s right: this time, they’reinterviewing me.
We get into it all:
✨ What 29-year-old Mary thought she needed
🎈 Why I started this podcast in my dad’s basement
💗 How podcasting changed my life, sobriety, confidence & purpose
🎤 The moment I finally got paid to speak on stage
🤡 The power of showing up—even when no one’s clapping
🥤 My questionable (but passionate) love for McDonald’s Diet Coke
👑 Why this show is truly my baby
This is one of my favorite episodes we’ve ever recorded—funny, honest, chaotic, and filled with heart. Whether you’re celebrating something big or quietly hoping for your own fresh start, this one’s for you.
🎁 What I'm claiming this year: more fun, more freedom, more women stepping into their power.
🧁 Grab your crown. Plug in. And let’s celebrate, baby.
—
If you loved this episode, please:
⭐️ Leave a 5-star rating on Spotify
📝 Write a quick review on Apple Podcasts
📲 Share it with a friend who needs a reminder: your joy is worth the work
I’m holding you so tight in the biggest thought hug of all time.
I believe in you. I’m rooting for you. I love you.
MUAH! 💋
Hosts: Mary Lacey Banks, Ashlee Whitmore, Kylie Lewis
Special Guest: Stella Valentina (Ashlee's Daughter)
Episode Summary:
Celebrate Mother's Day with Mary, Ashley, and Kylie! They share quick "hot takes" on motherhood, pregnancy, and being child-free. Hear heartwarming calls with their moms, Rhonda and Kelsey, revealing their favorite parts of being mothers. Ashley's daughter, Stella, joins for a fun "Mom Energy Madness" rapid-fire game covering mom crushes, "mom things," inner mom names, and hopes for their kids. Expect laughs, sweet moments, and honest reflections on motherhood.
Key Highlights:
Quotes:
✨ Episode Summary:
In this candid and heartfelt episode of The Mary Lacey Banks Show, Mary reconnects with longtime acquaintance and fitness professional Jenna Huffine. What begins as a lighthearted conversation quickly turns into a powerful dialogue about recovery, identity, and the long road to rebuilding a healthy relationship with exercise and self-image.
Mary opens up about her past struggles with anorexia, exercise addiction, and the impact of those years on her current fitness journey. Jenna shares how she helps clients heal from toxic fitness mindsets and return to joyful, sustainable movement. Together, they reflect on growing up, gym memories, and finding the courage to show up—flawed and healing—in every season of life.
🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🏋️♀️ How Mary and Jenna originally met through group fitness classes
🌪️ Mary’s raw reflection on her past with eating disorders, Adderall, and alcohol
💔 The reality of being addicted to exercise and running 100 miles a week
🛠️ Jenna’s step-by-step process for helping clients rebuild a healthy relationship with fitness
🧠 Why your past relationship with exercise may still be affecting you today
🔄 How to start fresh with your fitness routine—no matter where you’ve been
💃 Vibe Check:
Girl talk meets gritty truth meets healing laughter.
🎉 Favorite Quote:
"We literally start from day one... like they’re a brand new person who’s never exercised before." – Jenna Ha'Fine
🔗 Connect with Jenna:
(Insert links to Jenna’s IG, training programs, or website if available)
🛎️ Don’t Forget:
If this episode resonated with you, leave a review, share with a friend, or tag us on IG @marylaceybanks with your biggest takeaway.
Let me know if you want this tailored more toward Shtsandwich* branding (a little messier, funnier, edgier) or if you'd like to add timestamps or resources.
Summary
In this episode of the Mary Lacey Bank Show, host Mary reconnects with her long-time friend Alex Zimmerman, who shares her transformative journey over the past year. From breaking off an engagement to traveling the world and exploring her identity, Alex emphasizes the importance of choosing oneself and embracing change. The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating relationships, the significance of self-discovery, and the empowerment that comes from trusting one's intuition. With humor and vulnerability, both women reflect on their pasts and the lessons learned along the way, encouraging listeners to take leaps of faith in their own lives.
Takeaways
🌱 Life isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment—it’s about starting exactly where you are. In this episode, I’m sharing what my Aunt Lynn taught me about growth, and how I’m applying it in my own life before everything looks the way I want it to.
✨ Posting consistently before I have a massive audience
✨ Dressing for the life I want before my dream closet exists
✨ Performing stand-up before I live in a big city
✨ Creating content in my apartment before it’s Pinterest-perfect
Because the way we build the dream life—the home, the career, the confidence—is by growing where we are planted, inch by inch, every single day.
🎧 Listen now and let’s commit to showing up before we have it all figured out.
📲 Let’s connect!
IG: @marylaceybanks
🎤 If this episode resonated with you, share it on your stories and tag me—I’d love to hear how you’re growing where you are planted!
Jennie's Freebies!
https://pages.adhdjennie.com/adhdinaction
https://pages.adhdjennie.com/jumpstart
Keywords
ADHD, hyperfocus, dopamine, women, productivity, mindset, manifestation, mental health, personal development, energy management
Summary
In this conversation, Mary Banks and Jennie Anderson delve into the complexities of ADHD, particularly focusing on how it manifests in women. They discuss personal experiences with ADHD, the concept of hyperfocus, and the role of dopamine in managing symptoms. Jennie shares insights on structuring daily routines, setting achievable goals, and the importance of awareness and grace in navigating ADHD. The conversation also touches on the impact of hormonal changes on ADHD symptoms and introduces Jennie's new program designed to help individuals with ADHD create systems that work for them.
Takeaways
Summary
In this engaging conversation, the speakers share their personal dating journeys, exploring the complexities of relationships, vulnerability, and the importance of communication. They discuss the excitement and challenges of dating, the comfort found in love, and the lessons learned from past experiences. The conversation culminates in reflections on what advice they would give their younger selves regarding love and relationships, emphasizing the significance of self-acceptance and trust in the journey of finding the right partner.
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Valentine's Day Gifts: Sentiments and Traditions
00:32 Unexpected Connections and Small Town Love
00:37 Dating Journey: The Search for Richie
02:07 Navigating New Relationships and Vulnerability
08:04 Building Strong Relationships: Insights and Experiences
20:23 The Comfort of Love and Shared Life Goals
28:39 Navigating Past Relationships
31:43 The Importance of Labels in Relationships
33:20 The Talking Phase: Modern Dating Dynamics
36:40 Dream Valentine's Day Dates
41:02 Valentine's Day Preferences: Flowers vs. Jewelry
43:30 Grand Gestures vs. Quality Time
50:14 Love Advice for the Younger Self
Keywords
dating, relationships, vulnerability, love, advice, self-discovery, communication, intimacy, personal growth, connection
Keywords
Galentine's Day, love, friendship, nostalgia, Valentine's Day, relationships, childhood, acceptance, vulnerability, memories
Summary
In this special Galentine's Day episode, Mary Lacey Banks is joined by friends Ashley Whitmore and Kylie Lewis to explore the multifaceted nature of love, from friendships to romantic relationships. They reflect on nostalgic memories of Valentine's Day, the importance of thoughtful gestures, and the evolution of their understanding of love over the years. The conversation delves into childhood illusions about love, the significance of acceptance and vulnerability in relationships, and the connections formed during high school. Through laughter and shared experiences, the trio emphasizes the value of friendship and the different ways love manifests in their lives.
Takeaways
Summary
In this episode of the Mary Lacey Bank Show, Mary Banks interviews Emily Killeen, a sober coach and host of the Sober Sisters meeting. They discuss various aspects of sobriety, including the importance of community, the HALT method, and the Play It Forward method. Emily shares her approach to coaching, emphasizing personalized support and the significance of emotional well-being in recovery. The conversation also highlights an upcoming wellness summit aimed at fostering connections among individuals in recovery, showcasing the transformative power of community and shared experiences.
Takeaways
Keywords
sober coaching, recovery, HALT method, Play It Forward, community, sobriety, emotional support, wellness summit, personal growth, addiction recovery
Summary
In this episode, Mary Banks and Emily Killeen discuss the journey of recovery and sobriety, exploring Emily's personal experiences with addiction, the importance of community, and the transformative power of finding purpose in sobriety. They delve into the struggles faced during early recovery, the evolution of substance use, and the shift from a victim mentality to one of empowerment and gratitude. The conversation emphasizes the significance of personal growth and creating a fulfilling life post-addiction.
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Sobriety and Connection
01:42 Emily's Journey to Sobriety
04:53 The Role of Community in Recovery
07:50 Early Experiences with Alcohol
10:47 The Impact of Addiction on Life
13:44 Realizations and Turning Points
16:47 The Evolution of Substance Use
19:37 Finding Purpose in Sobriety
22:50 The Importance of Community and Support
25:51 Creating a New Life Without Alcohol
29:29 Exploring Recovery Paths
34:52 The Role of Passion in Recovery
39:35 Transforming Personality Through Sobriety
44:43 Shifting from Victim to Victor