The Unplanned Podcast with Matt & Abby

This episode was sponsored by ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Kindred Bravely, Omaha Steaks, and Hiya Health.

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Maddie Henderson and Matt Scharff join us for a fun, honest conversation about their whirlwind love story—from meeting online to moving in fast and now preparing for their first baby. Matt opens up about his adoption from Russia, we answer your audience questions, and wrap it all up with a chaotic round of Who’s More Likely. 💛

Maddies IG: @maddiehen.scharff

Matt's IG: @mattscharff

Follow The Unplanned Podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast

Listen to the pod on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504

Follow Matt & Abby:

Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/

Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby

Chapters:

01:01 - Love Story

10:27 - Archives of TikTok

15:51 - Leaving Utah

20:17 - Divorce in the LDS church 

23:05 - Future planning 

25:24 - Good Good 

36:45 - Baby girl!

46:30 - Adopted from Russia 

01:05:53 - Questions from audience 

01:22:07 - Who's More Likely?
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Matt and Abby sit down with entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Dean Graziosi and his wife Lisa to talk about family, ambition, and building a life with intention.

Dean shares how the pain of divorce became a turning point that pushed him toward deeper personal growth, while he and Lisa open up about blending families, waiting a year before introducing their relationship to his kids, and the values shaping their homeschooling journey. They also talk about work-life integration vs. balance, and how tools like AI can help create more time for what matters most at home.

Chapters:

00:00 - Dean & Lisa

01:04 - Finding balance

03:42 - Love story

09:27 - Our age gap

11:35 - The balance of business and family

16:39 - Moms and Al

20:45 - Context for Al

25:21 - Divorce

28:43 - Crafting a vision

40:20 - Keeping the family bond

46:18 - Work/life integration

57:46 - How rich is Dean Graziosi

01:03:34 - How do most millionaire's make their money?

01:04:11 - What are the 3 C's?
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TRIGGER WARNING

This episode contains detailed discussions/depictions of sexual assault and rape involving minors. We understand this material is deeply disturbing and can be triggering for survivors. Please prioritize your well-being.

This episode is sponsored by Shopify, Ladder, and Cash App.

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/unplanned

Ladder: If you have an iPhone, go to https://ladder.fit/unplanned to take a quick quiz and get a free 7-day trial with no credit card required, plus $10 off your first month if you join.

Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/kssum24w #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Elizabeth Smart — and her story is one of both unimaginable hardship and incredible hope.

After being kidnapped at 14 and held captive for nine months, Elizabeth has gone on to build a beautiful life — as a wife, a mother, and a powerful advocate for survivors.

We talk about what healing has looked like for her, how she learned to move forward after trauma, and what it’s been like to find love and create a family of her own.

We also dive into what fuels her advocacy, the impact she hopes to make, and her perspective on forgiveness.

Elizabeth's IG: Elizabeth_Smart_Official

https://www.elizabethsmartfoundation.org/

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, support is available and healing is possible.

You can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at

800-656-HOPE (4673)

or connect online at rainn.org.

Or call 911. Reporting can save a life.

Follow The Unplanned Podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast

Listen to the pod on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504

Follow Matt & Abby:

Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/

Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby

Chapters:

00:36 - Choosing to share my story

04:51 - The night of the kidnapping

09:20 - what kept me going

12:17 - changing mentality around victims

20:06 - How to talk to your kids

26:31 - Accusing my family

28:22 - Victims and the justice system

37:53 - Forgiveness

40:28 - Finding out my captor was released

45:35 - Why I didn't run

51:51 - Trauma responses

55:02 - What the documentary left out

59:06 - Counting the days

01:02:02 - Concern of pregnancy

01:04:01 - Telling my story to my children

01:09:41 - Intimacy after sexual trauma

01:16:53 - Clinging to my childhood

01:20:57 - Supporting survivors through my foundation
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This episode is sponsored by Square, Wayfair, and Upwork.

Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/unplanned ! #squarepod

Wayfair: Find furniture, decor, and essentials that fit your unique style and budget at https://wayfair.com.

Upwork: Visit https://upwork.com to post your job for free and connect with top talent ready to help your business grow.

In this Agree to Disagree: Pregnancy Edition, the sisters-in-law are BACK! Abby, Abigail, and Addy dive into pregnancy symptoms, hormones, cravings, breastfeeding, birth plans, and everything no one prepares you for — sharing honest takes, personal experiences, and unfiltered opinions.

Abigail's IG: @abigailghoward

Addy's IG: @addybiswell

Follow The Unplanned Podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast

Listen to the pod on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504

Follow Matt & Abby:

Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/

Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby

Chapters:

06;14 - If men had to give birth, humanity would end

08;41 - Pregnancy brain is just an excuse

10;58 - I have cried over food while pregnant

13;01 - Ad break Square

14;20 - Babies know when you're about to get freaky

15;05 - The first trimester is the hardest

17;19 - Working out during pregnancy makes things easier

17;55 - Pregnancy is harder mentally than physically

20;06 - No one prepares you for how hard postpartum is

24;12 - Ad break Upwork

25;25 - Screentime is necessary for surviving the third trimester

27;01 - You should find out the gender as soon as possible

34;30 - Announcing pregnancy early is a mistake

37;38 - Gender reveals should be cancelled

38;38 - Breastfeeding is way harder than people admit

43;19 - Ad break Wayfair

44;46 - It's okay to still be breastfeeding a 4 year old

46;45 - Mom guilt never goes away

48;25 - Moms deserve a push present every time

50;38 - Toddlers can sense weakness and will absolutely exploit it

53;06 - I have hidden in the bathroom to get a moment of peace

56;00 - Gentle parenting doesn't work

58;44 - Every parent compares their kids to other kids

1;00;13 - Having kids makes marriage harder

1;01;43 - Pregnancy hormones have started arguments

1;04;09 - It's normal for your spouse to feel like a roomate

1;05;57 - During the baby years, your relationship is 2nd

1;07;28 - Checking your partner's location is totally normal

1;07;58 - Apologizing first doesn't always mean you're wrong

1;09;13 - Marriage advice from single friends isn't helpful

1;10;54 - Romance has to be scheduled after kids

1;12;55 - Protecting your marriage means setting boundaries with family

1;13;19 - Being a parent makes you more anxious

1;14;45 - you don't understand your partner until they're a parent

1;14;56 - I sometimes feel like the default parent

1;15;49 - You do become your own mother

1;16;45 - Traveling with kids isn't worth the chaos

1;17;22 - Using cloth diapers won't save the environment

1;18;34 - I wear the pants in my household

1;20;11 - I know the code to my husband's phone

1;20;26 - Having kids made me lose a part of myself

1;23;41 - I miss my pre-pregnancy body

1;24;52 - Sex feels different after birth

1;25;10 - I am the fun parent

#unplannedpodcast #mattandabby

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Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify, Pocket Pivot, Little Spoon, and Upwork.

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/unplanned

Pocket Pivot: Text UNPLANNED to 64000 to get a free pocket pivot and 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of any size Copper Head hose; message and data rates may apply, see terms for details.

Little Spoon: Go to https://littlespoon.com/unplanned30 and enter code UNPLANNED30 for 30% off your first order of real, nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for kids at every stage.

Upwork: Visit https://upwork.com to post your job for free and connect with top talent ready to help your business grow.

In this episode Matt and Abby get honest about what this rainbow baby pregnancy has actually felt like: the joy, the grief, and the complicated space where both live at the same time. They open up about the fear leading up to that 17-week appointment and what it has meant to finally let themselves feel hopeful again.

Follow The Unplanned Podcast:
https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/
https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast

Listen to the pod on Spotify/ Apple Podcasts:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504

Follow Matt & Abby:
Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/
Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbbyHoward

#unplannedpodcast #mattandabby

Chapters:

00:47 - Why we waited to share
05:15 - Finding out we're pregnant
15:28 - Bleeding scare and coping
22:50 - Ad Break
26:31 - Finding out the gender
29:07 - Telling our family
38:36 - Reaching the 17 week mark
45:35 - Gender reveal party
49:11 - Ad Break
52:02 - Pelvic Rest
59:52 - Telling our boys
01:02:09 - Feeling the baby kick
01:09:21 - Talking about baby #4
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