Not Alone

• Celebrity Scandals, Modern Romance Debates, and a Not So Serious Convo with Gary Lipovetsky

  This episode is brought to you by Furtuna Skin: Italian, olive oil–based skincare that’s pure, potent, and transformative. Try their LXR06 Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Leaf Botanical Tea at https://www.furtunaskin.com, and get 20% off your first purchase with code VALERIA20. In this week’s episode of Not Alone, Valeria is joined by Gary for a fun, unfiltered, not-so-deep chat about the latest pop culture headlines, and a few real-life reflections along the way. Fresh off Valeria’s dream trip to Peru, the two unpack everything from “Nobody Wants This” Season 2 and Kristen Bell’s Instagram backlash, to Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s surprising split. They debate modern marriage, from separate bedrooms to taking your spouse’s last name, and share their thoughts on chivalry, “the princess treatment,” and who should pick up the bill. Valeria challenges Gary on talking about pop culture (who proudly doesn’t keep up) and why sometimes, it’s okay to care about the “dumb stuff.” It’s a light, honest, and hilarious peek into how two very different minds see love, fame, and everyday life.  Shop my looks from this episode: https://shopmy.us/collections/2843418?tab=collections Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What I talked about:  0:18 - Start of the episode 0:25 - Follow @notalone.pod on TikTok 0:38 - Dream trip to Peru debrief 2:09 - Trying something new in today’s episode with Gary 4:05 - “Nobody Wants This” season 2 6:30 - Converting to Judaism 8:33 - People criticizing the show 10:58 - Fortuna Skin Ad 12:35 - Kristen Bell IG post backlash 16:20 - Married couples with separate bedrooms 20:11 - Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban ending 19-year marriage 21:30 - “Babygirl” Movie 24:30 - Defining a successful marriage 27:29 - Thoughts on Katy Perry & Justin Trudeau dating 29:44 - Husbands taking wives’ last name 31:15 - Gary’s vintage kick 32:38 - Confusion around Katy & Justin 34:59 - Is Chivalry dead? 36:39 - Splitting the bill 39:15 - Bringing back the “Princess Treatment” 41:29 - Landlines are back 43:08 - Dumb phones vs. smart phones for kids 45:15 - Not easy talking to Gary about pop culture 47:10 - Advice from Amanda Hirsch 47:33 - Caring about dumb stuff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Hidden Lessons Paris Taught Me About Modeling and Womanhood

  In this solo episode of Not Alone, Valeria takes listeners on a journey through her past and present, from celebrating her 35th birthday and Rosh Hashanah with family, to reflecting on the early days of her modeling career in Paris and Japan. She opens up about the lessons learned from those formative years, from living in cramped model apartments to finding her voice and standing up for herself in an often unforgiving industry. Valeria also shares how she’s been reconnecting with joy and confidence lately, discovering new passions like dance, heels classes, and even a few unexpected finds (like smut & Quinn). It’s a nostalgic, funny, and refreshingly honest episode about growth, self-expression, and feeling empowered at every stage of life. Shop my looks from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2723615 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What I talked about:  0:30 - Start of the episode 1:00 - The decision to throw a birthday party 3:20 - The family birthday dinner 4:00 - Rosh Hashanah & family traditions 5:50 - Early modeling days in Paris 8:13 - The hard lessons learned 11:25 - Living in a model apartment 13:15 - Standing up for herself and others 16:00 - Living in Japan & enjoying life 17:06 - Being part of the golden era of modeling 18:11 - Discovering smut & spreading the word 21:00 - Stumbling upon Quinn & loving it 22:20 - Taking a heels class 24:50 - Dancing in the Russian culture 25:59 - Feeling herself & learning new things Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Speaking My Truth: Brittany Xavier on Online Hate, Her Faith & Her Family

  This episode is brought to you by Floatley - A bra brand offering feel-good basics that combine cloud-like comfort with reliable support. Try our bestselling Cozy Adjustable Bra at https://www.floatley.com/products/cozy-adjustable and get 20% off your order with code VALERIA20, plus free shipping on US orders over $50. In this revealing episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with an OG digital creator, entrepreneur and mom Brittany Xavier, for an honest conversation about faith, motherhood, and staying grounded in a rapidly changing online world. Brittany opens up about her early start on social media, the business behind her brand, and the journey from being a young single mother to one of the most recognizable figures in the influencer space. She shares how trusting in God’s plan guided her through life’s biggest turning points, from choosing to keep her baby and balancing school, work, and motherhood, to navigating a difficult custody battle and ultimately finding her voice through content creation. Together, Valeria and Brittany explore what it means to live authentically online, the lessons she’s passed down to her daughter about social media and technology, and how her family’s move from California to Tennessee brought both public scrutiny and peace. It’s a conversation about growth, resilience, and choosing faith and family over everything, and a reminder that the most powerful influence comes from being true to who you are. 📱Follow Brittany: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanyxavier/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brittany.xavier?lang=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/brittanyxavier Website: https://brittanyxavier.com/ Brittany’s Book Recommendations: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus: https://amzn.to/4o4sZ4B I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist: https://amzn.to/4ob6B9S Shop my looks from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2702040 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about:  0:29 - Valeria’s upcoming trip to Peru 0:47 - Introducing Brittany Xavier 2:12 - Start of interview 2:45 - Brittany’s start on social media 4:39 - The business behind the posts 6:33 - Brittany’s early motherhood days 7:30 - The decision to keep her baby 13:02 - Being a young mother 15:06 - Floatley Ad 16:15 - Balancing school, work and motherhood 18:42 - The decision not to pursue law school 20:42 - Trusting her faith in God and his plan for her 22:25 - Her custody battle 23:14 - Signs from God 24:33 - Her community 25:26 - Her daughter and social media 27:25 - Children and technology 28:22 - Teaching her daughter the business side of TikTok 29:31 - Brittany’s shift in content  32:16 - The shifting of priorities 33:52 - The decision to leave California 36:26 - Backlash on their move to Tennessee 39:49 - Dealing with the online hate 43:36 - Being her most authentic self online 48:13 - Bringing faith to the forefront  49:50 - Brittany’s book recommendations 52:22 - Her biggest regret Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Rethinking Birth Control: How Hormones, Cycle Phases & Your Health Are Connected

  This episode is brought to you by Natural Cycles: The company changing the contraception game with the world’s first FDA-cleared birth control app. Whether you're looking to prevent pregnancy or plan for it, the Natural Cycles app offers a non-hormonal, non-invasive alternative to traditional birth control. Right now, you can get 15% off an annual subscription plus a freeBluetooth thermometer when you visit https://www.naturalcycles.com and use promo code VALERIA at checkout. Natural Cycles is for 18+ and does not protect against STIs. Always read and follow the instructions for use. In this episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with Dr. Elina Berglund Scherwitzl, a former particle physicist turned femtech innovator, and the co-founder of Natural Cycles, the first FDA-cleared birth control app. Together, they dive into how Dr. Elina’s background in physics led her to develop a groundbreaking algorithm that helps women better understand their bodies, and offers a hormone-free alternative to traditional birth control. The conversation explores everything from the skepticism she faced in disrupting a multi-billion-dollar industry, to how data and wearable technology are transforming women’s health. Valeria and Dr. Elina discuss the phases of the female cycle, the negative effects of hormonal birth control, and the importance of empowering women with better education and tools for their reproductive health. They also touch on the future of personalized medicine, male contraception, and the potential of syncing our lives more intentionally with our bodies. 📱Follow Dr. Elina: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinascherwitzl/?hl=en About Natural Cycles: Website: https://www.naturalcycles.com/ Dr. Elina’s Book Recommendation: This Is Your Brain on Birth Control Shop my looks from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2638644 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about:  0:19 - Halloween at the Lipovetsky’s house 1:20 - Introducing Dr. Elina Berglund Scherwitzle 2:42 - Start of interview 4:00 - Dr. Elina’s background as a physicist  5:13 - Starting Natural Cycles 7:00 - Creating an algorithm as a birth control method 9:00 - Skepticism about disrupting the birth control industry  12:50 - Explaining how Natural Cycles work 13:35 - How the algorithm works 14:39 - Effectiveness is the same as hormonal birth control 17:17 - Negative effects of hormonal birth control 19:00 - Perimenopause  21:00 - Changing sex ed 22:22 - Thoughts on male contraception 24:20 - Breaking down the phases of female cycles 26:15 - Monthly fertile window 27:40 - Women with Irregular cycles using Natural Cycles 29:00 - Getting Natural Cycles data to doctors 30:15 - Wearable technology 31:20 - Working with her husband 32:55 - The future of women’s health 36:53 - Can women sync their cycles? 37:20 - Users questions and comments 40:13 - Dr. Elina’s Book Recommendation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Raising Boys in Today’s World: Our Honest Conversation as Parents

  This episode is brought to you by Vuori: Versatile athletic and performance clothing. Head to https://vuori.com/notalone for 20% off your first purchase, plus free shipping on US orders over $75. This episode is brought to you by Floatley - A bra brand offering feel-good basics that combine cloud-like comfort with reliable support. Try our bestselling Cozy Adjustable Bra at https://www.floatley.com/products/cozy-adjustable and get 20% off your order with code VALERIA20, plus free shipping on US orders over $50. In this heartfelt episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with her husband Gary for an intimate and honest conversation about family life, parenting, and the values that shape their home. Together, they open up about raising their three boys and reflect on how their approach to parenting has evolved over the years. From Gary’s “clairvoyant” instincts about their kids’ genders to navigating the early days of parenthood and finding patience along the way, the couple shares stories that are both funny and deeply touching. They discuss teaching their sons critical thinking in the digital age, the importance of leading by example, and how they stay intentional about what they allow into their home. With moments of laughter, reflection, and even tears, Valeria and Gary discuss what kind of parents they want to be for their boys, and why, in the Lipovetsky household, accountability, integrity, and love are always at the core. Shop my look from this episode: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/2558840 Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  Books I Mentioned: The Sovereign Child - https://www.amazon.com/Sovereign-Child-Forgotten-Philosophy-Liberate/dp/1544547978 What we talked about:  0:20 - Valeria sets up episode with Gary on raising boys 2:48 - Gary and Valeria start chatting 3:04 - Gary noticing their kids seem smarter 3:58 - Max’s magical birth  4:55 - Finding out the gender of their babies 5:07 - Gary’s clairvoyancy with Jake 6:33 - Max’s gender reveal story 8:46 - Valeria’s mother wanting a girl   9:43 - Experiencing no gender disappointment 10:16 - Honeymoon stage with the boys now 11:52 - Valeria thinking Gary’s takes the lead on parenting 13:08 - Vuori Ad 14:05 - Floatley Ad 17:09 - Finding your parenting style 17:27 - Gary’s motivation when it comes to the kids 20:52 - Not limiting access to the internet, teaching critical thinking 23:46 - “The Sovereign Child” Book 24:45 - Regretting lack of patience with the first child 27:12 - The different relationships with each child 28:25 - Valeria wanting to see more role model dads 30:14 - Lipovetsky core family values  31:16 - Most repeated phrase in the household - “that’s not fair” 35:37 - External validation is very short-lived & won’t make you happy 37:29 - What the boys will say about their dad in 20 years 39:54 - Open House night at the kids’ school 40:48 - Non-negotiables in the household 42:11 - Gary’s favorite “Just the two of us” lyrics 44:27 - Gary preparing kids for the day he won’t be around 47:00 - Crying on the podcast 48:08 - Talking about the business in front of the kids 49:40 - Evolving as parents 50:20 - Gary’s focus on leading by example Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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