THEE BIG SWING with Lloyd Hassell
There's a moment before everything changes — a conversation, a decision, a thing you almost didn't say — that you don't recognize until you're looking back at it.
This is a reflective podcast about those moments: the emotional reckonings and quiet internal recalibrations that change our trajectory over time, and the possibilities still available in life.
Each episode explores what happens when curiosity, courage, accountability, or reflection opens a new way of seeing ourselves and the world.
Through personal reflections and thoughtful conversations, Lloyd and occasional guests explore changing identities, relationships, and the quiet decisions that alter how we see ourselves and our lives over time.
The biggest swing isn't always dramatic.
Often, it's the shift inside that changes everything.
THEE BIG SWING with Lloyd Hassell
When Women Let Their Guard Down
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In this episode of THEE BIG SWING, I share something I have been noticing in the lives of four women who mean a great deal to me.
They are all different — different ages, different personalities, different life experiences. But they had one thing in common: they were skeptical of AI and fiercely independent. At first, they wanted little to do with it.
Then, one by one, something changed.
As they began using AI to solve problems, make decisions, plan for the future, and better understand themselves, I realized the real transformation was not only about technology.
It was about confidence.
It was about curiosity.
It was about letting go of the belief that they had to figure everything out on their own.
Watching my sister, a close friend, a thoughtful young woman, and eventually my own daughter begin to trust themselves in new ways has been one of the most rewarding things I have witnessed.
Maybe this episode is not really about AI at all.
Maybe it is about the moment we realize that accepting help does not make us weaker. It can give us the freedom to grow into who we are becoming.
I hope this conversation encourages you to think about where you might be carrying more than you need to, and what could become possible if you finally let your guard down.
A written reflection for this episode is available at theebigswing.com/reflections.
This episode is also paired with the original companion song “When Women Let Their Guard Down,” performed by Beckett Calloway, from Thee Big Swing Sessions.
The episode tells the story.
The reflection goes deeper.
The song carries the feeling.
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THEE BIG SWING with Lloyd Hassell
There's a version of you that existed before something shifted - before a conversation, a decision, a thing you almost didn't say. You don't always recognize the moment it happened. You just notice, later, that you're not who you were.
This is a reflective podcast about those moments: the emotional reckonings and subtle internal recalibrations that change our trajectory over time - and the possibilities still available in life.
Each episode explores what happens when curiosity, courage, accountability, or reflection opens a new way of seeing ourselves and the world.
Through personal reflections and conversations, Lloyd explores changing identities, relationships, self-trust, and the quiet decisions that alter how we see ourselves over time.
This is for people who are quietly realizing they are not the same person anymore - and that there are still choices left.
The biggest swing isn't always dramatic.
Often, it's the shift inside that changes everything.
If something here stayed with you, you can reach me at lloyd@theebigswing.com
Welcome to the big swing where everyone has an opportunity. I've been noticing something recently. There are four women in my life. They're all very different. We're completely resistant to AI whenever I mentioned it. And what struck me wasn't that they changed their minds about AI. It feels more like something in them is changing. And it's really nice to see. I'll describe each one of them. One is my sister, a very independent woman sometimes easily shook off her course because of s a lack of self-confidence in handling some things. When I shared my belief with her, she just kind of went blank because she was trying to get something done, and I explained to her, listen, if you just use AI to help you, you'll get through it a lot easier and you'll get educated. Now she talks to me enthusiastically about how she's used AI to plan her life going forward and where she wants to move to and all the details involved. And she has an application that she needs to submit, and she told me that she was on her computer for six hours, nonstop, working things out. And she's even named or described her AI tool in a feminine voice. I just laugh. I'm happy for her, but and I could see that she's let her guard down and let something come in and help her. She's single and she's had to count on herself for decades. It's really nice to see. The other one is a very, very community activist. Very busy. And she likes to hit the ground running and just get things going. They don't have to be perfect, just make it happen. And I've said to her sometimes, listen, you could slow down. And by the way, why don't you use this tool or tool like this to help you synthesize your thoughts, get some more bearing, and then go forward without just leaping into something. And she didn't want any parts of that thinking at first. And gradually she started using it herself to solve issues. And so the funny thing about her is now she uses it and she comes back to me with feedback on what she learned, what she did, and what she created. And she's gone as far now to advocate for AI as a tool with people she knows. She told me a story, and it was so funny. She said, um, you know, one of my friends came to me and she's older and she's trying to get a new job. And she's having a hard time with it. I fully understood what she was saying because I'm an older person. Um I could imagine if I went out looking for a job today, it might be difficult. So back to the woman. So she said to the woman, why don't you use AI to help you synthesize all of your life experiences, your work experience, your education, and ax the tool, how to monetize what you have. And she was so proud of herself and so excited that she did that. And all I could do inside was a laugh. It was beautiful to see her grow. The other person is someone I know who's just about to turn 30, a deep thinker, well read, um, far reaching with uh the subject she thinks about and the sources that she gets information from, and a person who's very leery of the establishment. Um she'll describe herself as a slow burn. And I know her to be like that. Never rushed, never really overly excited. Well, lo and behold, she began using AI in her relationship, and with thoughts about herself within that relationship, and how to synthesize projects that she's working on, and she's extremely independent, and that's a common theme amongst all of the women I'm talking about. And more and more she uses it, and she shares with me how she used it and how it's helped her. I'm listening to them tell me about their newfound information. And when they go and use that information to execute a plan or a vision, and they come back and tell me how excited they are about how it worked. The last one is probably nearest to me. And she's my daughter. She's 16, soon to be 17, has always had a challenging time in school, has, and school has never been her thing. It's been more of a social platform for her. And doesn't consider herself smart. That's been her self-image for years. And unfortunately, I had something to do with that, being harsh while trying to teach her things when she was very young. And she's extremely strong-willed. She's getting older now, and my repeated messages to her throughout the years about learning how to figure things out and the importance of school for that purpose, reading, writing, thinking, critical thinking. So headed into her senior year of high school, I'm talking with her and I'm asking her, what would you like to try to do after high school rather than pushing college on her or anything like that? And I say to her, look, you don't have to figure out what you're going to do with the rest of your life. You're too young for that. So I began introducing AI to her as a way to find out information about what she's interested in trying to do. And she's starting to use it little by little, and I could see her opening up as she gains information and confidence about the ability to try what it is she's thinking about. It's beautiful to watch her changing. And recently she sent me a beautiful text message. It was on my birthday, and she expressed so many things. I did think that she relied on AI to help her write it, but it included her sentiments. And it was just so beautiful. And I can tell you, she would not have done that before. Would have never happened at all. So I think it's giving her a way to go forward and help herself out, which is what I'm most grateful for. Maybe it's not really about AI at all. Maybe it's about the moment you realize you don't have to carry everything on your own anymore.