Talking Shop is our series where we talk to interesting people about their most interesting buys.
Danielle Fishel has never been afraid to try something new. Since starring as Topanga Lawrence in Boy Meets World (and reprising the iconic role in Girl Meets World), she’s directed TV episodes, executive produced and hosted multiple podcasts, founded a hair care company, competed on Dancing With The Stars and performed live on the show’s tour. The biggest lesson she’s learned from each experience? Your job really can blend work and pleasure, and if you feel stuck, open another door.
“Knowing how much I enjoy doing the podcast, knowing how much fun we had on Boy Meets World, knowing what an incredible time I had on Dancing with the Stars — all of those things are technically work, but they’re very fun work,” she says. “Appreciating that every day and finding as many ways and times to have fun and prioritize joy as possible has kind of been my new mantra.”
I recently caught up with Fishel to learn about her newest projects, and she shared the products she relies on most whether she’s relaxing at home, recording a podcast episode or living on the DWTS tour bus.
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Fishel says she considered herself a researcher while on tour with the Dancing with the Stars pros, all of whom are professional dancers with intense training and recovery regimens. “If I was going to be on tour with them for a month, I wanted to learn what they’re eating and doing at the gym,” she says. “I went to the gym with them every day and I was eating what they were eating, and now there’s a lot of cottage cheese and rotisserie chicken in my life. I really used it as an opportunity to kickstart a whole new life.”
One of the purchases that came out of Fishel’s research is this pair of compression stockings. “Compression leggings are a game-changer for me with recovery and inflammation,” she says. She used them between performances and rehearsals, especially on tour. The stockings come in a set of two, and go up to the mid-thigh (depending on your height). There’s also a version with an open-toe design.
“Sleep is my number one priority for self-care: If I am not well rested, my kids, husband and work won’t get the best version of me, and I don’t like feeling run down,” says Fishel. “A Manta sleep mask has been the best investment in my sleep health. I use the Pro version, which is made for side sleepers. The padded and rounded eye cups are so comfortable and it blocks out all light, which was so important while I was on tour and sleeping on a bus.”
“I can’t tell you how many times I used to microwave the same cup of coffee as a mom to two small kids. It just drove me insane,” says Fishel. “But because this mug stays the perfect temperature I select, I make my cup of coffee in the morning and no matter what I have to do, the coffee is still the same temperature the next time I go take a sip.”
When we asked Fishel what she imagined Topanga’s house would look like in 2026, she went straight to colors. “As Danielle, I’m definitely guilty of being a little modern farmhouse beige basic, but I’m over it now,” she says. “I look around and I’m like, I don’t want any of this beige here. I want deep saturated colors, like burgundies and turquoise. I think that’s what Topanga’s home would be.”
Fishel says the number one home item she currently can’t live without is her Williams Sonoma Candle Warmer. “On Instagram, I’ve seen so many people have clothing or other items catch fire from candles, and no matter how much I tell my kids to not touch the flame, they’re like a month,” she says. “I don’t have to worry about that with this candle warmer. You still get the scent, but no flame. I don’t have to stress about my cat’s tail catching, either.”
Fishel founded her hair care company, Be Free, in 2019 soon after having her first baby. She started paying more attention to the ingredients in the beauty products she was using when she got pregnant, and after trying “natural” shampoos, conditioners, detanglers and other stylers that let her down, she decided to create her own. Her favorite Be Free product is the hair mask.
“A nice hair mask can save your hair, especially when it’s dry and cold out, and you have curly textured hair like me,” says Fishel. Like everything in Be Free’s line, the mask is free from fragrances, parabens, sulfates, phosphates, phthalates, sodium chloride and gluten.
This blush is another essential part of Fishel’s beauty routine. “I’m in love with Rare Beauty liquid blushes, and Virtue and Worth are currently my two favorite colors,” she says. “A little dab on each cheek goes a long way, but it’s also easily buildable, so whether you’re going for a no-makeup makeup glow or more of a blush-blindness beauty [look], it has you covered.”
Nothing taught Fishel more about how useful disinfecting cleaning products are than living on a tour bus for a month while traveling across the country during the Dancing with the Stars tour.
“It was the first time I had ever been on a tour bus for an extended period of time, and I was sharing a rather small space with nine other people,” she says. “Obviously when you’re on tour for a month, or in the pros’ case, four and a half months, staying healthy is a priority, so Lysol having a disinfectant rate of 99.9 percent can’t be beat. It also leaves behind a really nice, refreshing scent, which is a major plus in a shared room.”
Fishel also uses Lysol’s wipes, all-purpose cleaner and spray to clean her home, and she travels with them. “They get rid of germs and mysterious stickiness, which is inevitable when you have a 5- and a 7-year-old, a cat and a dog. I keep the wipes in my car and in a baggie in my purse, too,” she says.
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I’m a reporter at NBC Select who writes our Talking Shop series, interviewing people like Paris Hilton, Maureen Kelly, Hannah Berner and Chase Crawford. To write this article, I interviewed Danielle Fishel about her favorite products and recent projects, like her Pod Meets World podcast and Dancing With The Stars run.
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