At My Kitchen Table

Teabags, I love it when I meet people who are "doers" in life - the people who see a need and figure out creative ways to fill it.  Erica Cochran pulls up a seat at my kitchen table today to talk about how she’s intentionally modeling action over acceptance for her kids when they see something that isn’t fair, and how in one recent instance, that action resulted in co-founding a business with her daughter!

She also dives into becoming a Disney family, trauma-informed coaching, how girls always know when they are secondary, and why you shouldn't call your kids’ college coaches.

Get cozy!

This week's small business spotlight is on Game On, Girls!

Search Game On, Girls! on Facebook and find them on Instagram @gameongirlsapparel

Order from Game On, Girls at https://gogapparel.com

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

It’s Wednesday, Teabags, and it’s time to welcome Jaclyn Haines to my kitchen table.  I have the pleasure of knowing Jaclyn because she’s married one of my bonus kids – her husband is one of my son’s closest friends.  She gets into some personal medical history as she speaks candidly about her lupus diagnosis and what likely triggered it.

She also talks about the strength of her competitive dance friend group, the harrowing end to her pregnancy, the stress of her son’s first few months, and how she leaned on her husband and family to get back on her feet.

Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Teabags, I am so excited for today’s conversation with my dear friend, former co-worker, fellow avid reader, and COVID show-watching buddy, Chris Distler.  Not only is Chris all of these things, but he’s also one of the earliest Teabags, making today’s conversation even more special to me.

Chris pulls up a seat at my kitchen table to tell stories of how he and his friend, Laurel, through-hiked the Appalachian Trail after college.  An adventurer and lover of challenges, Chris talks about the absolute trust he had in his hiking partner, why the woods is where it was safe, trail names and the cast of characters he encountered on his journey, and what he learned about himself.

Pull up a chair or cushion to hear about trail magic, trail fuckery, the trail rules, the jarring surreality of Gatlinburg, TN, and how walking wet just sucks.  Get cozy!

This week's indie author spotlight is on Chris Distler.

Zoo See Me! is the first book that Chris has published. He wanted to write a story that was fun and educational for children but also entertaining for parents.  Zoo See Me! takes you on a journey through the zoo to see the world through the eyes of the animals.  Exciting and hilarious for both kids and adults, there’s a favorite animal perspective for everyone!  Visit zooseemebook.com for more information.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Welcome to Wednesday, Teabags!  Today, I’m joined at my kitchen table by Olivia Zortman, who dives into what it's like for her to work through reconciling her religion with her identity. Growing up as a queer kid in an inclusive Christian denomination, only to have her own church separate because it believes homosexuality to be a sin impacted both family relationships and the community she'd had since birth.

Olivia also talks about being a self-proclaimed weird kid, parallel play, her love of musicals, how everything matters more when you’re a teenager, and that you can’t spell Melica without Melia. 

Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Teabags, buckle up!  Jason Hill, CJ McDermott, and Robbie Meixner return to my kitchen table today to talk about the importance of male friendships.  Bonding over ninja turtles, a complicated neighbor, and the CoGos on Virginia Avenue, these three love each other deeply even if no one remembers exactly how Jason & CJ met. 

They chat about how they show up for each other, why it's easy to hear that you're being an asshole when it comes from your best friends, and the execution of the longest, most deviously wholesome prank ever.

This one is also for Papi – it was clearly an egregious error not to have included you in our chat.

Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

You know we love a deep dive into the things that drive people to serve, particularly in government.  This week, Dylan Altemara joins me at my kitchen table to discuss how is own personal experiences led him to get involved.  Dylan gets candid about how his own health, two major medical events in his family, navigating insurance claims, filing for medical bankruptcy, and living with housing insecurity made him want to work to eliminate or ease these hardships.

Dylan also talks about the importance of being intellectually curious, the immediacy of now, being comfortable with loss at a young age, and how normal teenage milestones weren’t even on his radar.  He’s running for PA State Representative in District 39 and finds that we all have way more in common in our day-to-day lives that we have differences.

Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Happy Wednesday, Teabags!  For those of you who have followed me on socials for a long time or who have read my blog, you’ll know my guest as Kid 1.  My oldest, Braeden, joins me at my kitchen table this week to have a yap about what life is like with “Irish twins.”

Plenty of people experience having kids close in age, but Braeden talks about the challenges and joys that come with parenting kids who are extremely close in age.  He also discusses how his kids are each other’s shadow, how parenting changes the core functions of who you are, what it means to have a Hootie, and how what is important is what works for YOU.

I also take offense when he calls Mötley Crüe “classic rock” because it’s fucking disrespectful.

Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Taking a seat at my kitchen table this week is Jonathan Slade, a college professor, documentarian, and the creator / reporter / photographer of the hyperlocal newspaper, The Mason-Dixon Surveyor.

I was really excited to sit down with Jonathan and dive into the impetus for him to start the paper and the logistics of what it takes to bring good writing and news to his small community.  Jonathan also provides deep insights about a number of other topics as he talks about his concern that stories about our communities are vanishing, the impact of poor media literacy, the importance of talking to people who aren’t normally talked to, and how he doesn’t want to be known as the guy who wrote great emails.

Let’s see how many of my GenXers can spot the mentions of dittoes, rolodexes, phone books, typewriters, and white out! Get cozy!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Teabags, it’s time to post up with the guest who quite possibly has the coolest name on the planet!

Blaze LaBoon pulls up a chair at my kitchen table today to talk about how sports has been so foundational in her life.  She also chats about the origin of her name, wtf it means to be a stoop kid, her jobs with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins, and her hopes to one day transition to playing pickleball as she gets older.

Get cozy!

This week's small business spotlight is on Tiger Moth Mercantile.

Find Tiger Moth on Instagram: @tigermothmercantile

Order from Tiger Moth at www.tigermothmercantile.com

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Every once in a while, I’ll have a topic idea that I’ll float by a potential guest because it’s something I’m curious about and want new perspectives.  And sometimes the lesson I learn is that the universe doesn’t care what I want, and instead it gives me a gift.

Today I welcome my niece, Melia Myers, to my kitchen table.  My goal was to have a yap about the changes in how we market colleges and the promise of jobs to kids differently now than when I went to college.  But her story is far more about college and the future from a Gen Zer who is about to enter her senior year of college amid a volatile job market and big technology disruptions.

She also shares how her anxiety and depression manifested at young ages, how she loves a hot goss session, why she chose a small school not too far from home, and why you couldn’t pay her to go back and do 1st semester freshman year again.

The kids may love to spill tea, but they’re still alright.  Get cozy!

This week's small business spotlight is on Tiger Moth Mercantile.

Find Tiger Moth on Instagram: @tigermothmercantile

Order from Tiger Moth at www.tigermothmercantile.com

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.