Host Amanda Tatom remains relatable and authentic through life, love and whatever else is thrown her way. Join Amanda and her guests as they share how they got where they are…and where they are going next. We are all adlibbing life. So let’s talk about it.
First generation immigrant, Ivy League tennis player, speaker of 5 languages…Anita Ivancevic-Burns has quite the resume but the way Amanda came to know of Anita happened on her wedding night (say what?) when Cowboy presented the most beautifully wrapped wedding gift ever created! This candid chat with the creator and founder of Dallas Gift Wrap Creations will inspire you to keep dreaming and follow your gut….and hopefully to put down the gift bags and wrap the damn gift! (Or better yet have DGWC do it!)
Sometimes the best conversations are those between friends, talking about everything and nothing. Amanda welcomes her hilarious pal Tracy to the show to simply…shoot the shit. Among the topics covered in this episode? The perfect vodka soda, OCD, when your grandfather is the governor and a beer and a nacho…and so on and so on. Plus Tracy answers a question asked during each episode like no one else has proving that “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” people are the very best kind.
There is so much to talk about with Jillian Whitlow: her amazing personal health transformation, the creation of a very chic female chef’s jacket and empowering other women--especially her daughters. Yes she designed a great product with an awesome brand name (Che Figata! means “way cool!” in Italian) but it’s more than just a jacket: it’s about bringing a vision to life and never giving up. Way cool indeed! Amanda chats with Jillian about what got her here and where she hopes to go. It’s a great conversation for the aspiring entrepreneur or someone who just needs to remember to believe in herself.
When you hear the name Mack Brown naturally one’s mind turns to football. That’s the way Amanda used to think until a few years ago while interviewing Coach for a television segment, he proved to be just as knowledgeable, wise and encouraging about something off the gridiron: second marriage. At that time Amanda was just beginning her own divorce process so his words were especially meaningful. Over the years she recalled what Mack talked about that day as a guiding point and touchstone. In this episode Amanda and Coach discuss coming back from divorce and how truly wonderful a second chance at love can be. Also on the table: Coach’s shoe collection, why his wife Sally always takes out the trash and of course a little football for good measure.
In this episode Cowboy joins Amanda for a quick recap of another bucket list golf trip, this time to Scotland for the Old Course and other milestone spots. While he was finishing up on the links and catching a train, Amanda hopped a plane to London where they met for an amazing week of taking in the sights, history, fabulous restaurants, the English countryside and lots of champagne. They didn’t bring home a Corgi or any of the Crown Jewels (bloody hell!) but it’s a jolly good episode full of all their London recommendations.
In this brief episode, Amanda talks about finding love and happiness again, which only happened after she found herself again. Life throws you curve balls and sometimes they hurt. Remember: there is no way around it only through it, there is nothing wrong with belong alone, and there is joy waiting on the other side.
The planning for Cowboy’s UK golf adventure started in 2019 but the pandemic forced the trip to be postponed twice. Finally he realized his bucket list dream of playing 9 courses in 9 days across the UK, including 4 British Open courses. He joins Amanda to talk about how golf is different across the pond, why a caddy is absolutely necessary and give some insight into taking your own dream-come-true links golf trip.
There’s a reason so many of the screenshots in Amanda’s phone come from Lisa Pineiro’s Instagram page: she’s a treasure trove of health and beauty information, giving simple tweaks to live your best life. The glotrition Founder and CEO has always had a passion for health and wellness and you’ll find when you listen to today’s show it’s infectious. As Lisa says she’s “figuring out how to live forever and look good doing it.” As Amanda says “I’ll have what she’s having!”
You could say Casey Barber earned her business degree on the job. As Creator and Founder of Rose Gold Wine, Casey’s cup runneth over with entrepreneurial knowledge but this isn’t her first career rodeo. She chats with Amanda about the different chapters in her life: nurse practitioner to foodie to raising babies to making rosé. Also on the agenda: collecting cowboy boots, how to wrangle your way onto a tour bus and why Casey believes it’s never too late to try and achieve something new. Cheers to that!
Since Amanda’s pastor mentioned SmartHER News on his Instagram at the beginning of the pandemic, Amanda has been following Jenna Lee for her trademark quick, no nonsense, nonpartisan updates. When she spotted Jenna enjoying a pool day with friends last year, Amanda was too nervous to say hello…but she vowed that when Adlibbing Life came to fruition she would invite Jenna to be a guest. Lo and behold Jenna said yes! Episode 3 includes the reasons behind Jenna’s departure from Fox News and the creation of the rapidly growing SmartHER News, where she finds the best margarita in town and how she always gets that winged eyeliner just right. It’s a fun and candid conversation about mom life and work life and everything in between…and why it’s important to follow your heart and keep believing in the possibilities.
It’s a candid conversation between Amanda and her friend, best selling author, and business woman Ellen Smoak about life in the terrific yet transformational 40’s (a decade the ladies love). But it’s also a time that’s included a bit of crap before finding that crowning moment…on the other side of a pandemic no less. Key survival tips include a mantra or two, learning to give yourself grace, to just “be”, and to share your truth…because you never know how it will help someone else if you don’t.
After years of talking about it, Amanda finally does the damn thing and launches her podcast. And since Emily McCoy gave the final nudge to make it happen, it’s only fitting she's first guest. You might know Emily as the Texas Rangers field reporter but Amanda and Emily go back more than 25 years to their first jobs in television, followed by their first bikini waxes and running their first half marathon together. They’re back on set again talking friendship, career, motherhood, and a side hustle that’s a real hustle as Emily shows Amanda the podcasting ropes.