Curious Life of a Childfree Woman

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to open your door when you're waiting for everything to be perfect?"

In this episode, Emily Paulsen sits down with Chelsea Fagan, author of Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Gathering and co-founder of The Financial Diet. Chelsea believes that in a world that feels increasingly disconnected and transactional, opening your door and creating space for community might be one of the most important things we can do. She explores why hosting has become a dying art, how toxic self-care culture keeps us isolated, and what it takes to build meaningful connections through the simple act of having people over.

Together, Emily and Chelsea unpack the barriers that keep us from hosting, from perfectionism to exhaustion to the misconception that gathering requires money we don't have. They discuss the critical role of platonic friendships in a culture that overvalues romantic relationships, the practice of adult sleepovers as a way to deepen intimacy, and how being a good guest is just as important as being a good host. Chelsea also shares practical tips for creating ambiance through the five senses, choosing themes that feel loose and inspiring rather than rigid, and maximizing time with guests instead of hiding in the kitchen.

This episode is a reminder that connection doesn't require perfection. It requires presence, intention, and the willingness to let people see your home and your life as they are.

Key Takeaways:

• Hosting is about people, not performance: The most important thing when hosting is maximizing time with your guests, because they came to be with you.

• Toxic self-care keeps us isolated: Prioritizing short-term comfort over showing up for others damages relationships and ourselves in ways we underestimate, because wellbeing is fundamentally about connection and community.

• Platonic relationships deserve protection: Friendships are just as essential as romantic partnerships and shouldn't be devalued or treated as placeholders until something more important comes along.

• Money is rarely the barrier: Most people spend more on dining out and ordering in than it would cost to cook for friends at home, making hosting more accessible than we think.

• Being childfree creates space for community: Without children, there's both the capacity and responsibility to create experiences and moments for others.

Looking for something special this season? Emily’s created the Curious Life of a Childfree Woman Gift Guide, a curated collection of her favorite intentional gifts, wellness essentials, and treat-yourself picks. You can grab your free copy exclusively on Substack at curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.substack.com.

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Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are.

Learn more about Emily at:www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

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The guest on this episode, Chelsea Fagan, is the author of Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Gathering and co-founder of The Financial Diet, a platform dedicated to helping people build better relationships with money and create lives aligned with their values. Chelsea's work centers on the belief that hosting and gathering are essential practices for building community in an increasingly disconnected world. Through her writing and speaking, she encourages people to embrace imperfection, prioritize connection over performance, and use their homes as spaces for meaningful relationships rather than just private retreats.

Get Chelsea's book Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Gathering

Follow The Financial Diet @thefinancialdiet

Connect on Instagram: @faganchelsea

What happens when you stop doing, and start listening?

In this episode, Emily Paulsen sits down with meditation teacher and former tech sales executive Nadene Cherry to explore what presence actually looks like in a high-achieving world. Nadene spent years climbing the corporate ladder before a personal crisis reshaped how she approached success, purpose, and the pace of her life. Now, she teaches meditation and emotional intelligence practices to companies like Salesforce, Microsoft, and PwC.

Together, Emily and Nadene unpack the often-overlooked connection between mindfulness and performance, from navigating pressure and burnout to building deeper relationships through compassion and clarity. Nadene also walks listeners through a simple, grounding meditation and shares the three guiding pillars of her work: calmness, compassion, and connection.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, not to disconnect, but to return to yourself with more attention, more curiosity, and more capacity to show up.

Key Takeaways:

• Calm is not a luxury: Learning to regulate your nervous system is a foundational skill, not a bonus.

• Small moments matter: Micro-practices like breath awareness and grounding can change the tone of your entire day.

• Compassion builds resilience: Extending kindness to yourself creates more room for growth and connection.

• Slowing down can sharpen focus: Presence isn’t about doing less, it’s about doing with intention.

• Success and stillness can coexist: You don’t have to choose between achievement and inner peace.

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

Join the Curious Life Club on Substack @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

The guest on this episode, Nadene Cherry, is a meditation teacher, executive coach, and former top-performing tech sales leader. Through her corporate mindfulness work, Nadene supports leaders and teams in high-pressure environments to reconnect with calm, compassion, and authentic presence. She offers practical tools to build self-awareness, emotional resilience, and real connection, personally and professionally.

Join her free 12 Days of Connection: nadenecherry.com/12-days-of-connection

Sign up for her Monday Mantra emails: mailchi.mp/e781c25f894a/monday-mantra-email-sign-up

Connect on Instagram: @nadenecherry

And explore more at nadenecherry.com

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This episode is sponsored by Pearlvest Capital.

Founded by financial advisor Nicole Meihofer, Pearlvest Capital helps you align your money with your values and design a life that fits you, not anyone else’s expectations. Access her free private podcast series for Curious Life listeners at pearlvest.com/insider.

Nicole Meihofer is an investment professional registered at IHT Wealth, LLC a registered investment advisor with the SEC. IHT Wealth management may only transact business in states it is registered or qualified for an exemption or exclusion from registration.

What if the path to personal healing and planetary restoration were the same journey?

In this episode, Emily Paulsen is joined by entrepreneur and visionary Natasha Rankin, the founder of Athena Village, a regenerative community that blends farming, retreat spaces, and nature-based living. Together, they explore what it means to repair our relationship with the land, reimagine how we live and work, and reconnect with the natural systems that sustain us.

From the history of disconnection that shaped modern life to the science behind soil health and human health, this episode invites listeners to look more closely at how our choices, what we eat, where we live, and how we engage with the planet, affect everything from climate resilience to personal vitality. Natasha shares her own journey of healing chronic illness through food and connection to nature, offering a deeply grounded and hopeful perspective on regeneration at every level.

This is a conversation about remembering who we are, and how the smallest daily decisions, what we buy, how we eat, what we value, can become acts of restoration.

Key Takeaways:

• Regeneration starts with reconnection: Healing the planet and healing ourselves both begin by rebuilding relationship, with the land, our food, and each other.

• Healthy soil, healthy bodies: Soil rich in microbial life produces nutrient-dense food and captures carbon, directly impacting human health and climate stability.

• Convenience has a cost: Industrialized agriculture and chemical fertilizers have depleted soil health and our nutrition, creating long-term harm disguised as efficiency.

• Vote with your dollars: Choosing locally grown, regenerative food, even one item at a time, is one of the most powerful ways to drive systemic change.

• Return to relationship, not perfection: Regeneration isn’t about doing everything right; it’s about participating consciously in the ecosystem we’re already part of.

  
  

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

Join the Curious Life Club on Substack @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

The guest on this episode, Natasha Rankin, is the founder of Athena Village, a regenerative real estate development designed to reconnect people with the land, their communities, and themselves. With a background in commercial real estate, health coaching, and retreat leadership, Natasha integrates wellness, sustainability, and soulful entrepreneurship into every project she touches. Her work centers on creating spaces that restore ecological balance while inviting deeper human connection.

Learn more about Athena Village at: www.athenavillagecollective.com

Explore her sister brand at: http://www.shewhogoesforit.com

Connect on Instagram: @thenatasharankin---

This episode is sponsored by Pearlvest Capital.

Founded by financial advisor Nicole Meihofer, Pearlvest Capital helps you align your money with your values and design a life that fits you, not anyone else’s expectations. Access her free private podcast series for Curious Life listeners at pearlvest.com/insider.

Nicole Meihofer is an investment professional registered at IHT Wealth, LLC a registered investment advisor with the SEC. IHT Wealth management may only transact business in states it is registered or qualified for an exemption or exclusion from registration.

Why are adult friendships so complicated, and so vital?

To mark the one-year anniversary of Curious Life of a Childfree Woman, Emily Paulsen is joined by friendship researcher, writer, and podcast host Nina Badzin for a conversation that’s both validating and refreshingly practical. Nina has spent more than a decade exploring the realities of adult friendships, not the idealized versions, but the messy, beautiful, ever-evolving kind.

Together, Emily and Nina unpack the silent expectations that often trip us up, the habits that quietly erode closeness, and the surprising ways we can deepen connection even when life gets busy. From texting styles and mismatched energy levels to friendship between parents and non-parents, nothing is off-limits in this honest, relatable, and ultimately hopeful conversation.

This episode invites listeners to rethink how we define friendship, and how to keep showing up for the ones that matter most.

Key Takeaways:

• Sameness is not the goal: Strong friendships aren’t built on identical habits, they’re built on curiosity, empathy, and flexibility.

• Time builds trust:  It takes around 200 hours to truly bond with someone, there’s no substitute for shared time and intention.

• Initiation isn’t one-sided:  Just because you reach out more doesn’t mean you care more. Different communication styles don’t always reflect emotional investment.

• Relationships evolve, and they should:  Friendships will shift with life seasons. Instead of resisting change, embrace the new version of your connection.

• Let good enough be enough:  Not every friend will be everything. Celebrate the friendships that serve you as they are, instead of wishing they were something else.

  
  

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

Join the Curious Life Club on Substack @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

The guest on this episode, Nina Badzin, is a nationally recognized friendship expert, longtime writer, and host of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. Her podcast and Substack newsletter provide a space to explore the nuance of adult relationships, offering practical advice, thoughtful reflections, and validation for anyone navigating the complexities of connection in today’s world.

Learn more about Nina at dearnina.substack.com

Connect on Instagram: @dearninafriendship

And listen to her podcast wherever you get your shows: Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship

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This episode is sponsored by Pearlvest Capital.

Founded by financial advisor Nicole Meihofer, Pearlvest Capital helps you align your money with your values and design a life that fits you, not anyone else’s expectations. Access her free private podcast series for Curious Life listeners at pearlvest.com/insider.

Nicole Meihofer is an investment professional registered at IHT Wealth, LLC a registered investment advisor with the SEC. IHT Wealth management may only transact business in states it is registered or qualified for an exemption or exclusion from registration.

Belonging often takes shape through motion, through the steady rhythm of people working, racing, and growing together. In this episode, Emily Paulsen speaks with Kyle and Brent Pease, the brother team behind the Kyle Pease Foundation and the faces of one of the most inspiring stories in endurance sports. Together, they’ve completed more than 100 races, including the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, while building a movement that continues to expand access, visibility, and opportunity for people with disabilities.

Kyle, who was born with cerebral palsy, and Brent, a lifelong athlete and coach, share how their partnership has evolved over time, from training for races to training communities in the practice of inclusion. They talk about attention, teamwork, and the small, repeatable actions that turn connection into culture on the racecourse and far beyond it.

Their conversation explores endurance, leadership, and the quiet power of showing up for one another, offering a window into what happens when curiosity and care set the pace.

Key Takeaways

• Inclusion in motion: Belonging grows through shared effort, awareness, and the willingness to move together toward a common goal.

• The details that matter: Inclusion begins in planning, preparation, and the small adjustments that make participation possible for everyone.

• Partnership as practice: Trust and presence build the foundation for meaningful collaboration—one conversation, one mile, one moment at a time.

• Leadership through listening: Staying curious and open allows leaders to respond to real needs, not assumptions.

• The endurance of care: Inclusion requires persistence, patience, and a commitment to keep showing up long after the spotlight fades.

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.comConnect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

Kyle and Brent Pease are brothers, athletes, and co-founders of the Kyle Pease Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through sports, education, and community. Known for making history as the first push-assist duo to complete the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, they continue to inspire athletes and advocates through their message of inclusion, endurance, and shared humanity.

Connect with the Pease Brothers:Website: www.kylepeasefoundation.org

Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions, one that shapes our choices, culture, and even how we seek pleasure. But if we spend most of our lives avoiding it, why do we go out of our way to feel scared for fun?

In this episode, Emily Paulsen talks with Jeff Beach, artist, photographer, and extra in the cult horror classic It Follows, about what draws us to horror and how fear becomes both art and entertainment. From his accidental entry into the world of film to his years photographing haunted houses, Jeff offers a behind-the-scenes look at how horror is made, and why it lingers long after the credits roll.

Their conversation explores what makes something truly frightening, the psychology behind why we keep coming back for more, and how creative expression can transform fear into fascination.

Together, they look at what horror reveals about imagination, consequence, and the way we confront what haunts us, on and off the screen.

Key Takeaways:

• The pull of fear: Horror gives us a safe space to explore danger, consequence, and the unknown, without real-life risk.

• Behind the curtain: Seeing how horror is made doesn’t erase the fear; it deepens the respect for the craft and creativity behind it.

• The psychology of unease: What truly scares us is rarely the monster, it’s anticipation, imagination, and what might happen next.

• Shared fear as connection: Watching horror together creates a kind of community, fear becomes something we face side by side.

• Creativity in the dark: The horror genre offers endless room for expression, allowing artists to channel fear into meaning, humor, and beauty.

  
  

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

The guest on this episode, Jeff Beach is a mixed media artist and photographer based in Toledo, Ohio, whose work explores the surreal, the cosmic, and the beautifully strange. A lifelong movie lover and self-described creative experimenter, Jeff brings an artist’s eye to everything he does, from his psychedelic paintings to his appearance in the cult horror film It Follows.

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: @digitalbeach

Why do we find true crime so irresistible, even when it terrifies us?

In this episode, Emily Paulsen talks with Jen Schaffer, host of Crude Acts and daughter of a homicide detective, about our collective fascination with the darkest corners of human behavior. Jen shares how growing up around real-life investigations shaped her storytelling lens, why empathy matters when covering tragedy, and what true crime reveals about fear, justice, and the human condition.

Their conversation explores the ethical gray areas of retelling crime stories, the balance between curiosity and respect, and why so many women are drawn to this genre as both creators and consumers. From the psychology of serial killers to the healing power of truth-seeking, Emily and Jen examine what it means to study horror not for thrill, but for understanding.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose Beyond the Headlines: True crime storytelling can honor victims and uncover overlooked truths when done with compassion and depth.

• Empathy as a Guiding Lens: Respecting the humanity of everyone involved, victims, perpetrators, and families, keeps curiosity from crossing into exploitation.

• Knowing the Monster: Many women engage with true crime to better understand danger and reclaim a sense of preparedness and control.

• Context Is Clarity: Crimes can’t be separated from their social, historical, and cultural backdrop, understanding context deepens insight into why they happen.

• Curiosity as Catalyst: Asking why we’re drawn to darkness can illuminate more than crime, it reveals what we fear, what we value, and what we still hope to change.

  
  

Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram:

@curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

The guest on this episode, Jen Schaffer is the host and creator of Crude Acts, a top true crime podcast known for its investigative depth and storytelling precision. With a background in creative writing and a lifetime of exposure to criminal investigation through her father, a homicide detective, Jen brings a rare mix of empathy, rigor, and narrative craft to her work. She’s currently pursuing her master’s in criminal justice and criminology, continuing her exploration into why people commit unthinkable acts, and how understanding them can make us all safer.

Connect with Jen:

Website: www.crudeacts.com

When we think of witches, we might picture broomsticks, spells, and Halloween costumes, but behind those images lies a history of fear, control, and power.

In this episode, Emily Paulsen speaks with Rachel Christ-Doane, Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum, to uncover the truth about the Salem Witch Trials and the deeper human patterns that made them possible. They explore how tension, uncertainty, and moral panic led neighbors to turn on one another, and why those same dynamics still echo in modern society.

Their conversation moves beyond myth to reveal the real story: how ordinary people became both accusers and accused, how fear fueled injustice, and how the archetype of the “witch” evolved into a symbol of autonomy and empowerment.

From scapegoating and social anxiety to pop culture and reclaiming identity, this episode invites listeners to look closely at what history can teach us about courage, conformity, and the enduring need to question collective fear.

Key Takeaways

• Scapegoating as instinct: When fear takes hold, people often look for someone to blame, usually those who already live outside accepted norms.

• Patterns that repeat: The witch trials reveal how easily societies slip into moral panic and how similar dynamics still surface in modern culture.

• The witch as mirror: What began as an accusation became an archetype, now reclaimed by many as a symbol of self-trust, empowerment, and rebellion.

• Empathy over villainy: Even those who fueled the trials were human, acting out of fear and belief. Seeing their humanity helps us recognize our own biases.

• Curiosity as resistance: Learning history through empathy and open inquiry reminds us that awareness, not denial, is what keeps history from repeating itself.

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Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

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The guest on this episode, Rachel Christ-Doane is the Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum. She holds a BA in History from Clark University and MA in History and Museum Studies from Tufts University. As Director of Education she trains museum docents, works with students and teachers, creates educational programming, oversees exhibit curation, and engages in a range of research. Her recent publications include, “The Salem Witch Trials Memorial: Finding Humanity in Tragedy” (Smithsonian Folklife, 2022) and “The Untold Story of Dorothy Good, Salem’s Youngest Accused Witch” (American Ancestors, 2023).

Connect with Rachel and learn more:

Website: www.salemwitchmuseum.com

Instagram: @salemwitchmuseum

What does it mean to choose a childfree path and still feel deeply connected to the next generation? And how can ancient practices like astrology, tarot, and archetypal healing help us navigate uncertainty, fulfillment, and purpose?

In this episode, Emily Paulsen speaks with Fiona Hillery, astrologer, tarot reader, Feng Shui alchemist, and founder of Esoteric Empowerment. Fiona’s work has guided everyone from Fortune 500 leaders to everyday seekers toward greater clarity, resilience, and empowerment by using esoteric tools not as fortune-telling tricks, but as frameworks for growth.

Their conversation explores Fiona’s own “dark night of the soul” that led her from the corporate media world into spiritual practice, how astrology and tarot can serve as blueprints for both self-awareness and business strategy, and why she believes embracing the “Auntie” archetype is a powerful, affirming path for childfree women. Together they unpack the ways cultural narratives, backlash, and archetypes shape how women define themselves—and how curiosity, intuition, and community can offer another way forward.

This episode is for anyone curious about living with greater alignment, exploring childfree identity through new lenses, or learning how ancient tools can empower modern decisions—in life, business, and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• The power of initiation: A “dark night of the soul” often serves as a catalyst, stripping away what no longer aligns and opening the door to deeper soul truths.

• Astrology as blueprint: Beyond horoscopes, astrology provides a personalized map for gifts, challenges, and timing—meeting people where they are without bypassing the work.

• Tools for clarity: Tarot and astrology aren’t about predicting the future but helping individuals reconnect with inner wisdom and navigate uncertainty with more confidence.

• The Auntie archetype: Choosing not to have children doesn’t exclude nurturing roles—being an aunt (by blood or chosen family) can offer fulfillment, connection, and community impact.

• Business applications: Esoteric practices can foster empathy, collaboration, and even revenue growth when applied to leadership, team dynamics, and decision-making.

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Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

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The guest on this episode, Fiona Hillery, is an intuitive consultant, spiritual writer, and conscious communications executive, currently serving as VP of Brand Communications at HigherDOSE. A world-weaver blending mysticism with modern life, she’s contributed to The Cut, Coveteur, Refinery29, and Vice, while guiding thousands of clients, from Hollywood celebrities to Fortune 500 CEOs, with her tarot and astrology readings.

Connect with Fiona:

Website: www.esoteric-empowerment.com

Instagram: @fiona.hillery

Why do we gather every October 31st to dress up, knock on doors, and revel in the spooky, the playful, and the strange?

In this special Halloween episode, Emily Paulsen speaks with Lesley Bannatyne, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Halloween, author of multiple books including Halloween Nation, and a scholar who has traced the holiday’s evolution from ancient Celtic rites to today’s billion-dollar industry. Lesley has appeared everywhere from Time Magazine to National Geographic, and her work unpacks not only the history of Halloween but also what it reveals about us as a culture.

Their conversation dives into the roots of Samhain in pre-Christian Europe, the role the church played in shaping the holiday, and how immigration, mischief, and even Hollywood horror films transformed Halloween into the modern spectacle we know today. Along the way, they explore why costumes, horror movies, and haunted houses hold such a grip on our imagination, and how this one night continues to mirror our cultural anxieties, creativity, and collective need for ritual.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt the thrill of stepping into another identity, wondered where trick-or-treating really came from, or simply wanted to understand why Halloween endures as one of the most captivating nights of the year.

This is a Halloween special you won’t want to miss! Just the right mix of history, mystery, and a little seasonal magic.

For more Halloween fun, including a bonus episode, join Emily at:

https://curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.substack.com/

Key Takeaways

• History has layers: Halloween’s origins trace back to Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the shift from summer to winter, later reshaped by Christian traditions like All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.

• Trick-or-treating evolved: What began as door-to-door begging and sharing of food became structured mischief control in the 20th century, giving rise to the candy-fueled ritual we know today.

• Adults reclaimed Halloween: In the 1970s, nostalgia and the rise of horror films brought adults back into the holiday, sparking costume parties, haunted houses, and an explosion of Halloween culture.

• Horror has a purpose: From films to haunted attractions, scary stories provide a safe way to face fear, build resilience, and even create communal bonding through shared adrenaline.

• Reflection of society: Halloween always adapts, whether costumes get bloodier, sexier, or more ironic, the holiday mirrors cultural values, anxieties, and creativity in each generation.

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Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are. She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way.

Learn more about Emily at: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com

Connect on Instagram: @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman

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The guest on this episode, Lesley Bannatyne, is one of the country’s leading experts on Halloween, author of Halloween Nation and other definitive works on the holiday’s history and cultural significance. Her research has been featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, and The History Channel.

Connect with Lesley:

Website: www.iskullhalloween.com