CHEERS! with Avery Woods

Episode: a toast to the girls | cheers
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Avery Woods

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt, year-end episode, host Avery Woods raises a glass to the women who shaped her 2025, revisiting standout moments and conversations with beloved guests from her podcast. Avery celebrates friendship, motherhood, career journeys, gratitude, and vulnerability, sharing highlights with Jackie Aina, Laura Lee, Rocky Barnes, Avery Crow, and cast members from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The episode overflows with laughter, candidness, and inspiring reflections on growth, hustle, and supporting women—all delivered in Avery’s trademark warm, conversational tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections & Gratitude for the Year (01:13 – 04:19)

• Avery expresses amazement at the show’s growth and thanks listeners for their support, recalling humble beginnings and early successes.
  • “My favorite part about my job…I get to meet the coolest people and connect with so many different people on different paths...that is such a blessing.” — Avery Woods (01:37)
• Shoutouts to past guests, highlighting their special qualities and why their episodes resonated.

2. Introducing Her Favorite Guests (04:19 – 06:00)

• Jackie Aina: Lauded for her versatility and unwavering support in Avery’s personal and professional journey.
• Avery Crow: Admired for building a social media presence while navigating college and early adulthood.
• Laura Lee: Recognized for her down-to-earth nature and the deep friendship formed.
• Rocky Barnes: Celebrated for her candidness about fashion, motherhood, and the industry.
• Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Cast: Praised for authenticity and resilience in the face of reality TV’s pressures.

3. Centering on Gratitude (08:26 – 11:20)

Jackie Aina’s Philosophy:

• Jackie speaks on the power of appreciating simple joys as a safeguard against ego and greed.
  • Memorable Quote: “Sometimes there is beauty in being thankful for simplistic stuff too.” — Jackie Aina [09:46]
• Jackie on public perception: “Sometimes people see my content and they’re like, why do you clean your own house? And I’m like, I get to clean my own house. Do you know what it feels like to not have a house?”

Laura Lee’s Approach:

• Practicing gratitude daily through journaling, focusing on realistic, attainable habits (five things a night).
  • Quote: “If you want to start a habit, you make it fun. You make it enticing in any way for yourself. You make it a pleasure so you come back to it.” — Laura Lee [10:20]

4. Before They Were Influencers: Past Lives & Hustles (11:20 – 26:37)

Jackie Aina in the Military:

• Jackie describes her experience in the Army Reserves, tackling misogyny, maintaining her self-care routines, and the complex gender dynamics in service.
  • “The military is the place that strips you of your individuality in every single way…when people say stuff like, what was she wearing? …I know exactly what it feels like to still be catcalled, disrespected…in a big boxy, clunky boots. Like, it does not matter.” — Jackie Aina [14:09]

Laura Lee’s Allegedly "Unqualified" Journey:

• Recaps her chaotic path through odd jobs, just scraping through high school, failing (and cheating in) math, struggling to envision a career—until discovering YouTube.
  • Comic Highlight: “I was going to fail it anyway. So it was really a Hail Mary. Anyway.” — Laura Lee [18:21]
• “I was like, look at you…I’m graduating high school. That’s good as gold in this family, right?” — Laura Lee [19:16]
• On her first well-paying job: “$9 an hour. Baby, that's the most money I've ever made in my life.” — Laura Lee [22:29]
• Discovers YouTube and realizes: “This is all I want to do.” [24:57]

Cracking the YouTube Code:

• Laura shares how analytical thinking on titles/thumbnails led to a viral video with 15 million views.
  • “After that video, it confirmed for me what I thought I knew about the algorithm.” — Laura Lee [26:54]

Rocky Barnes: Fashion Influencer Milestone

• Rocky’s “I made it” moment: shooting for Vogue as herself, not just as a model.
  • “I got shot by Patrick Demarchelier for Sam Edelman's eight-page advertorial in the September issue of Vogue. …I was like, okay, this is a pinch me, I made it moment.” — Rocky Barnes [27:52]

Avery Crow: Teenage Content Creator

• Started TikTok as a high school freshman, balancing schoolwork and content despite peer judgment.
  • “I would wake up early before school, film my morning routines, …editing in the hallways…” — Avery Crow [31:04]
• Realized it could be a career after a breakup video went viral senior year.

5. Women as Breadwinners & Societal Judgments (32:28 – 36:42)

• Avery discusses the double standard faced by working mothers compared to fathers.

  • “If a man is a breadwinner going on a work trip, no one's saying anything to him. …But when a woman does it, there's a problem with it.” — Avery Woods [32:28]

• Jackie Aina: “There’s definitely women that I follow…just them even being outside, they’re like, ‘Where’s your kids?’ …You’re both allowed to have a social life outside of your kids.” [33:57]

• Jen Affleck (Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) offers a candid look at shifting family roles while coming from conservative backgrounds—a difficult but empowering journey.

  • “I just naturally took that role. And it was really hard for him at first…he also felt like…what value do I bring if I’m not providing?” — Jen Affleck [36:42]

6. Motherhood: Realness, Challenges, and Personal Growth (37:00 onwards)

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Cast:

• Open up about balancing rapidly growing careers and parenting, dealing with morning sickness, and supporting each other through parallel experiences.

Laura Lee’s Emotional Adoption Story [41:35 – 44:41]

• Shares a vulnerable account of stepping in as her niece Aaron’s guardian, the court battle, family healing, and her niece’s bright future.
  • “I tried to get my sister to sign her over…ended up going back to Alabama and fighting for her in court, and I won her.” — Laura Lee [42:33]
  • “I love talking about it because a lot of people have to do this.” — Laura Lee [42:38]

Rocky Barnes: Motherhood, Confidence & Independence

• Rocky describes how financial independence shaped her choices in relationships and motherhood.
  • “Once I got a taste of [success], I was like, I’m not stopping now.” — Rocky Barnes [46:42]
  • “Being able to be financially independent gives you so much power to be able to make decisions for what you truly want and not having to, like, be reliant on someone.” [46:47]
• On starting a family later and misconceptions about “geriatric pregnancy”:
  • “My second was a geriatric pregnancy, and they need to change that.” — Rocky Barnes [50:09]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gratitude:

  • “It’s kind of like a love letter to myself. An act of practicing gratitude.” — Jackie Aina [08:29]
  • “If you want to start a habit, you make it fun.” — Laura Lee [10:20]

• Resilience:

  • “I always just had the mentality of I’ll figure it out. Because we always did.” — Laura Lee [20:10]

• Self-Belief:

  • “You can make fun of me now, but I know the opportunities that I’m getting and I’m doing this at such a young age…” — Avery Crow [32:05]

• Motherhood & Identity:

  • “I like women to know that yeah, being a mom is hard but you can do it.” — Rocky Barnes [45:26]

• Financial Freedom:

  • “Being able to be financially independent gives you so much power to be able to make decisions for what you truly want.” — Rocky Barnes [46:47]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:13] — Avery’s intro and heartfelt gratitude
• [04:19] — Shoutouts to key guests and what makes them special
• [08:26] — Jackie Aina on gratitude
• [10:20] — Laura Lee on gratitude journaling
• [11:45-15:22] — Jackie Aina’s Army stories and gender dynamics
• [16:26-18:52] — Laura Lee’s chaotic early adulthood
• [24:57-25:37] — Laura Lee’s viral YouTube breakthrough
• [27:30-28:11] — Rocky Barnes’ fashion influencer career breakthrough
• [28:27-32:28] — Avery Crow on balancing social media and high school
• [32:28-36:42] — Women as breadwinners, societal judgment, and religious background
• [41:35-44:41] — Laura Lee’s adoption of her niece
• [45:26-47:41] — Rocky Barnes on motherhood and independence
• [49:07-50:29] — Rocky’s later-in-life motherhood perspective

Summary

Avery’s “A Toast to the Girls” is a celebration of female friendship, ambition, and honest storytelling. The episode weaves together gratitude, resilience, supportive relationships, the challenges of public motherhood, and building a life on your own terms. In Avery’s words:

“Let it be the best year yet. Cheers.” [51:21]

Cheers to more laughter, vulnerability, and empowerment in 2026!