
Hack Your Happiness
From the left, Mercedes and her sister Anastasia Korngut co-host a popular podcast that tackles teen communication.
In today’s digital age, communication between teens and parents can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded. Whether it's navigating the haze of teenage rebellion or simply managing daily interactions, maintaining a healthy dialogue can often seem like an uphill battle. But what if there was a way to bridge this gap? Enter “Hack Your Happiness,” a podcast that blends insightful life hacks with thought-provoking discussions, all from the perspective of two teenage sisters.
The hosts, Mercedes and Anastasia Korngut, hail from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Despite their young ages — Mercedes is 17 and Anastasia is 15 — the duo has already carved out a niche for themselves with their podcast, which seeks to tackle some of the most pressing issues teens face today, while also offering guidance to parents on how to strengthen their connections with their children. And they’ve been able to book some interesting guests since the podcast’s inception in 2022. Through interviews with Olympians, bestselling authors, top professors, and even Oscar winners, “Hack Your Happiness” provides a unique lens on the art of happiness and communication.
Besides being the producer and co-host of “Hack Your Happiness,” Mercedes has become a contributor to various North American magazines on topics of happiness and parent-teen connection. Anastasia, on the other hand, is a talented fashion designer besides being co-host of the podcast. She also heads social media and leads the design department for Small Bits of Happiness, the brand under which “Hack Your Happiness” resides. Together, they create a space where teens and parents can come together, learn, and find happiness.
According to the “Hack Your Happiness,” website, Canadians under the age of 30 ranked 58th in the world regarding happiness. This trend is also present in the USA and many Western European countries. In Canada, females aged 13 to 15 have experienced a negative trend in well-being for over a decade, even before the pandemic. And after the pandemic, females aged 11 also saw a negative shift. The Korngut sisters, through their podcast, aim to reverse this trend by empowering teens and parents with the tools they need to foster happiness and better communication.
We had the chance to chat with Mercedes to discuss the podcast’s origins, its impact on her own life, and how it resonates with both teens and adults alike.

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Fort Worth Magazine: How did the idea for this podcast come about, and what’s the mission behind it?
Mercedes Korngut: “Hack Your Happiness” is part of our company, Small Bits of Happiness. Our mission is to help individuals of all ages find more happiness daily, build happy habits, and boost parent-to-child and parent-to-teen connection. As two teens ourselves, we know how challenging it can be to take advice from adults — whether it’s parents, teachers, or whoever. So we wanted to highlight stories from people teens look up to, like Olympic athletes, bestselling authors, and other iconic individuals. We get to share what makes them happy and how they think about life, and we think it’s helpful for both teens and parents.
FWM: I have a 17-year-old daughter myself, and I know how hard it can be sometimes to really connect on a deeper level. I think it’s so awesome that you and your sister are doing this work. What’s been the reaction from your own parents to the podcast?
MK: Oh, they’re super supportive. They think it’s amazing that we get to talk to people they also find interesting and inspirational. It’s been so rewarding — since we’ve been doing the podcast, we’ve learned so much about happiness and connection. For example, we learned from Professor Sonya Luki about how important it is to really prioritize connection in happiness, so now we make a point to spend intentional time together. Also, from Cal Newport, we learned how to put our phones away more, and that’s been a game changer for all of us.
FWM: That’s such great advice. As a parent, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the digital world and forget to focus on real-time connection. How has it been for you personally to implement these changes, like putting the phone down?
MK: It was definitely hard at first, but it’s become easier over time. It takes about 21 days to form a habit, so I had to really push myself. Now, it feels like second nature. For example, I don’t check my phone first thing in the morning anymore. I make sure I’ve done my morning routine before I reach for it, and I just feel a lot better for it.
FWM: What do your friends think about the show?
MK: They think it’s really cool. A lot of my friends tune into the podcast, and they especially love the variety of guests we have on. Some of my friends are really into sports, so they loved our episode with Penny Alexi, the Olympic swimmer. Others are into books, so they enjoyed our chat with Meg Cabot, the author of “The Princess Diaries.” It’s been great hearing how much they appreciate the guests we bring on.
FWM: Do you have any dream guests you’d like to have on the show?
MK: Absolutely! One of my dream guests is Vanessa Van Edwards. She’s a body language expert, and I’m a huge fan of her work. I think she’d bring such an interesting perspective on communication and connection.
FWM: What advice would you give to a parent — like me, in my forties — who’s trying to communicate better with their teenager?
MK: I’d say to intentionally spend time together. It’s easy to let conversations happen in passing, like at the dinner table or in the car, but really making the time to ask your teen, ‘Hey, what do you want to do this weekend? Let’s spend some time together,’ goes a long way. It doesn’t always have to be about having a deep conversation. Just being present together makes a huge difference.
FWM: That’s such simple but powerful advice. What’s next for ‘Hack Your Happiness’?
MK: We’re always looking to grow and reach more people. We recently launched on iHeartRadio, which was super exciting. We want to keep expanding our platform, bringing on more incredible guests, and helping as many people as possible build happier lives.