Introducing PeppTalk Podcast: Inspiring Conversations of Significance from Pepperdine University

Welcome to PeppTalk—Pepperdine's newest podcast dedicated to sparking conversations of personal and global significance, featuring world-renowned professors, faculty, and students from across the University.

In partnership with Pepperdine's Boone Center for the Family and hosted by Alexa Borstad and Coby Dolloff, the series will focus on relationships. Whether single or married, a parent or a grandparent, a senior professional or just starting out in the workplace, relationships play a significant role in our daily lives. And we all experience the stress that they can produce—the misunderstandings, the confusion, the hope for a different interaction. If healthy relationships are at the center of a flourishing, successful life, why don’t we have an easier time navigating them?

PeppTalk dives deep into these very questions, offering insights and guidance. The first two episodes—the second just dropped today, May 19—are available to listen to now.

Episode 1: "Why Are Relationships Hard?" Kick off the series with host Borstad and experts Kelly Haer, executive director of the Boone Center, and DeeDee Mayer, director of Relationship IQ, as they explore the deep emotional and cultural forces that make all types of relationships so challenging, offering wisdom for greater connection.

Episode 2: "Is Dating Worth It?" Join hosts Dolloff and Borstad with relationship expert Haer to tackle the modern dating scene. Get practical advice on dating with intention, navigating the digital world, and fostering meaningful connections. Learn about the Relationship IQ program and how to date well.

No matter your stage in life, these conversations aim to equip listeners with valuable perspectives drawn from clinical experience, practical insights, biblical wisdom, and psychological research. Listen to PeppTalk wherever you get your podcasts and start your journey toward more connected and flourishing relationships today. The series will also be available on PeppLearn—Pepperdine’s newest resource providing users with live and on-demand content.