143. Pull-on pants and other musings

Okay, genuinely one of my favourite recordings. Lauren Naderi is one of my oldest friends — we’ve known each other since grade five, all-girls school in Ontario, class of 35. This is her first time on the show, and we are officially launching what I’m calling the “yap” format: no agenda, no lesson plan, just two millennial moms talking about the stuff that’s actually on our minds. Lauren is a designer and tastemaker with incredible range — she has thoughts on your wardrobe, your floor plan, and the emotional weight of having too many rooms you never use.

In this episode, we cover:

• (00:00) Intro + how Lauren and I know each other (grade five, all-girls school, class of 35)
• (04:00) Lauren’s non-linear career — advertising → holistic nutrition → interior design and why it all makes sense in retrospect
• (11:00) Postpartum anxiety, identity shifts, and what it actually feels like to lose yourself after having a baby
• (22:00) The “want less house” trend and where it’s coming from
• (24:00) Lauren’s move from a nearly 3,000 sq ft suburban house to a 900 sq ft city condo — with a toddler, on purpose
• (32:00) Why smart storage beats square footage every time (and what to actually spend money on in a reno)
• (41:00) Pull-on pants and the case for effortless mom dressing
• (50:00) What Substack is and why we’re both obsessed with long-form content right now
• (58:00) The yap format — what it is, why we’re doing more of it, and how to send us topics

KEY TAKEAWAYThe square footage you were told to want and the life you actually want to live are often two different things. Same goes for the career path that looks right on paper vs. the one that actually fits. You can absolutely question both!

ABOUT LAUREN NADERILauren Naderi is an interior designer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate entrepreneur based in Toronto. She has a background in advertising and holistic nutrition, went back to corporate after having her daughter, left again, and eventually went all in on interior design. She works with clients on spaces that feel intentional — not just beautiful. She is also, as of this episode, the co-host of our yap format. Mom to an almost-four-year-old. Recently moved her family into a 900 sq ft condo and has zero regrets. Will take five pairs of pants to the tailor in a single trip.

CONNECT WITH LAURENInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/laurennaderi

LINKS MENTIONED

• Gap pull-on pants
• Quince pull-on pants
• Aritzia linen pull-on pants
• Dolce Vita little heels
• Frosso’s Substack (musings from Paris)

About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out:

Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time.

Connect with Andrea

Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast

Listen to All Figured Out

💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify

💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple

🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea