Podcast Summary: Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness

Episode: New Year, Slightly Improved Me
Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Kim & Penn Holderness

Overview

In this candid and often hilarious episode, Kim and Penn Holderness kick off the new year by reflecting on small but meaningful personal growth, embracing imperfection, and navigating the emotional complexity of aging, parenting, and being public figures. The duo shares listener messages, announces an exciting new project, and debates whether it’s time to show more of their serious sides alongside all the laughs. The episode is peppered with warmth, self-deprecating humor, and sincere moments about finding balance and community as you age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Year, "Slightly Improved" Me (03:15, 32:24)

• Rejecting the "New Year, New Me" Pressure:
  Kim introduces the episode’s main theme: letting go of the idea that you need a whole new identity each January. Instead, they champion “New Year, Slightly Improved Me.”

  • Kim: “Is it like New year slightly improved me? Like there's so much I don't care about.” (03:15)
  • Penn echoes the sentiment: “You can be successful and grow and get better without... manifesting it out loud.” (33:00)

• Goal Setting & Realism:
  Kim admits to loving resolutions but feels conflicted about motivation this year, influenced by hormonal changes and emotional ups and downs. Both discuss how they approach goals differently: Kim loves lists and benchmarks, while Penn prefers quiet internal standards.

2. Aging, Parenting, and Letting Go (11:09)

• Navigating Kids Leaving Home:
  Kim shares her emotional struggle with their daughter Lola returning to college after winter break, reflecting on the sorrow and pride of an emptying nest.

  • Kim: “I started weeping again...I was not expecting to be so sad all over again... it kicked my ass.” (11:09)
  • Penn: “Every time that happens, I hate to see my wife cry, but it’s beautiful...we’re doing something right if we're this sad to see our daughter go.” (12:27)

• Parenting Transitions:
  Discussion about the evolving dynamics when adult children come home, re-entering family routines, and the bittersweetness of these milestones.

3. Nostalgia & Listener Community: Coke vs. Pepsi and Generational Markers (03:58, 21:10)

• Remembering New Coke:
  The hosts reminisce about the 1985 launch (and quick demise) of New Coke, using it as a relatable generational touchstone:

  • Kim: “If you're old enough to remember when Coke tried to change the recipe...you’re our people.” (03:58)
  • Penn marvels at how quickly Coke caved to backlash despite no Internet: “79 days...Do you realize how fast that is without the Internet?” (04:58)

• Diet Coke Elitism:
  Listener Laura calls in with a confession about smuggling Diet Coke into Pepsi events, sparking a fun debate about brand loyalty and listener engagement.

  • Laura (voicemail): “I worked for Pepsi and would go to company events with a Diet Coke in a brown paper cover. So I am a Diet Coke elitist too, Kim.” (21:10)
  • Kim: “Could you imagine accepting a paycheck from Pepsi and then just...gotta get that hit?”

4. Listener Interactions: The Legendary "Gerald" & Clipboards (15:29)

• Laugh Line Highlight:
  The hosts read fan mail from Gerald, who compiled stats on their choice of podcast clipboards, complete with an Excel spreadsheet.

  • Kim: “This was such an incredible use of free will. Gerald, forever, you're my favorite.” (17:04)
  • Penn answers: “I legit like this...I used to chew on the corner of it.” (18:27)

• Inside Jokes Become Family Lore:
  Gerald’s data inspires the family phrase “let's take a picture” to signal moving on in conversations, originally heard at a book signing.

5. Gender Roles & Household Labor (26:15)

• Christmas Card Labor:
  Kim revisits her viral rant about women bearing the brunt of emotional and logistical labor in midlife traditions (like holiday cards), giving a tongue-in-cheek “medal ceremony” to husbands reported by their wives for stepping up.
  • Kim: “We have a list of men who I would like to personally thank.” (27:20)
  • Penn: “We’ll put some patriotic sort of music like they just won an Olympic gold medal here.” (27:20)

6. Complimenting Men: "Pen Compliments Men" Segment (28:53)

• Audience Engagement:
  Penn begins a new segment inspired by a promise to compliment more men, reading listener messages and giving heartfelt praise to husbands Noah and Chris.
  • Penn: “What I love most about you is your smile, Noah... he seems like when he has fun, he really has fun.” (29:12)
  • For Chris: “I immediately bonded because...I love an espresso martini and I love a stemless one because I knock stuff over.” (29:50)

7. Authenticity vs. Curation in Public Life (36:26)

• Balancing Positivity with Real Life:
  Kim grapples with whether to include more serious, even “rage-inducing” topics on their platform while maintaining the show's signature safe, lighthearted tone.

  • Kim: “The things that fill me with rage, we don’t talk about on our platforms...Is there in 2026 a way I can be gentle with myself but also brave for others?” (34:43)
  • Penn: “It is tough when you take a stand about something...the comments don’t [stay positive]. It gets into an argument.” (36:30)

• Future Vision for the Show:
  Kim opens up discussion to the audience about evolving the podcast to become a space for nuanced honesty, balancing laughter with authenticity.

8. "Are We Too Old For…", “Gen Z Slang”, and Recurring Segments (interspersed)

• Lighthearted riffs about community-acknowledged aging challenges and generational markers, although not explicit segments this episode.

9. Road to 50: Goals and Grace (45:57, 53:40)

• Kim’s Personal Goals:
  Kim reports back on her “road to 50”—her goal to read 50 books in a year (she’s off to a fast start), but sheepishly admits to abandoning her plan for physical fitness benchmarks.

  • Kim: “I've recreated a reading habit that I'm very proud of... Mostly because I want to avoid doom scrolling.” (46:40)
  • On fitness: “I said I was going to do an unassisted pull-up. I haven't even done a push-up. I've done one push-up in, like, the last month. I suck at it.” (53:40)
  • Penn: “You don't suck at it. You've made no effort.”

• Embracing Imperfection:
  The theme circles back: “I'm gonna be New Year, slightly improved me. I'm gonna start doing some push-ups.” (54:07)

10. Introducing "Space Cadet" Spin-Off & Following the Fun (49:25)

• Kim pitches a new podcast idea where Penn (with Sam) can geek out about space, sci-fi, and ADHD—a blend of their passions, even if it isn’t commercially savvy.

  • Kim: “Penn needs a space podcast. Because, honestly, he needs friends to talk about space things...” (49:25)
  • Penn: “I would have more fun with this than anything else, but...” (50:02)
  • Sam: “What if you come in empty, blind, and I prep everything?” (50:19)

• They solicit fan feedback about whether this should be a segment or a separate show.

  • Kim: “Here's also something I'm feeling in 2026. Let's follow the fun. Right?” (52:04)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Nostalgic Zinger:
  Kim: “If you're old enough to remember when Coke tried to change the recipe...you're our people.” (03:58)
• On Parental Grief:
  Kim: “I started weeping again...it kicked my ass.” (11:09)
• On Listener Gerald:
  Kim: “This was such an incredible use of free will. Gerald, forever, you're my favorite.” (17:04)
• On Internal Motivation:
  Penn: “You can be successful and grow and get better without doing that. Look at me. I don't manifest. Sorry.” (33:00)
• On Public Authenticity:
  Kim: “The things that fill me with rage, we don't talk about on our platforms...Is there in 2026 a way I can be very gentle on myself but also when there's time, be brave for others?” (34:43)
• On Embracing Grace:
  Kim: “I'm gonna be New Year, slightly improved me. I'm gonna start doing some push-ups.” (54:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Nostalgia & Audience Identity: 03:58–04:58
• Podcast Origin & Evolution: 05:48–08:35
• Parenting & Holiday Emotion: 11:09–13:27
• Laugh Line Listener Mail (Gerald): 15:29–19:27
• Diet Coke Confessions: 21:10–23:09
• Household Labor & “Medals” for Men: 26:15–28:01
• Pen Compliments Men: 28:53–31:32
• Resolutions & Authenticity: 32:24–37:34
• Balancing Real Life & Platform Curation: 36:26–41:09
• Road to 50 (Books & Push-ups): 45:57–54:13
• Space Cadet Podcast Pitch: 49:25–52:04

Tone & Style

• Warm, Self-Deprecating, Honest:
  Kim and Penn keep the tone friendly and real, mixing humor with vulnerability and inviting listeners to see themselves in everyday struggles.

• Audience-Centric & Interactive:
  Regular call-outs for feedback, listener stories, and suggestions for new segments keep the show feeling like a two-way conversation, not a performance.

Listener Takeaways

• A strong sense of community and shared experience—whether it’s through Coke vs. Pepsi arguments, the struggle of watching kids grow up, or striving for just a bit of improvement each year.
• Permission to let go of perfection, laugh at your own quirks, and embrace the honest, sometimes messy facets of aging and personal growth.
• Encouragement to follow the fun, even if it’s not always productive, and to cherish the oddballs (both inside ourselves and in our online circle).

Feedback & Ways to Connect

Listeners are encouraged to:

• Send emails or voicemails with thoughts on the episode, especially on the show's evolving tone and the possible "Space Cadet" spin-off.
• Join the ongoing (half-serious) campaign to get the hosts some iPads for podcast notes.

Write at: podcast@theholdernessfamily.com
Voicemail: 323-364-3929

In summary:
This episode showcases Kim and Penn’s unique blend of humor, honesty, and relatability, making “slightly improved” feel both achievable and joyfully enough.