What happens when you discover your partner has over $400,000 in student loan debt and they didn’t even know it existed?

In today’s audience caller episode of The Real Stuff, I’m sitting down with Brittany, a listener who bravely came on the podcast to share one of the most raw, honest, and financially transparent stories we’ve ever featured.

Brittany opens up about putting herself through college after her parents divorced, graduating with $100,000 in student loan debt, and spending her 20s working nonstop to pay it off while attending a private university surrounded by students from much wealthier families. She had a clear financial plan for her life: get her master’s degree, become debt-free before 30, and feel financially secure before starting a family… then she met her now-husband.

One night, lying in bed scrolling on her phone, Brittany discovered something that completely changed the course of their relationship. The student loan debt her partner believed was around $200,000 was actually more than $400,000, and she was the one who had to uncover it, piece it together, and tell him the truth.

In this episode, Brittany shares exactly how she found the debt, what it felt like to confront the person she loved most, and why this discovery shattered her sense of trust, security, and honesty in their relationship. We talk about why this wasn’t just about money, but about transparency, reliability, and the emotional weight we attach to financial independence. She opens up about how she processed everything, the guilt and shame she felt for questioning her relationship because of money, and how unsupported she felt when others minimized her concerns.

What makes this conversation especially powerful is Brittany’s willingness to be incredibly specific. We talk REAL numbers — student loan balances, salaries, mortgage payments, rent, savings, and the sacrifices required to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt without letting it completely control their lives. Brittany also shares how navigating debt reshaped their relationship, became the foundation of their marriage, and ultimately forced them to redefine what success and happiness really look like. We also talk about family planning, having their first baby, choosing to leave a three-bedroom house with a low mortgage to live in a one-bedroom apartment in the NYC area, and why she’s never been happier — proving that happiness and fulfillment don’t always come from traditional financial milestones.

If you’ve ever felt ashamed about debt, questioned a relationship because of money, or struggled to balance financial goals with actually living your life, this conversation will make you feel far less alone.

Brittany has recently begun building a platform called Be Loan Wise, focused on helping others navigate the emotional and financial sides of student loan debt. You can follow along at @beloanwise on Instagram!

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Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod

Find Lucie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

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Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Eva Amurri, the daughter of Susan Sarandon, for an honest, layered conversation about motherhood, identity, and what it really looks like to rebuild your life when everything changes at once.

Eva opens up about navigating separation and divorce while pregnant with her third child, and what that season of her life actually looked like behind the scenes. We talk candidly about the emotional and logistical challenges of divorce during pregnancy, the pressure many women feel to “hold it together,” and why she ultimately believes that staying together “for the kids” can sometimes do more harm than good. Eva shares how therapy helped her gain clarity, how she approached co-parenting with intention, and why she now views her relationship with her ex as a long-term partnership centered around their children — even when it requires constant communication, boundaries, and work.

We also spend time unpacking Eva’s experience growing up as the daughter of the iconic actress Susan Sarandon. Eva reflects on what it was like to be raised in the public eye before social media, how fame shaped her sense of self, and how those early experiences continue to influence her parenting choices today. We dive into the “nepo baby” conversation, the complicated mix of access and insecurity that can come with having famous parents, and how Eva’s relationship to that label has evolved as she’s built her own career outside of acting.

Throughout the conversation, Eva shares thoughtful insights about motherhood, dating after divorce, finding love again, and redefining success in your forties. We talk about breaking generational patterns, letting go of perfection, and accepting that parenting, like life, is often about doing your best with the information you have at the time.

This episode is for anyone who has gone through a major life transition, questioned old narratives about family and success, or is trying to create something healthier for themselves and their kids. Eva is incredibly reflective, grounded, and refreshingly honest, and I think so many listeners will see pieces of themselves in her story.

If you’ve ever navigated divorce, co-parenting, pregnancy during a crisis, or growing up under the weight of expectations, this conversation will stay with you.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod

Find Lucie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of The Real Stuff is a really special one for me. I’m sitting down with my older brother, Rob Fink, and two of his best friends, Lukas Effman and Alex Goldstein — the three guys behind the indie folk-pop band, East Love. If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you already know their music: East Love’s song Rolling Stone has been the intro music to this podcast since day one!

You can listen to their new single “Never Mine” on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5a1ncej7fWKv0Bk8o5Do3z

In this conversation, we go all the way back — from growing up together and the boys meeting in elementary and middle school, to forming a band in high school that somehow turned into a 20-year creative partnership. Today, all three of them are in their mid-30s, with kids, full-time careers, and families... and they’re still making music together.

We talk about what it actually looks like to balance a passion project with adult life, why they chose not to pursue music full-time, and how East Love has stayed together when so many bands fall apart. We get into friendship, creative fulfillment, choosing stability, and redefining what success looks like outside of the traditional music industry grind.

They also open up about songwriting and vulnerability, including the story behind East Love’s newest single “Never Mine,” which is based on a real heartbreak from Rob’s college years, and how writing that song years later helped him process it in a completely different way.

This episode is about music, but it’s also about long-lasting male friendships, growing up together, and building something meaningful that evolves as your life does. It’s warm, nostalgic, funny, and honestly one of my favorite conversations I’ve had on this show.

If you’ve ever wondered how a band survives adulthood, or how to keep creativity alive while building a full life, this one’s for you.

🎶 Listen to East Love on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0xGSNh06Su9UthAz4o1cvM

Sponsors:

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Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod

Find Lucie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.