Finding Authenticity Through Vulnerability

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Matthew sits down with Laurie Woolever—author of Care and Feeding: A Memoir—to explore the journey of reclaiming one’s voice after years of living in the shadow of larger-than-life figures like Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali.

Topics covered:

• Why Laurie finally chose to write her memoir after decades in food media.

• What it's like to stop headlining other people’s lives and start showing up in your own.

• Her path through addiction, shame, and sobriety—and how it shaped her.

• The emotional toll and moral complexity of writing honestly about people she’s loved.

• The collapse of a marriage and the ripple effects of one deeply vulnerable moment.

• Infidelity, accountability, and what radical self-acceptance really looks like.

• Why “nice but boring” often hides deeper emotional safety—and how to spot a mature relationship.

• Dating in your 40s and beyond.

• What “playing the tape forward” teaches us about addiction, impulse, and the allure of red flags.

• Advice for people stuck in toxic attraction loops or mourning heartbreak they fear they’ll never get over.

Whether you’re grappling with heartbreak, questioning your worth, or trying to navigate the messy terrain of self-reinvention, this episode will feel like a conversation with someone who’s lived it and survived to tell the truth.

•  Buy the book - Care and Feeding: A Memoir by Laurie Woolever 

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