Maddie Jo Takeover

This week, Champagne Smiles & Magical Miles gets a full Maddie Jo Takeover — and she’s officially in the host seat! 🎤💖

Maddie Jo flips the script and interviews her mom about what it was really like growing up, from being shy or outgoing in school to moving to a new school and learning how to find confidence and courage along the way.

With curiosity, giggles, and a few slime references (of course), Maddie Jo leads a heartfelt conversation about childhood, change, and the moments that shape who we become.

The episode wraps up with Maddie Jo’s Words Matter reflection and a sparkling Glow Up segment focused on kindness, confidence, and becoming your best self in every season of life.

A joyful and meaningful episode for moms, daughters, and anyone who loves stories of growing up, family, and a little everyday magic.

Champagne Smiles & Magical Miles is a podcast about living with grace, choosing joy, and celebrating the moments — big and small — that make life meaningful.

Hosted by Stephanie Parks, each episode blends mindset, self-care, family traditions, and everyday intention with a touch of Disney magic and real-life reflection. From the words we use and the habits we build to the kindness we extend to ourselves and others, this podcast is an invitation to slow down, show up, and live on purpose.

You’ll hear favorite segments like Words Matter, Magical Miles, Sparkle & Glow Up, and Sip of the Week — each designed to inspire, encourage, and help you leave every episode with simple, practical takeaways you can easily implement in daily life.

Whether you’re in a season of growth, rest, or celebration, this space is for you.

Because every mile matters, every word counts, and life is meant to be lived with grace, joy, and a whole lot of celebrating. ✨🥂

🎙️ New episodes weekly. Follow along and join the celebration.

Transcript

Speaker 0:13

Let's start this episode with one goal to make your day better than it was five minutes ago. This is Champagne Smiles and Magical Miles and I'm your host, Stephanie. Wait. This is a Maddie too. What are you doing? What's going on here? What's happening? What are you doing? Well, this is a Maddie takeover. This is a Maddie Takeover. And why are you on my podcast? This isn't your podcast. It's my podcast. So confused. I ask you the questions and you answer them. Did I sign up for this? Okay. Let's go. Also slime included. More slime. All we talk about in this house is slime. Okay. Hmm. Let's think of a question. I'm nervous. Were you shy or outgoing in school? Oh, you're asking me quite- you're interviewing me. Oh yeah. I'm adding some slime for this. Was I shy or outgoing in what grade? Fifth grade. In fifth grade, I had moved in the fourth grade to a new school. And sometimes it's hard when you move to a new school and you don't know a lot of people. So in the fourth grade, it was scary because everyone knew each other and been there a long time. But I started getting my stride and figuring things out in the fifth grade and making some friends. That's sweet. Okay. Next question. What was your favorite subject? Well, that depends on the grade as well. As we talked about with you, you like your teachers. If they're a good teacher, it's a good year and you like the subject. I'm a nerd and I really like science. I like math. I like to learn about the body. I like things that most people don't like, like to understand the human insides. But I also like English and I like writing and I like words. So I would say in fifth grade, my favorite was language arts because I had a really great teacher that like that she made me love reading and writing. Me too. I also love language arts. Okay. Now let's see. I wrote this down on paper, so it takes me a long time. Okay. You've been preparing for this. Oh taking over mommy's podcast. And you had no idea. It's wrong. Okay. And what's on the table behind us? It's my exclusive, I guess. Exclusive. Here. We should probably be cleaning those up. Here, put these on. What is this? Why am I putting these on? Is this a so I can't hear anything? Is this a torture treatment? No. I can't hear anything. It's like a silencer. Okay, let's get another question. What was your least favorite subject? Least favorite subject? Oh, this is a another funny one because it's not that I didn't like exercising, but I really didn't like PE because I had to change clothes in the middle of the day, get out of my cute stuff, get my hair all sweaty and messed up, and then change back into my clothes in the middle of the school day. So it made me not so cute. So PE was my least favorite. Yeah. Yeah. I I don't really like PE either. So we agree. Yeah. Did you ever say my head hurt and it's itch- No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Go ahead. Did you ever get nervous before I test? Yeah, sometimes if I wasn't prepared. So I think that the best thing that I learned is to prepare ahead of time for my test, study, put the work in. And then when I took the test, I was ready and I was calm. But if I wasn't ready, that's when the nerves set in. How about you? Yeah, me too. Yeah. Okay. I have a lot of questions. Why did she guess Did you ever did you ever get in trouble at school? Well, obviously Maddie just perfect and she never got in trouble. I may or may not have gotten in trouble once or two times when we're I had a feeling. Do you know why I got in trouble? From talking too much, because I like words and I like people. So I always got in trouble for saying too many words. My dad would agree. It's it's unfortunate. Picking up No, my dad is picking up you though. Who was your best friend? So I had different best friends at different times, as most of us do, as you you know, change and do different things. But in fifth grade, so remember, I just moved into fourth grade and in the fifth grade. I came to a new school, and there was a girl that encouraged me to do things. So she encouraged me to play softball, and I did. I was second baseman, and then I was first baseman. I'm not a big human, but softball was super important. My dad told me that I should never let the ball pass me, even if it busted my teeth out. No, it never busted my teeth out, but I did play a mean first baseman. And then I she also encouraged me to be a cheerleader. I would have never tried out if it hadn't been for my best friend, which is pretty cool, isn't it? Yeah. What did you do for fun after school? So we went to cheerleading practice, which could be fun or not. We did homework like you do. Could be fun or not. And what I really like to do on the weekends is roller skate. We left to go to the roller skating rank. It was super fun. Well, you know that I love roller skating. That was something that we did not mention in the last You do love roller skating. I love that. I roller skate. I was roller skating like five minutes ago, but I had to take the roller skates off so I could get in. So that you could hijack my podcast. And you had no idea. Okay. What did you want to be when you grew up? So this is a funny story, but I either wanted to be a country and western music singer like Barbara Mandarell. I knew that one. Or I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. What I found out is I wasn't talented enough. I do like to sing, but I would never have made it. I am no Carrie Underwood. And two Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, I'm not tall enough to do that. And I like to dance, but I'm probably not a good enough dancer either. So I gave up both of those, decided to follow a different path and be a healthcare executive. Your life takes you. The other two sounded better. Instead of growing up in school, we're going to do friends and feelings. Okay. Did you ever feel left out? Of course. We all feel left out at times. Yeah. There's always I'm sure you too have times you feel left out. And what I've learned is that if you're feeling left out, someone else is probably feeling left out. And you should find that person and make them feel better. But it's it's a hard place to be when you're in the fifth grade and you feel left out. Yeah. Like when we would do is it Red Rover, Red Rover, let someone come over. Do you know that one? What about Duck Duck Goose? You know that one? I know Duck Duck. You wanted to get picked for tag or whatever game you're playing, you want to get picked. And if you don't get picked, you feel left out. Yeah. So I think what's the takeaway here? Like, no man left behind. Don't let anybody feel left out. How about that? No man left. No man left behind. Okay. The next question is Did you ever have friend drama? Now we all have friends. Oh. I grew up in the 1980s somethings, and we did not have social media. I can't even imagine what that's like and how hard that is. Which is why it's important that we're careful with that and that we guard our hearts. But we did have drama, and girls can as we're going through changes and we're growing up, we can go through a lot of challenges. And some girls can get mean. Yeah. Some girls cannot understand like what their bodies are going through, what their hearts and heads are saying. And we just have to it's easier said than done. It's easier for me as a 50-year-old woman looking back on it. But I would have handled things much differently. Yeah. I would have too. Looking back at first grade. Okay. Well, we live and learn, and all we can do is get better. Yeah. I love that about you. Okay. The next question. I've got a lot. Did you ever worry about what people thought of you? I did. I worried too much about what people thought about me. And now it doesn't matter as much, right? Probably a lot different whenever you have a kid. You know what? I think as you mature, you learn that everyone, whatever they think, and someone told me this, one of my mentors at some point, someone I cared about, said this to me. It's what they're bringing to the table at that day and that point in time. It's not about you, it's about them. And you have to meet them where they are. But I didn't know that when I was your age. Yeah. Okay. What helped you feel confident? Well, I think having good people around me and strong people that cared and loved about me, loved me and talked to me the way we're having these kind of conversations. I mean, my dad did tell me I could be anything I wanted to, even the president of the United States about it. So that helped me. I wanted to be the president of the United States. Maybe you'll do it, girl. Go for it. Did you ever feel scared to try something new? Of course we always feel scared to try something new. I guess, like, what did you feel scared to try something new? So I was the first one in my family to go to college on either side. And I didn't know what that looked like or what it meant, but I wanted to go to college. And so it was scary for me the first time that I walked on the college campus and went through the application process and took an SAT test and all the things. It was very scary. So doing something new for the first time when there are people around you that love you and care about you but can't help you is scary. Something you wish you knew in fifth grade. There's gotta be a lot. I wish I knew that the challenges that you're facing are temporary and that you will use the skills that you're learning the rest of your life, and that boys won't be so gross in a few years. I mean, they're always gross, but they won't be as gross. And that friendships matter. Yeah, yeah. Well, I know that friendships matter right now. So I know you do. Well, what advice would you give, well, I guess me, because I'm a fifth grade girl. Be true to you. Be true to who you are. Love everybody around you and just Maddie Joe, you've got such a great heart. Okay. Now from friends and feelings to life lessons. Boy, this is getting deep. I had no idea I was setting up for this. What happened? I was about to go like have some dad jack does. Don't we know where dad went? Okay, go ahead. I really don't know where dad went. Okay. Why do you think it's in why do you think confidence matters? Because everything. It's how people look at you when you walk in a room and how they think about you, and it's how you think about yourself. And it's about not being rude or thinking that you're better, but thinking you're good enough. And people feel that. And yes, I am good enough. You look people in the eye, you make eye contact, you give them a good firm handshake. You speak up. Confidence matters. We should do a whole podcast on that. Yeah. That's what it should be called Confidence Matters. By Matty Joe. You take it over. It should be Poppy Smiles and Magical Miles by MJ. Okay, keep going. We don't have all day. What should girls do when someone is mean? I mean, I know, but like what do you think? Well, I think that you should all kill them with kindness. Kill them with kindness. Yeah, my mom used to say that. Kill them with kindness. When girls were mean, she would say, just kill them. It's hard to do that. Yeah, because you wanna get revenge and fight back. Or disappear and fall into a corner and hide either. But just being kind. Yeah. That's kind of always that's a great lesson. Yeah, I learned that from you. Okay. What do you how do you stay positive on hard days? It's a mindset. You choose happiness. I really believe that. And it it's the one of the hardest things for me when there's someone that's negative, when they shouldn't be negative, because we are we should be grateful. And grateful is a mindset. And we have so much to be happy and grateful for. Yeah, I like what makes you proud to be a mom? You and your sisters. That's an easy one. I'm blessed. Three awesome girls, all very unique and different. I can't lie with that. Okay, move on. Next question. Enough already. Okay, now to fun facts. Fun fact. Okay, fast round. Pink, of course. Favorite snack. I like Beef Jerky. I like it too. Favorite movie. Yes. I like so many movies. Come back to it. Favorite song. I didn't even know you were gonna hit me with all the what you didn't know I was gonna hit. What's your favorite song? My favorite song is probably uh Picture to Run. Women's song. Right, Jerry Maguire is my favorite movie. Yeah. But I like a lot of different movies, but Jerry Maguire for many reasons. Favorite place we've traveled together. I know this one. I don't know. We've been so many great places together. Yeah. What's your favorite place we travel together? Well, Disney, of course. I love the memories we make wherever we are. And sometimes the girls say that some of their favorite trips weren't places that I expect, like they said, the time we went to the Grand Canyon. Yeah. And I also like our memories from Turks and Caicos. I actually love our Disney memories, obviously. Yeah. Okay. Early mornings or late nights? Well, I like them both. I like to wake up early before you are awake and get like a run-in or read a little, have some coffee. I love the early mornings, and I like watching the sun rise. But then I also really, really, really like the energy of the night. Like dinner, some wine, some dancing. I like them both. Maybe I should take a siesta in the middle of the day because I can't do both all the time. I love when I do a run Disney race and we we get up at like 2:30 in the morning and then we start racing gun time at 5 a.m. And I get to see the sunrise when I'm running. I love it so much. Well, we usually see the sunrise when we find well on the 5K, yes. But not on the half. No, you see the sunrise. Not even halfway. Yeah. Okay. Sparkles or bows? Sparkles and bows, but I'll go for sparkles. Sparkles. Yeah, I mean. I see coffee or tea on you. You didn't even have to see that. Coffee or tea? Coffee or tea? Yep. Heels or sneakers. Although I have a lot of sneakers. Yeah. Beach or mountains. Beach, but I don't find the mountains. That was all for the fun facts, fast round. What is that? Oh, that's it. Now what? Okay. Oh, now it's time for Are You Smarter Than a Fit? Do we have to do that? Oh yes. Big math question. What equals six seven? You know I do have multiple degrees and four point oh's. What equals six seven? Six times eleven. That's sixty-six. How about six times seven times nine? Seven times nine. That's sixty-three. That's close. Eight times eight? That's sixty-four. Why is this a little more? Well, because six seven is a prime number. A prime number is that it only has two factors. One and itself. So what's the only answer? So the only answer is one times six seven. Six seven. Oh well, yes, you did. Why do I feel so humbled? So technically, I'm smarter than a fifth grader. And I am not yep. To share. Okay. Last question. What are we toasting? Toasts? Let's toast to slime. Slime. To weird stuffies. Weird stuffy. That I learned all about recently. And to surviving fifth grade. Surviving fifth grade. Sure. Is it a slushy? Yeah. Is it a poppy slushy? Oh. Uh-huh. Alright, let's let these people go. Okay. Book the trip. Sign up for the race. Drink the toppy. Love, hugs, kisses. It's mommy time. Don't forget we have good swag. If you love our podcast, please share it. Give us a review if you like. And follow us on Stephanie in the Parks on Instagram. DM me. I have some cool swag I'm trying to give to you lovely people. There are, oops, I can't wear it with these. There are hats and there are some a lot of keychains. If you just find me, if you're going to Disneyland, find me. All right. Hug, kisses. It's ready, Joe time.