"She encouraged me by listening to me."

(Phillip Phillips about his wife's encouragement and the power of listening)

A few weeks ago, I attended the Listen In event at the Capital One Cafe in Santa Monica for a truly 360-degree listening experience, which included a remote podcast taping of Dine And Dish With Dawn (sponsored by Capital One) - my show where we eat, drink, share stories...and, desserts. According to the Capital One Listen In Survey, nearly 1 in 5 Americans (18%) can't remember the last time someone was completely focused on listening to them, which means that programs like Capital One's can help you open your ears and minds to what people have to say. For Capital One, it helps them better understand how to help along their financial journey.

And, truth talk – I was wearing mismatching earrings the whole evening...but, more on that later.

Over Peet's coffee and delicious locally sourced treats a la Capital One local partnerships, Phillip and I chatted about the food that excites us, the moments that inspire us, our current theme song if we had to choose, the power of hindsight wisdom, perceived weaknesses that became strengths, our dream dinner party guests and the sweet sounds of home.

From learning about Phillip's special recipe of "Wild Turkey Nuggets" to his mom's pecan pie and sweet tea, and his wife's encouragement through listening, this was an episode full of heart based around our common love of southern comfort food.

On top of that, I also got a little side dish of values-driven money guidance from Capital One Money Coach, Megan Lathrop. Not sure what Money Coaching is? Well it's a free three-part program designed to help you discover how your values and money are connected. During your private session with a Coach, you can plan a path for achieving goals and find the confidence to use money to create a life you love.

Head to the Capital One Cafe nearest you to meet a Capital One Money Coach like Megan, or a Capital One Ambassador who will make you feel not only truly listened to, but also informed about creating a banking experience built around your personal banking needs, financial goals, values and passions.

Because if you're like me, sometimes you've got a million things going on, and well, you forget to match your earrings...or, more importantly, how to live your life and spend your money according to your values.

Capital One can help with that. Well, not with the matching earrings part but they are doing their part to build a better bank through listening.

And that is something TRULY delicious.

Thank you, Capital One for sponsoring this post! This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are my own and were not directed by Capital One. To learn more about Capital One, visit www.capitalone.com/LISTEN

Follow Dine & Dish with Dawn: @DineAndDishWithDawn Follow Dawn McCoy (hey! That's me!): @iamDawnMcCoy Follow Phillip Phillips: @PhillPhill Follow Capital One & Capital One Cafe: @CapitalOne #CapitalOneCafe

Episode 6: Dine & Dish with John Oates

"All creative people need to make mistakes. If you can't make creative mistakes, you'll never progress…and, you'll never find who you really can be. Creative mistakes are essential to the creative personality."

(John Oates on Dine & Dish with Dawn)

A little while ago, I had the pleasure of hosting John Oates (yep, THAT John Oates of Hall & Oates) at the Whisper Lounge at The Grove in LA.

From being born "famous" by birthright as the first born grandson in an Italian Family to becoming a world-renowned rockstar and songwriter to watching Monty python with George Harrison at his house in Beverly Hills to being photographed by Andy Warhol to having the sports-betting southern gentleman, Hunter S. Thompson as a neighbor in Colorado, John's life is filled with even more stories than his book, Change Of Seasons: A Memoir can hold.

We talked creativity, dating advice, his advice to songwriters, why 80s pop is still so beloved, engaging and in demand…and, his iconic mustache that became a signature of the 80s music scene.

Here was my takeaway:

There is no narcissism or over-self-awareness in this man which is almost unheard of for a rockstar with as many legendary experiences as he has had.

He seems to have no real regrets.

Like me, he doesn't necessarily believe in "mistakes."

He does believe in living in the moment.

And, he loves making music so much that he doesn't even listen to it "for leisure" because he's so passionate about all of the details that go into making it.

She's Gone.

Sara Smile.

Maneater.

Rich Girl.

Out of Touch.

I Can't Go For That (No Can Do).

Method of Modern Love.

Electric Blue.

Just thinking of all of the legendary songs that John Oates has been responsible for - either by writing, performing with Hall & Oates or both - I realize how ingrained John's music has been in not only my life - but in the lives of my entire generation.

When you listen to this episode, you'll hear John tease me on tape saying I'm flirting with him.🙈

I swear I wasn't.

Maybe it was just my childlike exuberance at getting to interview and share a meal with someone I grew up listening to.

A face I've always recognized as familiar much like family - if only from album covers and MTV.

Or, maybe it's because he is one of the most settled-in-his-soul individuals I've ever met - not only in the entertainment business but in life.

I wish my feet were a bit more tethered to the ground as much as his are.

And, John, since this is coming out quite a bit after our actual interview, I really do hope your hope has come true and you have indeed had time to smell the roses this year.

Get…

John's book: Change of Seasons: A Memoir here

John's new record: here (Also available on iTunes & Amazon)

Engineered & Edited by: Zack David

Follow Dine & Dish with Dawn: @DineAndDishWithDawn

Follow Dawn McCoy (hey! That's me!): @iamDawnMcCoy

Follow John Oates: @JohnOatesOfficial

Follow The Whisper Lounge at The Grove LA: @WhisperLoungeLA

Take care out there,

Dawn

DMM: Dawn McCoy Media

www.iamDawnMcCoy.com

Instagram:

@iamDawnMcCoy - 300k+

@DineAndDishWithDawn - 50k+

Dine & Dish with Sarah Hepola "It's not your job to save another person…but you can remind them of their value." (Sarah Hepola) Y'all, I've got a girl crush…as the band Little Big Town sings…and, it's on our guest today, Sarah Hepola. The New York Times Bestselling author of BLACKOUT and former Salon Editor has had essays appear in the New York Times Magazine, Elle, The New Republic, Glamour, The Guardian, Slate and The Morning News. She is also from my hometown of Dallas, which is where I dined and dished with her at the Wild Detectives Bookstore - a place that is even cooler than it sounds. Sarah's book was recommended to me by my mother, an accounting professor as she thought I would love to read a book by a fellow Dallas girl-turned-writer. I, of course, resisted - as we sometimes do as daughters - until she kept bringing it up, and I had no choice but to buy it. Within the first 10 pages, I had decided I loved the book, respected the writer's honesty…and knew that I just HAD to have her on my show. Sarah and I talk about everything from alcoholism and sobriety to Netflix's Stranger Things and growing up in the 80s in Dallas, to eating disorders and diets to dating to the love affair girls have with their mothers. And, most importantly, we thoroughly discuss "growing up girl" which Miss Sarah Heipola has mastered to an art in the literary world. For this, we are all the luckier. Today, our sponsor is La Croix Sparkling Water, the fizzy, calorie-free, alcohol-free beverage I rely on pretty much every single day, and a percentage of our sponsor's fee will be donated to Sarah's chosen charity, Planned Parenthood. I hope you enjoy meeting my girl crush as much as I enjoyed getting to know her. I have a feeling you're gonna have a crush on her, too… Engineered & Edited by: Zack David Follow Dine & Dish with Dawn: @DineAndDishWithDawn Follow Dawn McCoy (hey! That's me!): @iamDawnMcCoy Follow Sarah Hepola: @TheSarahHepolaExperience Follow The Wild Detectives Bookstore: @TheWildDetectives Follow La Croix Water: @LaCroixWater Follow Planned Parenthood: @PlannedParenthood

"Everything good that has happened to me has happened as the direct result of helping someone else." - Danny Trejo [embed]https://vimeo.com/175507048[/embed] *Film by Nelson Lee of Noteworthy Collective For our fourth episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn, I didn't have to go further than right around the corner from my house to get my interview on…and leave with a new baseball cap on my head. There, I met up with Machete himself, actor & producer Danny Trejo, at his flagship restaurant, Trejo's Tacos, where we enjoyed street tacos and street corn, while he waved at fans who honked at us as they drove down La Brea. [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="6" gal_title="Select Gallery"] Danny and I dished about everything including his time in prison (including 4 months in "the hole"/solitary confinement which led to a life-changing epiphany), addiction and recovery, the importance of having people around you that you trust, what Cinco de Mayo really means, how the whole world can think you're a movie star but you can't, his mother's dream of owning a restaurant and how - as fate would have it - he came to own a chain of restaurants of his own today. The best role that Danny has played is that of a survivor. And, he's not only survived, but thrived, and continues to give back. For Danny, he has had dreams come true that he didn't even know were possible, and now he helps others fulfill their dreams and potential as an intervention counselor. As much as he might play the "bad guy," this nice guy is the first to tell you that he is not in charge…his faith is. A man whose faith and work ethic have helped him overcome every obstacle, you won't ever think of Danny Trejo the same way again. Just don't call him Marcia. *Producer's Note: This was our show's first attempt at recording outside in Los Angeles, the audio is as rough around the edges as Danny is tough. Please be patient with me as I'm still learning here.

To find out more about Danny Trejo: www.DannyTrejo.net Thank you to the owners, cooks, management and waitstaff of Trejo's Tacos where this podcast took place. And, thank you especially to the patrons who were so kind and patient to wait for pictures until after we had wrapped. Special thanks to our sponsor, La Croix Water my healthy must-have as I continue to travel across America, dining & dishing, and indulging in all this good food. I've always got three packs of this bubbly goodness in my fridge! A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to the charity of Danny's choice: the Learning Rights Law Center, a legal services nonprofit that fights for a child's right to education, and assists low-income families by providing free legal counsel and advice, advocacy, direct representation, education, training and policy work. Engineered & Edited by: Maddie Ross Follow Danny Trejo: @OfficialDannyTrejo Follow Trejo's Tacos: @TrejosTacos Follow La Croix Water: @LaCroixWater Follow Learning Rights Law Center: Learning Rights Law Center

Click here to get this podcast on iTunes.

"If you really just focus on what you enjoy doing the most, it's interesting how all the money and success comes your way if you're pursuing what is truly your passion." - Trey Fanjoy This third episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn finds me in Nashville interviewing my dear friend, storyteller, visionary, and - CMA, ACM, Billboard, MTV and CMT award-winning - director, Trey Fanjoy over soul food and deep soul talk. We are dining and dishing at Wendell Smith's - a local Nashville institution, where southern soul food and service with a smile reign supreme. Trey and I chat about everything from shooting multiple music videos for Taylor Swift, to her muse Miranda Lambert and the connection they share, to George Strait and the seashores of Old Mexico and tales of Merle Haggard, to kind words from Keith Urban & Steven Tyler, how becoming a mother has actually elevated her career as a director, how the jobs we say no to are just as important as the jobs we say yes to and how she hopes that more women will get to share the level of success and recognition that she has. This is a girl's girl and a woman's woman who has no problem hanging with the boys. Trey is genuinely proud of - and inspired by - the artists she works with and the marriage of song and vision that they create together. She puts pictures to the words of songs and she does it in a new way, with a fresh eyes, and with compassion for the artists she's working with. She's also considered a "good luck charm" by industry insiders to many a musical career made in Nashville. Bonus? You can hear my hidden Texan accent peek its little head out in this episode! Sit back and enjoy this view of the world through the lens of the soulful, connected and talented...Trey Fanjoy. To find out more about Trey Fanjoy: www.TreyFanjoy.com Thank you to the owners, cooks and waitstaff - especially Shawana - of Wendell Smith's in Nashville, Tennessee where this podcast took place. Special thanks to our sponsor, Hickory Farms, my family's go-to for gift baskets for as far back as I can remember: meat, cheese, fruit, nuts, and a side of nostalgia. A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to MusiCares, a charity of Trey's choice that provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. Engineered & Edited by: Maddie Ross Follow Trey Fanjoy: @iamTreyFanjoy Follow Wendell Smith's: #WendellSmiths Follow Hickory Farms: @HickoryFarms Follow No Kid Hungry: @NoKidHungry Follow MusiCares: @MusiCares

Click here to get this podcast on iTunes.

"Anytime I've gone against my instinct, I've always lost." - Kim Carnes In this episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn, I'm dining and dishing with Bette Davis Eyes herself, the Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Kim Carnes. Though I had met her years before while I was working in a little beauty store in Nashville, I felt an instant kinship when we were reintroduced for this podcast, when we dined at her favorite restaurant in Nashville, the tantalizing Two Ten Jack. We chatted about everything from common coworkers and cohorts in Barbra Streisand and Quincy Jones to our love of Justin Timberlake to her experience writing an entire concept album for Kenny Rogers to the beauty of birthdays to lifelong dreams coming true to her epic experience with being a part of "We Are The World," during which a guy named Michael Jackson held her hand the whole time. Get ready to fall in love with a dreamer... To find out more about Kim Carnes: www.KimCarnes.com Thank you to the owners, chefs and staff of Two Ten Jack in East Nashville, Tennessee where this podcast took place. Special thanks to our sponsor, Emma J Company, one of my favorite jewelry lines on the planet, who I will be creating a collection with this fall. A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to a charity of Kim's choice, All About Dogs Coastal Rescue, a non-profit rescue and adoption organization made up of volunteers who have a mission to find loving homes for our furry friends. Episode Engineer: Anna Schulze Follow Two Ten Jack: @TwoTenJack Follow Emma J Company: @EmmaJCompany Click here to get this podcast on iTunes.

"If you write the song that only you can write, or you do the thing that only you can do, you've removed yourself yourself from competition. You don't have to arm wrestle the world any more." (Peter Cooper) To kick off this first episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn, I'm dining & dishing with country music expert, Country Music Hall of Fame editor, Vanderbilt University Professor, and Grammy-nominated musician, Peter Cooper at Lockeland Table restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. My friend - and former East Nashville neighbor - and I talk about everything from finding your passion to the challenges we face as artists, and chat about the many celebrities we have both worked with and those who inspire us, including Kris Kristofferson, Barbra Streisand, Dierks Bentley, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Todd Snider, Liz Gilbert, Emmylou Harris, Kenny Chesney, Jim Carrey, Johnny Cash, and Cowboy Jack Clement. Prepare to laugh and be inspired... *Join me for each Dine & Dish with Dawn episode as my celebrity guests and I indulge in the best restaurants across America, sip cocktails, enjoy wine, have a beer here and there, and talk about their journey, inspiration and what defines their career and life. For every show, I donate to our guest's favorite charity or non-profit organization.

To find out more about Peter Cooper: www.PeterCooperMusic.com

Thank you to the owners, chefs and staff of Lockeland Table in East Nashville, Tennessee where this podcast took place. It is one of my favorite restaurants on this here planet!!

Special thanks to our sponsor, YouCanHideIt.com, the ultimate site for clever solutions for cocktails.

A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to Bonaparte's Retreat, a charity of Peter's choice that rescues shelter dogs with the mission of finding forever homes for them.

Engineered & Edited by: Anna Schulze