Living Understaffed

🚨 Trigger Warning: This episode contains candid discussions of drug use, addiction, alcoholism, and sobriety. Please listen with care and step away if you need to. ❤️It’s a Living Understaffed reunion episode — and yes, Daddy Kol (forever known as such) is back in the chaos seat. Sarah and Erika catch up with him on life, loss, laughter, and his incredible seven-month journey of sobriety. Sarah’s free from the woods, but her webcam didn’t get the memo. 🎥🚫 Erika and Daddy Kol carry the chaos while Sarah’s voice floats in from the void. Between laughs, near-tears, and one very unfiltered sobriety journey, this episode reminds us that growth is messy—and sometimes blurry.From near-death experiences and heart attacks to parent-teacher conferences and shark vacuums, Kol gets real about turning his life around — all while roasting his own hair, collecting compliments, and demanding a T-shirt that says “Soft Lips & Nine Toes.”This one has it all: 🌀 Chaos (obviously) 🧠 Deep conversations about recovery and purpose 💅 Sarcastic commentary from your favorite duo 😂 Way too much talk about vacuums and Subaru lesbians ❤️ Proof that healing, humor, and heart can absolutely coexistSo grab your coffee (or coin), press play, and join us for an episode that’s both unfiltered and unforgettable.🎧 Living Understaffed with Sarah & Erika — where chaos meets compassion, one Daddy Kol at a time. 🔗 All links & chaos here: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#LivingUnderstaffed #SobrietyJourney #AddictionAwareness #DaddyKolForever #PodcastChaos

FIFTY. FREAKING. EPISODES. 🥂✨ Somehow, Sarah and Erika (yes, with a K, thank you very much) have survived nearly two years of caffeine dependency, questionable decisions, and Wi-Fi issues to make it here — Episode 50! 🎉Sure, it was supposed to drop Wednesday alongside Episode 49 with Madison Chase, but as usual, we’re a day late and a dollar short. ⏰💸 Because chaos? It’s our love language.But today? Today’s special. Because not only are we celebrating 50 episodes of Living Understaffed… it’s also the Lit & Libations: Great Gatsby Edition in Kansas City! 🥂💃✨ And yes — Sarah is absolutely f*ing showing up in costume.** Pearls? Feathers? Champagne in a travel mug? Don’t worry about it.Tune in as we get real about two years of podcasting, long-distance friendship, emotional growth(ish), and how we’re somehow still not rich but definitely funnier.Also featuring: Dolores the dramatic plant, married men who still don’t get it, and the mutual realization that we might just be thriving through the chaos.🎧 Listen now and come toast our 50th with us — flapper dress optional, sarcasm required.👉 Affiliates & chaos management tools: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#LivingUnderstaffed #GreatGatsby #PodcastChaos #LitAndLibations #DayLateDollarShort #LivingUnderstaffedPodcast #podast #indiepod #indiepodcas #KCBookBeat #KCBB #KansasCity #KansasCityMO

It’s giving collab chaos this week as Sarah and Erika welcome the powerhouse duo behind Madison Chase Books — authors of Dance with the Devil and Pack or Prey.Expect equal parts sarcasm, storytelling, and “how did we get here again?” energy as the crew dives into:💫 The wild ride from fanfiction to published novels🧛‍♀️ Building dark worlds full of angels, demons, and very questionable life choices🎧 Their upcoming audiobook (spoiler: it’s sexy AND spooky)🧠 ADHD brain tangents, goblin tools, and why Trello almost saves their sanityOh, and there’s talk of vampire siblings, Buffy obsessions, and Lucifer himself. You know — just another Tuesday in the Living Understaffed universe.Also featuring: Daisy the dog demanding attention, debates on whether 130 lbs is a realistic weight standard (it's not), and Erika trying very hard not to overbook her life (again).Listen now before we regret our life choices on-air. 🚨🎧💼 Support our chaos (and caffeine habits) through our affiliates — because your girls are hustling:FOREVER | Liquid I.V. | Casetify | Dossier Perfume | And more linked below 👇🎙️ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#LivingUnderstaffed #AuthorLife #PodcastChaos #UnderpaidAndOverIt #BookTokChaos

Did Erika miss her ADHD evaluation by an hour and a half? Absolutely. Did she also forget what day it was? Also yes. Welcome to another week of Living Understaffed, the podcast where chaos has a punch card, the reward is emotional damage (with a side of bagels and apricot jam) and the everlasting question of if our milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, is it even worth it? 🥯✨This week, your favorite hot mess duo unpacks Logan Ury’s “How to Not Die Alone” — a dating book that hurts their feelings in the most educational way possible. From dissecting dating types (Romanticizers, Maximizers, Hesitators 👀) to ranting about men who think “friends with benefits” means “free therapy,” Erika and Sarah are on one.Other highlights include:🧺 The emotional trauma of folding fitted sheets.🐶 Erika’s ironclad rule: only reply to exes who text dog pics.💔 The “pool” of dating being a full-blown swamp, and yes, Sarah is Fiona.🚐 The dream van that’s one disco ball away from a true-crime podcast episode.📚 A chaotic love letter to Lit & Libations (booth 21 + 22, come see us!)📍 Co-Op at Shoal Creek — 6816 N Church Rd #101, Pleasant Valley, MO 64068📅 November 8, 2025🕰 6 PM – 9 PM (VIP Early Entry: 4:30 PM)Also featuring spirit fingers, caffeine dependency confessions, and the mutual realization that maybe they just need therapy and a nap. 😅Don't forget to join our discord and check out all the badass things on our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod🎧 Listen now before one of them joins a Facebook group for “men who only own fleece blankets.” #LivingUnderstaffed #DatingFails #FittedSheetWars #HowToNotDieAlone #PodcastChaos

Kicking off our brand-new Women in Mythology Series, Erika and Sarah dive headfirst into chaos, crows, and the eternal struggle of Irish pronunciations.Erika is busy being understaffed but still a princess (don’t even THINK about taking away her second monitor), while Sarah is thriving on a healthy cocktail of ✨avoidance, anxiety, and projectile vomiting✨. Together, they spiral into work woes, moving-to-Texas dread, and their mom’s wildly questionable dating decisions (yes, there was a van… with a bed… we’ll never recover).But because we’re nothing if not accidentally educational, we dive into the mythology of The Morrígan—Ireland’s most badass chaos goddess—who basically invented “main character energy.” 👑🪦⚔️Special shoutout to Nicola Bardon from Tis Yourself Podcast for helping us attempt (and fail) to unf*ck our Irish pronunciations. Nicola, you’re doing the goddess’s work, and we owe you a pint. 🍻🇮🇪IG: @tisyourselfpodcast / X: @WellTisYourself / Apple, Podchaser, Facebook - Just go follow her!! :)So grab your journal (yes, we made one, and yes, you should buy it), laugh at our mispronunciations, and prepare for chaos. Because if you’re not screaming into the void like a banshee, are you even Living Understaffed?Book Club: The Innkeeper by Pirateaba 📚 - Join our Discord! Meeting Sunday, 28-Sep.Sponsors: From Moments to FOREVER, Everyday Dose & Primal QueenNew Sponsor: World Citizen Travel Agent! Send us a PM for your travel, cruise, concert and bucket list needs!Linktree for chaos & discounts: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpodShoutout to Kareena from Freedom Literature, the indie book lover behind a mobile pop-up bookstore and The Book Nook in Harrisonville, MO. With blind date books, local authors, and a passion for making literature accessible, Kareena is putting stories back into the hands of readers everywhere.| freedomliterature.com |  @freedom_literature_booksAlso Featuring Eisley Rose—the registered nurse-turned-author behind Glitched, a sci-fi thriller where modern-day Spartans battle biological threats and dark conspiracies. Expect mythology, mystery, and medical-inspired storytelling.| eisleyrosebooks.com | @eisleyrosebooks

This week Sarah & Erika tackle the elusive “soft life”—aka meal prep, Target bags you still haven’t unpacked, and why Daisy won’t poop unless the vibes are immaculate. 🛍️🐕✨ We’re also talking whimsy (naming plants Dolores, giving bugs tragic backstories, drinking tea with dishes in the sink) and why self-care still counts even when capitalism is rude. 💅 📚 Book Club: Join our Discord—it’s the best decision you’ll make all year. This month: Rider’s Blood, Moonlit Black by Myka Silber 🌙🐈‍⬛ ✨ Sponsors: From Moments to FOREVER | Everyday Dose Mushroom Coffee | Primal Queen

Erika survives five days of work crammed into two 😵‍💫, an office barbecue she refuses to let anyone sulk through 🍔, and Daisy’s post-spay Houdini routine 🦴🪄. Sarah, meanwhile, juggles Army chaos 🎖️, overbooked weekends 📅, and the dawning realization that her “best employee ever” era is… on pause 🙃. The duo also dive into the Halo 3–based study that proves misogyny is, in fact, a skill issue 💅—complete with hostile low-performers, fragile male egos, and the eternal “maybe she’s just better than you, bro” problem 🎯.Shoutouts to:Dillon Wallace, author of The Hunt Initiative 📖—a mild dystopian, present-day thriller with action, suspense, humor, and just enough doom to keep you hooked 💥. If you liked The Hunger Games, 1984, Minority Report, or The Purge, this one’s for you.Alexandra Rovirosa of A Place For Us Productions 🎭, creating a collaborative, skill-focused theatre space in Kansas City for actors of all levels—because everyone deserves to grow in their craft 🌟.Book Club 📚: Rider’s Blood, Moonlit Black by Myka Silber 🌙—forest, mountains, ocean, mystery, and a mercurial cat 🐈‍⬛. You know you want in. Sponsors: From Moments to FOREVER, Everyday Dose Mushroom Coffee ☕🍄 & Primal Queen 👑 Linktree for chaos & discounts: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#AugustVibes #2025Aesthetic #InstaGlowUp #SelfCareSeason #EcoLiving2025 #WeekendWander #MindfulMoments #LinkInBio

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode contains talk of grief, mental health, family trauma, and the chaotic joy of self-publishing. Basically, if you’re feeling fragile, pour a drink first. Or don’t. We’re not your therapist.🎙️ Episode 44: Writing Through the Wreckage (ft. Vanessa Kramer)Just when you thought we couldn’t get any more emotionally unstable — surprise! We invited indie author and all-around powerhouse Vanessa Kramer to pull up a mic and spill all the tea on writing while wounded, family dynamics that aren’t Instagram-worthy, and what happens when your creative outlet becomes your survival strategy. ✍️🧨Erika's one mic away from an existential spiral, Sarah’s trying to remember what day it is, and Vanessa? She’s out here dropping truth bombs wrapped in wit. (Because nothing says healing like dark humor and a Google Doc.)💔 Grieving and still functioning?💡 Turning trauma into a book deal?📝 Self-publishing without losing your mind (entirely)?This episode is basically the group chat with your smartest, snarkiest friends — plus some publishing advice and a few emotional sucker punches.🎧 Buckle up, it’s a ride.🔥 Are you a fellow creative chaos gremlin trying to stay afloat?📚 Thinking about writing your own story — the messy, unfiltered version?😵‍💫 What’s your biggest WTF moment of the week?Tell us. We need to know we're not alone.Find Vanessa on all the socials and her website: vanessakramerauthor.comSponsors: Forever, Everyday Dose & Primal QueenLinktree for chaos & discounts: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#LivingUnderstaffed #IndieAuthor #WritingThroughIt #PodcastChaos #VanessaKramer #WeCriedALittleNotGonnaLie #Therapyisneeded #chaosgremlins #indiepodcast

🎙️ Episode 043: Crying, Coping & the Control Freak Chronicles (because this episode is a full-blown feelings spiral with bonus life decisions and zero chill)Welcome back to Living Understaffed, where the breakdowns are weekly, the coping mechanisms are questionable, and the feelings are... everywhere. 🙃This week:Erika admits her type is “emotionally unavailable,” and Sarah reminds her it’s not a flex. 💔Sarah quits her job, cries about it, then books it to Texas like a girlboss on the edge. 🚨✈️We spiral through boundaries, burnout, and why “prioritizing yourself” is somehow still a radical act. 💅Plus, shoutouts to indie authors from Lit & Libations, our surprise magazine feature (?!), and a gentle reminder that milkshakes are not a valid breakfast. 🥤Also featuring: vulnerability hangovers, emotional self-sabotage, and Erika's dog stealing handmade blankets like a Disney princess. 🐾👑Also featured: awkward coping mechanisms, personal breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns, and Erika fully deleting her dating apps because, quote, “I’m the validation now.” 💅💔Listen now if you love: 💬 Sarcasm with a side of emotional trauma 📣 Real talk about quitting jobs and fixing everyone else’s lives 🧠 Therapy terms misused for comedic relief 💔 Talking about dating without actually talking about dating-Upcoming: Lit & Libations returns in November—mark your calendars, chaos friends. 🍷📖-Support us: Follow on socials, comment, scream into the void (we’ll hear you), and visit our linktree for discounts + memories. 💾🎧 Linktree for chaos & discounts: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpodShoutout to Kareena & Marcus Cloe of Freedom Literature, a mobile bookstore and indie author haven that began with a misbid pallet—and grew into a movement. Find them at Headquarters Winery or at pop-up events across Missouri.📚 freedomliterature.com 📱 @freedom_literature_booksBlind date with a book? Yes. Falling in love with reading again? Even better.Shoutout to Yvette Babs Walker, author of Sixty and We Talk to God. Sometimes. She’s the voice behind Positively Joy, a podcast and ministry helping women rediscover their connection to God—through devotional writing and the faith-filled journey of fictional character Linda Radcliffe.📚 positivelyjoy.com/books 📱 @positivelyjoypodcastBecause faith doesn’t need to be perfect—just personal.

🎙️ Episode 42: Attachment Styles, Audacity Levels & Acts of Self-Destruction(Healing is real, but so is the backslide.)📢 Audio Note: Apologies in advance—this episode is audio-only because sometimes technology is a petty little bitch. Bertha Mae (Erika’s laptop) did her best, but she’s one buffering circle away from retirement. Sarah's video came in blurry as hell so, apologies in advance for the crappy reels about to hit your algorithm. This week on Living Understaffed, we dive into the ever-complicated world of attachment styles—you know, that fun psychological framework that explains why we keep falling for emotionally unavailable men like it’s a competitive sport. 🧠💔Inspired by Scientific American’s “Love and the Brain: How Attached Are We to Attachment Styles?” (link below) we ask the big questions:Can your attachment style actually change over time? (Spoiler: Yes. And it usually involves a man named Graygg or Magic Guy™.)Are we just chasing familiar trauma with new faces?And is anxious attachment basically just "me, but make it romantic"?Inside this episode:🎧 Daisy the dog has chosen hot dog buns as her maternal legacy🛠️ Sarah finds emotional catharsis in dry erase cling paper and accidentally sells it like an MLM boss babe💔 We talk about how trauma, life transitions, and really bad dating decisions can shift your attachment style faster than a situationship ghosting you📉 Plus, a whole discussion about self-awareness, setting boundaries, and why being “a lot” isn’t the insult you think it isAlso featuring:Roommate demotionsEmotional growth we didn’t ask forAnd sultry office supply reviews that are weirdly soothingIf you’ve ever spiraled over a situationship and impulse-bought a productivity planner, this one’s for you. 💅💭📦Shoutout to E.C. Garrett, author of The Dragon Queen series—a dark, adult romantasy full of dragon‑slaying Gauntlets, sapphic bonds, rebellion, and grief you’ll feel deep. Book 2 (The Defiant & The Damned) out now.📚 authorecgarrett.com📱 @authorecgarrettDragons die. Hearts burn. Expect both.PODCAST INSPIRATION: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/love-and-the-brain-part-2-how-attached-are-we-to-attachment-styles/ DRY ERASE CONTACT PAPER FROM AMAZON, YOU'RE F*CKING WELCOME: https://a.co/d/3RHxpk4#LivingUnderstaffed #SarahAndErika #UnderstaffedPodcast #AttachmentStylesUnhinged #PodcastChaos #WomenWhoPodcast #MillennialPodcasters #IndiePodcastLife #AttachmentStyles #AvoidantMen #AnxiousAttachment #SituationshipSurvivor #EmotionalUnavailable #TherapyTalks #RelationshipRealness #ModernLoveMess #RoommateDrama #DryEraseBoardObsession #OfficeSupplyAddict #HotDogBunNesting #GarageGremlins #CancelledAgain #DBCooperDrama #TechFailsAndFeelings #AppliancesThatDeserveBetter #Millenials #Sarah #Erika

What was supposed to be a simple chat about “journal prompts to get unstuck” somehow turned into a full-blown emotional rollercoaster featuring sarcasm, grief, praise-kinks, and biceps. 💅🏽🧠💪In this episode of Living Understaffed, Sarah and Erika unpack:The depression brain fog that makes brushing your teeth feel like an Olympic event 🥇🪥Professional impostor syndrome… and still being the most competent bitch in the meeting 💻🙃The IT guy who gives bare minimum energy and the office grandpa who deserves all our love 🧓❤️Grieving friendships, actual grief, and the emotional booby traps of being the “strong one” 😩🥀Why compliments are basically psychological warfare… but we weaponize them anyway 🎯💌Green bubbles, dating red flags, and the shirt-tightness to effort ratio all men should memorize 🍏📱👕Plus: Metal & Munchies, emotional landmines, and WHY ERIKA FINALLY JOINED THE APPLE FAMILY 🍎🎉We cry. We threaten each other with love. We plan podcast world domination from bed. If this isn’t your favorite episode yet, it’s probably because you still have emotional energy. 🤷🏽‍♀️▶️ Listen now if you've ever:Had a mental breakdown in your inbox 📨Needed someone to fire you just so you could rest 🛌Cried because someone ambushed you with a compliment 🥹Shoutout to fantasy author Elizabeth Bird, whose Dreamer’s Saga blends epic quests with sarcasm and Star Wars references. Final book drops April 2026 @ElizabethBirdWriteswww.elizabethbirdwrites.comShoutout to Evilsangel, author of The Price of Blood—a long-running, unapologetically dark fantasy series about demon royalty, political brutality, and survival in a violent world. Book 1 is the tamest. You’ve been warned. evilsangel5000.com @evilsangel5000Blood is the currency. And survival comes at a cost. SPONSORED BY: 📸 FOREVER: Protect your chaos in photo form 🍄 Everyday Dose: For when coffee alone won’t cut it 👑 Primal Queen: Our favorite surprise obsession 🚘 And the sheer willpower it took to record this episode instead of rotting in bed.#LivingUnderstaffed #PodcastTherapy #DepressionButMakeItFunny #InboxSpite #GriefGoblins #TeamBlueBubbles #WeCantClockOutOfThisShit

This week, Sarah’s fighting off Hot Girl Tummy Problems™️ while Erika moves her entire bedroom upstairs out of pure stubbornness and a desperate need for closet space. (Spoiler: the mattress did make it up the stairs…eventually.)We spiral into anxiety brain, dehydration habits, and the absolute fantasy that is a smooth-brained, worry-free existence. (Teach us your ways.) From stress fogs to depression naps, it’s a mental health rollercoaster—chaotic, real, and mildly caffeinated.Then we dino-dive into feminist fossil fuel with a quickfire education session led by Erika, who nerds out on the badass women who shaped paleontology—Mary Anning, Tilly Edinger, Mary Leakey, and Sue Hendrickson (yes, that Sue from the Field Museum). It’s women in STEM, petty historical drama, and fossilized poo. You’re welcome.💀 Also featuring:Smooth brainsElectrolyte waterRandom diving expeditionsDinosaurs that lived more stable lives than we do🎧 Listen now. Laugh through the existential dread. Then hydrate. Probably.Don't forget to check out our Linktree for From Moments to FOREVER, Primal Queen and Everyday Dose mushroom coffee. We're here. We're under-caffeinated. We're doing our best: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpodShoutout to horror author Allen Harrow, whose debut Black Devil Vol. 1: Trapped is post-apocalyptic horror meets raw emotional depth. Think Silent Hill, but more personal—and twice as devastating.📚 allenharrow.com 📱 @allenharrowtheedgelordartistAuthor N.E. Butcher brings heat and heartbreak to paranormal romance with The Afterlife Duet, where a Grim Reaper meets her match in one soul-stirring, rule-breaking demon.📚 nebutcher.com 📱 @nebutcher_authorRomance. Redemption. And the kind of chemistry you’ll feel in your bones.

Welcome back to the podcast that’s basically just two spiraling women refusing to work on their enormous flaws while loudly calling out societal rot. 🧃💅This week, Sarah and Erika dive deep into The Lolita Effect, the movie Thirteen, and the literal hellscape that is being a teenage girl under the male gaze. We discuss oversexualization, creepy casting choices, dress code double standards, and why 14-year-olds contour better than we ever will. 🫠👄✨🔎 Topics we manage to tackle without screaming:The myth of the “mature” teenage girlHow the media sexualizes young women and then blames them for it14-year-olds being paired with 28-year-old actors (and why that's NOT okay)Brooke Shields, Britney Spears, and Hollywood’s gross history of “art”Foster care statistics that will make you want to throw your phoneWhat we wish someone had told us before our own awkward teen yearsAlso featuring: 🧠 Unmedicated spirals 📚 Accidental trauma dumps 😤 Rants about high school dress codes 🐕 Daisy demanding attention mid-rage & special author shoutouts to Anya Keeler and Zachariah Chamberlain!Basically, it's one part feminist reckoning, one part sad girl summer preview, and 100% chaos we can’t clock out of. 🙃👉 Rate, review, hydrate, and maybe ask your kids how they’re doing today. Because pretending it’s fine only works until someone brings up 2004.LINKTREE - https://linktr.ee/understaffedpodShoutout to KC-based indie author Anya Keeler, whose debut novel The Sound of Storms is queer, chaotic, plot-rich fantasy featuring double enemies-to-lovers, disability rep, and a generous splash of smut. anyakeeler.com Goodreads: The Sound of StormsFantasy should be inclusive, emotional, and a little bit unhinged. Just like this book.Shoutout to author Zachariah Chamberlin, whose debut We Come Bearing Curses blends cosmic horror, addiction recovery, found family, and cult-driven apocalypse in a haunted Kansas City. zachariahchamberlain.comHaunted men. Eldritch cults. And a Cane Corso named Lizzie Borden.What more could you ask for?? #LivingUnderstaffed #TheLolitaEffect #PodcastTherapy #OversexualizedAndOverIt #DressCodesAndDoubleStandards

🌪️🪦🧠 Saturn Returns, Dead Cats, & 109 Ways to Trigger a Man This week on Living Understaffed, the understaffed-ness hits a whole new level of unhinged as Sarah, Erika (with a K, obviously), and special guest Emma spiral together in what can only be described as a support group with sarcasm.💻 Erika's understaffed moment includes playing “Interim Supervisor Who Knows Nothing” while her inbox commits cyber war crimes. 🎂 Sarah emotionally unpacks her birthday, basement anxiety, and the curse of gas station dating. 🧳 Emma is in peak Saturn return energy—sorting through her dad’s stolen divorce loot, mourning her dead cat (with a coffee cart in her honor), and contemplating buying a car held together by trauma and zip ties.Also featuring:Accidental pegging conversations (AGAIN) 😑Military men, Boy Scouts, and the phrase “Nice Spanx”An entire roast of fragile male egos, courtesy of “109 Ways to Shatter the Male Ego” 🔥Gas station meet-cutes no one asked forWatercolor, womb energy, and TikTok inbox hell 🌀PLUS: Author shoutouts, sibling psychic warfare, and the unavoidable truth that being attracted to men is a form of self-harm.🎧 Listen in as we dodge inboxes, exes, and emotional collapse—because apparently we’re still doing all this without a full-time staff, HR department, or therapy budget.Shoutout to Dan B. Fierce, a KC-based author with a flair for dark humor, horror, and suspense. With influences like King and Poe, a background in stand-up comedy, and characters born from online wrestling lore, Dan’s stories are sharp, fearless, and deeply original. danbfiercebooks.com @DanBFierceMacabre. Hilarious. Unapologetically Fierce.Shoutout to Tiffany Weyant, librarian and creator of Wey Better Creations—your new favorite shop for clever, cozy, bookish gifts. Think 34 oz. mugs, blind date with a book bundles, bookmarks, and more—handmade in KC with heart and humor. weybettercreations.com @WeyBetterCreationsBecause your reading habit deserves cute merch and a giant cup of tea.

🎙️ Episode 37 – “Zheng Yi Sao Said ‘Sink or Be Sunk’” Badass Women of History: Part 2This week, Sarah & Erika are back to honor the original girlboss who made corporate chaos look like amateur hour: Zheng Yi Sao, pirate queen of the South China Sea. 🏴‍☠️💅She went from flower boat sex worker to leading 70,000+ pirates, defeating multiple navies, and retiring with a full pension plan—without a man in sight. Meanwhile, we’re out here fighting for calendar access and dodging passive-aggressive “per my last email” vibes.💥 In this episode:Zheng Yi Sao’s “burn it all and make them pay you anyway” energyMen faking leadership skills at retirement partiesDaisy the Dog’s refusal to poop on command 🐶💩Erika sets boundaries (sorta). Sarah takes 3 energy drinks and black-out cleans.A totally casual reminder that pirates had stricter HR policies than most of our employers🎤 Shoutouts this week go to:📚 Meg Blystone, co-owner of Pulp Fiction Comics & Games in Lee’s Summit—your friendly neighborhood nerd haven for comics, graphic novels, tabletop games, and general fandom joy. 🔗 linktr.ee/pfcomics Support your local geek hub. Come for the comics, stay for the community. 🎲✨🌿 Swade Cannabis, a Missouri-born dispensary redefining the cannabis experience with luxe design, community partnerships, and premium products. With locations in St. Louis and Kansas City, they’re the real MVPs of plant-powered chill. 🔗 swadecannabis.com/about Because some days call for edibles and ignoring your inbox. 🛋️💨🎧 Hit play if you're here for petty commentary, feminist rage, chaotic giggles, and affiliate links that fund our coffee addictions. 👉 https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#ZhengYiSao #BadassWomenOfHistory #PirateQueenEnergy #WorkplaceRage #LivingUnderstaffed #PodcastForTheOverworked #FeministHistory #HRCouldNever #SupportLocalShops #WomenWhoLead #BurnoutChronicles #PettyAndProud #PiratesDidItBetter

🎙️ Episode 36 – Red Flags, Rants & Rizz That Should Be Revoked 🚩💅Fresh off our Lit & Libations high (where our egos were shamelessly inflated — thank you, Vanessa), we’re back to reality... and reality is full of migraines, mediocre men, and unhinged Tinder bios we didn’t ask for. 🙃💀✨ In this episode:🛑 Red flags so blinding you’ll need shades (including one man’s bio that casually included “Feminists are dumb.” 😵)🍄 Our Everyday Dose debut — because mushroom coffee is the only thing keeping us from full collapse👑 Hormone balance via Primal Queen — for when your PMS is louder than your boss📸 Memory-saving magic via FOREVER — 2GB free storage + $20 to preserve your digital dignity🥪 Erika forces Sarah to eat and hydrate like a feral toddler mid-meltdown🐰 Meet Side-Eyed Jack: our new mascot with judgment stronger than your situationship🔥 Unhinged Tinder bios, unsolicited DMs, and the audacity of men (per usual) 🎤 Plus 📚 Author Spotlights: Andrea H. Rome brings cozy fantasy to life in The Standard Book of Anything — and the adventure continues in The Lost Ring of Destiny (arriving May 28-TODAY)! Follow magical handywoman Em Strider as she saves her town one magical fix at a time. 👉 AndreaHRome.com | @AndreaHRome Whimsy. Magic. And a hero with a hammer.Christina Mitchell delivers fierce Italian energy and femme-powered mafia suspense in The Italian Rose, where family legacy turns bloody and women rise to the top. Her upcoming release on chronic pain is raw, real, and absolutely unforgettable. 👉 TheItalianRose.com Sweet on the outside. Deadly on paper. 💋🩸🎧 Hit play if you're here for petty commentary, feminist rage, chaotic giggles, and affiliate links that fund our coffee addictions.LINK: https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod#LivingUnderstaffed #PodcastChaos #RedFlagsEverywhere #FOREVERAffiliate #PrimalQueenPartner #EverydayDose #TinderFails #GregWithThreeGs #LitAndLibations #SideEyedJack #MafiaMamas #CozyFantasyFixes #SupportIndieAuthors #UnderpaidAndOverIt

🎙️ Episode 35 – Sleep-Deprived Smut, Refried Bean Trauma, & the Grand Canyon of Daddy Issues 🐇🧠Welcome to Living Understaffed, where the sarcasm flows like boxed wine at a book fair and the emotional trauma is only slightly overshadowed by our love of spicy indie romance. In this live-from-Kansas-City episode, Sarah and Erika roll into Lit & Libations with 2 hours of sleep, a questionable bunny painting, and absolutely no plan—because why start now?✨ Indie author shoutouts:Meet Angel Edenburn, Owner of Lost Aardvarks Press and author of gritty paranormal romance set right in Kansas and Missouri. Her latest, Second Time Around, brings curvy, kickass heroines, fast cars, and dangerous magic to life.📚 LostAardvarksPress.com🔗 linktr.ee/angeledenburn📱 Facebook💋 Not your typical vampires. Not your typical romance.KC-based author and high school English teacher Matthew Reed Williams makes his debut with Somewhere—a quiet, compelling supernatural thriller about memory, grief, and the spaces between.📚 MatthewReedWilliams.com📱 @MatthewReedWilliams💀 What haunts us isn’t always from the outside.✨ Biz shoutouts:Primal Queen – the only skincare Sarah trusts on her “my face is tired but we’re in public” days. Use code UNDERSTAFFED for a sweet discount on all things luxe, clean, and badass. 👑✨Everyday Dose – coffee, but make it functional. (Because Lord knows we don’t have the bandwidth for jitters and trauma.) Get your daily dopamine with adaptogens + collagen. Use code UNDERSTAFFED for 15% off your order. ☕🧠Also in this episode:Sarah and Erika realize they may have accidentally started a small business empire (oops).The Old Guard makes everyone cry because love should be like a Hozier song and/or an immortal Italian boyfriend who would kill for you.We confess to eating cold hot dogs, canned beans, and other crimes against food. Sorry not sorry. 🫘Erika explains why you must now compete with Sarah to be the best boyfriend she’s ever had (good luck).And yes, we are still not on Discord when we say we’ll be. It's called ✨consistency✨.Oh, and if you’re wondering: no, we still don’t have our shit together. But we do have boundary-setting, nap trauma, and thighs like harbor seals. 🐚💪🚨 BONUS: Catch us live from the only podcast table at Lit & Libations, surrounded by hot authors and even hotter takes on love, loss, and lunchables.📌 Don’t forget to support your favorite chaos goblins:👉 FREE 2GB + $20 coupon with FOREVER👉 15% off Everyday Dose mushroom coffee!👉 Primal Queen 25% discount! Join us in the journey and glow like the emotionally unavailable man you just blocked 💅https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod

Dating while healing? Yeah, it’s a minefield. 🧨 In this episode, Erika and Sarah open up about the exhausting balance between protecting your peace and staying open to intimacy. From non-negotiables like buying the damn flowers 💐 to the emotional weight of spaghetti 🍝 (yes, really), they dive into the deep end of post-divorce reflection, attachment trauma, and learning how to not settle for breadcrumbs.Expect hot takes on: ✨ Why “I can buy my own flowers” isn’t just a flex—it’s a filter 💔 Situationships, slow-burn intimacy, and the curse of dating apps 🔄 Navigating your own needs without turning love into a transaction 📬 What real effort actually looks like (spoiler: it’s not that hard) 🤷🏽‍♀️ And the eternal question: If your partner can’t remember your favorite food after 12 years… do they even go here?This one’s raw, funny, a little ragey, and 100% real. 😤❤️ Because healing doesn’t mean you stop wanting connection—it means you stop accepting less than you deserve.🎧 Tune in. Unpack. Repeat. #LivingUnderstaffed #HighStandardsClub #DatingWhileHealing #BuyTheFlowers 🌺👑 Also featuring: A Primal Queen moment with a salamander army 🦎, why “I’m out of your price range” applies to energy too ⚡, and the very real struggle of emotionally surviving spaghetti. 🍽️📸 And if you love supporting small businesses, join us on FOREVER for free 2GB storage and a $20 coupon to use on any product — because memories (and discounts) matter!🔗 https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod #PromotionPending #USAJobsIsTrash #LivingUnderstaffed #PodcastChaos #FOREVERFamily #PrimalQueenEnergy☕ New Affiliate Alert! We're now proud partners with Everyday Dose — the mushroom-powered coffee alternative that delivers calm energy, focus, and gut support without the jitters or crash. With 80% less caffeine than traditional coffee and ingredients like Lion’s Mane, Chaga, L-Theanine, and collagen, it's our new go-to for starting the day right. Try it for yourself and support the pod by shopping through our link: https://www.everydaydose.com/LIVINGUNDERSTAFFED

🎙 Episode 33 – Saints, Spite & Side Quests We Didn’t Ask ForWe’re back with more chaos, caffeine, and unsolicited life detours.This week, we kick off our new series Badass Women in History with none other than Saint Olga of Kyiv—a woman who turned grief into full-scale vengeance and basically redefined “petty but make it legendary.” Fire? Birds? Entire villages wiped out? Yeah, she understood the assignment. 🔥👑Also in this episode:A digital decluttering PSA from Sarah, who’s here to make sure your memories don’t disappear with your dead laptop 💀💾 (shoutout to FOREVER for the save).Erika vs. bureaucracy, Part 742.Podcasting as therapy (but cheaper, and with more screaming).The art of not spiraling… or at least pretending you're not.⚠️ And don’t forget: Lit & Libations is THIS SATURDAY at the Co-op at Shoal Creek. Come hang with us IRL—there will be drinks, vibes, and probably more ranting. 🥂✨🎧 Listen now before someone burns your village down with carrier pigeons.🛍️ Partnership Alert!We’re officially partnered with Primal Queen — womens' supplements made with real ingredients for when you deserve better than your life choices. 🌿✨ Use our exclusive code for 25% off your Primal Queen order! Because if your skin is glowing, maybe people won’t notice the existential crisis in your eyes. 💅🔥💾 Get your free 2GB FOREVER storage + $20 coupon because yes, memories matter (and no, you're not too emotionally damaged to scrapbook).👉 Get all the links you need — episodes, FOREVER freebies, Lit & Libations info — right here:https://linktr.ee/understaffedpodBooks mentioned in this episode:- The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless#LivingUnderstaffed #SaintOlga #PodcastRants #BadassWomenInHistory #FOREVERmemories #UnderpaidAndOverIt #PromotionPending #InboxRage #LitAndLibations

🎙️ Guess who’s back from the dead? Sarah—barely. After getting bodied by walking pneumonia, an ear infection, and just a casual full-system life meltdown, she’s somehow upright and podcasting again. (Please clap 👏.)Meanwhile, Erika’s been busy doing her therapist-assigned homework (aka emotional waterboarding) and is now being forced to say nice things about herself. Disgusting. 🚫Together, we unpack grief, guilt, hyper-productivity, Greyhound rage, and why asking for help still feels like a moral failure (even when you're dying inside). Spoiler alert: We’re still bad at self-care, but great at spiraling. 🌀This week, we're talking about grief, Greyhound buses (rage level: unlocked 🔥), hyper-productivity as a trauma response, and why we both still think we’re secretly terrible at everything—even when people literally tell us otherwise. 🙃Listen now—because if we’re falling apart, we’re doing it with style. 🎧🔥💀 Also, don't forget: 10-May is the Lit & Libations show in Kansas City! Come drink with us, cry-laugh with us, and witness this chaos in person. 🍷📚✨ You deserve it. We deserve it. Everybody deserves it.🛍️ Partnership Alert!We’re officially partnered with Primal Queen — womens' supplements made with real ingredients for when you deserve better than your life choices. 🌿✨ Use our exclusive code for 25% off your Primal Queen order! Because if your skin is glowing, maybe people won’t notice the existential crisis in your eyes. 💅🔥💾 Get your free 2GB FOREVER storage + $20 coupon because yes, memories matter (and no, you're not too emotionally damaged to scrapbook).👉 Get all the links you need — episodes, FOREVER freebies, Lit & Libations info — right here:https://linktr.ee/understaffedpod