Podcast Summary – The Nikki & Brie Show

Episode: ICYMI: Becoming 'That Girl' at ANY Age

Date: September 1, 2025
Hosts: Nikki & Brie Garcia
Publisher: SiriusXM

Episode Overview

This episode of The Nikki & Brie Show delves into what it means to “become ‘that girl’” at any age. Nikki and Brie reflect on how social trends, personal growth, and life experiences shape the concept of “that girl”—shifting it from a status-driven trope to an empowering, authentic way of life. They get candid about their own glow-ups, navigating identity across decades, the importance of self-care, and answer listener questions about life, motivation, and finding balance. The sisters also play a red carpet ranking game and finish with a motivating affirmation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Defining "That Girl" Through the Years

• Social Trend Origins & Evolution

  • Nikki explains that “being that girl” recently exploded as a social media trend but means living as your “best, most confident, most put-together version of yourself”—not about popularity or status, but about energy and showing up for yourself ([02:50], Nikki).
  • Brie adds that it has become more inward and intentional, focused on joy and self-fulfillment ([04:32], Brie).

• In Your 20s vs. Now

  • Brie: In her 20s, “that girl” was about “success – the good job, good boyfriend, being on track for marriage and success” but now it’s about “letting go of what people think... I live for my pure joy and happiness and no one else’s” ([04:32-04:58], Brie).
  • Nikki: Back then, it was tangible things “about who you’re with, married/kids, kind of house, money… but now, inspiration is about being the main character of your story, setting boundaries, self-respect, and blooming for yourself” ([05:26-08:23], Nikki).

• Carrie Bradshaw as ‘That Girl’ Archetype

  • They cite Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw as one of the only early examples of “main character energy” but not fully defined that way in their youth ([07:02], Nikki).

Personal Glow Ups & Realizations

• Grit, Grace & Moments of Arrival

  • Nikki remembers her moment of feeling “that girl” at age 26: moving into a high-rise, affording her friends’ dinners, feeling successful and accomplished ([09:20-10:55], Nikki).
  • Brie’s “that girl” moments were around the start of their reality show: being authentic on camera and being accepted for their imperfect selves ([11:03-11:56], Brie).

• Glow Up Myths vs. Reality

  • Nikki debunks the idea that a “glow up” is cosmetic, saying real glow-ups come from life changes (divorce, therapy, self-care, education): “Glow up energy is not just vanity. Real glow ups usually come from a change in someone’s life for the better” ([21:28], Nikki).
  • Brie recounts meeting someone “glowing with health and high on life” who was about to move to Spain—a testament to how inner wellbeing fuels outer ambition ([23:16-24:03], Brie).

Living "That Girl" Energy: The Quiz

• "Are You That Girl?" Quiz
  • Nikki quizzes Brie on morning rituals, hydration, self-care, boundaries, self-investment, resilience, and knowing your goals. Brie aces the quiz, and they joke about needing decades to figure it out ([14:42-20:01]).
  • Nikki summarizes: “If you’re in your ‘that girl rising’ era, a few tweaks will get you unstoppable. If you’re just in your pilot episode—hey, those win Emmys!” ([20:01-20:42], Nikki).

Balancing Life, Career, and Personal Passions

• Listener Q&A: Balancing Demanding Careers and Hobbies

  • Brie’s advice: “Work pays the bills, but your free time is for hobbies and passions—you never know what will blossom” ([25:57-27:18]).
  • Nikki suggests making hobbies “seasonal”: “Don’t try to do it all at once—seasonal passions will be more sustainable and fulfilling” ([27:18-28:27], Nikki).
  • Brie shares she always wanted to be a florist, but retreats showed her she loves flowers as pastime, not a full-time job ([28:27], Brie).

• Listener Q&A: Advice for Your Younger College Self

  • Brie: She would have taken a gap year for adjustment and self-direction before college ([31:34], Brie).
  • Nikki: Wishes she’d had more routine, scheduled classes around her jobs, and worked towards vision boards with structured planning ([32:32-34:09], Nikki).

Navigating Identity and Self-Worth

• Losing & Reclaiming "That Girl"

  • Brie: Adjusting to motherhood, especially during her 30s through 40, threw her identity off; she felt she lost her energy and joy but gradually reclaimed it by focusing on herself ([35:23-36:39], Brie).
  • Nikki: “The pandemic for me—everything closed down, I had no help, I just lost myself and wasn’t that girl for a few years. Quick fixes didn’t work” ([36:45-38:04], Nikki).

• Parenting, Guilt, and Comebacks

  • Both agree self-care is the first thing to go for new parents, but crucial not to lose that for too long. Support (from trusted help/family) makes a huge difference ([39:36-41:05], Nikki & Brie).
  • Brie: “You can always bounce back and have a comeback story” ([39:36], Brie).

• Always Surprising Yourself

  • Brie: Evolution continues at every age – “I’m always surprising myself with what I am capable of” ([41:05], Brie).
  • Nikki: Proud of newfound boundaries and letting go of people-pleasing ([41:35], Nikki).

What Motivates Nikki & Brie?

• Family, Faith, and Community
  • Brie: “Family, family, family. All I want to do is take care of my family” ([44:12], Brie).
  • Nikki: Adds faith, and thanks the “Bella Army”—using her platform to “motivate, inspire, and help others overcome” ([44:36-45:59], Nikki).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Changing Definitions

  • “Being that girl, to me, is the girl that lets go of what people think. I live life for myself, for my pure joy and happiness and no one else’s.” – Brie ([04:32])
  • “Glow up energy isn’t just vanity…usually, there’s a change in someone’s life for the better, and now we’re seeing it.” – Nikki ([21:28])

• On Setting Boundaries and Growth

  • “I think I definitely…got out of that people-pleasing era and just [became] more stern with my boundaries and also knowing my worth and not settling.” – Nikki ([41:35])
  • “When you get into this space…and work so hard to get here…you protect your energy. Once you see life a certain way you only go up.” – Nikki ([42:53])

• On Motivation

  • “All I want to do is take care of my family…anything I do in life, I’m motivated: family.” – Brie ([44:12])
  • “The Bella army, my fandom, keeps me motivated. I want to reach people for good because people need motivation in this world.” – Nikki ([44:36])

• Affirmation to Close

  • “Being that girl – no one’s born her, you build her.” – Nikki ([58:03])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:35] - Episode begins and theme introduced
• [02:50] - Nikki explains the “that girl” trend
• [04:32] - Brie reflects on what “that girl” means now vs. in her 20s
• [09:20] - Nikki recounts her first “I’m that girl” moment
• [11:03] - Brie’s reality TV empowerment moment
• [14:42] - “Are You That Girl?” Quiz
• [21:28] - Nikki on real “glow ups” and self-care
• [25:57] - Advice: Balancing careers with hobbies/passion projects
• [31:34] - Advice to younger selves in college
• [35:23] - Times they lost (and reclaimed) “that girl” energy
• [41:05] - Always surprising yourself and ongoing growth
• [44:12] - What motivates Nikki & Brie
• [48:15] - Red carpet blind ranking game
• [58:03] - Nikki’s affirmation: “No one’s born her, you build her.”

Tone and Language

The tone throughout is casual, warm, funny, and vulnerable—like best friends chatting about “real life.” Quotes and commentary often include laughter, candid admissions, and honest moments about insecurity, boundaries, parenting struggles, and personal triumphs. The language is conversational, peppered with sisterly encouragement and playfulness.

Conclusion

This episode is a heartfelt, empowering conversation about becoming “that girl” at any age—not through external achievement but through authenticity, boundaries, self-care, and choosing to be the lead in your own story. Listeners are left with tools, validation, and the resounding message: “You build her.”

Memorable Final Affirmation:

“Being that girl – no one’s born her, you build her.” – Nikki ([58:03])