Hey Friend, Does this sound like you? You think you need to be perfect in order to be accepted by your friends and family... You find yourself criticizing the people around you when they aren't working on their bad habits... You have done everything you are "supposed" to do to achieve the life you want, but still, you feel like it's not enough... You set very high standards for yourself, and if you're honest, it leaves you anxious and exhausted. If you answered YES to any of these statements, yo...
Jul 14, 2020•38 min
If you are looking for job interview preparation, I have three job interview tips that will help you to be MAGNETIC in your next job interview! In this episode of R&R, I am going to tell you how to prepare for a job interview in less than 10 minutes. I'll go over job interview attire, how to prepare for a job interview before it starts, and how to be confident during those hard interview questions, like when they ask you about your biggest weakness. CRINGE! Can't wait for you to nail your ne...
Jul 10, 2020•7 min
If you've ever googled, "Kansas city things to do" "tourist attractions near me" or "kansas city restaurants" then you are going to love this podcast all about how to be a tourist in your own city! Since almost all of our travel plans are on hold, in this episode we explore how to have new adventures in our own backyards! In this episode of The Problem With Perfect, Rachel talks with Brittany Burdick who runs the account, KC Local Events. KC Local Events is a social media outlet that promotes lo...
Jul 07, 2020•37 min•Ep. 41
Life is fragile. Bad things happen to good people. We lose jobs. We lose people. And sometimes, we lose faith. This fear of the unknown makes it easy to worry about what is around the next corner of life. In this R&R, Robin shares her strategies for staying present with the what is instead of worrying about then what if. Sometimes, we need to look back to have the courage to move forward.
Jul 03, 2020•11 min
Just thinking about forgiveness can get overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you do the hard work? And is it worth it in the end? Today's episode unpacks this struggle and offers a practical strategy to address the need for us to ask for and extend forgiveness. Using the acronym GRACE, we acknowledge these volatile barriers that keep us stuck in an unforgiving pattern and offer a tool for moving forward. G - Get real with yourself R - Remember what forgiveness is, and isn't A - Affirm the va...
Jun 30, 2020•28 min
It's no secret - we are built for community. That's why it can be so hard to find new friends or meet new friends after a big life change. Whether that's moving to a new city, relationship changes, or having a baby, it's times like this that remind us that we need other people. So what do we do when we know we want to meet new people, but just don't know how? Or maybe we just feel awkward about starting up a conversation with a stranger. In this episode, we will give you four foolproof strategie...
Jun 23, 2020•32 min•Ep. 39
Listen as Matt answers listener questions about his upcoming tranplant, faith, and staying positive during suffering. Stay until the end for some fun rapid-fire questions!
Jun 19, 2020•34 min
No matter what your level of comfort is in re-engaging with the world in this post-COVID era, one thing is for sure. COVID made us all stop and think about our own physical vulnerability. This experience has many of us re-evaluating what we can do to boost our own health and give our bodies the best chance at being healthy. In this episode, we pose these immune-health related questions to Certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Karri Ball. And as an added bonus, we not only learn s...
Jun 16, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 38
We all have seasons when we are feeling stuck in life! It's completely normal, however, we don't have to stay stuck in life. Sometimes our biggest motivator is ourselves, so today Rachel is giving three motivating tips for what you can do when you are feeling stuck in life.
Jun 12, 2020•7 min
Imagine there is a list of things to accomplish to create a perfect life. Then imagine that once you’ve checked every item off, you realize that the perfect life isn’t the life that makes you happy. What do you do next? Meet Kansas City attorney turned professional influencer Brea Vokolek, whose Instagram page has nearly 12,000 followers. On this episode with Brea, learn how she overcomes her perfectionist struggles to live an authentic life, all the while balancing an Instagram following her cr...
Jun 08, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Why do bad things happen to good people? If I do good, then I will get good, right? Sadly, if you live long enough you know that isn't always the case. So how do we make sense of our lives when bad things happen to us, even when we have done our best to be good? Listen to Robin share tips that have helped her deepen her understanding of suffering, God, and why bad things happen to good people. If you've ever found yourself wondering, how to trust God when bad things happen, this is the episode f...
Jun 05, 2020•12 min
As flawed, broken people, "I'm sorry" are two of the most important words we will ever hear and speak. Without the possibility of restoring relationships, our lives would be hopeless and tragic. Yet even given the benefits of it, we often resist apologizing. We rationalize our bad behavior, minimize its impacts and convince ourselves that the other person prompted your wrong doing. In this episode, we discuss why apologies are so important - and so difficult, especially for those of us who strug...
Jun 02, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Ever wonder how emotionally intelligent you are? Emotional intelligence is one of those things that we all instinctively know we need and want, but yet few of us can actually define it. So, what does it mean to be emotionally intelligent and perhaps more importantly, how does it look (and not look) in our day to day relationships? In this episode, author and psychologist Nick Wignall joins us to discuss what behaviors emotionally intelligent people DON'T do. Follow along and you might just get s...
May 26, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Do you have a goal, dream, or something you want for your life but it's not coming together? Then this episode is for you.
May 22, 2020•9 min
Millennials have now surpassed baby boomers as the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. As they continue to dominate the work place, their influence will also shape the world around us. So what do we know about millennials? What do millennials know and realize about themselves? In this episode, Gen X representative, Robin interviews Rachel, The Problem With Perfect's own millennial, in effort to answer these questions and more, including do millennials get a bad rap for being self-entitled ...
May 19, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 34
This is your check-in, how it is going with your word for the year? When I chose my word for the year, STEP, I had no idea what God had planned over the next few months. Remember, having a word for the year helps to give you a lens by which you look at the world. For me, it helps me think about what God is doing in my life. Amidst a worldwide pandemic, a cancer diagnosis, and a move to be closer to Matt during treatment, my life feels pretty uncertain at the moment. Even though this last month h...
May 15, 2020•9 min
No one can look into the future, but we can look to the past and reflect on what it has taught us - which is exactly what Rachel and Robin do in this episode. Armed with a handful of tough questions from our listeners, Rachel interviews Robin about the lessons she's learned during her 25 years of marriage. Whether you're single and interested in marriage or you've been married for 50 years, you will find yourself in some part of this insightful, encouraging and transparent discussion about marri...
May 12, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 33
If you're like me, then you're wondering "what the heck do I do for Mother's Day during quarantine??" That's why in this episode I am breaking down the Ultimate Mother's Day Guide plus giving you a template for a card to write to your mom this Mother's Day. ACTIVITIES GUIDE (1:42) Go to a dog park (2:20) Go through old photos together (2:40) Make a Tik Tok (3:18) Activities to do in the park (3:49) A city-wide scavenger hunt (4:12) Make her breakfast or dinner (4:32) Spend the day phone-free TEM...
May 08, 2020•9 min
If you are wondering how to build resilience in your life, you are not alone. Studies show that the people who emerge from seasons of distress and suffering the strongest are those who can find the good in the midst of it all. But how? How do we find hope and develop resilience in the midst of disappointment or despair? In this episode, Rachel and Robin help answer this question by discussing an essay from author Emily Esfahani Smith, The 4 Pillars of Meaning That Will Help Us Emerge From the Pa...
May 05, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 31
I don't like feeling weak. Physically, emotionally, or spiritually. And it doesn't help that we live in a culture that says we have to "do it all" and "be it all" to feel worthy. And yet, life throws us situations that remind us of our weaknesses. It leaves us feeling vulnerable and like we aren't enough. For me, it is my son's recent cancer diagnosis. For you, it may be a job loss, a new unwelcomed normal, or whatever is your personal "cancer" in your life. So, what does scripture say we should...
May 01, 2020•10 min
We've all likely found ourselves in that awkward situation where someone we love is hurting. Maybe they are grieving the loss of a relationship, the death of a family member, the fear of losing a job or even the sadness of having a sick child. In our search to find the perfect helpful words, it can be easy to say the wrong thing. or worse, not say anything at all. In this episode, Dr. Denise Bickel joins us again to give us practical wisdom about what to say - and not to say - when someone we lo...
Apr 28, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Hey friends! If you're like me, then you probably have had a few sleepless nights trying to make big decisions in your life. If you're wondering what's the best decision-making process, how to make the right decision in your life, or how to make God-honoring decisions, this podcast is for you. I'm going to tell you the decision-making models that have worked for me over the years and how my thinking has been challenged in the decision making process. Key Takeaways (2:52) Ask Yourself this one qu...
Apr 24, 2020•13 min
If you're at all familiar with this podcast, then you know that Robin's son's leukemia has played an important part of Robin and Rachel's journey. It was this cancer that actually connected their lives and sharing Matt's story and God's faithfulness has become part of their shared passion. So, it is with heavy hearts that they recorded this episode, sharing publicly that Matt's leukemia has relapsed. In this episode, Robin transparently shares the events of the past few days and the heartbreak t...
Apr 21, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In my last R&R, I talked about holding happiness and heartbreak at the same time. With Missouri's stay at home orders extended, this conversation may be more important than ever. We don't truly know when we will be able to leave our homes and gather with our friends, so in the meantime, how do we learn to create new rhythms to keep our cup full? I'm giving you several strategies that I've used to keep me happy and in a routine. I hope this episode leaves you hopeful and encouraged as you end...
Apr 17, 2020•12 min
With more than 360 million Americans sheltering at home, it's become obvious that spending all day, every day with those we love has the opportunity to bring out the worst in us. The good news is you're not alone. In this episode, we give you tips to navigate surprise homeschooling, expectations with your spouse and kids, working from home, staying sane during the shelter in place order, and biblical truths to help you navigate all the uncertainty you may be feeling. Guests: Justin and Jen Garre...
Apr 14, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 28
While the rest of the world is adjusting to working from home, it's business as usual for Rachel. As a seasoned freelance professional, Rachel knows all the struggles that come from at home working. In this episode of R&R, she shares all the lessons she learned the hard way to help you increase your productivity and maintain some sense of normalcy.
Apr 10, 2020•9 min
Creating a new "Coronavirus normal" isn't without its challenges. With the comfort of our routines and human interactions gone, we find ourselves searching for ways to fill the gap and keep our cups full. In this episode, we share our best tips for self-care to help us all find greater joy and peace in these days at home. SHOW NOTES: 3:15 Learn about the online game pack that has Rachel reuniting, albeit virtually, with her family and friends. 7:00 What's your favorite television binge right now...
Apr 07, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Need a little R&R heading into the weekend? Here's your bonus episode of The Problem with Perfect designed to give you just that. This week it's one-on-one with Robin as she explains the tension created by her son's recent birthday. One one hand, after his battle with cancer three years ago, she is incredibly grateful for another birthday. And on the other hand, she mourns yet another birthday where the world seems out of control. The trick is learning for these two things to co-exist so tha...
Apr 03, 2020•11 min
The anxiety and fear that the coronavirus pandemic is producing seems to be intensifying the longer we have to sit with our new reality. It’s clear that many of us are worrying about life and death issues for ourselves or those we love, as well as the long list of unknowns to face after this is "over." But what might be less obvious are the emotions that come with the long list of things we've lost. Psychologists have a word for these feelings associated with loss. It's called grief. In this epi...
Mar 31, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 26
There is no denying that the Coronavirus pandemic has produced a collective fear like the modern world has never seen. In this unprecedented time, the unknowns seem limitless and even our most basic needs are at risk of not being met. The psychological and emotional stress of it all leaves us looking for answers and a path forward. To help with this situation, we looked to the one place we believe has been and will always be reliable to guide us through the human experience - The Bible. In this ...
Mar 24, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 25
