Why a podcast? Why now?

Stephanie opens up about the real reason this podcast exists: purpose, connection, courage, and choosing joy on purpose. In this heartfelt episode, she shares the story of meeting a stranger at the Cowboys–Chiefs game, the moment with her daughter that pushed her forward, and why she wanted a space to go deeper than captions and DMs. This episode also dives into the power of hydration in Beauty & Glow, with simple, actionable tips to boost your energy, skin, and running. If you’re here for authenticity, community, running, Disney magic, and joy that’s intentional — this one’s for you

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

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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 Parks. If you're new here, welcome. If you're returning, I'm so glad you're back. Today's episode is the story behind why this podcast exists. Why now? What finally pushed me to do it, the story behind the name, and what to expect every week. So let's dive in. I would like to start today with a magical moment that happened recently. I actually re-recorded this episode because of this. So I was recently at a sporting event, totally in the moment, if you know me, cheering, laughing, having a good time. And I made friends with people around me. I know that's surprising. You know, those moments where the energy clicks. We talked, we laughed. At one point, we even did a little cheers like we were old friends. We took some pictures, even though we were rooting for different teams. It was light, it was fun, it felt simple. I didn't think much about it, honestly. And then later that day, her friend reached out to me and shared something meaningful. She shared the story that this acquaintance I met had recently lost her daughter, and that they had encouraged her to get out and she needed to have something fun to do and to take her mind off of things. And her friend shared that she came home smiling because of the interaction that we had. And I realized that, you know, I had no idea at that moment what she was carrying with her. I had no idea how heavy her grief was. I cannot even imagine. And I had no idea what that smile meant to her. I was just being myself at that moment, and it made a difference. And her friend also shared this, which I do truly believe that God puts the right people in your life at the right time, even if you don't know the reason. It was a small moment at a sporting event, and it brought joy to someone in the middle of deep heartbreak. So just keep in mind the way that we show up, even in little moments, matters more than we realize. So that was the nudge that led me here to keep moving forward with this podcast and actually to re-record the one I recorded for episode two. So why does this podcast exist? It didn't come from spare time, trust me, or from boredom, or from the desire to take on another project, trust me. I have plenty of things on my plate between balancing life, raising three daughters, having a heavy work schedule, travel, and actually training for a marathon takes time too. But it came in a way that life kept telling me it was time to do something, to put myself out there, to take a leap. It was conversations I was having. It was the way people were reaching out. Um, over the years, I've enjoyed becoming the person that people come to for random advice. I get questions like, Where should we stay at Disney? What's the best restaurant at Epcot? How do you train for your runs? Tell me more about how to even register for Run Disney. What skincare do you use? How do you balance your career and motherhood? How do you raise teenage girls? It's always fun for me. I love sharing what I love: Disney tips, beauty routines, running advice, parenting hacks. The little things that make life easier and happier for me, I love sharing with others. But then I started realizing something. I was having all of these conversations in text messages and DMs or squeezed into little captions, and it never felt like it was enough. And there wasn't a space to where it could be documented or where we could go deeper. So that's why this podcast is here. It's a place for connection that doesn't disappear in 24 hours when the Facebook story disappears. It's a podcast for community, not because I needed a project, not because I finally, but because I did allow myself to finally create something meaningful, intentional, something real, something that brings me joy. And I hope it brings you joy too. It's a podcast for this community that isn't simply an Instagram caption. So let's talk about a breakthrough moment. This week's Bubbles and Breakthrough goes to my sweet girl Maddie Joe. The moment at the Cowboys Chiefs game reminded me that small interactions matter big. But Maddie Joe reminded me that I needed to start. I'd been thinking of doing something. I wasn't sure it was a podcast, but I was thinking about how to create a supportive community. I was thinking about my social media presence and putting myself out there more. I was not sure what the perfect time was. Actually, there is no perfect time, right? Podcasts sounds scary, and honestly, it is a little strange talking to myself. I can't wait until I have guests on, so I'm don't feel so silly. But one day, Maddie Joe looked at me, and if you know her, her love language is positive affirmations. And she said, Mommy, I'm proud of you. I hadn't just won an award or closed a big deal. It just came out from me right writing and recording my first podcast. She said, She said, I'm proud of you, mommy. She saw me trying to do something new, stepping out of my comfort zone, being brave. She saw me taking a step towards something that was new and mine. And that little moment, that voice, that innocence, I realized my kids do not need me to be perfect. They need me to be brave. They need to see me start things, grow, stretch, do things that scare me, take up space, create. That encourages and empowers them to do the same. So I stopped waiting. I recorded and pressed publish on episode one. Pressing publish was scary. It wasn't perfect, but it's real. And if you haven't listened, I'd love for you to go back and listen to it. And then my 23-year-old Peyton called me. She said she listened to my podcast and she said, Mom, I'm proud of you. So now I'm committed. I can't let them down, and I don't want to let you guys down. So here we go. Every week, my goal is every Tuesday to publish another episode. So words that matter, this is one of my favorite recurring segments on the podcast. The word is purpose. Purpose isn't something that just shows up one day when your life is calm and organized. Purpose is something you choose. You choose it when you pursue something new. You choose it when you honor who you're becoming. Purpose is what you choose when you show up. So what I'd like you to do is practice purpose this week. Do one thing that feels aligned with who you are becoming. Not who you've been, but who you are becoming. So why is this called Champagne Smiles and Magical Miles? I love to share this. Champagne Smiles is a feeling you get when you pause in the chaos and you think, wow, my life may not be perfect, but it's beautiful. It's celebrating the moments that matter. Magical miles represents everything that is confidence, courage, belief, community, finish lines you never thought you could imagine. Together, Champagne Smiles is a sparkle. Magical Miles is strength. Champagne Smiles is joy. Magical Miles is the grit that gets you there. Champagne Smiles is celebration, and Magical Miles is the effort. And what's this podcast really about? I know last week it was teeing this up, an introduction, welcome home. This week's episode is the backstory. It's still more of an introduction. I can't wait till we can get into the meat of it. What can you expect here? Run Disney? Sure. Running, tips, training, recaps, Galloway, Dopey, all of that, of course. Disney travel, resorts, restaurants, planning tips, traditions, hidden gems, parenting, family life, chaotic moments, funny, relatable, mindset, confidence, career, growth, healthcare, self-care, wellness, and of course, champagne smiles, celebrating wins, big or small, that deserve to be celebrated. This podcast is about choosing joy on purpose, about building a life you feel excited to wake up to, and about finding magic in the messy moments. Okay, so I love and I have a goal of giving you tips that you can take away, usable, real tips that you can start today. Every week I'd like you to walk away with a challenge, like doing things that feel aligned with the human you're becoming, not the human you were, purpose, and practical tips to make your life better. So the sparkle and glow up section is this week all about hydration. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways and most powerful things you can do for your body, your mind, your beauty. It's not fancy, it's not expensive, but it is absolutely imperative for your health. I remember my grandmother, who almost lived to be a hundred, always carried around a giant, huge, you know, those hospital jugs of water that you get, always iced down, those big jugs. And she would say, she'd be sitting in the living room in her recliner and her lazy boy recliner, she'd go, Honey, I will wear bells, cowbells at your wedding if you'll get me a fresh glass of water. And that woman was healthy and her skin was beautiful until the day she passed. Your skin looks brighter, you're more plump if you have the proper hydration. It also softens fine lines, reduces puffiness and inflammation, helps with under-eye brightness. High hydration is the original glow up. Your energy levels go up, your brain fog goes down, and who doesn't have some brain fog these days? Digestion and bloat improve, mood improves, sleep quality is better, hormones respond better when you're consistently hydrated. And for exercise fitness, those of you who are runners like me, uh it increases your endurance, more stable pace, fewer cramps, less fatigue, faster recovery. As a matter of fact, I'm taking a drink right now. So ounces. What's a good rule of thumb for the minimum amount of water you should take in every day? Half your body weight is a minimum. If it's hot outside, if you're exercising, obviously more. My goal is actually double that. So I try to hit my body weight in ounces of water every day. I love those big bottles. My favorite right now is an alkaline water. Essentially, but any alkaline water is great for you. But the essentia has these giant, giant bottles. And if I can get through two or three of those a day, I feel like I'm winning. Um, it's a lot of water, but it's a great practice just to be mindful of it. A tip or a trick if you don't love water, is to put some flavoring in it. I was at my mom's this weekend and she has this skinny coffee syrup and she puts it in her water and she says she loves it. Now, I don't love the sweet, but she does. And you do you, if it helps you get the water in, whatever you need to do. I actually like putting electrolytes at least for one of my glasses of water a day. I like LMT because I don't love sweet, and I feel like some of the sweeter ones makes me a little puffy, but you can't do or you shouldn't do LMT every day. It's really high in sodium. So if you're doing a long run or you have a heavy sweating day, it's perfect and it's it is salty, but it's delicious, in my opinion. Um, I'm trying nectar. I had a friend refer me to nectar, and it's very clean, and I love how light it is. So I'm trying that one as a more regular electrolyte. But here's what I want you to do. I'd like you to just jump in, start tracking how much water, be mindful of how much water you're how much hydration you're taking in every day. I'd love for you to share with me what your favorite electrolytes are. Tell me what you use, what helps you drink more, what tastes good, what are your tricks that you swear by? So, to-do list this week, track your ounces per day, set two to three checkpoints in your day to refill, add flavor or electrolytes if it helps you. Take a before and after photo of your skin this week. I think you'll see it. I know you will. And DM me your favorite hydration hacks. I'll share them. Okay. Well, I've gone on and on this week, but it's been fun, and I hope that I hope that you are looking forward to next week's episode as well. So, what can you expect? We're just getting started. Episode three will be part one of my running journey. I can't wait to share that with you. What got me started, what made me go from I can't even consider myself a runner to a three-time dopey finisher, a marathon runner. I can't wait to get guests on. I am planning a mother-daughter episode with Miss Maddie Joe. You've heard so much about her, and then some also other incredible humans. We even, if you want to, and I'd love to hear what you want to hear, but you know, what it's like parenting teens. I do have two college graduates. I'll be happy to share my maybe later after I get a little more confident in this, talking about my divorce journey, um, what it's like to have an X plant, my mommy makeover, what it's like balancing being a working mom and breastfeeding. We can dive into any of that. I'd just love to hear what you guys want to hear. Okay. So my daughter, also Peyton, when she called me to tell me that she was proud of me, she said, what you're missing is how can they get in touch with you? You encourage the community to talk to you, but how? So you can reach me on texting on this podcast, which you're able to just click, text, and direct message me. You can direct message me on any of my social media channels. And then you can also email me at Stephanieintheparks at gmail.com. Thank you so much for being here and listening to episode two of Champagne Smiles and Magical Miles and letting me share the heart behind this podcast. If something in today's episode resonated, share it with someone who might need a little joy, a little purpose, or a little encouragement, or a little hydration. You could also please follow me on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook at Stephanie in the Parks for behind the scenes daily magic and new episode updates. Love you, hug, kisses, cheers, go drink some bubbly, book the trip. It's Matty Joe time.