My friends, Nikki and Melissa, started a podcast called Pay Attention and I can’t get enough of it. In fact, I am geeking out on book pairings for each episode so keep reading to find my book picks.

Why am I so excited about Pay Attention Podcast? Well, first off, these are two of my great friends talking about stuff I dig:friendship, food, generosity + gift giving, receiving, money and hope.

Nikki + Melissa’s podcast very much remind me of another lady friendship podcast I love: Joy The Baker. (I highly recommend listening to every episode of this one too – all 137 episodes!)

I thought you’d love Pay Attention Podcast too, so I’m linking to each episode with some of my thoughts added with a BONUS book recommendation for each episode.

They have no idea I am writing this post, so I hope they get a kick out of my commentary.

Episode 1: Friendiversary

You can listen to episode one to hear how Nikki and Melissa met and became friends. I love their business BFF story which has lead to real friendship.

I am lucky enough to call both of them friends as well! I met Nikki at It’s All Yoga about a million years ago and friended her on Facebook because I got a good feeling about her.

Do you ever do that? I recommend doing it. Yes, it feels awkward at first, but it can pay off quickly.

Anyway, once Nikki returned from the Pacific Northwest as a new mama with a kid my kid’s age, I decided we needed to hang out with our kids and so I asked her out on some mama dates and the rest is history. Turns out we have a lot in common – mostly life philosophy – and now co-host retreats together and try to hang out as often as possible.

Melissa and I met not too long after she and Nikki did. People from all parts of our lives kept asking if we knew each other and so we finally met for tea one morning where we, of course, ran into Nikki! It was clearly meant to be.

This episode reminded me of the book:

While neither Nikki, Melissa nor I was in search of a new BFF per se, this book talks about how finding female friends post college is a challenge. And with some effort and vulnerability you can add more awesome women to your friends tribe.

Episode 2: Food

Nikki + Melissa talk about making friends with your body by listening to the messages she sends to you. And then feeding yourself kindly and with so much love.

I love this because so many women struggle with food: too much, not enough, good food versus bad food and so many messages about food and not one of them helpful or kind. I love Nikki’s philosophy about food and connecting it to mood.

This episode reminds me of this book:

Like Nikki, Alex is a health coach (and was the girlfriend in Super Size Me). They share many of the same ideas about food and making friends with ourselves to improve our relationship with food and our bodies.

Episode 3: Gift Giving

This episode has me thinking about gift giving and how it hasn’t played a big part in my life. And how that might need to change. Gifts are definitely NOT my love language – even though I do appreciate getting them.

This episode reminds me of this book:

While this book is about a different kind of gift, I couldn’t help but include it here because Brene Brown’s work has been such a huge influence on my life as well as Nikki and Melissa’s.

If you haven’t yet read this book, please do.

Episode 4: Receive

Nikki and Melissa talk about the book The Power of Receiving by Amanda Owen and how their lives have been changed for the better by learning to accept compliments and allowing others to give freely to them.

Admittedly, this book is a bit woo-woo and out of my comfort zone. Already though reading this book has changed my life in so many positive ways and I continue to dive deeper into this work.

This episode reminded me of:

I highly recommend this book to women who feel they have to do it all themselves and are burnt out and tired. She includes easy exercises to bring more help and ease into your life.

Episode 5: Money

Nikki and Melissa do some real talk about how they used to deal (or not) with their money and how once they started paying attention to it, more came to them.

I love this episode because honestly I struggle around money. Not so much not having enough of it, but in being afraid of it. Being in business for myself has revealed lots of outdated and untrue stories I have been telling myself about money and I’ve spent the last couple years facing my fears (slowly).

This episode reminded me of the book:

I have been slowly making my way through this book (and doing the exercises) in the tiniest book club (just me and one other friend) and I have learned so much about myself and my relationship with money. Whew! Let’s just say, I’ve got a lot of work to do in this area.

Episode 6: Hope

Nikki and Melissa talk about whether it is possible to be happy during sad and trying times in your life.

I can speak directly to this with a resounding YES.  There is a huge caveat, it doesn’t happen by accident.

This episode reminds me of this book:

I read this back when it was released in 2003 and felt a deep sense of, well, hope. I might have to check it out again.

I’d love to know what is on your mind. Please leave a comment tell me all about it.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

xo,

Tami

Other related posts:

Featured Teacher Interview with Nikki Stern

Featured Teacher Interview with Melissa Camilleri

2 SPOTS left for June 2016!