Habits and Hustle

What if the biggest mistake you are making with your skin is following whatever treatment happens to be trending right now? Between lasers, injectables, devices, fillers, and endless skincare advice online, it is getting harder to tell what your skin actually needs and what could be a waste of money.
We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Melissa Haloossim. We also chat about which anti-aging treatments are overhyped, why the person performing your treatment matters so much, and how filters and social media are changing the way people see their own faces.
Melissa Haloossim is a nurse practitioner, founder of Skin Thesis, and has spent more than 20 years working in aesthetic medicine. Her approach is highly individualized, with a focus on choosing treatments based on the person, their skin, and the result they are actually trying to achieve.
What's Discussed:
(11:33) Why some skin-tightening treatments can destroy facial fat and make you look older.
(15:05) The difference between lasers, radiofrequency, and ultrasound.
(21:23) Why doing too much to your face can actually age you faster.
(39:21) Why chasing trendy treatments is one of the biggest skincare mistakes after 40.
(45:11) What actually ages your face the most.
(57:46) What to prioritize when you are on a skincare budget.
(1:05:47) Why retinol still matters for anti-aging.
(1:06:41) Why filler does not actually lift your face.
(1:09:44) Why Melissa calls XERF one of the most overrated treatments right now.
(1:26:53) How filters are changing the way people see their own faces.
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.
Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription. 
Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin
Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off

Find more from Jen Cohen:
Website: jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen
Books: jennifercohen.com/books
Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements
 
Find more from Melissa Haloossim & Skin Thesis:
Website: skinthesisinc.com
Instagram: @melissah_np
Facebook: Skin Thesis
LinkedIn: Melissa Haloossim

What if you are expecting too much from yourself in one week and far too little from what you could accomplish in six months? Real change often happens through small decisions repeated long enough to create momentum, even when progress feels slow.
We dive deeper into this in today's solo episode of Habits & Hustle. I talk about why the boring middle is where so many people give up, how your daily habits shape where you end up, and actionable ways to start making choices now that can put you in a completely different place six months from today.
I also get into personal responsibility, why feeling stuck can become a mindset, and how taking more ownership over your health, career, relationships, or confidence can change the trajectory of your life.
What's Discussed:
(00:00) How much your life can change in six months.
(01:31) Why we underestimate what six months can do.
(01:58) How to push through the boring middle.
(02:46) Why daily habits shape your results.
(04:32) How feeling stuck can limit your agency.
(05:29) Why taking responsibility changes everything.
(06:55) How to choose one area to improve.
(08:02) Why the next six months matter.
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.
Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription. 
Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin
Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off.
Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
 
Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen
Books: jennifercohen.com/books
Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

A lot of parenting mistakes start with something we rarely look at: our own unhealed fears, insecurities, and expectations. When those patterns go unchecked, kids can end up carrying pressure that was never really theirs.
We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Dr. Shefali. We also chat about raising confident and independent kids, giving sons and daughters room to use their voice, and how social media is shaping their identity and self-worth.
Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of the Conscious Parenting movement. She trained at Columbia University and is the author of multiple books on conscious parenting.
Check out Dr. Shefali's latest books "Raising Conscious Daughters" and "Raising Conscious Sons" at www.drshefali.com/books
What's Discussed:
(07:49) How social media algorithms can exploit the different vulnerabilities of teenage girls and boys, from girls seeking approval and belonging to boys being exposed to pornography and manosphere content.
(15:15) Why Dr. Shefali calls the way girls build their identity through likes, reactions, comparison, and digital feedback the "perception prison," and how parents can help reduce overstimulation.
(20:58) Why daughters need opportunities to disagree, push back, and practice boundaries with their fathers so they learn to use their voice outside the home.
(24:12) Why boys may connect through movement, challenge, problem-solving, and physical activity, and how constantly pushing them to verbalize their feelings can create more distance.
(27:55) Why a son wanting less physical affection as he gets older does not necessarily mean he loves his mother less, and how giving him space can support his growing independence.
(29:24) How giving boys responsibility, leadership opportunities, physical challenges, and ways to contribute can help build competence and a stronger sense of worth.
(38:45) How parents can project their own unhealed insecurities onto their children through achievement, activities, schools, status, and the pressure to become a reflection of the parent.
(42:10) Why trying to avoid every parenting mistake is unrealistic, and how acknowledging mistakes, validating your child's experience, and letting go of perfection can strengthen the relationship.
(46:14) Why one conscious parent can still make a meaningful difference when co-parents disagree, and how children may release their stress with the parent they feel safest around.
(48:57) Why choosing who you have children with deserves enormous consideration, because co-parenting can connect you to that person for the rest of your life.
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.
Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription. 
Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin
Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off

Find more from Jen Cohen:
Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen
Books: jennifercohen.com/books
Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements
 
Find more from Dr. Shefali:
Website: drshefali.com 
Instagram: @docotrshefali
Facebook: Dr. Shefali
YouTube: Dr. Shefali
Books: Books - Dr. Shefali

What happens when we make life so comfortable for kids that they never learn how to handle discomfort on their own? Between overprotective parenting, smartphones, and fewer opportunities for real independence, kids are getting fewer chances to build confidence, coping skills, and resilience.
We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Dave Rubin. We also chat about how smartphones are changing childhood, why exercise builds confidence and mental toughness, and why discipline will take you further than motivation.
Dave Rubin is the host of The Rubin Report, which has generated more than one billion views and built an audience of millions. He is also the founder of Locals.com and a two-time New York Times bestselling author.
Listen to the full episode: How Parenting Mistakes Failed Gen Z & How to Fix It | Jennifer Cohen
 
What's Discussed:
(02:57) Why letting kids fail is essential for building resilience.
(05:01) How smartphones are replacing real-world experiences kids used to learn from.
(06:47) Why "bubble wrapping" kids can make it harder for them to adapt to the real world.
(23:44) How fitness teaches discipline, patience, consistency, and work ethic.
(25:31) Why getting physically stronger can build confidence and mental toughness.
(31:46) How social media and filters are changing our perception of normal beauty.
(34:23) Why changing a habit is so difficult once a behavior becomes your new normal.
(34:51) Why discipline will take you further than motivation.
(48:19) How smartphone addiction is affecting our ability to connect with other people.
(49:26) Why strong relationships and social connection matter for longevity.
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.
Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription. 
Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin
Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off.
Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
 
Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen
Books: jennifercohen.com/books
Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

What if the thing keeping you stuck is not a lack of motivation, but the stories you keep telling yourself about why you cannot move?
We spend a lot of time thinking about what we want to change, who we want to become, and what would finally make us feel better. But intentions alone do not create change. The way you talk to yourself, the discomfort you avoid, the boundaries you do not practice, the labels you attach to yourself and other people, and the actions you take when nobody is motivating you, all shape what happens next. Kier Gaines argues that real growth starts when you become willing to confront the parts of yourself you would rather explain away.
Self-awareness gives you something practical to work with. You can learn to tolerate discomfort instead of immediately escaping it, practice saying no before the stakes are high, question whether "protecting your peace" has become avoidance, and stop waiting for the perfect mood or moment to start. You can also become more intentional about how social media, constant convenience, comparison, and endless options are influencing the way you think, connect, and make decisions.
Kier Gaines is a licensed therapist, keynote speaker, and popular content creator who has inspired millions of people to become more proactive about their mental health. His work has been recognized by Oprah and Viola Davis, and he has been invited to speak at the White House, NASA, Amazon Movie Studios, and more. He is also a contributor to Men's Health, host of the podcast (L)Earned The Hard Way, and author of It All Starts When You Do, out September 1, 2026.
What's Discussed:
(08:25) Why people can fall in love with the fantasy of a goal while avoiding the work required to achieve it, and why action is what turns an idea into evidence.
(27:13) Where AI can be useful for journaling and reflection, and what gets lost when it replaces the silence, emotional attunement, and human connection of therapy.
(31:48) How phones, algorithms, convenience, and the disappearance of "third spaces" may be contributing to loneliness and weakening face-to-face connection.
(37:41) Why "protecting your peace" can become well-dressed avoidance, and how avoiding every uncomfortable interaction can lower your tolerance for normal stress.
(40:10) How practicing small, low-stakes "no's" can make it easier to set boundaries when the consequences feel bigger.
(45:55) Why feeling overwhelmed does not automatically mean you are incapable, and how lack of support, financial pressure, and overloaded systems can push people past their limit.
(52:44) Why mental health language is being overused online, from calling every difficult person a narcissist to oversimplifying anxious and avoidant attachment.
(57:46) How having more options can create more dissatisfaction, especially in dating, and why endless swiping can make it harder to commit to what is in front of you.
(1:05:14) Why affirmations without awareness and action are just words, and how toxic positivity can become another way to avoid what actually needs attention.
(1:14:08) How depression can show up as irritation, isolation, or loss of joy instead of obvious sadness, and why high-functioning people can miss the signs in themselves.

 
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off
Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.
Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription. 
Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin
Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com

Find more from Jen Cohen:
Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen
Books: jennifercohen.com/books
Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements
 
Find more from Kier Gaines
Podcast: learnedthehardwaypod.com
Instagram: @kiergaines
Facebook: Kier Gaines
YouTube: @learnedthehardwaypod
LinkedIn: Kier Gaines
Book: It All Starts When You Do