771. Our Book Is Out (!!) + A Love Letter to the Ones Still Figuring It Out
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You guys, it is here, almost 30. The book is now available for purchase. It is a definitive guide to a life you love for the next decade and beyond. We wrote this because our late 20s wrecked us. And if we would have known that this was a period of possibility, we would have been so much better off. We were both feeling super lost, honestly, like questioning everything from our careers to relationships to

And we realized that no one really talks about how intense this time can be. And we wanted to create the book we wish we had back then, something that really moves people to their most aligned life possible without all the chaos. So anyone who wants to use these times of change and transformation as a portal to your highest potential needs to get this book. This is a guide to leveraging the messy times in your life.

and turning them into magic. The book is available anywhere you purchase books in person or online, like Amazon and Target, Barnes & Noble, and more. And we also have an incredible audiobook available on Audible. Thank you so much for getting the Almost 30 book, for supporting us, and supporting yourself in living a life that you love. We hope you enjoy.

Hello and welcome to Almost 30 Podcasts. Hello! Woohoo!

If you know, you know what today is. If you know, you absolutely do know because today is our book launch process and our book launch day. It's not the book launch process. I was like, I'm done with the process, baby. We're done with the process. Today is the day that the Almost 30 book is live. It is being shipped out for everyone that pre-ordered. And it feels like such...

a big moment in our lives. I cannot believe it's finally the day. I'm so relieved. Yeah. Same. I just was thinking, I was thinking yesterday actually that it has literally been like maybe a month over the two, like two years since we started this process. And I

It just like, it just reminded me, first of all, how much you can do in a short period of like two years, you know? And also, you know, what something like this takes, you know, it takes two years of time, attention, energy, and focus, even though this has been, you know, in the making for 10 years, I feel like to actually bring it to life really took time. We're in an age where like, you know,

You want to create something, you launch it and it's like a month process. But like this was, this was like a gestation period. I mean, it was a gestation from the time we started the show, you know, even just thinking about this moment and let me get nostalgic for a little bit. Cause I live, I love nostalgia, but it's like starting on our closet floors, living in California, you single me in a relationship and

You with short, bright blonde hair. Me with like darker hair. Little puffball. And just like the fact now we're on opposite coasts. You have long brunette hair. You're married with a baby. I no longer am in said relationship. Like it's just...

All of that and so many other aspects of our lives, our friendships, our relationships have changed. And yet almost 30 has been a constant for both of us. It's been what's kept us connected. It's kept us connected to community, to our spirituality. It's changed me in every way possible. And I'm just so proud of so many things. I'm so proud of writing a book that's amazing. I'm so proud of our relationship and our friendship. I just feel so...

to go 10 years and be closer than ever as friends and business partners to traverse what we've been through. When you run a business like this, that's public, that's

traveling. That's there's money involved. There's dreams involved. There's team involved. There's, you know, potential investors, there's potential agents, managers, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. And still be so close is just so special. And now to give to the world, what we believe is the best guide for navigating your twenties, the best guide for creating a life that you love just feels so surreal. So outside of anything else that happens with it,

I'm, I'm really, I do feel truly deeply proud. Me too. I've like declared, I am like it had the success has been the writing of this book and just putting all of our experiences and stories and like very vulnerable stories, wisdom from our podcast guests in one place.

Um, and like you said, anything extra that happens, you know, we'll be a cherry on top, but I'm so proud of us. And I was reading the book the other day and I was like, wow, you really, I think what's unique about the book and what I probably one of the things I love most is that you feel the energy of our friendship in the writing. Cause you know, we've said this before in jest, but like we did actually write the book ourselves and you know, there's just this, this warmth and

this genuine connection that I think our friendship has provided people like the remembering that this is possible. Relationships like this are possible. Growth together is possible. Going through hard things together and coming out the other side is possible. Evolving in different ways, but together is possible. And I just felt that at different points in the book. And that was like a thread that, you know, we didn't intentionally create

put in the book, but it just is, is naturally coming off the pages because of like who we are to each other. So I just thought that was like a really unique part of this book. I think some of the things that I've learned in the process, you know, one of the greatest gifts it's given me is redefining what success means for me. And you know, me, if anyone knows me well, you know, that success is my Achilles heel being successful. Yeah. It's just,

The success word is just a torturous word to me. It's a prison that I live in. My desire to be successful, my belief that I'm not, et cetera, all these things. And just being able to use this as a process of actually truly defining what success looks like for me. And that is

Having a beautiful process, giving it everything, you know, being really truthful and honest throughout, like doing everything that we knew best to do, following your intuition, staying close to the process, like, you know, leveraging our community where it felt appropriate, being able to receive. Like it's really helped me to really look at all the beautiful things in the process and keep redefining what success looks like for me. And it's really something that you choose to see and you choose to be in.

than any other external thing. And I don't think I would have gotten that, you know, without it. I also think it's really given me this remembering of the chapters of our life. You know, the book kind of gives that to you, but it's like, wow, what a beautiful chapter. Like, it's just, our life is so long and stunning and there's so much that happens in it. And to have this like moment where we can kind of put everything that we've learned in these past 10 years in a place for people that lives on,

where our guests are remembered and recognized. Some of the best quotes from the podcast, some of the most impactful sections from the podcast live in this book. And then also stories that we've shared with our audience really deeply and vulnerably, stories we haven't. And then everything that we've really learned, like so many people ask us all the time of what have you learned, you know, from doing the podcast? What are some of the most powerful quotes you've learned? It's like, it's all literally in the book and it's...

It was hard to even get down to that because we've had over 800 interviews plus. And to find a place where we can really feel like we're offering something that feels like it's valuable and feels like we're worthy of giving is amazing. Yeah, I think your point about what you learned is I had a very similar experience. I also learned just the...

importance of trusting the timing. You know, I think that's one of, one of the headline messages I hope people walk away from, um, in reading this book is to trust the timing of your life. Um, but just the process of writing the book, you know, we've had a book on our hearts for years, years and years. We knew we would write the book, but we didn't really know when. And I

At no point, surprisingly, in the process did we force it. You know, we were very much like trusting of the timing. And because of that, you know, when we did get approached by our agent Tess, who's just the most incredible and the best cheerleader and really understood and saw our vision and helped us to bring this to life, it just felt right. You know, there was no pushing. There was no forcing. There was no like...

trying to convince ourselves that this was the time. It just was the time. And from there, things for the most part really did flow. And it's just going to be something that I hold in my memory and in my archive of proof that, you know, most things you don't have to force the timing of, you know, if it doesn't feel quite right, it's probably not the right time. And

And then even in the process of writing, we had to push deadlines a few times. And it was actually, it was probably annoying for our publisher, but I actually think they built this in for us. I agree. You know, we were, we were supposed to write the book, I believe in six months, maybe even less. And we ended up writing it in just under a year later.

I had Mav a little bit earlier than we, than we thought. And then, you know, there was just aspects of the writing where we just wanted things to marinate a little more. We wanted to come back to it. We really wanted it to be something that like we left and felt like, yeah, that's it. That is it. No question. So we pushed it a few times and even that taught me my divorce.

Yeah, man. Oh my God. When you were preg. So I was fresh off my divorce and Linz was preg. So we, I was like...

putting it all on the paper. Yeah. Yeah. And it was interesting, like our flow, you know, I felt like when I felt in flow, you were kind of having a moment of like, yeah, not, or just needing to process being so in a process personally. And then like coming out of that and being like a waterfall and then mine dried up and I was like, all right, I need a moment, but it was actually perfect. You know, like it kind of allowed. Yeah.

procrastinator. I think you were pretty in, in your, you were pretty structured. I was like, I'll see. I was like Friday afternoon. I'll give it to you guys Monday. I'm going to write all of these words this weekend and not leave my bed. I really had to wait until it like hit. I couldn't just like dabble.

Mm hmm. Yeah. My process was more like, I know that if I'm showing up consistently, it's not going to be good every day, but that if I show up consistently, the goods going to come. It's almost like, it's like, you know, when you run the water at like a dumpy ass fucking bathroom at a truck stop and it's Brown and then you got to run it a little more until the good clear water comes out. That's kind of how it feels like.

So I kind of had to run the water every day. That's a Philly reference that you just made that an Ohio girl knows. Yeah, you get it, right? Hey girl, you're speaking my language. Truck stops, what do you mean? Been there many a times. Got a taquito, got a hot dog, got a pig in a blanket, got a Pop-Tart, whatever. The four-day-old taquitos? Oh yeah, dude, I loved taquitos so much. They're like so...

They're, they're, they're meant to be crunchy, but they're soft by that point. Yes. So if you haven't got the book, just to tell you guys a little bit about what the almost 30 book is, the almost 30 book is the guide to your twenties and thirties. It's helping you navigate transition in your life. So what Lindsay and I realized is that during the time of your later twenties, that's your Saturn return. A lot of things are up for grabs. A lot of things are changing and transitioning. And we wanted to help people in that time.

But after going through that time and really navigating it in a way that was sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful, we realized that all of the lessons that we learned in that really powerful portal apply for the rest of our lives. So if you have a great relationship with change, you're able to change your life for the better. So in the book, we have different sections related to things like career, purpose, body, finances, money, friends, relationships, soul, spirituality. We wanted to cover all

all of the breadth of topics that we talk about on Almost 30 in a way that felt approachable and helpful, almost like a hug from your best friend, and really to help you go from feeling lost to having a life that you love. And this is what we wish we had. This is the guide we wish we had. And we just felt like, I think society, our parents, just what we see in media, we should have it all figured out in our late 20s. Life should be set. And

I think if you're experiencing, like so many of us did, if you're experiencing just this, like, I don't have it all together. And actually, like, I'm questioning a lot of things about my life. We don't want you to feel like that is not normal. It is completely normal. Like from a neurological perspective, from an astrological perspective, it is completely normal and actually so purposeful. So

If we knew going into this late 20s period that this was like, not to sound dramatic, but it's true, like a portal for transformation, I would have like really stepped in. I would have been like, okay, let's go. So we hope that this book really gives you the confidence, gives you the reassurance that you are right on time for your life, that you can...

you know, garner tools and practices that really help you get in right relationship with change. Because, you know, we'll tell you, because we're a few years past 30, that change keeps happening, you know? And so how are we going to show up for it? I think will really color your experience in life and really make life so much more of an adventure rather than, Oh God, this is happening to me again. In this process to, um,

You know, it's funny because someone was asking about the writing process and I had the best time in the writing process. I felt like it was beautiful. I felt, I didn't feel, maybe it was hard during. I think we were doing it over the holidays. I remember being home for the holidays and having to write our proposal, having to finish things. But I think the harder part for me was kind of the promotion, kind of that like stepping out part. And so it's so, such a beautiful reminder for me too, of how everything in life can really show you what you need to know.

And if you are someone that has a growth mindset or has a mindset curious about yourself, everything can be a mirror for where you need to grow. And I think for me, this was surrender. This was receiving. This was trusting.

and really learning in and leaning that through the process. And again, just for me coming back to what really matters, like what in my value here matters. And the fact that we had some of the most powerful people included in our book, we have some really powerful blurbs from people like Gabby Bernstein, Jay Shetty, La La Delia, Ofi and Tali from Astro Twin, Shalina from Rising Woman, Jill Winterstein from Spirit Daughter, like

Jenna Kutcher, just really powerful endorsements from people. We had an amazing camp, you know, which was so great. So it's been a beautiful process, but I think in it just for like peeling back the curtains a little bit, I've been struggling so much with feeling with stress and anxiety through the process of doing so much and being so external and so out. And I'm usually very external and out, but I think it's been a new layer that, um,

and a new level of push that I've never reached before. Yeah. Yeah. I, and you know, what's funny is like the part of me that I've noticed in that part of the process of the marketing of being so, you know, public facing for this, um, part of the process is like, I really, I want validation in very interesting ways, right?

I have no doubt that this book is going to be incredibly impactful and reach the people that it is meant to reach. But there's an interesting thing that happens, I think, when you're kind of in this like

book machine. And there's like these expectations and all of that, which are well and good. There is the business of the book side that, that makes perfect sense to me. But I just found myself kind of like wanting validation in that realm rather than remembering. And now I've gotten to the place where I do remember I'm kind of sitting there in that remembering that

the success has already happened we've written a book which is a huge accomplishment and you know like everything that we've done like our community there there is just a resonance to what we create

and how they receive it and they're attracted to that. And I can now trust that rather than like doing the most to try and like find them. Like I believe that what we create truly has an energy that will find the people that it's meant to. So while we're still going to do the most launch week and we're going to have a blast and we're going to market and promote it in the best way we know how, I also just

really want to trust that this book is going to take on a life of its own. And just thanking our community, thanking you guys for being with us for so long in this process. And I'm getting emotional, but

Like, so many people have been with us over the years and years. And I was in Miami last week and there was this girl that came up to me and she's like, I've been like OG listening for like seven or eight years, like you guys are. And it just...

you know, to grow up with someone, to like go through things. Like people have just supported us through all the transitions and all the changes and all the mistakes and all the wins and all the cringe. And I just feel so grateful that we've been able to do what we do. And we've been able to be people that have walked alongside some of the most amazing, loving, deep, caring, interesting women out there in our community. And I feel so grateful

grateful that we're trusted, you know, each week with the show and that we're trusted in the work that we do. And yeah, I just, I'm so grateful for you guys. Celebrating the book has been like a group celebration. You know, I felt it in, in the DMS and in the messages and, you know, everyone's like, Oh my gosh, like we did it basically is like the vibe. Like, you know, people really truly have been along for the ride and I'm, I'm

just so also grateful because, you know, I always think like, how are you guys so cool? How are you so committed to your own growth? How are you so heart centered and just loving and sweet and funny? Like we've met you in person all over the world. Like, and I would say 99% of the time, that is what we experience. I'm just like alone away. So,

Yeah, to echo Krista, I'm so grateful. I mean, this book wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for you. You know, we wouldn't be inspired to write a book if it wasn't for you. You've really literally and figuratively like moved us over the years. And yeah, it's just been...

It's been a ride of a lifetime. And, you know, we would love to thank our team. I think there's many layers of the team aspect that make this possible. And I think just starting with our own internal team at Almost 30, I think our team...

Our team have always been people that really believe in the mission, you know, and I'm so, I think that's really unique. And so while Kristen and I have moments where we're like, we're always going to care more. The reality is our team cares deeply. No, but like, you know, it's like when you create something,

you're, you have kind of this like ego ownership of like, you know, no one's going to care as much as I do on our team just care so deeply and they pour their talents and energies, some that we honestly don't have, you know, like into this, into this, um, experience. And, you know, they, they've just really carried this in so many ways, whether it's the social content, the video content, um,

um, you know, the newsletters that they're, you know, supporting us with, it's like, all of this is truly a team effort. Um, and then our publisher, our agent, you know, that's been a whole experience. That's like really expanded me. Um, our agent Tess is just an angel. I didn't know people like her existed and, um,

Our publishers have been just a dream to work with. So good to be with them recording in person. The Macmillan audio team was amazing. And yeah, we're just so grateful for their support and their trust in our vision. Truly, they really trusted our vision. Nikki, who helped us with the book. Nikki was so instrumental. And there was a lot of people involved in bringing this to life that we're really grateful for and indebted to. And our family and friends and all the people that reached out to us to support

that I probably didn't reply to because I couldn't receive it. It's all good. All the people that just were loving and there for us in this whole journey. Thank you so much for helping us bring this to life. And

Our intention today with this intro was really just to say thank you for being a part of our lives and our community and supporting Lindsay and I for pre-ordering the book, for getting it on Audible, for getting one for your friends, not only as a support for yourself, but a support for others. And thank you to every single one of the guests that we've had on the show over the years, the ones that are featured in the book, the amazing friends that did the blurbs for us, all the friends that supported us, our team, our agents.

our families. And we wanted to share some of the beginning of the book just to kind of give you guys a taste and bring you along for the experience that you're going to be having when you get the book. So this is an excerpt from the audiobook recording that Lindsay and I did in New York City a few weeks ago. And it is...

so much fun to listen to and so much fun to dig into. And we're dropping you in basically where we were when we started Almost 30, so you'll probably remember that time. And it's going to be so much fun to listen to and give you a little taste for free.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. The audio book was a blast to record. And just to give you an idea, so Kristen, I alternated chapters. So, you know, we'll be reading our own chapters. And then for this introduction of the book that we're going to share with you now, we both read it and it was just kind of this fun little experience. We were working with the team at Macmillan to just kind of set the vibe. So I'm really excited for you guys to listen to this and

I've been hearing from a lot of you that your audio book early. So I'm really, I'm, we're super proud of the audio book. I cannot wait for you to listen to it so you can get it now, um, on audible.com.

anywhere you listen to audio books, it's there. We're so grateful for your support. Enjoy this one. We're going to be back on Thursday talking more about the book and our process and just what's coming up in real time. Um, because we'll be recording that in New York together, just during launch week. So excited to connect with you then, but until then we love you.

We love you. We're so grateful you pre-ordered the book, Almost 30, a definitive guide to a life that you love for this next decade and beyond from Macmillan, written by Krista Williams and Lindsay Simsek of the Almost 30 podcast. Love you. You know what's wild? When you're pregnant, you're literally growing a human and yet...

For so long, for like decades, women, especially pregnant women, have been left out of clinical research. Isn't that insane? How does that make sense? I have no idea. When I got pregnant, it was the end of 2022.

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And as you know, like in that first trimester, especially you can have a lot of nausea and it has this citrus essence, which made it really, really easy to take. And in that first trimester, you can have a lot of nausea and just, it's really hard to eat certain things, take certain things. But the minty tab in the bottle, a dream. It's just like these little sensory things that really matter when your senses are on high alert as a pregnant person.

And I genuinely look forward to taking it, knowing it was doing so much good for me and my then growing son. I just love that every product they make is formulated with real intention and that Ritual is out here raising standards for women's health, especially in such a critical season of life. So don't settle for less than evidence-based support. Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com slash almost 30. Start Ritual or add Essential Prenatal to your subscription today. That's ritual.com slash almost 30 for 25% off.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Let's be real. When we first heard about astaxanthin, we were like, wait, what does that say that three times fast? But now we're telling everybody about it. Friends, family, our partners, basically anyone with a body. I'm like, yo, are you taking astaxanthin? Yeah. It's this incredible marine super nutrient produced by microalgae to protect itself from UV damage.

It's what gives wild salmon their color and their superpowers. You know, I'm sure you've heard about this, like salmon's ability to swim upstream against all odds. That same compound, when taken as a supplement, has been shown to support healthy aging, joint function, muscle recovery, and even brain and heart health. There are over 3,000 scientific papers on it, and honestly, we were sold. And

And I've been taking it for about three months now. And I've just noticed an incredible difference in my energy. I had like joint pain in my knees.

when I would run or walk or do the Stairmaster and that is gone. So I'm just so happy with the results thus far. And here's where it gets really exciting. AX3 isn't just your average supplement. It's next level. It was chosen for the NIH's Interventions Testing Program, aka the gold standard in lifespan research. And it showed a 12% increase in median lifespan in mammals. That's never been done before when the 20-year history of the program. So that's pretty insane. And

And AX3 uses a natural product total synthesis, which means that their astaxanthin has superior purity and bioavailability. So it's been shown to absorb three times better than other versions in a clinical study.

We recently had the founder, David Wanamal, on the podcast. Check that one out. But if you're ready to try it, AX3 is offering 20% off your first order. Just head to ax3.life and use the code ALMOST30 at checkout. Again, that's ax3.life, code ALMOST30 for 20% off. Introduction. We should have been enjoying our lives. It was our 20s.

Life was supposed to be serving us a fun, glitzy montage of bachelorette parties, hot dates, fun adventures, cool corporate outfits with chic stilettos, and rooftop happy hours galore with coworkers we loved. We were young, living in Los Angeles, seemingly healthy, with fresh blonde highlights and endless career opportunities in front of us.

Life should have been good. Things should have made sense. We were supposed to be thriving, but we were far from it. In actuality, we were just two late 20-somethings with bad skin flare-ups, relationship issues, credit card debt, hormonal imbalances, heartbreak, and no career or purpose in sight. We were lost, and no one was coming to save us.

The lives we had envisioned for ourselves by this point in our 20s weren't really shaking out. Our journeys were different, but they reeked of a similar sort of disappointment. The dream of becoming a Broadway star turned series regular on an Emmy award-winning TV show was fading with every rejection I got. While that corner office dream, cool corporate ladder climb, didn't feel how I hoped it would.

Our stories merged in Los Angeles at the point when each of us had moved on from our original visions with less of a plan than ever. On the outside, it may have looked like things were fine. Yes, I had put acting on hold, but I was thriving as a SoulCycle instructor, teaching the most popular fitness class in LA, whipping my hair back and forth while pedaling away in front of a sold-out crowd day after day.

And I was in a serious relationship, traveling all over the world when I wasn't working my corporate gig and documenting my journey along the way in hefe-filtered pics for both the gram and my blog. Based on our social media accounts, you'd think we were both killing it. But behind our handles was a reality that was much less Instagrammable.

Our misery wasn't casual. It wasn't just a talking point over mimosas at Sunday brunch. No, we were desperate, emotional, and vocal, at least to each other, about this feeling that we were somehow wasting our time on the wrong things, moving in the wrong direction, or stalled out altogether. The majority of our conversation centered around this feeling that life was happening without us, and that we were doing all the things, but the wrong ones.

Let's be real. Our early to mid-twenties gives way to a period of time that no one prepares us for. These existential questions we were asking were warranted, just like they are for you. Will I ever feel good in my body? Who am I meant to be with? What's my purpose? What am I doing with my life anyway? It's a time when we are launched from a period of invincibility, lack of responsibility, and the blissful ignorance of our younger years into the abyss of adulthood.

In our early 20s, it's all about what's happening outside of ourselves, from the parties to the pressure, to get the job of our dreams or our parents' dreams, to dating in the real world. It's about how we can be more like that, and I hope they like me, rather than about trusting our own intuition and desires.

Like all good love stories, we first met on Hinge. Over FaceTime, when a mutual friend connected us because she thought that Lindsay, who was a current SoulCycle instructor, might be of some help to me, who had an audition scheduled to try and become one, we felt a spark immediately and started to hang out IRL. There was something different about our relationship. It felt like kismet, the kind of instant, deep, and comfortable bond that happens so rarely in

We went on walks together, worked out together, and couch surfed together. Our connection got stronger the more we realized just how similarly we were feeling about our lives. Being in the thick of it together felt reassuring and safe. It was early on a Monday morning, and the west side fog had yet to burn off. I was driving Krista home after a SoulCycle class because she had yet to get a car following her recent move from New York. Figuring out how to navigate a driving city like Los Angeles without a car was a true feat.

Sweaty leggings and empty water bottles littered my Nissan Sentra, and the smell of yogurt might as well have been the air freshener scent. I had no choice but to eat my meals in my car before and after teaching upward of four classes per day all over LA. And I, a vegan at the time, gagged at the sight and smell of the goat's milk yogurt, but sucked it up for the sake of a free ride and in-depth talks.

We pulled into my vacant parking spot in the wooden carport behind my small Venice apartment and decided to hang for a little while longer. Misery does love company, and sometimes you just can't be alone. Plus, we didn't have much else to do that morning. Lindsay was done teaching until that evening, and I miraculously had the day off from my multi-job schedule I was juggling in the wake of quitting my corporate gig to find my real calling.

Inside the small one-bedroom apartment by the beach, with no A.C. or dishwasher and some cheap boho decor, it felt like Groundhog Day as we sat down to discuss the current state of our lives. I plopped down in the corner on the new L-shaped couch Krista had found on Craigslist for $300. Krista sat across from me in the squeaky desk chair that liked to roll itself across the uneven floor.

As we did weekly, we began to unpack what was going on in our lives in this safe space we had created to share how we were feeling truthfully and from our hearts. In a time when life generally felt difficult, this felt so easy. I explained my hormone health struggles, which I had just learned about through testing. It was also the first time I learned what hormones were. The verdict? Not good. I felt uncomfortable in my body and out of sorts. And not only was I not feeling like myself...

I wasn't looking like it either. Then it was my turn. Dating was torturous, and I felt unable to be my goofy, vibrant self with the latest gym trainer I was dating. More and more, it felt like settling was my only option. From there, our conversation turned to our credit card debt. Oops. Which felt shameful and embarrassing, and also never-ending. Something had to give.

There had to be a reason for this confusion, chaos, and series of unfortunate events we were experiencing. There also had to be an answer, or at least some sort of support group we could join. We tried to jigsaw answers together for ourselves, but it seemed like the whole world lacked the vocabulary to understand how painful and intense the mid-to-late 20s really are. No one taught us how to be adults, or the skills that would actually serve us in life.

We were struggling, lost and stuck in a haze. But at least we had each other. As it turned out, that was enough to put us on the right path. The birth of Almost 30. One day as we were sitting at Bulletproof Cafe, sipping a butter-laden vanilla latte after a workout...

An L.A. trend we hopped on early. Krista asked me if we should start a podcast about all the things we spent our time talking about anyway. The real vision for the show wasn't clear just yet, but the desire for connection was. I was a podcast devotee and listened to them religiously as a way of pursuing my interests and finding inspiration while navigating L.A. traffic. And I'm always down to create something, even if the end goal isn't clear. So I was in.

The podcast had almost the same gestation period as a human baby, which was fitting because it grew to be our shared child. In this and so many ways, our relationship has become like a marriage over the years. We spent the next eight months figuring out what the heck we were doing. Back then in 2016, podcasting wasn't what it is today. Most people thought it was radio, and those exploring the medium were making their own rules without any expectation for their podcast to become a thing.

It was a really exciting time, almost like the entire industry was one big startup with lots of promise and very few rules. There were very few female podcasters on the scene and even fewer duos. So we didn't necessarily have a template or anyone to look up to. Instead, we had to be that for ourselves. We started brainstorming different segment ideas by listing things we wanted to talk about because shows need to have segments, right?

Some of these make us cringe now. Shit that stuck. Things we learned that week and wanted to share. Hundred not hundred, which was an homage to Krista's first mildly successful blog, 100blog. And a segment where we took a question from the audience that we didn't have yet. These questions came from friends who were technically our only audience at the time, but we fudged that they had written in.

I bought a $15 recorder and we started practicing whenever and wherever we could. In our closets, at an abandoned WeWork. The door was unlocked, so... And sometimes even out in the wild. We interviewed a fertility doctor at a cafe once. The sound was horrible. The elements of a show started to come together. A friend of Lindsay's made our podcast cover art for free using photos we had taken to try and legitimize ourselves a few weeks earlier.

It was during the days when an artistic photo shoot required nothing more than a graffiti wall in the background. We tried to capture the confused 20-something vibe by dressing in cut-off jean shorts, bikinis, and trucker hats, a look that we felt represented this in-between time well. Another cringeworthy decision, but today we kind of respect the clarity and confidence of the vision. We hired a voiceover artist on Fiverr to be our hype man in the podcast intro. I would love to meet him one day.

and had a friend edit our episodes for $50, the first of which we recorded on Lindsay's trusty state-of-the-art recorder, sitting on the floor of the closet of my studio apartment next to my boyfriend's smelly gym shoes.

We closed the door while we were recording because we were professionals and wanted the best sound quality possible. This meant we had to take frequent breaks to swing open the door and gasp since we were totally oxygen deprived, which may have affected the quality of our conversation and the show, lol. We held our breath when we launched Almost 30 in September 2016. Were we ready? Absolutely not. But we weren't willing to wait any longer. We had done the practice and the prep.

And now it was time to let our little podcast baby go out and live a little bit. Almost 30 gave us a place to relax, be ourselves, and hang up the idea, at least temporarily, that we had to be further along in our lives than we were. We hoped that the show would find its legs and make other people feel similarly. We had no long-term plan and chose to trust that what felt good for us to create would serve others in some way, too.

In those early days, Almost 30 was, uh, less than polished. A sampling of some of our earliest episodes include wacky titles like Boy, Friends with Benefits, De-Stuffing Bras and Stuffing Faces, and Cardship Readers Suck, Self-Awareness Rules.

We were raunchy, doling out tips about the proper poses for taking nudes for the person you're seeing and oversharing about dating, family drama, and sexcapades. Go back and listen to a few if you dare. We can't listen without hiding underneath the table and earmuffing ourselves. But hey, it was an honest snapshot of that moment in time. And we had to start there. Thankfully, the podcast evolved along with us.

As we navigated our almost 30s and then moved into our actual 30s, the podcast mirrored our evolution. The podcast had been the teacher we needed and the purpose we had been praying for. Over the years, it became more centered on health and wellness than career and entrepreneurship. And then we were called to explore all things spirituality. We started to include conversations with guests and bring on experts in the field we were most interested in at any given moment.

Today, it's a mix of all of those things, and mainly it's about transformation, or as we put it, being almost something. We have always committed to honesty and saying the things that others were afraid to say, to leading with our own truth, and to connecting with others in a way that we would have never thought possible once upon a time.

As a result, we have amassed millions of downloads and a community of like-hearted people all over the world who are so ready and willing to learn, grow, and commit to living lives that they love.

Okay, let's talk metabolism for real. Because somewhere along the way, probably in your late 20s or early 30s, you start noticing things shifting, right? Maybe some energy dips, digestion gets a little funky, and the stuff you used to get away with eating... Hello, hi, it's me. Yeah, not so much anymore. And that's why I love taking Pendulum's Metabolic Daily. Krista and I are obsessed. It's a four-in-one probiotic designed to actually support your gut and metabolic health on a daily level. And it's a great way to get rid of your

So this helps your body metabolize sugars and carbs, promotes digestion, and even enhances natural GLP-1 production, which is a big deal when it comes to metabolic function.

So, you know, you've heard that term GLP-1 thrown around lately and now you know. What makes this blend next level is the inclusion of acromantia. And this is a strain I had never heard of until Pendulum. It's considered a keystone strain for gut health and wild fact, we can't get it from food and many of us don't get enough of it. So I love knowing I'm replenishing my body with something I actually need and can't get anywhere else. Plus it's backed by legit science. This isn't like your average grab it at the drugstore probiotic.

This is formulated by PhDs from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Berkeley. And fun fact, even Halle Berry swears by it. Yes, the Halle Berry.

If you're feeling like your metabolism needs a little love, this is your sign. Go to PendulumLife.com and use code ALMOST30 for 20% off your first membership order. That's PendulumLife.com. Code is ALMOST30. Or if you're shopping on Amazon, you can also use that same code. Just head to Amazon.com slash Pendulum. And when you get to the payment section, click Use a Gift Card, Voucher, or Promo Code and enter code ALMOST30 for 20% off your first subscription order.

I do not skimp on bread. That's just one thing about me. And I've found a brand that makes bread delicious and healthy. Like you can still meet your health goals and indulge in soft, fluffy bread guilt-free. It's pretty incredible. The brand is Hero Bread and they are making bread an experience. Honestly, they have bagels and they have tortillas and they have Hawaiian rolls. It's

Just making my dreams come true. The Hawaiian rolls are my favorite, like hands down. I have multiple of them. I'll make like little sliders. I will just eat them as like a buttery roll.

And get this, not only are they delicious and flavorful, but have ultra low net carbs, zero grams of sugar and are high in fiber. Are you in? Like soft, fluffy, chewy, amazing bread. It's going to change your breakfast. It's going to up-level your lunches and dinner will never, ever be the same. No compromises, just flavor. Okay. Sliced bread loves tortillas, bagels, and dinner rolls. It's going

It's going to change your life. Hero Bread is offering 10% off your order. Go to hero.co, H-E-R-O.C-O, and use the code ALMOST30 at checkout. That's ALMOST30 at H-E-R-O.C-O.

Perhaps our messes made us seek the awakening. Or maybe the messes were our awakening. Either way, we were open and hungry for knowledge and support, and for feeling less alone and mostly less crazy. Through our conversations, we found the teachings, experiences, modalities, and tools that could support us, and now you, during this intense season.

We look back and realize that although we didn't see it at the time, we really did understand our assignment from the universe. We've moved through this intense period of almost 30 and learned an incredible amount about ourselves. Dare we say, we've come out better on the other side, more whole, happy, and set up for a life we love. We now know how someone like you can feel more equipped, confident, and empowered to navigate this too.

Despite the fact that we didn't plan for this to be anything beyond a fun project created in our closets, today, Almost 30 is our full-time dream, complete with an amazing team, and yes, we have surpassed 30. It's been hard work, yes, and we really figured it out as we went along. And although we're over that hill, the name has stuck.

Thankfully, we did move our recording sessions out of the dark, cramped closet we started in and built ourselves a spacious, elevated, almost 30-style studio that has been featured in press outlets like Architectural Digest and Apartment Therapy.

Over the years, The Pod has been written up all over the place in publications like Oprah Daily, The Hollywood Reporter, Entrepreneur, Women's Health, and more, and has been nominated for iHeart Podcast Awards a few times in both the health and spirituality spaces. We've sold out global tours and spoken on stages around the world, hosted immersive wellness retreats, expanded our biz to influential courses in online learning, and

and have had the most incredible opportunity to interview and learn from some of the most impactful experts and thought leaders of our time, including people like Mel Robbins, Lilly Singh, Jesse Inchisepe, Jenna Kutcher, Gabby Bernstein, Glennon Doyle, Lala Dilya, and Jay Shetty, to name just a few, many of whom you'll hear from in this book.

Those 27-year-olds driving around in my Nissan Sentra would have been so in awe and proud of the fact that we've gone on to build an entire career and empire out of our belly laughs, genuine curiosity, and explorative musings. But back then, we were just trying to figure out what it meant to be almost 30. Welcome to the club.

As you approach 30, you might be feeling disoriented and scared, as if you've just woken up to your life after having been on autopilot. Fueled by familial and societal influences, you may be looking around and realizing that what you do, who you're in relationship with, where you live, or how your life looks is no longer aligned with who you are, if you even know who that is at this point.

Friends begin to split off in their own directions, whether that means moving to a new location or to a different phase of life. The relationships that were once so important to you suddenly aren't feeling aligned anymore. And the things you once loved doing don't bring you the same satisfaction and fulfillment they used to.

You don't feel the financial security you'd hope for by this point. In fact, you might suddenly be confronted by daunting adult financial responsibilities and pressure to strategize for the future. To top it all off, things change from a health and body perspective, and the old ways of relating to yourself are no longer working for you.

While you might feel like you want to crawl into a hole and just keep doing what you've been doing for fear of the unknown, there is a very big and powerful part of you that won't allow that to happen. And we won't allow that to happen either.

Without certain milestones in place by 29, for us the promise, or impending doom, of 30 felt more agonizing than exciting. If you're listening to this book, you probably relate in some way. Maybe you're feeling anxious and alone like we were. Or maybe you've already hit the 30 milestone and are looking back and connecting the dots of your Saturn return.

Saturn what? Uh-huh. We'll explain in the next chapter. Looking back on what all that transition, change, and growth meant then and means today.

Whether you've already experienced your Saturn return or are anticipating it or are somewhere in the middle of it, we hope this book will validate your experience while offering ways to remain centered through the change. Because let's be honest, change definitely isn't limited to your late 20s. Knowing yourself is a lifelong process and commitment. And this is just the beginning. Your relationship with change sets the stage for your relationship with life.

Whatever the case, because this book is in your earbuds, we can safely assume that you're asking yourself some of the same questions we were asking ourselves during our Saturn return, as we were simultaneously seeking and rejecting change. What the heck am I doing with my life? Aren't I supposed to have things figured out by now? Is it normal to feel disconnected from people I was once close to? Where should I settle down? Where is my person? Am I running out of time to get it together? Will I ever get out of debt?

Should I change careers? What's my purpose? And how can I pursue it? Media, social media, society in general, and maybe even family and friends lead you to believe that by the time you reach your 30s, you'll have it all figured out. You'll be a real adult with a real job. Maybe even your own six or seven fig business that allows you to work from anywhere.

Financial stability, a partner you love, and a clear purpose and path ahead. You'll be in complete control of your life, know exactly who you are and where you're heading. I'm sorry, but what? You might have a few of these items on the life to-do list checked off by then, sure. But it is completely unrealistic and counter to the nature of who we are as humans to have it all together by any age, really.

Who you are is always changing, especially during this period in your late 20s. So if you lock in any of these areas of your life early on, expect them to be re-evaluated as you decondition yourself, as you let go of patterns and beliefs that are not yours. To have it all figured out by 30 would make the rest of life, well, boring in our opinion.

If we have learned anything over the years interviewing some of the best and brightest in the world, it's that no one has it figured out. Your late 20s are a time of massive shifts, when at least one and, quite possibly, many or all significant areas of your life are called into question. And in a state of transition, your sense of self, where and how you'll live, your beliefs, your lifestyle, your relationships, and your career

It might feel totally chaotic, like the anchors that once held you in a comfortable place in life have suddenly been cut loose and you're floating in the open ocean, sunburnt and thirsty, in desperate need of shelter and a razor. Is the visual as dramatic as your life feels right now? Mm-hmm. It's a lot.

Even if you've been out in the world on your own for a while, chances are that there were structure and familiarity up until this point. You were at college, perhaps, then living with roommates, hanging out with the same friends all the time. Everyone around you was more or less on the same page. Most of us have fond memories of this time because who doesn't love whipped vodka shots after hours at your favorite bar on a Monday night, only to sneak in late to the Tuesday morning meeting because you wound up in someone else's bed far, far downtown.

hands over face emoji. And then as your 20s start to wrap up and the door to your 30s creaks open, things begin to change. So what gives with all the change, confusion, and chaos happening right now? The truth is that change is constant, yet we find it so hard to embrace and live it. That's because the physiology of our brains is primal, and change signals a threat.

Our brains convince us to resist, tell us that change is all for the worst and that we should just run and hide. Whether it's the changes that our body goes through, the shifts in our closest relationships, or the transitions we experience many times over within our careers, it's rarely easy. Yet when change comes knocking on our door, we have been conditioned to feel and think in a way that's totally counter to the intention that change itself has.

It's what we think about change that colors our experience of it. To avoid change is to avoid being human.

What we know now is that if you are experiencing the same sort of feelings we did, you have just been gifted with something extraordinary. This late 20s portal and all the change that comes with it is a request from the universe for you to come close, listen intently, and be open to unexpected pleasures, fulfillment, and transformation. When you awaken to more of who you really are—we'll talk about what that means in the chapters ahead—

you'll realize that so much must change in order for you to align with your becoming. We're here to hold your hand and cheer you on as you work through these defining life changes. Changes within, changes in your body, changes in your career, and changes in your relationships. Whether it feels like it or not, there is a part of you that's ready to initiate change. Or you wouldn't be listening to this book. But you're probably also afraid to or don't know how.

Maybe you're feeling like we were, ready to find the career and purpose that lights you up, to meet a partner, to move somewhere new, or to connect more deeply with who you are. But doing things differently feels overwhelming. You might feel that strong desire for something different, but still find it hard to trust yourself and change enough to take action. You might feel seriously stuck and currently lack the confidence or clarity to make a move.

Wherever you find yourself, the truth of the matter is that this time of life can bring you to your knees. Know that you're not alone, and in fact, you're exactly where you're supposed to be right now. This strong current of change is happening for you, and it'll bring on all the feels with it. Frustration, elation, anxiety, directionlessness, isolation, excitement, sadness, confusion, and more.

Your feelings will light the path to deeper alignment. In other words, your willingness and commitment to feel and be present will open up a whole new experience that you will learn to love and appreciate and be proud to call your own. We know that feeling the big emotions that come up can sometimes be scary, and we are here to help guide you through it so you can find yourself more free on the other side of this intense time frame. Here's another truth.

For all the directionlessness, confusion, and frustration you feel right now, there's also a lot of magic in this late 20s portal.

for all the things you don't know and answers you don't have. Chances are that if you use this time as an opportunity to get to know yourself, your real self, more intimately, ride the waves of life, listen to your heart and soul, and follow those things both big and small that call to you, when you look back, you may very well realize that this period marked the beginning of a future that's even better than anything you can begin to dream of from where you stand right now.

Before we go any further, let's just take a moment and give it up for you. Take a deep breath of gratitude for what you've set in motion. It's a big deal. A book like this doesn't find its way to your ears by accident. There was a part of you that sent out a bath signal to the universe because you desire and are open to guidance, support, and connection during this period of your life. Consider the two of us your Saturn return big sisters.

We're here to validate, motivate, inspire, and remind you of what's true. We'll be weeping and slow clapping in the bleachers. Cue the mean girls, you're doing great, sweetie, scene. As you come back home to yourself one chapter at a time, because we know the impact of this exploration and the work that you are committing to. We experienced it ourselves and have come out the other side, meeting our life on a soul level. And it feels so, so good.

If someone would have told us that our 20s could be a decade of liberated exploration, that we didn't have to figure out the rest of our lives, that we didn't have to find the person we would be with forever, that we weren't meant to define our career but rather experiment and let our passions lead us, the pressure wouldn't have felt so suffocating. We could have seen it all as fun and exploratory, a time for experimentation.

a season to create a portfolio of our various life experiences and witness the contrast of it all. Our 20s are not meant to be a fixed point upon which everything hinges, but rather fluid and flexible. That would have saved us a lot of stress, tears, doubt, and self-judgment. But alas, we had to move through it in order to land here with you as a small but hopefully helpful part of your journey.

We hope that our personal stories, the wisdom and insight from our almost 30 guests, and the tools and practices that support us to this day will play a part in creating a new experience of change for you. We hope that you will realize the incredible power you have in participating in your life consciously and with purpose by working to decondition the patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that have gotten you this far but won't get you to where you want to go.

Most of all, we hope that you'll feel a little less alone as you make this important, profound, and beautiful shift from your late 20s into your 30s. Let us be the first to welcome you to this powerful season and life-changing opportunity with open arms. ♪

We got you.