This is a life and leadership podcast where we live out loud the pages of books on our bookshelves. Hosted by Denise Russo, Sam Powell, and produced by Zach Elliott <br/><br/><a href="https://woyb.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">woyb.substack.com</a>
What's on Your Bookshelf?
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179 episodes
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Podcast Overview
This is a life and leadership podcast where we live out loud the pages of books on our bookshelves. Hosted by Denise Russo, Sam Powell, and produced by Zach Elliott <br/><br/><a href="https://woyb.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">woyb.substack.com</a>
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Publishing Since
3/12/2023
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Recent Episodes
July 15, 2026
171 The Let Them Theory: Getting Started: Let Them + Let Me
<p>In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo continue their discussion of <strong>Mel Robbins’ </strong><strong>The Let Them Theory</strong> by exploring the second half of the equation: <strong>“Let Me.”</strong></p><p>If “Let Them” is about releasing control of other people, “Let Me” is about taking responsibility for yourself. This conversation dives into the science, psychology, and leadership lessons behind why that shift is so powerful.</p><p>In this episode we discuss:</p><p>* Why comparison, jealousy, exclusion, and insecurity often reveal more about us than the people we’re focused on.</p><p>* How social media can trigger feelings of being left out — even when nothing was actually done to us.</p><p>* The connection between control, safety, discomfort, and the stories we create in our minds.</p><p>* Why “Let Them” creates space, but “Let Me” creates responsibility.</p><p>* How leadership, parenting, coaching, and personal growth all begin with owning your own reactions rather than trying to manage everyone else’s.</p><p><p>One Big Takeaway</p><p>Most of the growth isn’t in what other people are doing. It’s in what their behavior reveals about you.</p></p><p>Why This Episode Matters</p><p>It’s easy to spend energy wishing people would change.</p><p>It’s much harder — and much more powerful — to ask: <strong>Why am I reacting this way?</strong></p><p>That’s where the real work begins.</p><p>A Question to Consider</p><p><p>The next time someone frustrates, disappoints, excludes, or triggers you...</p><p>Instead of asking, “Why did they do that?”</p><p>Try asking: “What is this revealing about me?”</p></p><p>What Stood Out Most</p><p>One of the most powerful ideas in this chapter is that discomfort isn’t something to immediately eliminate.</p><p>Sometimes discomfort is information.</p><p>And if we’re willing to sit with it, it can point us toward the work we need to do on ourselves.</p><p>Why This Chapter Feels Different</p><p>This isn’t a book about becoming passive. It’s a book about becoming intentional. Releasing what isn’t yours to control. Owning what is.</p><p>Coming Next</p><p>Next week, Sam and Denise tackle Chapter 3 and explore one of the biggest challenges in modern life: <strong>Stress.</strong></p><p>Where it comes from, why we struggle with it, and how the principles of The Let Them Theory can help us navigate it differently.</p><p>📖 <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4uNsoGZ"><strong>Buy the book</strong></a> and come along on the adventure with us. </p><p><p><strong>We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you.</strong></p></p><p><p><strong>How to reach us:</strong></p><p><strong>Denise</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserusso1/">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@woyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-of-thoughts-inc./">School of Thoughts LinkedIn</a> <strong>Sam</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthapowell13">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@sampowellwoyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.substack.com/">LeadtheGame’s Locker Room</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.org/">Website</a></p><p><strong>Subscribe and Review on</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/whats-on-your-bookshelf/id1688553668"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/55Bvm2EfXsAIScP4l1fDfc"><strong>Spotify</strong></a><strong>.</strong><strong>Subscribe to our </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@woybpodcast"><strong>YouTube channel</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://woyb.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">woyb.substack.com</a>
July 8, 2026
170 The Let Them Theory: Stop Wasting Your Life on Things You Can’t Control
<p>In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo dive into <strong>Chapter 1 of Mel Robbins’ </strong><strong>The Let Them Theory</strong> and explore a question that sits at the heart of so much stress, frustration, and disappointment:</p><p><strong>How much of your energy is being spent trying to control things you can’t control?</strong></p><p>This conversation moves beyond the book’s viral title and into the deeper truth behind the theory: learning to release the need to manage other people so you can focus on your own life, growth, and peace.</p><p>In this episode we discuss:</p><p>* Why people-pleasing often looks different than we think — and how many of us are still trying to earn approval, understanding, or agreement from others.</p><p>* The hidden cost of constantly trying to change, fix, convince, or manage other people.</p><p>* Why humans are naturally wired for connection, belonging, safety, and control — and how that wiring can sometimes work against us.</p><p>* What it means to “let them” be who they are, even when their choices, opinions, or behaviors don’t match your expectations.</p><p>* The often-overlooked second half of the theory: <strong>“Let Me”</strong> — creating space to focus on your own values, choices, and growth.</p><p><p>One Big Takeaway</p><p>The goal isn’t to stop caring about people. The goal is to stop carrying responsibility for things that were never yours to control in the first place.</p></p><p>Why This Episode Matters</p><p>Whether it’s parenting, friendships, family, work, or leadership...</p><p>many of us are exhausted from trying to manage outcomes that belong to someone else.</p><p>This episode offers a different path:</p><p><strong>Let them be them.</strong><strong>Let you be you.</strong></p><p>A Question to Consider</p><p><p>Where in your life are you spending energy trying to change someone...when the real opportunity may be accepting who they already are?</p></p><p>What Stood Out Most</p><p>One of the most powerful ideas in this chapter is that people reveal themselves through their actions.</p><p>When you stop fighting reality, you create space to see people more clearly — and yourself more honestly.</p><p>Coming Next</p><p>Next week, Sam and Denise explore the second half of the equation: <strong>“Let Me.”</strong></p><p>The part of the theory that shifts the focus from other people’s behavior back to your own choices, boundaries, and personal responsibility.</p><p>📖 <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4uNsoGZ"><strong>Buy the book</strong></a> and come along on the adventure with us. </p><p><p><strong>We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you.</strong></p></p><p><p><strong>How to reach us:</strong></p><p><strong>Denise</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserusso1/">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@woyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-of-thoughts-inc./">School of Thoughts LinkedIn</a> <strong>Sam</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthapowell13">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@sampowellwoyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.substack.com/">LeadtheGame’s Locker Room</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.org/">Website</a></p><p><strong>Subscribe and Review on</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/whats-on-your-bookshelf/id1688553668"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/55Bvm2EfXsAIScP4l1fDfc"><strong>Spotify</strong></a><strong>.</strong><strong>Subscribe to our </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@woybpodcast"><strong>YouTube channel</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://woyb.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">woyb.substack.com</a>
July 1, 2026
169 The Let Them Theory: Introduction
<p>In this episode of What’s on Your Bookshelf, Sam Powell and Denise Russo kick off their next book journey with <strong>Mel Robbins’ </strong><strong>The Let Them Theory</strong> — one of the most talked-about books of the year.</p><p>Before diving into the chapters, they explore why this book has created so much conversation, what they initially misunderstood about the message, and why it may be about far more than simply “letting people do what they want.”</p><p>In this episode we discuss:</p><p>* Why The Let Them Theory may actually be a book about <strong>releasing control and focusing on what is within your influence.</strong></p><p>* How this book naturally follows the journey of:</p><p>* cleaning up your thinking</p><p>* tidying your work</p><p>* and now examining your relationships.</p><p>* Mel Robbins’ remarkable story from financial collapse and self-doubt to becoming one of the most recognized voices in personal development.</p><p>* Why so many people get stuck trying to manage, fix, convince, rescue, or control things that were never theirs to control in the first place.</p><p>* The importance of asking deeper questions about your fears, motivations, relationships, and the life you’re trying to create.</p><p><p>One Big Takeaway</p><p>The most exhausting battles in life are often the ones we were never meant to fight. Sometimes freedom begins when we stop trying to control what isn’t ours to control.</p></p><p>Why This Episode Matters</p><p>Most of us spend far more energy managing other people’s choices than understanding our own.</p><p>This episode introduces a different possibility:</p><p>What if peace starts with letting go?</p><p>A Question to Consider</p><p><p>What situation in your life is consuming energy right now...because you’re trying to control something you ultimately can’t?</p></p><p>What We’re Most Curious About</p><p>This book has generated strong reactions from both fans and critics. Which makes it the perfect book to explore together. Because sometimes the ideas that create the most debate are the ones worth examining most closely.</p><p>Coming Next</p><p>Next week, Sam and Denise dive into Chapter 1: <strong>“Stop Wasting Your Life on Things You Can’t Control.”</strong></p><p>A conversation that promises to challenge assumptions about relationships, expectations, and where we spend our emotional energy.</p><p>📖 <a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4uNsoGZ"><strong>Buy the book</strong></a> and come along on the adventure with us. </p><p><p><strong>We’re so excited you’re here and would love to hear from you.</strong></p></p><p><p><strong>How to reach us:</strong></p><p><strong>Denise</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserusso1/">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@woyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-of-thoughts-inc./">School of Thoughts LinkedIn</a> <strong>Sam</strong>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthapowell13">LinkedIn</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/@sampowellwoyb">Substack</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.substack.com/">LeadtheGame’s Locker Room</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://leadthegame.org/">Website</a></p><p><strong>Subscribe and Review on</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/whats-on-your-bookshelf/id1688553668"><strong>Apple</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/55Bvm2EfXsAIScP4l1fDfc"><strong>Spotify</strong></a><strong>.</strong><strong>Subscribe to our </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@woybpodcast"><strong>YouTube channel</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://woyb.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">woyb.substack.com</a>
179 total episodes available
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