Kristin Cavallari Dishes On Podcasting, Self-Care & Bringing Her Headline Tour To Chicago

Kristin Cavallari is taking her hit podcast, Let’s Be Honest, on the road.

Since stepping into the spotlight over two decades ago on MTV’s Laguna Beach, Cavallari has built an empire—writing four bestselling books, founding a globally recognized brand and launching her unfiltered lifestyle podcast, Let’s Be Honest.

After debuting her podcast in 2023, Cavallari has welcomed a star-studded lineup of guests, including Travis Kelce, Rebecca Minkoff, Bobby Flay, Dr. Daniel Amen and Vanderpump Rules alum Stassi Schroeder. The podcast dives into trending headlines, relationships, dating, nutrition and wellness—offering candid conversations on physical and spiritual health, connection and self-love.

At the same time, Cavallari remains at the helm of her lifestyle brand Uncommon James—specializing in jewelry, skincare, fragrance, apparel, accessories and home décor—which has had a location in Chicago’s West Loop since 2019.

Now, the pop culture icon is headed to the Windy City’s Athenaeum Center on March 8 for her inaugural Headline Tour, which makes stops in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston and New York. We caught up with Cavallari to discuss her upcoming podcast tour, how she prioritizes self-care and what’s next on the horizon.

What inspired you to start Let’s Be Honest?

I had the Back to The Beach podcast with Steven Colletti that we did, and I really enjoyed the experience. It fit nicely with my life. Being able to work from home and on my schedule was a dream come true, so I knew I wanted to continue to do it. I felt like doing a podcast that could be about anything and everything, and that’s the beauty of it. What keeps it exciting for me is that I’m the boss. I have no one else to answer to. So, if one week I want to talk to Dr. Daniel Amen about brain health, and then the next week I want to shift gears and talk about my latest crazy dating stories, I can do that. It keeps it really fun and exciting for me. On a personal note, coming from reality TV and having my voice controlled for so long, being able to take my voice back has been really nice. I do feel like this is the first time in my over 20-year-long career that people are finally getting to see me for me.

How does it feel to return to Chicago for the Let’s Be Honest Headline Tour?

I’m so excited. Chicago is one of my favorite cities; it’s near and dear to my heart. I’ve got so many memories there, from middle school to now. I still go back and visit Chicago. I love it so much, and I still have a lot of friends in the area. So, when I knew I was doing a podcast tour, going to Chicago was an absolute no-brainer. I’m doing two shows in Chicago, and those are probably the two that I’m most excited about.

What have you learned about yourself through podcasting?

With the podcast, it’s just me, a microphone and a camera. I’ve been able to open up and be vulnerable, but I wouldn’t say it’s easy by any means. I think that five years ago, this never would have worked. I’m finally at a really peaceful, great place in my life to be able to do this.

What aspect of The Headline Tour are you most excited about?

I’m really excited to connect with the fans. In my career, I’ve done appearances, but this is in a different way. I do feel like these are my people, my ride-or-dies that are coming out, and that makes me really excited to be able to meet them, connect with them and do this for them. I’m excited to be able to do this in front of my people who have supported me my entire career and made this tour possible.

How has Uncommon James evolved since you expanded to Chicago in 2019?

We’re primarily an e-commerce company, but we do have a few stores, and we want to open more. We have our eyes on a few different locations, and we’re continuing to grow and expand with our skincare. We’re continuing to launch new products, and that’s been our focus. Growing and scaling is always the goal.

As a mom of three, a podcast host, a business owner, an author and the founder of multiple brands, how do you balance your personal and professional life while prioritizing self-care?

I’m in this mode of wanting to be with my kids all the time, to be at every single game and be at everything going on because everything just goes by so fast. I know that the travel, the dating and the dinners with friends will come, and I’ve had plenty of them in my life. I don’t feel like I’m lacking in any way. I’m a homebody, and I love my days like today, getting my kids ready for school in the morning and having a great workout. I’m still finalizing everything for the podcast tour, but then I’m able to go and do a face mask if I want to because I’m working from home. It’s great having that kind of freedom. Being home is what makes me the happiest, and then making dinner at night with the family and being in bed by 9:30.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to be announcing something next week, and it will piggyback on my podcast tour. I’m in a phase where I do not want to add more to my plate, but if I can maximize something that I’m already doing, that excites me. I’m just happy and content with where things are at in my life, and I’m no longer in the hustle phase. I’m no longer looking to constantly add more to my plate. I’m really happy with my whole career, and I’m just steady. Things are just really good, and I’m going to keep it that way.

See also: Modern Luxury’s Best Of Chicago Beauty Winners