Podcast Summary: "Best of 2025: The Top 6 Episodes That Changed Us (And Almost Broke Us)"

Podcast: This Is Woman’s Work with Nicole Kalil
Episode: 375
Release Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Nicole Kalil (Airwave Media)

Episode Overview

This special "Best of 2025" episode is a candid, unfiltered victory lap as host Nicole Kalil reflects on her sixth year of redefining "woman’s work." She recaps the top six most impactful episodes of the year—conversations that captured listeners’ attention and pushed boundaries on topics women are wrestling with today. Nicole pulls back the curtain on both triumphs and struggles in podcasting, shares listener growth milestones, and reiterates the show’s mission: torching the old playbook, writing our own rules, and trusting ourselves boldly. The tone is celebratory, honest, and warmly defiant.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Celebrating Success and Growth (02:22–07:15)

• Nicole shares impressive podcast growth: nearly 2 million downloads in 2025 (up from just under 10,000 in 2020).
• Milestone moments: Joined Airwave (Warner Brothers), launched on YouTube, and attracted more international listeners (UK, Germany, Canada, Netherlands).
• Nicole asks listeners for support:

  "If you're willing, would you please share your favorite episode with some woman that you love?" (04:03)

• Despite these wins, she’s transparent about financial realities:

  "Despite being our highest earning year, this podcast is still not profitable." (08:57)

• Nicole confesses to the ongoing imposter feelings with video production and social media, stressing authenticity and staying connected to her mission.

Podcasting Behind-The-Scenes (09:30–13:24)

• Nicole credits her team and long-time editor, Nikki Burla.
• She underscores the emotional drive behind continuing:

  "I get to hear from listeners whose lives are impacted, shifted, or sometimes simply made lighter." (11:28)

• Continues the mission despite podcasting being “muddy water” rather than a perfected formula.

The Top 6 Most Listened-to Episodes of 2025

Nicole briefly introduces each top episode, why it resonated, and the key takeaways.

6. "How Is Your Spiritual Health?" with Dr. Lisa Miller (Ep. 287)

• Tackled spirituality inclusively, keeping religion’s personal, complex nature in mind.
• Nicole’s nerves and desire to “get it right” are met with Dr. Miller’s grace and clarity (14:08).
• Despite tech issues (lost meditation), content’s resonance proved that listeners value substance over polish.
• Quote:

  "My brain and my soul were high-fiving each other... it felt spiritual." — Nicole (15:21)

5. "How to Defy Expectations" with Dr. Sunita Sah (Ep. 271)

• Defiance redefined as values-driven, thoughtful—not rebellion for rebellion’s sake.
• Nicole describes her own excitement and overload of prep questions (16:45).
• The episode articulates a core show theme:

  "Defying expectations is about as on brand as it gets for this show." (17:55)

• Delayed release for greater listener impact in January:

  "If somebody didn’t love this episode, they probably are never going to love the rest of the show." (18:16)

4. "How to Have a Good Death" with Suzanne O’Brien (Ep. 292)

• Preparation forced Nicole to confront mortality, both personally and as a show host.
• Suzanne brought compassion and demystification around end-of-life care—“plan your end-of-life care as responsibly as you plan your next vacation” (20:25).
• Motivation for difficult but necessary conversations about death.
• Quote:

  "She talks about it in a way that somehow makes you want to plan your end of life care as responsibly as you plan your next vacation." — Nicole (20:25)

3. "The Hard Truths of Entrepreneurship" with Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon (Ep. 313)

• Labeled the “podcast trifecta: real, inspiring, and funny” (21:40)
• Not just for entrepreneurs—addresses universal themes of ambition, pressure, self-trust, and resilience.
• Dr. Harmon’s candor:

  "She told the hard truth without making us feel small. She let us know we’re not alone while also refusing to coddle us." (22:40)

• Nicole’s personal struggle moments, and why “sand in the crotch” became a running joke among listeners.
• Memorable Moment:

  “Not because it made things feel easy, but because it reminded me that the hard doesn’t mean wrong and the struggle doesn’t mean failure.” (24:08)

2. "What Does a Woman Have to Do to Be Believed?" with E. Jean Carroll (Ep. 363)

• Nicole’s most nerve-wracking conversation, tackling belief, credibility, and double standards women face (25:32).
• E. Jean Carroll’s humor and authenticity in the face of enormous stakes:

  “She talks about courtrooms, depositions, paperclips, clothes as armor... with clarity and levity that caught me off guard.” (25:55)

• Notable for humanizing a headline-maker and for a moment when E. Jean called Nicole a “journalist”—a profound compliment (27:30).
• Quote:

  “I wasn’t talking to a headline. I wasn’t talking to a symbol. I was talking to a woman who had stared down power and won.” — Nicole (28:07)

1. "High Functioning Codependency: When Being the Strong One Is Slowly Killing You" with Terri Cole (Ep. 341)

• The most-listened episode and first one released on YouTube; Nicole’s favorite for its transformative impact (28:57).
• Started as a listener recommendation and ended in Nicole’s own wake–up/self-diagnosis.
• Terri Cole’s message: “This episode didn’t just resonate, it changed something. Not just for me, but clearly for many of us.” (29:47)
• Showcases the power of honest, uncomfortable self-reflection in real time.
• Quote:

  “If you’re going to introduce new listeners to what this show is really about…the self reflection, the discomfort, the growth… this is the one.” — Nicole (30:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The hardest part is in just showing up. And there are definitely things that are worth celebrating." (02:05)
• "Why do I keep going? ...The answer is because I get to hear from listeners whose lives are impacted, shifted, or sometimes simply made lighter." (11:28)
• "Who runs the world? You decide. Because that is woman's work." (End)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Podcast & Year in Review / Metrics & Mission: 02:22–09:30
• Behind-the-Scenes on Producing the Show: 09:30–13:24
• #6: Spiritual Health (Dr. Lisa Miller): 14:08–16:23
• #5: Defying Expectations (Dr. Sunita Sah): 16:45–18:57
• #4: Good Death (Suzanne O’Brien): 19:24–21:36
• #3: Entrepreneurship (Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon): 21:40–24:33
• #2: E. Jean Carroll / Belief: 25:32–28:32
• #1: High Functioning Codependency (Terri Cole): 28:57–30:56
• Closing Message: 31:10–end

Final Thoughts & Host’s 2026 Challenge

• Nicole closes with gratitude and a rousing call to action—reminding listeners that authenticity, bold self-trust, and writing one’s own rules is what “woman’s work” truly means.
• Challenge:

  “Don’t fake it till you make it. Choose it. Until you become it. Day by day, moment by moment.” (31:54)

• “Here, we’re shedding expectations. We’re setting aside the shoulds and we’re giving our finger to the supposed tos. We’re torching the old playbook and writing our own damn rules.” (33:10)

This episode is a vibrant, honest invitation: whether you’re new or a longtime listener, Nicole encourages you to revisit these six conversations—each a milestone in the journey of redefining woman’s work and, ultimately, yourself.