Why Not #DoBoth with Kellie Sbrocchi – Détails, épisodes et analyse

After a year away from the mic, I’m back—and reintroducing my newly rebranded show with the premiere of Season 6. Welcome to “Why Not: #DoBoth.” I’ve listened to you all, and I’m leaning into this brand because it reflects my life, my journey, and the questions I get asked the most across social media and in real life. This show is for anyone navigating the tension between ambition and responsibility, dreams and demands.

In this premiere episode, I open up about the past year of my life: the highs, the heartbreaks, and everything in between. I reflect on competing in Miss Illinois USA, share truths about my experience with Miss California USA, and speak candidly about what it really means to do both. I talk about the risks, the realities, and the emotional toll of trying to live a life of purpose and passion—while also honoring commitments and facing challenges like a delayed promotion to Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, something completely outside my control. I also open up about my battle with depression, and what it’s looked like to keep showing up through it all.

Joining me is my best friend, therapist, and portrait photographer, Sam Hardy, who co-hosts this episode and shares his perspective as someone who’s walked through these moments with me.

This isn’t just a new season—it’s a new chapter. If you’ve ever felt torn between what you have to do and what you want to do, if you’ve ever asked yourself how to keep going when the world says "pick one"—this one’s for you.

Enjoyed this episode? Check out kelliesbrocchi.com and follow me on IG at @kellie.sbrocchi! Loved the show @doboth.podcast? Leave a review and let me know what you learned—I'd love to hear from you! #DoBoth

Show Notes~

Book with Sam Hardy Portraits (Shoot with Sam!)

Therapy Links: Sam Hardy's Therapy Bio with the Chicago Center for Relationship Counseling

Dr. Alexandra Solomon’s Home Page

IT'S HERE! I leave for MISS IL USA in just under 48 hours & I'm celebrating with a pre-pageant podcast. I asked my Instagram audience what questions they had about MISS IL USA: You asked, I answered! In this episode, I have guest-host & best friend, Jackie Barnum, to dig into what my journey has been liked as I prepped for my very last state competition for Miss USA. It has been 8 years since I entered my first state competition at MISS OHIO USA 2017, it's been 4.5 years since I placed runner-up at MISS CA USA 2020, & 9 months since the Miss Universe organization changed its rules, allowing married women & women of all ages to compete. Clearly, this has been a long journey but also one of the greatest and life-altering experiences for me.

In this episode, Jackie & I dive into my journey leading up to MISS IL USA. What am I most nervous about? How did I find my coaches? How did I get approval from the Navy to compete? What was that process like? I tell ALL!

Thank you ALL so much for the love & support as I head into competition and for sending so many good vibes my way! Regardless of the outcome, I'm so grateful for this experience and the change to compete again, WHAT A DREAM!

Want to watch the competitive LIVE this weekend? Find details here:

https://pageantvision.com/

Vote People's Choice here:

https://www.missillinoisusa.com/vote

Making friends as an adult can be challenging for several reasons! As adults, approaching friendships isn't as easy as it once was as a kid at recess. You have invest time, energy, sometimes money, and open your hear to possibilities. We face busy schedules with work, family responsibilities, and other commitments, leaving little time for socializing. Unlike in school or college, where you're constantly surrounded by peers, adults may have limited opportunities to meet new people outside of work or specific social circles. Many adults already have established friend groups, making it harder for newcomers to break in. As people get older, they may become more hesitant to put themselves out there and fear rejection or judgment from others. Join Allie, founder of "Level up Ladies, and I as we unpack the ins and outs of making friends in the adult world! From networking tips to finding your tribe, we've got you covered. Let's break down those barriers and build meaningful connections together! Allie is a passion driven leader that values community, connection and purpose-filled experiences. She is the founder of Level Up Ladies (also known as LUL) - a female social collective based in Chicago, with its newest chapter in San Diego, bringing like-minded women together to create meaningful and authentic connections while investing in themselves and their circle to #levelup. Allie is a Filipino-American and has her degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Illinois and has been in the medical and life sciences research industry as a top performing sales executive for almost 10 years.  She is a wife to her amazing husband Joe, and dog mama to a 18 pound toy golden doodle named Wells. Allie is celebrating her 1 year of sobriety AND 1 year of LUL in January 2024. Love Allie? Find her on Instagram at @alliegwang @we.are.lul Love this episode? Follow https://www.instagram.com/missunderstood.podcast/ & https://www.instagram.com/kellie.sbrocchi/ on Instagram for episode updates & more. Special thank you to USEHATCH.FM for producing this episode. 

So you had the BIGGEST dreams as a teenager or young adult + you've attacked them with your heart + soul-- what do you do if life has different plans? What do you do if those same dreams start to change, when your life doesn't go according to plan, or maybe those same dreams don't look as desirable as they used to? Dreams change, what makes you happy will change, your goals might change, your pride doesn't have to. Erika Grace Powell is on the show today, a former aspiring Broadway star, sharing her journey + how to manage your dreams as the chapters in your life change. This powerful message is what every BIG dreamer + goal-seeker needs to hear, not to be hard on yourself when your journey takes direction differently than you had planned.  Erika Grace Powell is an Upstate South Carolina native and Furman graduate who was crowned Miss South Carolina 2005 and placed in the top-10 at Miss America. She was also Miss South Carolina USA 2012 and placed in the top-15 at Miss USA. Erika is an accomplished singer, actor, model, recognizable TV personality, and red carpet host. She has been hired as the preferred face and voice for a variety of renowned productions such as The Grammy’s, The Billboard Music Awards, The CMA’s, and VEVO Music and has worked with numerous household brands on both regional and national levels to include Rooms To Go, Home Depot, Hanes, Lowe’s, Ford, Vevo, John Deere, ADT, Serta, Verizon and more. Erika’s voice commands the microphone regardless of the stage. To connect with Erika, visit www.ErikaGracePowell.com . Love this episode? Follow @missunderstood.podcast on Instagram to learn more!

"HOW DOES SHE DO IT?!" -- well, I'm telling-all. 

Balancing pageantry doesn't have to be stressful, like many other things, making time for something you love is completely possible as long as it's approached with motivation, effort, time-management, + support. As many of you already know, pageantry "fell into my lap" while serving active-duty in the Navy as an Officer, navigating a move to a new city, + runner a part-time photography business. I never planned on competing in pageants annually until 2016, when I competed in MISS OHIO USA for the very first time + it changed my life.

Four 3 years + 4 competitions, I had to figure out how to navigate life in the Navy, family, a serious boyfriend, a business, recruiting, modeling, + working toward my dream of becoming MISS USA. Stressed yet? Yes, I get it! At one point I didn't know how I'd balance it all, until I realized all of my passions aligned + worked together to help me prepare for #MISS USA state competitions.

By the time I prepared for my final competition, MISS CALIFORNIA USA in January 2020, I truly felt like I had nailed down exactly how to not only prepare, but win + represent, as MISS CALIFORNIA USA. Yes, I never won, but I did place first runner-up + still celebrate my ability to balance it all.

In this episode, I'll walk you through how I learned to navigate pageantry with a full-time career + why you need to stop making excuses for NOT pursuing your passions even with your demanding life.

Like this episode? Follow me on @missunderstood.podcast for episode updates + more! 

Quick life tip: if you have a goal in mind, every SINGLE thing you do should be a step to work toward it--if not, then why is that your goal? Susie Evans is on today's episode, speaking on her dream to become MISS VIRGINIA USA + what she learned in every chapter of her life to help her prepare for that goal in mind. If you think your dreams come to fruition overnight, you're wrong. It takes patience, planning, + pursuing them with all your heart + mind. 

In today's episode, I have absolute sweetheart + powerhouse, Susie Evans, the reigning MISS VIRGINIA USA 2020. Susie has a degree in digital cinema arts from Lindenwood University + continues to use her voice +  media productions to create change through her platform, #MediathatMatters. After working at Tokyo Disneyland for 2 years, she moved back to Virginia to volunteer, work in marketing, + pursue her goal of becoming MISS VIRGINIA USA with her knowledge + world experience in-hand. Susie won MISS VIRGINIA USA on her second-attempt in January 2020 + will be competing at MISS USA this fall. 

Susie's authentic message + perseverance is hard-hitting + a reminder that every woman needs to hear: without patience, you cannot pursue your dreams. 

To follow Susie, you can find her on IG @susiecevans or @missvausa. Like this episode? Follow me on IG at @missunderstood.podcast + leave a 5-start review on itunes! 

On July 1, 2010 Jackie + I entered the Naval Academy on Induction Day, or "I-Day," raised our right hand, took the oath, + entered into the Navy. At the time we were both only 17, without any idea of what was ahead or how the service academy--and serving our country--would develop us into leaders. If you're about to embark on an exciting change in position, a promotion, or maybe you've been serving in the military for awhile, this episode will shed new light on ideas + how to develop your leadership style.  In this episode, we're celebrating a milestone in our lives: 10 years since we entered the US Naval Academy (USNA) + 10 years we've been best friends. Jackie + I met on our very first day at USNA + truly have never stopped supporting each other since. We're diving into TEN lessons we've learned in leadership over these last 10 years, whether it's from going to a Service Academy or experiences in the fleet, we've been challenged, frustrated, failed, succeeded, + learned a lot about ourselves along the way.  As both Naval + Marine Corps Officers, we've learned how to adapt + overcome to many obstacles, continue to grow in facets of leadership, + hope to share a few inspiring lessons from our hearts to yours.  Want to connect with Captain Jackie Barnum? Find her on Instagram @jackiee.barnum.  Love this episode? Please consider leaving me a review on itunes + following @missunderstood.podcast for episode updates + more! 

I've heard it a million times: "Kellie you're so LUCKY you have all these friends!" Well, HUGE misunderstanding here, it's not luck! It's a lot, a lot of work to meet new people! A lot of you don't even know where to begin--how do you meet people? Where do you even start? I've got the answers for you. 

I've moved 10 times in my lifetime which means I've had to reinvent the wheel to meet new people. In this episode, I speak on how I won "Miss Congeniality" in every pageant I participated in, why Bumble hired me on as an employee because of my methods, + 5 ways YOU can meet women too. Call me unconventional, but these methods have proved to work in my life. 

We are living in life post-quarantine: Challenge yourself to go out of your comfort zone and apply these steps to meet other women: you never know who you'll connect with! 

Apps I mention in this podcast: Bumble BFF (@BUMBLE), Meet Up, Eventbrite. 

Like this episode? Please considering leaving a review! For more episodes + updates, follow me on IG @missunderstood.podcast. 

You're in the military but frustrated you can't find a mentor, you want to move up in rank--but where do you start? Reality check: YOU are going to have to do the heavy lifting, it's time to start utilizing your resources. 

Moving up in the ranks of the US Navy is incredibly prestigious, but also very hard. Anyone who has spent time in the military knows that you can't just sit around + expect a promotion, you have to work for it, but the misunderstanding lies in exactly where you need to focus your effects + how you can navigate programs, education, mentors, time in service, + performance in order to excel + promote in the Navy. 

I have the MOST SPECIAL guest on the show for a special Father's Day episode: you guessed it, MY DAD!

If you follow me on my Navy Instagram account @lieutenanthall you've seen me share time + time again about my Father. I'm already incredibly biased to think he's amazing, but as I've grown in my career in the Navy I've realized just how REMARKABLE he is. He enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman Recruit (E-1) in 1990 + recently was selected as the Navy's newest Captain (O-6) as of last week. Going from E-1 to O-6 is a HUGE DEAL--but how did he do it? This man knows everything there is about squeezing the Navy of it's opportunities, networking, + learning the ropes of each milestone in order to promote. 

This episode is a mentorship opportunity from my Dad, to you. Don't just take advantage of it, APPLY it. 

Happy Father's Day to Captain-Select, Billy F. Hall Jr. You are the reason I am the woman + leader I am today. 

Interested in more mentorship opportunities in the military? Check out http://www.militaryspot.com/navy

Okay so, you have a passion but have no idea how to turn it into a business. Maybe, you have a paid hobby that's turning into more than just a side "hustle"--what do you do next? Brant Bender has all the answers for you struggling business-starters, passionate hobby-doers, photographers + everything in between. Starting a business is scary! So much to balance, start, + process: we're breaking it down for you. 

In this episode, Brant Bender walks through the fundamentals to kick-start your business. Brant, owner of Brant Bender Photography, is a celebrated portrait + wedding photographer who has been telling love stories through beautiful imagery for over 15 years. A professionally training photojournalist with local newspapers + international publications, Brant innately knows how to perfectly capture the emotions of you, your family, or wedding.  He's built his 15+ year business from the ground-up, nearing failure, reached success, + is sharing all of his lessons-learned in this episode. 

Whether you've been thinking about starting a business for a second or for 5 years, he'll guide you through being your own bookkeeper, managing your time, equipment, priorities, tricks + of course, connecting with a MENTOR! Brant was my ORIGINAL mentor when I was interested in starting a photography business back in 2015. After meeting him, a year later I successfully launched "Kellie Rene Photography" + ran a successful part-time business (with his help) for over 4 years. Even if photography isn't what you're looking to launch, they keys to kick-starting business is what every business-hopeful should hear. 

Interested in connecting with Brant? Check out www.brantbender.com online, or @brantbenderphotography on instagram. 

For more episode updates + details, visit me on IG at @missunderstood.podcast!