Good Girl Complex: Recent Episodes
Brianna Cieslewicz
Hang with me as I take you through the very real ups and downs of my life, centering around the wild story of my adoption. After I take you through my story, stick around as I dive into others' stories as well. It's going to be a blast, I promise.
Hey friends! This episode sounds like a real downer, but it's not all bad, and I promise it's worth it. Alanna and I chat about going through life and wedding planning without our moms, and how we get through it all. I can tell you one thing, I wouldn't get through it without good friends like Alanna.
Listen to the ep for our anecdotes about dress shopping, walking down the aisle, major faux pas from well-meaning people, and more of our highs and lows.
Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate this day of love, we have the third and final part of our relationship series. This one is all about soulmates - what exactly is a soulmate, do we believe in them, does science believe in them, and much more. We even conducted our own study, with surprising results. Our minds may have even been changed by the end...
Don't forget to get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/09/16/soul-mates-real-science-research/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a27888430/how-long-does-it-take-to-fall-in-love/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a28087784/soulmate-meaning/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/soul-mate-signs-definition
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/love/does-soulmate-love-exist-in-the-modern-age/
https://www.brides.com/what-is-a-soulmate-5097403
In part 2 of our relationship series, we chat about the less fun types of relationships and our own experiences with them. But don't worry, we balance out the seriousness with a classic game of red flag or dealbreaker. Things get a little heated but we make it through and are still friends.
Stay tuned for next week's Valentine's Day episode, where we chat all things soulmates and our own opinions on the idea.
Don't forget to get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Hey hey! Summer is back and we're counting down to Valentine's Day with a fun 3 part relationship series, kicking off with situationships. This a relatively new term, at least to us old folk, but a concept as old as time. We chat about our experiences with situationships and share our takes on unspoken rules within these types of relationships.
Don't forget to get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
In this episode, we hear Ashley's story, which includes creating a non-profit, managing a family of 6, along with a dog and a snake, losing both of her siblings in just two months, and rising up through all of it in her signature style - full of positivity and beauty.
Resources:
https://treehousehope.org/
https://www.ectreehouse.org/
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Today we chat with Amy about her experience growing up in a tight-knit family, and how that ultimately led her to take on a very important role. Listen to hear her touching tales of living with four generations of women, caregiving, giving back, and much more.
...And also hear about the time I wore a wedding dress to a wedding as a guest.
Resources:
https://www.lbdtools.com/
https://www.lbda.org/
https://lewybodyresourcecenter.org/
https://www.lewybody.org/
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Hey hey friends! Happy New Year!
In our first episode of 2023 we have a little bit of everything for you. A crazy ER story, New Year's resolutions, and some BIG changes coming to the pod. Listen in and don't forget to get in on the conversation!
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Today we're bringing you our holiday favorites through a fast-paced, heart-pounding game of this or that. Let us know what you think by reaching out to us!
We're taking next week off to hang with our families, but we can't wait to see you in the new year! We have some big surprises in store...
Hey everyone! We're back this week with an ultimate holiday survival guide, full of our best advice on how to tackle the holidays without any stress or drama.
Have you ever Googled "how do I make friends?" We haven't either!
But seriously, making friends in your twenties (or really any age) can be really challenging. Where do you start? How do you not embarrass yourself in the process? We chat all things friendship and how to make friends in this episode. Don't forget to let us know your thoughts!
Today we chat all things forgiveness and grudges. Like, can grudges be healthy? Can forgiveness be harmful? Is going to bed angry actually sometimes helpful? And will we ever correctly use the word "ditto"? We start the episode pretty confident in our stances but by the end, we're confused as usual.
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Today we have Mary on the pod and chat all things careers. We talk about our jobs, passions, and the challenges we've faced getting to where we are today, including that slight pandemic thing that happened once. We also offer our biggest regrets and pieces of advice. This is a fun one!
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Today we chat with Kat about her experience as an international adoptee. She walks us through what it was like growing up in a predominately white small town, connecting with her birthplace culture, and ultimately meeting her birth family in South Korea. Kat's story is fascinating, uplifting, and totally unique!
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Hey podcast pals! This week's episode is all about boundaries. How to set them. Why to set them. How to stick to them. Coming from two people pleasers, it's basically the blind leading the blind today. But stick with us here!
We chat about practical tips for creating boundaries in relationships, friendships, families, and work, and why it's so important. Buckle up for some boundaries, babes.
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Happy Halloween! For a very spooky 13th episode, we bring you our ghosting stories. We recount times we were ghosted and have ghosted others. Proceed with caution, things are about to get scary. 👻
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/25/ghosting-college-mental-health/
https://ideas.ted.com/why-ghosting-hurts-us-psychology/
https://medium.com/preoccupy-negative-thoughts/the-psychology-behind-ghosting-e27842d0c3d0
Don't forget to get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
You know what's weird? Our lives don't look like those 2000s rom-coms at all? Where's the fun montage to an upbeat pop song? Where's the glamorous job - probably at a women's magazine? And where the heck is the ever-loyal and sassy best friend that we may have a slight falling out with but are good to go after 10 movie seconds and a rain-soaked heart-to-heart?
To be fair to rom-coms, friendships are complex and movies don't really have the time to dig into the nuances. Some transcend decades, and some die out, either fizzling or downright exploding.
In this episode, we get into all of it, including our own experiences with friendship breakups dating from middle school to the very present.
Don't forget to get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
We're back for part 2 with Julie! We dive deeper into the beauty and complexities of friendships through all of life's ups and downs. We also talk about ways we're proud of ourselves and each other, favorite self-care practices, and more. This is one of our favorite episodes so far and can't wait for you to hear it!
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Hey friends! We have a super extra special guest today, our girl Julie! We chat with Julie about all things friendship, life changes, 20s, the importance of supporting those you care about, and more.
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Content Warning: This episode includes conversations regarding consent and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.
BIG NEWS podcast pals. Summer has officially joined GGC as co-host! We are so excited for what's coming up. Buckle up babes, it's going to be fun.
In light of some current events over on Twitch, we chat about the importance of consent and our own experiences giving (or not giving) it.
Get in on the conversation or share your own story with us here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer / @summer.vanpay
Hey everyone! We're back with a special guest, Summer! She talks about her experience growing up with an alcoholic parent and how she's stopping the cycle. Sounds like a downer, but I promise it's kind of like a quiet night at home alone, in that it's way more fun than it sounds. Probably.
Interested in being a guest on a future episode? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
Big news, hot off the press. I contacted my birth parents. Basically, everything in my life was going well so I decided to make some waves, just for fun. Once again I ask, "What could go wrong?"
Check out this ep to hear the actual letter I sent. I also call out the Midwest for its plot holes. You're gonna have to listen to understand that one.
Questions/thoughts/comments? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
I have a short episode for you today folks! I (finally) get right to the point and let you know what's next for me and the pod.
Thank you so much for hanging with me through the last six episodes. It means the absolute world to me. I swear I'm happier IRL than I sound on here, so feel free to reach out anytime, friend.
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
Today, I sit down with my friend Cam and we discuss all things adoption. Cam brings a different perspective to the pod, diving into his experience as an international adoptee. You don't want to miss this one!
Interested in being a guest on a future episode? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
Who doesn't love a good Facebook-induced epiphany? In this episode, I take you through that one time that I found out that most of my assumptions regarding my adoption, if not all of them, were completely wrong. Super fun, highly recommend! Sidenote, does Facebook reimburse for therapy bills? Asking for a friend.
Questions/thoughts/comments? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
Let’s go back, back to the beginning… ♪ All the way back to my beginning. In this inaugural episode, I’ll walk you through my adoption story, which, by itself, is probably not podcast-worthy. That is, until I made some very ~interesting~ discoveries years later. Stick around because trust me, things are about to get crazy.
The decision of whether or not to reach out to my birth parents is paused indefinitely as my family is rocked by a disappointing diagnosis.
On a lighter note, I also take you through some of my greatest failures in life, including that one time I scored a whopping 0 points in an entire basketball season in the third grade. My family is so proud.
Questions/thoughts/comments? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer
In this episode, I take you through some of my deepest fears. Mainly just spiders and stuff. Nothing deeper. I'm a totally normal person, I swear.
I normally keep most of this to myself, but today I thought, "Why not just put it all out there on a podcast for everyone to hear? What could go wrong?"
Questions/thoughts/comments? Reach out to me here:
Email: goodgirlcomplexpod@gmail.com
Instagram: @brianna.willer