Not Alone

• Raising Boys in Today’s World: Our Honest Conversation as Parents

  This episode is brought to you by Vuori: Versatile athletic and performance clothing. Head to https://vuori.com/notalone for 20% off your first purchase, plus free shipping on US orders over $75. This episode is brought to you by Floatley - A bra brand offering feel-good basics that combine cloud-like comfort with reliable support. Try our bestselling Cozy Adjustable Bra at https://www.floatley.com/products/cozy-adjustable and get 20% off your order with code VALERIA20, plus free shipping on US orders over $50. In this heartfelt episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with her husband Gary for an intimate and honest conversation about family life, parenting, and the values that shape their home. Together, they open up about raising their three boys and reflect on how their approach to parenting has evolved over the years. From Gary’s “clairvoyant” instincts about their kids’ genders to navigating the early days of parenthood and finding patience along the way, the couple shares stories that are both funny and deeply touching. They discuss teaching their sons critical thinking in the digital age, the importance of leading by example, and how they stay intentional about what they allow into their home. With moments of laughter, reflection, and even tears, Valeria and Gary discuss what kind of parents they want to be for their boys, and why, in the Lipovetsky household, accountability, integrity, and love are always at the core. Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2558840 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  Books I Mentioned: The Sovereign Child - https://www.amazon.com/Sovereign-Child-Forgotten-Philosophy-Liberate/dp/1544547978 What we talked about:  0:20 - Valeria sets up episode with Gary on raising boys 2:48 - Gary and Valeria start chatting 3:04 - Gary noticing their kids seem smarter 3:58 - Max’s magical birth  4:55 - Finding out the gender of their babies 5:07 - Gary’s clairvoyancy with Jake 6:33 - Max’s gender reveal story 8:46 - Valeria’s mother wanting a girl   9:43 - Experiencing no gender disappointment 10:16 - Honeymoon stage with the boys now 11:52 - Valeria thinking Gary’s takes the lead on parenting 13:08 - Vuori Ad 14:05 - Floatley Ad 17:09 - Finding your parenting style 17:27 - Gary’s motivation when it comes to the kids 20:52 - Not limiting access to the internet, teaching critical thinking 23:46 - “The Sovereign Child” Book 24:45 - Regretting lack of patience with the first child 27:12 - The different relationships with each child 28:25 - Valeria wanting to see more role model dads 30:14 - Lipovetsky core family values  31:16 - Most repeated phrase in the household - “that’s not fair” 35:37 - External validation is very short-lived & won’t make you happy 37:29 - What the boys will say about their dad in 20 years 39:54 - Open House night at the kids’ school 40:48 - Non-negotiables in the household 42:11 - Gary’s favorite “Just the two of us” lyrics 44:27 - Gary preparing kids for the day he won’t be around 47:00 - Crying on the podcast 48:08 - Talking about the business in front of the kids 49:40 - Evolving as parents 50:20 - Gary’s focus on leading by example Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Why I Started Therapy Again & Other Important Life Updates

  This episode is brought to you by Furtuna Skin: Italian, olive oil–based skincare that’s pure, potent, and transformative. Try their eye revitalizing cream and more at https://www.furtunaskin.com, and get 20% off your first purchase with code VALERIA20. In this solo episode of Not Alone, Valeria opens up about the emotional work she’s doing behind the scenes as she enters her next stage of growth. From revisiting therapy and learning how to embrace joy after being raised in a “survival household,” to reflecting on vulnerability, creativity, and her openness to new things living in Miami. Valeria shares an honest glimpse into the challenges and breakthroughs shaping her right now. She questions how to be both an emotional and high-functioning person and wonders if it’s possible. She answers listener questions with her signature candor, talks about the pressure of always being “on” online, and even revisits stories from her past, including her “trophy wife” days and a behind-the-scenes Victoria’s Secret moment that made her step away from modeling. It’s a thoughtful, intimate conversation on emotional growth, choosing joy and stepping into a new chapter with more presence and purpose. Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/2501087?tab=collections Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  Books I Mentioned: The Many Lives of Mama Love - https://www.amazon.com/Many-Lives-Mama-Love-Stealing/dp/1982197668 God Wears Lipstick - https://www.amazon.com/God-Wears-Lipstick-Kabbalah-Women/dp/1571895817 The Art of Thinking Clearly - https://www.amazon.com/Art-Thinking-Clearly-Rolf-Dobelli/dp/0062219693 What we talked about:  0:24 - Start 1:10 - Working overtime on my emotional state 3:00 - Needing help for the next evolution of Valeria 4:05 - Revisiting therapy  6:35 - “I cried of course” 7:30 - Being at the right place at the right time 8:36 - Needing more joy in life  11:14 - Furtuna Skin Ad 12;33 - “I don't trust emotions” 14:49 - Being raised in a survival household 16:00 - “I’m ready to embrace joy” 17:15 - Answering listener questions 17:19 - Being vulnerable online 19:20 - Wanting to work on being less cautious online 20:31 - What I’m enjoying most about Miami 23:03 - Men being attracted to caretaker types 24:15 - Reminiscing on trophy wife days 25:48 - Pressure to always be “on” creatively  27:39 - Have any past failures kept you from trying something new? 28:48 - Victoria’s Secret story 31:30 - Ben’s camp calling Gary first 33:31 - Valeria’s Book Recs 33:42 - The Many Lives of Mama Love 35:47 - God Wears Lipstick 36:18 - The Art of Thinking Clearly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Not Skinny But Not Fat: How Amanda Hirsch Turned an Obsession Into Opportunity

  In this episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with Amanda Hirsch, the voice behind the hit podcast and Instagram account Not Skinny But Not Fat. Known for her witty, unfiltered takes on pop culture and reality TV, Amanda opens up about her journey from acting and odd jobs in Israel to becoming one of the internet’s go-to voices on celebrity culture. They dive into everything from boy-mom life and her unapologetic obsession with pop culture (yes, the Britney and Justin breakup was a turning point) to the behind-the-scenes of launching Not Skinny But Not Fat. Amanda shares how she went from a meme page to interviewing A-listers, how becoming a mom didn’t change things, and how she balances sharing opinions while navigating the sensitive side of gossip. From her first big celebrity interview to the moments that made her spiral, her reality TV recs, and what it’s really like meeting your icons, Amanda proves that loving the “silly stuff” can build a serious career. It’s a funny, honest, and refreshing conversation about building something on your own terms, and how you can feel truly content when you embrace what you love. Follow Amanda on Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notskinnybutnotfat/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notskinnybutnotfat Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@notskinnybutnotfat  Get Tickets to Amanda’s Live Show: https://www.livenation.com/event/k7vGFbiQbfwrP/one-night-only-with-amanda-hirsch Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2478422 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about:  0:26 - Episode Intro 0:30 - Valeria on work trips and being away from home 1:24 - Intro to Amanda Hirsch 2:58 - Start of Interview 3:01 - Being a boy mom 5:02 - Amanda’s current show obsession 7:40 - The start of the pop culture obsession  8:02 - The Britney and Justin breakup 9:52 - Media-trained celeb culture 11:06 - Loving ‘Love Thy Nader’ 12:06 - Amanda Hirsch’s acting career 15:10 - Working odd jobs in Israel 17:41 - Being content with life 20:15 - The hard move back to New York  22:32 - Starting ‘Not Skinny but Not Fat’ 23:26 - Interacting with the OG Meme Accounts 24:20 - Bringing Amanda and her opinion to the account 26:51 - Knowing something would come of it all 27:45 - Not being aesthetic, being approachable 30:02 - Kids don’t stop your career 31:07 - Loving the same dumb things after kids 32:35 - Getting nitty gritty DMs & not posting 33:45 - Connecting on pop culture for water cooler talk 35:35 - Knowing all the pop culture gossip in Israel 36:50 - Sensitivity with sharing information 40:50 - Interview moments that made her spiral after 42:59 - Watching cringey celebrity interviews 44:13 - Amanda’s first big celebrity interview with Erin Foster 46:30 - Still excited to do her job 48:27 - Getting cancelled on 3 times by her idol 50:00 - Meeting her pop culture heroes  51:05 - Meghan Markle 51:51 - Amanda’s first live show 54:35 - Wanting to quit ‘Love Island’  55:50 - Amanda’s reality TV recommendations 56:54 - Valeria’s pop culture obsession Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Behind Her Aesthetic: The Unfiltered, Whimsical World of Chloé Crane-Leroux

  In this week’s episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with lifestyle photographer, cookbook author, and content creator Chloé Crane-Leroux for an inspiring conversation about art, food, and finding balance in a world that never stops moving. Chloé opens up about her early years growing up in Montreal, always driven by a “five-year plan,” and a desire to create beauty. She shares her journey from the highs and challenges of the fashion industry to discovering a more soulful creative outlet in food photography and storytelling. Together, she and Valeria dive into burnout, creative ruts, and the pressures of the internet, while also exploring the rituals and meditations, like cooking, that ground her in joy. Chloé reflects on the vulnerability of sharing her life online, the profound loss that shifted her perspective, and why she no longer clings to rigid plans for the future. At its heart, this episode is a reminder that your life is your art and your canvas, and that creativity thrives not just in output, but in presence, connection, and growth. Follow Chloe on Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloecleroux/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chloecleroux?lang=en Website: https://www.chloecraneleroux.com/ Get Chloe’s Recipes: https://www.chloecraneleroux.com/recipes Shop Chloe’s Essentials: https://www.chloecraneleroux.com/chloes-essentials Chloe’s Book Recommendation: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2357926 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about:  0:34 - Valeria sets up episode 1:03 - Introducing Chloe Crane-Leroux 2:19 - Start of interview 5:27 - Growing up in Montreal surrounded by art 7:35 - “I’ve had a 5-year-plan since I was 5-years-old” 8:01 - Wanting to create beauty and share it 9:10 - The toxicity of the fashion industry 11:29 - Switching to food photography 13:03 - Going in front of the camera 15:10 - Creating cookbooks with her mom 16:20 - Teaching herself to cook 20:06 - Reaching burnout 22:39 - Creative Ruts 23:18 - Getting caught up in the likes and followers 24:41 - AI making Valeria optimistic  26:24 - Creativity being down right now 29:29 - Rituals that help her slow down 31:00 - Her love of Pinterest 32:50 - “For me, cooking is meditation” 35:13 - Touching different aspects of her job, and growing within that 37:40 - The balance of being vulnerable online 39:08 - Her year of loss and how it changed her 41:20 - Thoughts on the “30 under 30” Forbes List 44:33 - Not having a 5-year-plan anymore 46:52 - “Your life is your art” / “Your life is your canvas” 47:39 - Rapid Fire Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Life Lessons at 35: What I Know (and What I Still Don’t)

  This episode is brought to you by CLEARSTEM: My favorite skincare brand that fights acne and aging at the same time, with zero pore-clogging ingredients, ever. Get 15% off at https://clearstem.com/Valeria with code VALERIA. In this special solo episode of Not Alone, Valeria reflects on turning 35 and what this milestone means to her. She opens up about the lessons she’s carrying forward, the habits and pressures she’s choosing to leave behind, and the aspirations guiding her next chapter. From learning to be more present and putting herself first, to accepting that not everyone will like you, Valeria shares the mindset shifts that have shaped her growth. She talks about aging in a culture obsessed with youth, embracing contradictions as part of evolution, and the importance of pausing before reacting. With honesty and vulnerability, she explores her own “hero’s journey,” reflects on her children and mother getting older, and why success is about feeling, not chasing. It’s an intimate, thoughtful conversation on awareness, boundaries, and stepping into your mid-thirties with clarity and confidence.   Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/2367051 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  Books I Mentioned: The Art of Thinking Clearly: https://amzn.to/3Iiy9ds The Power Pause: https://amzn.to/4mYaM88 The Hero's Journey: https://amzn.to/3JYXBoY What we talked about:  0:24 - Start of the conversation  0:30 - Turning 35 2:40 - Sharing the things Valeria knows now 2:46 - Life is all about evolution and contradicting yourself 4:25 - Learning how to be more present 7:15 - The importance of putting yourself first 8:50 - Pausing 10:55 - Most things don’t need a reaction 11:50 - Being “okay” with not being liked by everyone 13:40 - Choosing your own lens on life 15:11 - Clearstem Ad 16:25 - “The Hero’s Journey” Breakdown 20:26 - Things she may never figure out 20:39 - The idea of time 22:14 - Feeling success instead of chasing the next goal 23:15 - How to age in a world obsessed with youth 26:33 - Being kind vs. being nice 29:30 - Taking more time to process emotions 30:49 - Leaving behind having answers for everything 31:54 - Overexplaining my boundaries to get approval 33:04 - Moving away from sharing too much, too fast online 36:02 - Sharing things that took a long time to process 37:10 - Admiring Pamela Anderson 38:00 - Igniting Awareness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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