In this bonus episode of Everything Counts (but nothing is real), Kristin sits down with her almost 10-year-old niece, Quinn, for an off-script conversation about school, art, animals, ambition, and all the possibilities that exist before work becomes a defining force in our lives.

There’s no tidy narrative arc here, and that’s the point. Through stories about clay figurines, lemonade stand economics, animal rescue videos, sibling dynamics, and future dreams of teaching and saving animals, Quinn offers a reminder of what it’s like to be “pre-work,” when curiosity leads and some identities are still joyfully undecided.

This episode is a reflection on trying things before mastering them, wanting more than one future, and allowing phases, pivots, and wonder to coexist. It’s an invitation to reconnect with childlike imagination and to remember that not every meaningful path needs to make sense right away.

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In this special bonus episode, Kristin sits down with Nana (Loren’s grandmother) to talk about work, family, and the quiet choices that shape a life. Raised on a farm in rural North Florida, Nana spent decades working part-time as a bookkeeper and in banking, intentionally building a career that left room to be present for her children and grandchildren.

What unfolds is a tender oral history about money watched carefully, work done well but never centered, and a long marriage built on partnership, planning, and love. It’s a reflection on what we remember at the end of a working life. And what truly counts when the job is no longer the point.

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People matter most.

In the Season 1 finale of Everything Counts (But Nothing Is Real), Kristin sits down with one of her closest friends, Celia (they/them), to reflect on careers, values, and the human relationships that shape our work lives. A feminist philanthropic advocate working at the intersection of gender, racial, and economic justice, Celia shares what it really means to “move money ethically” and why relationships, patience, and trust are central to lasting systems change.

They talk about a winding career path, several big moves, stumbling into fundraising, and learning how to operationalize big visions without losing sight of the people behind the work.

From carrying rocks in their pocket as career armor to redefining what it means to be “on track,” this conversation is a grounded close to a season about careers, detours, and the absurdity of work and a reminder that, in the end, people matter most.

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Say it, then do it.

In this episode, Kristin sits down with Sara (she/her), a longtime friend and education leader whose career has been shaped by ambition, follow-through, and a deep belief in joy as a leadership practice. From nearly two decades in education nonprofits to earning multiple master’s degrees, getting married, and landing a new role as Dean of Student Life (all at once) Sara shares what it really looks like to set a goal and see it through.

They talk about ambition without burnout, the importance of good benefits (“the bennies”), sneakers as career armor, and what it looks like to lead with joy in schools and in life. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to have it all figured out, you just have to say what you want and then do the work to make it real.

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A grain of salt and a pair of soft pants.

In this episode, Kristin and Loren break the fourth wall on career conversations and swap the usual interview format for a casual, candid advice session.

From figuring out what you actually want (versus what you’ve been conditioned to want), to recognizing the difference between burnout and boredom, they talk through the questions so many of us are quietly asking at work and in life. Along the way, they unpack urgency culture, eldest-child energy, pointless meetings, LinkedIn performance art, and the freedom of choosing soft pants over hard rules.

This is an advice episode to take with a grain of salt: thoughtful, nosy, occasionally petty, and rooted in autonomy, self-trust, and the belief that your job doesn’t have to be your passion to be good enough.

No professionals here, just two eldest children in their 40s, doing their best.

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Adaptation is a skill.

In this episode, Kristin sits down with her sister Kenzie (she/her) for a conversation about nonlinear careers, survival skills, and what it really means to “read the room.”

Kenzie’s path, from reality TV casting to corporate recruiting to a bold pivot toward law school, is a masterclass in adaptation. Together, they unpack how early chaos shapes professional instincts, how work inevitably collides with life, and why being “off track” is often exactly where growth happens.

This episode is about transferable skills born from resilience, the limits of changing systems from the inside, and remembering that behind every résumé, interview, and job title is a human trying to make it work.

How to get in touch:

• Instagram and TikTok: @kenziedgardner

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Do all the things, with purpose.

In this episode, Kristin sit down with longtime friend and multi-hyphenate creative Heidi (she/her)--marketer, DJ, podcaster, higher-ed storyteller, civic-tech comms pro, and now small-business founder--to explore the many twists and pivots of her career. From clerk-of-court cubicles to national civic tech work to launching her own consultancy, Heidi shares what she’s learned about work boundaries, risk-taking, pay cuts, unionization, and staying grounded through it all. It’s a conversation about reinvention, and creative renewal.

How to get in touch:

• heidikerr.com
• Heidi on LinkedIn
• @alsothatheidi

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Life changes. So do we.

Dolores returns for part 2 to share what life looks like after the classroom. She talks about how retirement became “the best job she’s ever had,” from early-morning VIPKid lessons with students in China to unexpected cultural exchange, care packages, and real connection across oceans.

We also walk through the hardest years of her life—losing my dad and later my sister—and how she coped by staying busy, learning to live between “the cloud and the sun,” and finding support in unlikely places. That journey eventually led her to a fresh start and a new chapter: managing the Pocono Phoenix, the Airbnb she sees as her own rise-from-the-ashes story.

It’s an honest look at grief, reinvention, and building a life beyond one career. And a reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.

How to get in touch:

• @thepoconophoenix on Instagram

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