The Kids Left.
We Rediscovered Each Other.
A 25-year journey from a mid-90s romance to an empty nest in 2023 and “The Loud Quiet" life we're building today.
TWO PEOPLE. ONE CHRISTMAS PARTY. ZERO REGRETS.
Before the Kids, Before the Quiet,
There Was Just Us
It was 1995. Clancy was introduced to Rick at a Christmas event, while he was on a date with another girl. To this day, he jokes he can't remember her name. She remembers everything. A friendship turned into something more by the summer of '96, and by the time Rick planned a surprise trip to Costa Rica—which Clancy nearly missed (a story we tell in full on the podcast)—he was down on one knee.
On Memorial Day weekend in 2000, during an actual tornado watch, we said "I do." A year later in Hawaii, Clancy announced she was ready for a family. Rick did not see it coming. To this day, she’s still catching him off guard.
CARPOOLS, COMPETITIVE CHEER, AND A FRIDGE THAT WAS NEVER FULL
Twenty Years of Beautiful Chaos
Tanner arrived in 2001. Teagan in 2004. And with them came two decades of club soccer, competitive cheer, dance recitals, and schedules that owned us completely. We didn't plan to become competitive sports parents. It just happened and we loved every exhausting minute of it. We also loved to travel. Italy. China. Hong Kong. Costa Rica. We dragged those kids everywhere and have zero regrets.
What we were intentional about was us. Date nights stayed on the calendar, even when "date night" meant frozen pizza and a Friends rerun after the kids crashed. Twenty years of "kid-first" living didn't mean we put ourselves last. It meant we learned to hold both and that choice made all the difference when August 2023 arrived.
WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE US?
The Question That Changed Everything
In March of 2023, Clancy caught Rick completely off guard, again. "What if I don't like us when she leaves?" Teagan was headed to college several states away, and Clancy, ever the one to name the thing nobody wants to say out loud, said it. The kid glue that had held our rhythm together for twenty years was about to be gone.
After the emotion settled and the real conversations began, The Loud Quiet Podcast was born. We figured we couldn't be the only couple navigating these shifts. The identity shift, the relationship shift, the strange feeling of parenting someone who doesn't need you the same way anymore. So we decided to figure it out in front of a microphone, with everyone else going through it right alongside us.
THE LAST IKEA BAG WAS PACKED
August 2023: The Day the House Went Quiet
The car pulled out of the driveway. Neither of us said a word. We spent that first Saturday in a neighboring city because neither of us was ready to sit in the silence at home. And then we made a decision: our mantra for year one was "SAY YES." Happy hour on a Wednesday. San Antonio in October. A Life Group for empty nesters. A podcasting conference. We may have over-indexed. We have no regrets.
Were there tears? Of course. We believe in feeling the feelings, we just don't believe in staying stuck there. The empty nest transition is real, the sadness is valid, and the gratitude is equally real. This season broke us open in the best possible way. And everything we're building — the podcast, the book, the community — came directly out of choosing to thrive instead of just survive.
Meet the Duo
Clancy
A nurse, a flight attendant and a fitness instructor. A room parent, a PTA board member and a Booster Club President. Clancy has worn many hats but her favorite titles are wife to Rick and mom to Tanner and Teagan.She and Rick have built deep roots in the North Texas area. While she still enjoys working out and social gatherings with friends, most of her free time is spent exploring new places and sampling new dishes around the world with Rick and the kids(when their schedules allow). She will also engage in hours of conversation about all things Bravo. While it took some adjusting to her new identity in the empty nest she is loving the opportunities it has made available. She has rediscovered her creative side and started a second act that she did not see coming.
Rick
Rick believes the best meals are served outside and require a passport. He loves the outdoors and is always dreaming about the next overseas trip. At home on Saturday mornings, you’ll find Rick with a cup of coffee reading the actual printed newspaper, with one eye on College Game Day or the English Premier League. In the 90s, Rick met Clancy who is truly the best part of his life. In the 00s, Rick added a new role to the resume as father, and has loved watching both kids grow into amazing young adults, who…shocker…love traveling the globe as well. Today, you’ll find him either on mic recording The Loud Quiet, on the road with Clancy heading out to dinner (or the airport!), or enjoying a nice run through the neighborhood.
As Heard On
We Show Up Ready to Talk. (Your Listeners Will Thank You.)
Rick and Clancy bring the same honesty, humor, and heart from The Loud Quiet to every stage and studio they walk into. If your audience includes couples, parents, or anyone navigating midlife's biggest shift, we should talk.
Our Favorite Topics to Tackle:
- Marriage 2.0: How to date the person you’ve lived with for over two decades.
- The Parenting Identity Rebrand: Moving from "Full-Time Parent" to "Mentor-Coach ParentPurpose-Driven Person."
- Navigating the August Shift: Tactical and emotional survival for the first year of empty nesting.
- The Humor in the Hush: Finding the joy in the transition.
NOT READY TO BOOK US? LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS.
Start Here. We've Got Something for You.
We created The Loud Quiet because we needed it — and then realized how many other people did too. Whether you're staring at a silent bedroom for the first time or you've been an empty nester for years and still feel stuck, you're in the right place.
Drop your name and email below and you're in. You'll get the Introduction chapter of The Loud Quiet as a welcome gift, plus our weekly newsletter — real stories, honest conversation, and the occasional laugh you didn't know you needed. No spam. Just two empty nesters keeping it real every week.