Duologue with Leslie Heaney

We're kicking off the Duologue Summer Travel Series with one of the most beautiful and beloved corners of the country — the Hudson Valley.

Leslie sits down with Lidey Heuck, cookbook author, New York Times recipe contributor, and the voice behind Lidey Likes and the Lidey Letter Substack. Lidey lives in the Hudson Valley with her family and knows the region the way only a local can — the antique shops worth the detour, the farmers markets, the swimming holes, the restaurants, and yes, a few cautionary foraging tales.

Lidey's culinary journey began with none other than Ina Garten (yes, they talk about Jeffrey), and her debut cookbook Cooking in Real Life has become one of Leslie's all-time favorites.

In this episode: favorite antique stores, must-visit restaurants, hidden gems in the Hudson Valley, Litchfield County, and the Berkshires — plus what makes this region so worth falling in love with.

Whether you're planning a trip or just love dreaming about charming getaways, this one's for you.

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Confused about the SAT vs ACT? In this episode, Leslie sits down with Bryan Bibler, CEO of Thirty-Six Education, to break down everything parents and high school students need to know about standardized testing, college admissions, and test prep strategies for 2025.

They cover the key differences between the ACT and SAT, how to choose the right test, when to start preparing, and how recent test-optional college admissions policies—including at Ivy League schools—are changing the landscape. Bryan also shares proven methods to improve SAT and ACT scores, realistic prep timelines, and affordable test prep resources for families without access to private tutoring.

Perfect for high school students, parents, and college applicants, this episode delivers actionable insights on SAT prep, ACT prep, college application strategy, and maximizing test scores.

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Five years ago, Genevieve "Veve" Wheeler Brown flipped over a jug and found a woman's signature. What followed was a five-year quest across three continents — and a book. In this episode, Leslie sits down with her longtime friend and author of Beyond Blue and White to trace the hidden history of Delftware: from Dutch Golden Age workshop owners who built trade empires, to the Gilded Age women who founded their own museums when no one would let them in. Four centuries. One ceramic. Countless women history forgot to credit. The perfect listen to close out Women's History Month.

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In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re revisiting a powerful conversation from The Interview vault with author and journalist Ed O’Keefe.

In this episode, Ed shares the remarkable story behind his book The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President. What began as a fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School led to an unexpected discovery: unpublished letters between Theodore Roosevelt and the women who shaped his life. Those letters uncovered a deeper, more nuanced history... one where Roosevelt’s rise was not his alone, but profoundly influenced by the extraordinary women around him.

As we reflect this Women’s History Month, this re-release feels especially meaningful. It’s a reminder that behind some of history’s most influential leaders are stories that deserve to be told.

If you missed this episode the first time, it’s one you won’t want to skip.

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In this episode of Duologue, Leslie sits down with Nicholas Varney.

Nick is the founder and designer behind Nicholas Varney Jewels. His work has earned him widespread recognition—from appearances in Vogue, Town & Country, and W Magazine, to being named by Forbes as one of the “Five Jewelers Working Today That You Will Be Collecting Tomorrow.”

In their conversation, Leslie and Nick discuss his creative inspirations, his design process, and what it was like growing up as the son of the legendary interior designer, the late Carleton Varney.

They also explore where the world’s most extraordinary gemstones come from, the global journey they take before becoming jewelry, and how Nick approaches his work not just as a designer, but as a true artist.

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In this week’s episode, Leslie Heaney sits down with Vasant Dhar—professor at NYU Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science at New York University, founder of SCT Capital, and author of Thinking with Machines: The Brave New World of AI.

Together, they explore how artificial intelligence evolved, why language prediction changed everything, and what it means now that machines can think alongside humans. The conversation examines the growing divide between those who use AI to sharpen judgment and those who rely on it to think for them, as well as the broader implications for work, education, power, and responsibility.

This is a grounded, honest conversation about the power of AI—and how we choose to live with it.

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I am very excited to bring you Part 2 of my conversation with clinical nutritionist and co-founder of Hamptons BioMed, Tapp Francke. In last week’s episode, we talked about learning about your own body’s “terrain,” focusing on vitamins, nutrients, the gut biome, genetics, and how testing can guide smarter supplement choices and better overall health.

In Part 2, we explore the environmental factors that quietly shape our health. Everyday exposures — including plastic, fragrance, EMFs, blue light, mold, and processed foods — can influence hormones, immune function, biological aging, and long-term resilience. Tapp explains why what we absorb through our skin and environment matters just as much as what we eat, and how small, practical changes can reduce ongoing stress on the body.

This episode completely changed how I think about food, fragrance, water, and the environment I move through every day. It’s not about eliminating everything or doing it “perfectly,” but about becoming more aware of what our bodies are constantly absorbing — and how small changes can add up to meaningful long-term impact.

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In Part 1, Leslie sits down with clinical nutritionist Tapp Francke to talk about a more personalized, functional approach to health. Instead of only treating symptoms, they explore what might be happening underneath — from nutrition levels to gut health to individual biology. Tapp also shares how her own recovery journey reshaped the way she thinks about care and healing.

Together, they unpack topics like micronutrient testing, genetics, methylation, and why supplement choices shouldn’t be based on trends alone. The conversation connects the dots between gut health, mood, energy, and immune function in a way that’s practical and easy to follow. Leslie asks the kinds of questions many listeners are already wondering about.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by wellness advice or unsure where to start, this episode will help bring some clarity. It’s grounded, thoughtful, and focused on helping you better understand your own body. Part 1 sets the stage for making more informed, personalized health decisions.

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Most people think they’re protected... until the day they find out they’re not.

In this episode, Leslie sits down with Julianna Obeid of Alliant Insurance Services to explain how homeowners and families become dangerously underinsured, and what “replacement value,” fine print, and policy language really mean when disaster strikes.

Julianna also breaks down the hidden risks of modern life—from teenage drivers and social media to parties, contractors, Airbnb rentals, and everyday accidents—and how a single lawsuit can threaten everything if you don’t have the right liability and umbrella coverage.

We also explore how floods, water damage, and climate risk are reshaping insurance, and why working with a true broker—not just buying a policy online—is now essential.

Listen now to learn how to protect your home, your assets, and your family before it’s too late.

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When Laura Delano was just 14 years old, a single psychiatric appointment set her on a 14-year path of diagnoses, medications, and a belief that her brain was permanently broken. In this conversation, the author of Unshrunk shares how treatment that initially promised relief gradually led to dependency, identity loss, and despair — and how questioning that narrative changed the course of her life.

Laura and Leslie explore what real informed consent in mental health care should look like, why patients and doctors often lack full information, and how diagnoses and polypharmacy can shape — and sometimes distort — a person’s understanding of themselves. This episode isn’t anti-medication; it’s pro-information, pro-agency, and pro-humanity — an invitation to think more deeply about mental health, healing, and the power of informed choice.

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