Comfort Food with Kelly Rizzo

Egg freezing has become almost a cultural mandate for women in their 30s. And if you haven't done it, people want to know why. Today I'm talking about why I chose not to, and what that decision taught me about knowing yourself, trusting your gut, and pushing back on the idea that there's one right answer for every woman.This isn't an anti-egg-freezing episode. It's an honest look at the pressure we face, the way love and timing and circumstance can shape a decision that feels impossibly big, and why peace with your choice matters more than what anyone else thinks you should do.Whether you're in the thick of this decision, already made it, or just want to understand it better, I hope this one hits home.Follow me on Instagram @KellyRizzo and let's keep the conversation going there.And thank you to Marconi Foods for sponsoring this episode. For 15% off use code KELLY at check out and visit marconi-foods.com for more info and to try the new Platinum Giardinera today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm over in Europe, so I'm taking a little time off from recording. But I could never leave you with nothing, so I'm bringing back the episode that means the most to me, and that also happens to be the biggest "audience favorite" episode from Comfort Food Season 1: my conversation with John Mayer.John and I went through an incredibly difficult time together in the wake of losing my husband Bob, and what came out of that friendship is one of the most beautiful, existential conversations I've ever had on this show. We get into grief in a way I'd never heard anyone talk about it before: the "club" you don't even know exists until you're suddenly in it, the strange in-between where someone has left your life but hasn't yet taken up residence in your heart, and John's theory that you can only really cry about something once.We talk about his singular bond with Bob, the private shorthand they built, the jokes only Bob could land, and what it means to keep someone with us just by saying "my friend Bob used to say." And we get into John's own take on life, love, and the idea that kindness is something you can learn and pass on.It's tender, it's funny, and yes, there's eggplant parm at the end. If you've never heard this one, settle in. If you have, you already know.Follow Kelly on Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/kellyrizzo/?hl=enVisit Kelly’s Kitchen- https://kelly-rizzo.com/Join Comfort Club:https://www.comfortclubonline.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What actually keeps a long distance friendship alive for over two decades? Kelly is joined by her absolute ride-or-die, her best friend Aggie, who flew in from Chicago for this one, and they are getting into all of it.These two met in the early 2000s on the Chicago club scene and have now survived a coast-to-coast move, heartbreaks, a loss, cancer scares, and somewhere along the way, a whole lot of matching tattoos. In this episode, they share the real, practical things that have kept their friendship not just intact but genuinely thriving for 23 years, including nine of them with 2,000 miles in between.You'll hear about the importance of stating your intention out loud, why it doesn't have to be 50/50 (just mutual), the power of a FaceTime hit over morning coffee, always having something on the calendar, showing up for the big moments whether they're happy or devastating, and creating your own little rituals that make the friendship feel like home no matter the distance.This one is warm, funny, and honestly a little emotional. Aggie flew out here and she delivered.Follow Kelly on Instagram: @KellyRizzoA special thank you to Home Run Inn Pizza for sponsoring this episode. You can learn more about Home Run Inn (the greatest frozen pizza on Earth) here: https://www.homeruninnpizza.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one is really special. And really personal.Kelly recently found a grief journal tucked in her nightstand that she wrote in less than a month after losing Bob. The problem? She had completely forgotten she'd written in it. She opened it expecting blank pages... and found something that stopped her in her tracks.In this episode, Kelly reads from that journal for the first time in over four and a half years, going through the prompts she answered just weeks after Bob passed: the happy memories, the hardest time of day (nights, always nights), what she was holding onto (keeping the silverware in the right drawers because that's how he liked it), and the last memory they shared together before he left for his final trip.She also shares the lessons she wrote down that Bob taught her, things like always say I love you, order everything on the menu, and more. And she closes with something really practical: what you should NOT say to someone who is grieving, and what actually helps.This episode is coming out the week of what would have been Bob's 70th birthday. It feels like the right time to share it.If you're in grief right now, or supporting someone who is, or just missing someone you love, Kelly hopes this helps. Come find her on Instagram @KellyRizzo and keep the conversation going.Subscribe, rate, and review. It really does help more than you know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of LifeWay Foods — the largest kefir brand in the country — has one of the most extraordinary stories you'll ever hear. Born in Soviet Ukraine, her family defected behind the Iron Curtain when she was just one year old, arriving in America with $116 and no English. Her mother went on to open Chicago's first Slavic deli — and even brought the very first cases of Nutella to the United States. Her father, longing for the kefir he grew up with back home, eventually built LifeWay Foods from scratch.When Julie was just 27, her father passed away suddenly, and she stepped in as CEO — becoming the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company in US history. What followed was a decade of immense challenge, personal rock bottoms, and an unshakeable refusal to fail.Kelly and Julie talk about the immigrant work ethic that shaped them both, navigating grief while running a company, the gut-brain connection and why kefir is having its major cultural moment, and what it really means to turn pain into purpose. Plus they make a ridiculously good smoked fish farmer cheese dip live in the kitchen — and yes, it's as good as it sounds.This episode was kindly sponsored by Lifeway Foods. Learn more about Lifeway here! https://lifewaykefir.com/Follow Kelly on Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/kellyrizzo/?hl=enFollow Julie on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyansky/?hl=enListen on Apple Podcasts-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comfort-food-with-kelly-rizzo/id1716987177Listen on Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5PW46ZYYpLlUCRPWn0Vfm7?si=100c49d2f5f64975Visit Kelly’s Kitchen- https://kelly-rizzo.com/Join Comfort Club:https://www.comfortclubonline.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The night before my husband Bob passed away, I was lying in bed watching Sex and the City (...And Just Like That)Specifically… the episode where Mr. Big dies.I remember feeling completely gutted watching Carrie lose her husband so suddenly. I was thinking, that would be the worst thing imaginable. Trying to put myself in her shoes… trying to understand that kind of loss.And then, just hours later… it became my reality.In this episode of Comfort Food, I share one of the most surreal and emotional experiences I’ve ever had—watching a fictional version of sudden loss, and then living it myself almost immediately after.From standing in my closet surrounded by Bob’s clothes… to realizing I was experiencing the exact moments I had just watched on screen… this is a story about grief, shock, and the strange ways life can mirror art.We talk about:The emotional weight of everyday moments after lossWhy nothing can prepare you for sudden griefThe surreal experience of “recognizing” your own grief in something you’ve seen beforeAnd how deeply certain memories and objects can hold meaningIf you’ve ever experienced something that felt too strange to be real… or had a moment where life felt like it was echoing something you’ve seen or felt before… this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it really like to build a career as a content creator?In this episode, I’m joined by my very dear friend Erica Eckman, founder of Ecko Digital Media. Erica and I actually started our journeys at the same time over a decade ago… with just a few thousand followers and no roadmap.Since then, our paths have taken very different directions. Erica built a powerhouse agency with over 40 employees that reps over 80 influencers- plus she's the co-founder of the massive wellness brand, FlavCity, while I leaned into hosting, media, and storytelling. In this conversation, we get honest about what it actually takes to grow and sustain a career in this space.We talk about:what people don’t see behind the scenesthe pressure, burnout, and constant evolutionhow the industry has changed over the yearsand what it really means to “make it” onlineAnd then we’re joined by Erica’s wonderful sister, Melissa Metrano, a successful creator in her own right, and by successful, I mean well over 10 million followers across many platforms. She's a behemoth in the industry. We all have a candid conversation about navigating social media, identity, and growth from another perspective.We also get deeply personal about how our lives have evolved, how success can look very different than expected… and even how this industry has challenged our friendship at times.This is a real, unfiltered look at the highs, the pressure, and the reality behind being a content creator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adult female friendships can be some of the most meaningful relationships in our lives… but also some of the hardest, especially as we get older.In this episode of Comfort Food, I sit down with one of my best friends, Tiffany Louise, therapist and life coach, for a very honest and relatable conversation about why friendships in your 40s can feel more complicated, more layered, and sometimes more painful than they used to.We talk about people pleasing, boundaries, friendship breakups, ghosting, nervous system triggers, and how inner child wounds can shape the way we show up in our relationships today. We also get into what makes a friendship nourishing versus draining, why so many women struggle with reciprocity, and how to build deeper, more meaningful connections.If you’ve ever outgrown a friendship, struggled to set boundaries, felt lonely even while surrounded by people, or wondered why friendship feels harder in adulthood, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Comfort Food, Kelly Rizzo sits down with Arielle Lorre, host of the hit "Well.With Arielle Lorre" podcast, to talk about what it really means to choose a life without children, and why that choice can still be full, meaningful, and deeply connected.They discuss the societal pressure and judgment many child-free women face, the myth that all women naturally want children, and why fulfillment can come from many different places.Arielle shares how recovery, relationships, family, and community have shaped her life and brought her a strong sense of purpose. Kelly reflects on the expectations women often face and the importance of knowing yourself well enough to choose the path that feels right for you.They talk about:• Never feeling the urge to have kids• Dating and finding a partner who also does not want children• Why not wanting kids is not selfish• Why having children does not guarantee you will not be lonely later in life• Public scrutiny and online criticism• The cultural belief that women exist primarily to become mothersKelly and Arielle also discuss Timothée Chalamet’s recent comment that being child-free is “bleak,” and why they believe fulfillment comes from building a life that feels authentic to who you are.This conversation is not anti-motherhood. It is about self-awareness, personal alignment, and having the freedom to build a life that reflects who you are and what matters most to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all heard the phrase “red flags,” but what do they actually look like when you’re inside the relationship?In this episode of Comfort Food, Kelly sits down with one of her best friends Tiffany Louise, a licensed therapist and life coach, to talk honestly about red flags in relationships. Together, they break down how red flags show up, why they’re so easy to miss in the moment, and what to do when something doesn’t feel right.Kelly opens up about her worst breakup and reflects on the red flags she can now see clearly in hindsight, but couldn’t recognize at the time. Tiffany brings professional insight into common patterns, including narcissistic tendencies, emotional manipulation, boundary issues, and why our nervous systems sometimes override logic when we’re emotionally invested.This conversation is practical, compassionate, and grounded. It’s about learning, not blaming. Whether you’re dating, in a relationship, healing from one, or trying to make sense of past experiences, this episode offers clarity and tools to help you trust yourself more moving forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everyone! We have a special Q&A episode today while we're between seasons of Comfort Food. These are questions sent in via Instagram but if you'd like to submit a question for future episodes, please feel free to shoot us an email at comfortfood@wheel-house.com.Also, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the season and the show in general so please fill out our survey HERE.See you soon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you so much to everyone for tuning in to season one of Comfort Food! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the season and the show in general so please fill out our survey HERE. Also, feel free to shoot us an email at comfortfood@wheel-house.com. Thanks again for your support. We've got some bonus content coming to you soon so stay tuned for that! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Husband and wife powerhouse duo Seth Green and Clare Grant stop by the studio today to discuss the relationship between grief and comedy, how loss enables growth, the pressures of performance in day-to-day life, and choosing happiness in times of difficulty. You can follow Kelly Rizzo on all platforms @eattravelrock and @comfortfood_pod for clips or BTS footage from the podcast. Follow Seth and Clare on Instagram @sethgreen and @claregrant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.