The Keri Croft Show

Hosted by Keri Croft

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Episodes

221

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

The Keri Croft Show is a podcast for people building something BADASS. A business. A dream. A life that actually feels like yours. Hosted by Keri Croft, this podcast explores the real stories behind the build, what it takes to start, and more importantly, the Mental Athleticism™ it takes to stay in it when the excitement fades and the work gets real. The Keri Croft Show features conversations with founders, creatives, musicians and people in the middle of building something meaningful, without the highlight reel. 🎙 New episodes drop every Thursday.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 29, 202644 min

Are We Ruining Youth Sports? The Truth About Travel Teams, Pressure & Burnout

Send us Fan Mail Are we giving our kids opportunities through youth sports, or are we putting so much pressure on them that we're taking the joy out of the game? As my son approaches eight years old, I've been looking at the world of travel sports and asking myself: What in the hell are we getting ourselves into? On this episode of The Keri Croft Show, I'm joined by Kyle Pless, basketball player development coach and creator of Between the Lines, for a candid conversation about the increasingly intense world of youth athletics. We're talking about the pressure to join travel teams, parents spending thousands of dollars chasing opportunities, the obsession with being "elite" at ten years old, and whether playing more games actually makes kids better athletes. Kyle shares some pretty eye-opening stories, including parents treating their 12-year-old like a retirement plan, a young basketball player who lost her love for the sport after a coach told her to "smile more," and his own experience growing up as the son of a professional baseball player. But this isn't an episode about bashing travel sports. There are incredible benefits to athletics, and we both recognize them. This is about asking better questions, examining our intentions as parents, and remembering who this whole experience is supposed to be about. In this episode, we get into: The fear of falling behind if your child doesn't play travel sports Why early specialization may not be the answer The difference between playing games and developing actual skills The financial and emotional toll on families The pressure parents unintentionally put on their kids Why the car ride home after a game matters more than you think How coaches can build confidence or completely destroy it Letting kids fall in love with the game before chasing the next level I want to hear from parents on BOTH sides of this conversation. What's been your experience with travel sports? The good, the bad, and the ugly. Drop your thoughts in the comments because I think this is a conversation worth continuing. Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show for more conversations about life, parenting, entrepreneurship, and everything in between. Keep movin', baby.

October 22, 202656 min

Jane Grote: The Donatos Empire, Building a Legacy & Leading with Love

Send us Fan Mail You know the name. You DEFINITELY know the pizza. But there's a whole lot more to Jane Grote than the Donatos empire. 🍕 This week on The Keri Croft Show, I'm sitting down with Jane Grote, Executive Chair of Donatos Pizza, for a conversation that goes WAY beyond the family business. We're getting into what it was really like growing up in a successful family business (spoiler: no trust fund lifestyle here), becoming a single mom at 22, navigating divorce, struggling with infertility, and learning how to build a career, a family, and an identity of her own. We also talk about her incredible work with the Reeb Center, the importance of women supporting women, financial independence, and what it looks like to redefine your life and priorities as you get older. And because you know how we do things around here, we also take a few unexpected detours into dating, Botox, skincare, working out, and the surprisingly passionate conversation we had about Donatos ranch dressing. 😂 What I loved most about Jane is that despite everything she's accomplished, she's incredibly down-to-earth, funny, generous, and genuinely passionate about people. You can feel how much she loves her family, her community, and the company she's helped build. This conversation is equal parts business, badassery, vulnerability, and a whole lot of laughs. Jane Grote is the REAL DEAL, and I think you're going to love getting to know the woman behind the pizza. 🎙️ Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show for more unfiltered conversations with fascinating people doing incredible things. Instagram: @thekericroftshow

October 15, 202629 min

Action Cures Anxiety: A Pep Talk for Anyone Building Something

Send us Fan Mail Action cures anxiety. Three words I come back to whenever I'm overwhelmed, second-guessing myself, or staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into. In this solo episode of The Keri Croft Show, I'm catching you up on everything happening behind the scenes. No guest, no script, just me unpacking what it looks like to build something you believe in while navigating the self-doubt, growing pains, and inevitable chaos that come with it. We're talking about the lessons from our second BYLD IRL event (including my realization that I cannot keep doing everything myself), what we're building with BYLD, and why I believe female founders need more than another networking group. I'm also breaking down mental athleticism, the system I've developed for turning audacious visions into daily execution, and introducing MNTL, my new eight-week experience launching in January. Plus, a look inside ManEater Media and how we're helping founders amplify their voices and businesses. And before we wrap, I'm leaving you with a little tough love about anxiety, overthinking, and the one thing that actually moves you forward: ACTION. Want to get involved? BYLD: Our application-only community for female founders and business owners. Wave 2 applications are open! Visit https://wearebyld.com MNTL: An eight-week mental athleticism experience launching January 2027. Reach out to express interest. ManEater Media: Podcast production, creative strategy, and media amplification for founders and personalities. Have questions? Let's talk. Book a 15-minute call through the link in my bio. Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show for unfiltered conversations about entrepreneurship, mindset, business, and the beautiful mess of being human.

October 8, 202636 min

The Female Body Part We Were Never Taught About | Dr. Nina Deep

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many women know so little about their own anatomy? Dr. Nina Deep is an internist, aesthetics physician, and one of my favorite kinds of people: someone who discovers something that makes absolutely no sense… and then refuses to stop asking questions. After decades of practicing medicine, Nina went down a rabbit hole that completely changed the way she understood the female body, sexual health, and the clitoris — including the fact that most of the clitoris is internal, the penis and clitoris develop from the same embryologic structures, and the vagina is not actually the primary female sexual organ. Yeah. I was today years old too. We get into why so many women believe they should orgasm from vaginal penetration alone, why women’s sexual pleasure has historically been wrapped in shame, and how even medical education has failed to properly teach female anatomy. Nina also shares how her own experience with vaginal rejuvenation unexpectedly changed far more than physical sensation. It changed the way she showed up in intimacy, helped her become more present and communicative, and ultimately made her recognize how deeply shame can affect confidence far beyond the bedroom. We talk about: • The anatomy of the clitoris — and how much of it you’ve probably never seen • Why calling everything “the vagina” is anatomically wrong • The myth of the vaginal-only orgasm • The massive double standard around male vs. female sexual health • Why the clitoris is still missing from some sex-ed conversations • Women feeling “broken” when their bodies are functioning completely normally • Medical procedures that can affect sexual function • How shame gets passed down culturally and generationally • Nina’s mission to get women — and doctors — talking about all of it This episode is educational, hilarious, mildly unhinged, and genuinely mind-blowing. If you’ve ever thought, “How the hell did no one teach us this?” — hit play. Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show on YouTube and follow along on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Keep moving, baby.

October 1, 202634 min

How Audrey Plant Built Winn Winn From Scratch

Send us Fan Mail Audrey Plant has lived a few lives already. She was a Division I softball player at Ohio State, modeled in New York City, lived inside the NFL world, went through a divorce in her twenties, and eventually found herself asking a much bigger question: what do I actually want to build? That answer became Winn Winn. In this episode, Audrey and I get into the winding path that led her there, including the season after her divorce when she started developing many of the recipes she now serves to thousands of people. We talk about trusting your intuition, therapy, ambition, learning how to start over, and what happens when the life you pictured doesn’t exactly go according to plan. We also get into the real business of Winn Winn — starting with cottage baking and catering, building a brick-and-mortar café, working with her business partner Natalie, handling conflict, obsessing over the details, and figuring out how to grow a brand without automatically assuming “more locations” is the answer. And yes, we talk food. Filipino roots, dinner parties, homemade pasta, the Win Win cookies that are legitimately dangerous, and why Audrey believes supporting independent small businesses matters so much to the future of Columbus. This one is about food and entrepreneurship, but underneath all of it, it’s really about reinvention — and giving yourself enough time to see where life might take you next. Follow The Keri Croft Show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And if you’re in Columbus: go get the damn cookie.

September 24, 202629 min

The Stylist Changing How Men Think About Toupees

Send us Fan Mail Lindsay Cole has lived about nine lives in the last few years. She’s a hairstylist, entrepreneur, mom, and someone who has had to rebuild more than once — personally, professionally, and quite literally. Within a matter of weeks, Lindsay’s apartment was robbed and intentionally set on fire, she lost nearly everything she owned, and her dad unexpectedly passed away. She talks openly about what came after, including experiencing mania, going to a psychiatric hospital, depression, divorce, motherhood, and figuring out how to move forward when life looks nothing like it did before. What I love about Lindsay is that she doesn’t tell any of it from the other side pretending she has everything perfectly figured out. She’s incredibly candid about what happened, what she learned, and what rebuilding has actually looked like. And then there’s the business. After more than 20 years behind the chair, Lindsay has found a completely new lane she’s genuinely fired up about: helping men experiencing hair loss through modern hair systems. We get into the stigma around toupees, why so many men quietly struggle with losing their hair, what these systems actually look like now, and Lindsay’s vision for turning this into a much bigger piece of her business. Lindsay is funny, open, self-aware and completely willing to go there. Also, she brought a toupee to the studio, so obviously we went there too. Follow Lindsay: @hairbylindsaycole Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

September 17, 202637 min

What Psychedelics Can Unlock That Traditional Therapy Can’t

Send us Fan Mail Psychedelics are everywhere right now—but what’s actually happening beneath the hype? Dr. Alan Davis has been studying psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy for more than 15 years. As a clinical psychologist and researcher at The Ohio State University, his work sits right at the intersection of trauma, mental health, science, and some of the most talked-about treatments in medicine today. And this conversation goes way beyond “should people do mushrooms?” We talk about what psilocybin therapy actually looks like inside a clinical setting, why preparation matters, what happens when someone has a difficult experience, the research being done with veterans with PTSD, and where substances like MDMA, ketamine, and ibogaine fit into the conversation. Alan also gets incredibly personal. He shares his own experience with childhood trauma and PTSD, the psychedelic experience that allowed him to reconnect with his seven-year-old self, and how that healing ultimately changed his relationship with himself—and his marriage. We get into: • What psychedelic-assisted therapy actually looks like • Why “bad trips” can happen—and how clinicians handle them • The research around psilocybin and PTSD • Why these treatments are not a magic bullet • The risks of pursuing psychedelics without proper support • Ibogaine, MDMA, ketamine, and where they fit • Trauma, emotional intimacy, and relationships • Alan’s own powerful experience with his inner child • Why healing sometimes begins when your life finally becomes safe enough to feel This is one of those conversations that will make you rethink what healing can look like—and remind you that there is still a LOT we’re learning. Follow The Keri Croft Show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. And as always: keep moving, baby.

September 10, 202641 min

Building a Business While Letting Go with Lindsay Fork

Send us Fan Mail Lindsay Fork pulled up to the studio fresh off dropping her oldest daughter at college… and within about 30 seconds, we were both trying not to cry. So naturally, we went there. We talk about the weird, beautiful heartbreak of watching your kids grow up, what happens to your identity when the role you’ve poured so much of yourself into starts changing, and why having a purpose that exists alongside motherhood matters more than we probably realize. Then we get into the other side of Lindsay’s life: building Luxe Redux into a 15-location bridal powerhouse with 150+ employees, learning how to actually operate like a CEO instead of touching every single thing herself, and the uncomfortable art of trusting your team enough to let go of the vine. We also cover sabbaticals, mom guilt, psychedelics, addiction and trauma, why taking time for yourself can somehow still feel selfish, bridal trends, teenage “vlogging,” Facebook moms coming for Lindsay in the comments, and possibly the greatest leadership tool ever invented: The No Drama Llama. This is one of those conversations that moves exactly like real life does—motherhood, business, identity, growth, ridiculousness, and everything in between. No polished talking points. No perfectly packaged lesson. Just two women chopping it up about where life has them right now. And honestly? Those are usually my favorite conversations. Keep moving, baby.

September 3, 202642 min

What Women’s Healthcare Is Missing | Amy & Jodi of Vibe Women's Health Collective

Send us Fan Mail Women’s health is having a moment—but there are still some pretty massive gaps in what actually happens when a woman walks into a doctor’s office and says, “Something doesn’t feel right.” Enter Amy and Jodi, the women behind Vibe Women’s Health Collective. Their story started nearly two decades ago after Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer at 44. Physically, she recovered. Emotionally? Totally different story. Then she met Jodi, a physician assistant who actually saw the part of her that wasn’t showing up on a scan or a lab result—and the two of them basically fell in love. Years later, that relationship became Vibe. We get into why medical care and mental health HAVE to talk to each other, the giant gap that exists after cancer treatment ends, health anxiety, menopause, perimenopause, HRT, sexual health, painful sex and why women deserve way more than a rushed 15-minute appointment. And because this is apparently where the conversation wanted to go, we also cover neck lifts, pickleball, husbands trying to understand menopause, whether men need their own support group and why women have got to stop apologizing for making money. This episode is funny, incredibly honest and also a pretty damn important conversation about what it looks like when women see a problem, stop waiting for someone else to fix it and build the thing themselves. Go check out Vibe Women’s Health Collective—and if you’re in Columbus, you’re going to want these women on your radar. Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And as always, keep moving, baby.

August 27, 202645 min

From Netflix’s Love Is Blind to Entrepreneurship with Bri McNees

Send us Fan Mail You can have the career, the independence, the confidence, the whole “I’ve got this” thing going for you… and still find yourself wondering what the hell you’re doing in dating, work, or life. That’s part of what I loved about this conversation with Bri McNees. Bri takes us behind the scenes of how a completely organic casting connection took her from corporate retail in Columbus, Ohio, to Love Is Blind — and why she’s built a life around being willing to say yes when the right door opens, even when it scares the shit out of her a little. And yes, we get into the stuff you actually want to know. Dating with the intention of finding a husband. What the Columbus dating scene is really like when you know what you want. Watching yourself back on reality television and realizing that, edit or not… yep, that’s still you. Bri also opens up about what really happened with Connor, why vague breakup explanations can send the internet into a full-blown spiral, and what their first major conflict taught her about whether a relationship can actually hold up when things get hard. But this conversation goes way beyond Love Is Blind. We talk about faith, anxiety, identity, becoming more comfortable with who you are, and that slightly terrifying adult realization that none of us — including our parents — actually have this whole life thing figured out. Then we get into Bri’s next chapter: leaving corporate America, content creation, and entrepreneurship. We talk TikTok, Instagram shopping, being selective about whose advice you take, Gary Vee, staying authentic while building a platform, and what it actually looks like to bet on yourself. And because apparently the episode needed one more character, we call Bri’s dad, G-Man, live on the show — and he casually drops some of the best advice of the entire conversation about rejection, naysayers, and the difference between talking about the dream and actually going after it. If you’re in a season of reinvention, starting over, dating differently, building something new, or standing in front of a door you’re a little scared to walk through, this one’s for you. Subscribe, send it to someone who needs a little push, and tell me: what’s the risk you know you’re ready to take next?