Can AI save you $1,400? It did for Rick. This week, Rick and Clancy talk about how AI is showing up in real life for empty nesters, including stories from The Loud Quiet community. From planning dinners for two and simplifying home maintenance to creating custom workouts and even preparing for job interviews, listeners shared how they’re using these tools in practical, everyday ways. They also talk about boundaries and common sense... what’s safe to share, how to keep your thinking shar...

Every podcast starts somewhere… and this week, we’re sharing exactly how The Loud Quiet - Empty Nest Living came to be. It all goes back to one late-night drive, a little vodka honesty, and a question from Clancy that stopped Rick cold. That moment caught us off guard and led to discussions on how we saw our relationship, our future, and eventually led to creating this show. In this episode, we talk through the real story behind that night, how it led to our first recording in what used to...

How Do We Reinvent Ourselves? What does it really mean to reinvent yourself once the house goes quiet? In this episode, Rick and Clancy talk about what reinvention has looked like for them since becoming empty nesters... how it’s less about one big change and more about staying curious, open, and willing to keep learning. They share stories from their recent trip to the Empowered Podcaster Conference in Charlotte, NC, what it taught them about community and confidence, and how this phase o...

Parenting doesn’t come with a guidebook... but sometimes it comes with text messages. In this episode, we sit down with Tammy Cohen, author of Text Messages To My Sons, to talk about the lessons, reminders, and heart-to-hearts she’s been sending her boys for years. Tammy shares why she started capturing her wisdom in text form, how her sons have received it, and what it looks like to parent adult kids with honesty and love. This conversation isn’t just about moms and sons—it’s about communica...

What started as “just a quick drive” turned into a full-on Baylor game day adventure… complete with tailgates, rivalries, bugs that wouldn’t quit, and a whole lot of laughs with friends. In this episode, we talk about navigating friendships in the empty nest… especially when your kids are dating each other… plus what it’s like to step into traditions that weren’t originally ours but now feel pretty special. From Waco eats to a last-second field goal to realizing game days can be mini-adventur...

What happens when you visit your kids in their own space? We share the funny, surprising, and eye-opening moments of stepping into their world while on the road between Phoenix and Tucson. Visiting your kids on their turf brings a mix of surprises, laughs, and those little reminders that they’re building lives outside of your roof. This week’s episode was recorded while we were literally on the road between Phoenix and Tucson… headed to spend the weekend with our daughter. We talk about wh...

Some signs of fall are comforting. Some are kind of annoying. And some, like the flashing yellow school zone lights, just make you groan. In this episode, Rick and Clancy share the little markers that tell them fall has arrived. Childhood soccer uniforms, back-to-school shopping trips, college football weekends, the first cool front fake-out, and pumpkin scented candles all make the list. They also talk about how fall still feels like a reset, even when you’re not chasing kids to Friday night g...

Retirement isn’t just about 401(k)s and Social Security. It’s also about your identity, your routines, your relationship, and that strange feeling of waking up with nowhere to be. In this episode, Rick and Clancy sit down with retirement coach Wendy Leggett to talk about the non-financial side of retirement: what makes it hard, what makes it meaningful, and how to approach it with curiosity instead of fear. Wendy shares thoughtful advice for individuals and couples navigating this transiti...

The house is quiet again... and we’re back in the studio. The return of the empty nest, even for the 3rd time, stirs up a wide range of feelings. In this milestone 100th episode, we reflect on how much has changed... since starting the podcast, since our first round of empty nest living, and even just since last summer. From Iceland inside jokes to unexpected museum noises to the rediscovery of personal space (and skinny dipping), we talk through the return of the quiet, what we’ve learned, a...

You’re a couple again... but it doesn’t feel quite the same. This Greatest Hits episode takes us back to the early weeks of our empty nest life. The routines technically returned... but everything about them felt different. From light trash cans to creepy museum portraits to the moment the house goes quiet and it hits you all over again... this one’s for anyone staring down the weird, slow shift from full house to two place mats at dinner. 👋 Share your first-week-of-empty-nest moments w...

Some parenting lessons don’t hit until you’re in a parking lot, crying with your kid, trying to help them through something you can’t fix. This Greatest Hits episode from our first season walks through a tough moment with our daughter Teagan... her first big roommate conflict in college... and how we had to learn a new way to parent her through it. From awkward campus moments to the heartbreak of long-distance support, we’re revisiting this story now because we know so many of you will be ...

The IKEA bags. The ramen in the pantry. The horse figurine in the car. This is the episode we recorded just days after becoming official empty nesters... and let’s just say, the tears were flowing. Originally aired as Episode 2, this one holds a lot of heart. It’s a real-time look at what it feels like to leave your youngest at college... awkward silences, Target runs, unexpected breakdowns, and the surprising peace of watching your kid help someone else swipe into the dorm. We're bringing...

Whether it’s your first college drop-off or your last, move-in season is a major milestone in empty nest life... and it comes with a LOT of moving parts. In this episode, we walk through our favorite practical and emotional tips from years of college move-ins... what we’ve learned, what we wish we had known earlier, and what might help ease the transition for you and your student. From the glory of IKEA-style blue bags to overlooked essentials like doorstops and duplicate chargers... it’s ...

You’re never too old... or too deep into the empty nest... to go back to school. In this episode of The Loud Quiet, we’re joined by our friends Scott and Eileen Nichols, fellow empty nesters, public school educators, and proud parents (and grandparents). They share why they each made the decision to pursue master’s degrees after the kids had left home... and what it’s really like to juggle classes, papers, marriage, and grandparenting. We talk about the emotional tug of parenting adult kid...

This week’s episode is a bit of a wild card... and we kind of love it that way. We kick things off with three trivia questions from a recent night out…answers revealed at the end…before diving into a week that reminded us how the empty nest stage isn’t always as “empty” as it sounds. Clancy shares what it was like to step back into full “Mom Mode” after Teagan’s wisdom teeth surgery…complete with mashed peaches and emergency trash cans. Rick reflects on the emotional weight of writing his ...

Summer used to be packed with popsicles, pool days, and time together. But now... with one child living away and the other working long hours, it just feels different.In this episode of The Loud Quiet, we open up about what it’s been like navigating summer in the empty nest—almost. We talk through our attempts (and occasional misses) at staying connected with our adult kids during the summer months. From making space for impromptu lunches to feeling guilty while working from home, we wrestle ...

Fireworks. Flags. Parades. The Fourth of July used to mean something very specific when the kids were young. But now... in the empty nest... the holiday looks a little different.In this episode of The Loud Quiet, we talk about how the Fourth has changed for us. From packed neighborhood traditions to quieter long weekends, and from firework memories with the kids to unexpected fun as empty nesters. We swap stories, laugh about red MGBs and parade chaos, and explore how this holiday keeps evolving...

Judgment. Comparison. That side-eye when you mention you're still financially helping your adult kids. If you're an empty nester, chances are you’ve either given that look... or gotten it. In this episode of The Loud Quiet, we unpack the topic of financially supporting adult children. We’re not financial advisors, but we are living this in real time. Grad school tuition. Rent. Budgeting lessons. All of it. We share what we’ve chosen to cover and why, where we draw our boundaries (marriage ...

Time to lighten it up. After a couple of deeper episodes, we’re kicking back with some TV talk. Summer used to be rerun season, but now there’s new content dropping all year long. So what’s keeping us company on the couch lately? In this episode, we run through what we’re currently watching, the comedies we use as entertainment filler, and a few titles queued up for later. From courtroom chaos and mega churches to awkward high school teachers and flashbacks at a Mexican resort, it’s all here....

Empty nesters, rejoice... and brace yourselves. The kids are coming home for summer break, and the vibe in your once-quiet house is about to shift.Clancy and Rick share 10 real-world tips to help you handle the return of your college-age kids. From setting expectations to balancing mealtime and independence, they explore what works, what doesn’t, and how to keep the peace while strengthening your relationship.💡 Want a downloadable copy of the 10 Tips?Join our newsletter here and get it sent dire...

What happens when your carefully planned life suddenly goes off script? In this deeply personal episode, Clancy and Rick open up about the past few weeks—full of unexpected loss, chaotic schedules, and the quiet disconnection that can sneak up in empty nest life. From memorial planning and rushed moves to a cardboard box anniversary and a last minute bus ride, they explore what it means to lose your sense of self and how to start finding your way back. This isn’t just an update—it’s a r...