This week we're bringing you part 2 of my conversation with Raquel Garcia and Natalia Meehan, with special guest Nina Meehan. We all take for granted our ability to communicate, so I hope this inspires you to dig deep and find ways to connect more fully with your loved ones, as it did for me. 

Raquel Garcia is a passionate advocate and mother of Nina, her non-speaking autistic daughter. With 25 years of experience in interior design creating spaces that support how people live, Raquel is passionate about working with other non speaking autistic individuals and their families on their journey to open communication, knowing that healing begins in the home and family system. She focuses on establishing practical protocols and environments where both the non-speaker and their loved ones can thrive, helping families build sustainable practices rooted in hope and the right tools. Natalia Meehan is the Director and Co-Founder of Flowering Futures and Co-Founder of The Bridge, a curriculum that educates the public about spelling-based communication, and she spends most of her time as a Communication and Regulation Partner (CRP) working with autistic individuals with apraxia. Her life is deeply informed by her nonspeaking sister Nina, with whom she runs an herbal practice in service to others, advancing their shared mission of expanding awareness and advocacy around wellbeing & spelling. Natalia believes regulation is foundational to authentic communication and approaches spelling as a complete lifestyle. Through direct feedback from her spellers, she integrates herbal medicine, nervous system healing, and cutting-edge scientific approaches to support neurodivergent individuals in moving from surviving to thriving.

Thank you for being here,
Johanna

Find more on Raquel and Natalia's work at
https://www.floweringfutures.com/
https://www.instagram.com/flowering.futures/
https://www.thethreesisters.com/
https://www.thenina.foundation/

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

It was an honor to have this conversation, and I am so excited to finally get to share it with you today. I'm joined by Raquel Garcia and Natalia Meehan for a meaningful, inspiring conversation. Raquel Garcia is a passionate advocate and mother of Nina, her non-speaking autistic daughter. With 25 years of experience in interior design creating spaces that support how people live, Raquel is passionate about working with other non speaking autistic individuals and their families on their journey to open communication, knowing that healing begins in the home and family system. She focuses on establishing practical protocols and environments where both the non-speaker and their loved ones can thrive, helping families build sustainable practices rooted in hope and the right tools. Natalia Meehan is the Director and Co-Founder of Flowering Futures and Co-Founder of The Bridge, a curriculum that educates the public about spelling-based communication, and she spends most of her time as a Communication and Regulation Partner (CRP) working with autistic individuals with apraxia. Her life is deeply informed by her nonspeaking sister Nina, with whom she runs an herbal practice in service to others, advancing their shared mission of expanding awareness and advocacy around wellbeing & spelling. Natalia believes regulation is foundational to authentic communication and approaches spelling as a complete lifestyle. Through direct feedback from her spellers, she integrates herbal medicine, nervous system healing, and cutting-edge scientific approaches to support neurodivergent individuals in moving from surviving to thriving.

We talk about purpose, the growth that comes from having to acknowledge you weren't right, and explore different perspectives and approaches to caregiving. They share their experience with developing routines and the impact they can have on emotional regulation. I learned so much today, including about presuming competence, keeping and open heart and open mind, and the undeniable importance of believing in hope, change and possibility.

This conversation expanded my heart, and I hope it'll fill your day with inspiration as well.

Thank you for being here,
Johanna

Find more on Raquel and Natalia's work at
https://www.floweringfutures.com/
https://www.instagram.com/flowering.futures/
https://www.thethreesisters.com/
https://www.thenina.foundation/

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

My brain has been ignited by the work of my guests today! Blythe Harris and Mallory May are lifelong creativity advocates who have spent their careers helping others connect with their innate creativity. Blythe was co-founder and chief creative officer of Stella & Dot, and has been featured in Inc., Fast Company, Vogue France, and Elle, and on the TODAY show. Mallory spent over a decade as a vice president at Sotheby’s before launching a career as an artist, designer, and creative director. Her work has been featured in Vogue and exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. In 2020, they teamed up to launch DailyCreative to help people everywhere turn creativity into a daily wellness practice through low-lift activities that spark joy, strengthen mental agility and decrease stress. Their book, Daily Creative: The 5-Minute Habit to Rewire Your Brain, is being published by Chronicle Books TODAY!!!! 

I'm not exaggerating when I say that their work can benefit everyone on the planet! Our conversation starts at the beginning of their journeys, and through how they learned business execution as creatives. We talk about habit stacking and how authenticity creates flow, and luxuriate in all things creativity. They share what they've learned over the course of their fascinating careers, which is that creativity is not an innate trait, it's one that you can practice and nourish. We explore how they get into a creative flow, the urgent need for creativity with the rise of AI, and so, so, so much more.

So happy you're joining us,

xx
Jo

Find the Daily Creative book at: Chronicle Books
Find Blythe and Mallory on Instagram:
@daily__creative
@blythe.harris
@_mallorymay_
Substack: DailyCreative
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@@daily.creative
Website: dailycreative.com

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

Christine Morrison is a renowned journalist and the creator of Writing in Black and White, a newsletter and online platform that explores fashion and beauty through the lens of aging. Every day, she challenges conventional narratives about growing older, and I am so thrilled to have her  here today to talk about the road that got her to where she is today. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and in campaigns for major fashion and beauty brands. A former Calvin Klein Vice President and current member of THE BOARD, she also found shares her personal perspective in Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself, a collection of essays on style, identity and self-discovery.

We talk about the realities of motherhood as kids grow up and the vulnerability you have to tap into as a storyteller. We also deep dive into how what we wear makes a difference in our lives, how clothes (and fashion) can help you discover who you are, taking huge risks, and so many more fun and relatable stories that will have you laughing, I'm sure!

if you believe in yourself enough you eventually know what you deserve and you fight for it. boomerang karma.

Really happy you're here,

xx
Jo

Find Christine on Substack at https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/
and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/writinginblackandwhite/

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

This week I have a grounding, inspiring, and reflective episode for you with my guest, renowned artist and ceramicist Re Jin Lee. Re Jin's work is a unique assembly of individually rolled-out clay slabs and coils created by a 'hand and clay' collaboration inspired by the contemplative process of ceramics and belief in the power of simplicity. A native of São Paulo, Brazil, and of South Korean heritage, Lee draws inspiration from the amalgamation of modern Brazilian architecture and traditional Korean arts. Her recent solo and two-person exhibitions include In Bloom (2023) and The Sublime and Formed (2022 and 2021), curated by Cas Friese at Arden + White Gallery, New Canaan, CT. In 2025, her work was featured in Interwoven Gestures, a three-person exhibition curated by Cas Friese at Arden + White Gallery; as well as in the group exhibitions All the Light and Shadow, curated by Alyson Baker and presented by River Valley Arts Collective in partnership with Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center; Cross Section, curated by Dana McClure at Ravenwood; and Wild Minded at Wild Minded, Kingston, NY. 

Together we talk about artistry and how her visions for her future helped her build it. Throughout our conversation, we come back to her practice of creating intuitively, finding where to focus, and - a concept many other guests have shared with us - JUST. STARTING. Re Jin shares her approach to managing uncertainty, her lifestyle as an artist and how it lives in her, and how she decides what to do next. There's a lot of good in this conversation, centering on trusting our gut and finding what lights us up inside. 

Happy you're joining us,

xx
Jo

Find Re Jin Lee at her website at https://www.rejinlee.com/
And on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/re.jin.lee/?hl=en

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

Today we are all about the practice of discipline in art. My guest Jolene Poydar spent her formative years in New York City’s downtown club scene as a DJ, where her love of dance music and spinning vinyl set the tone for her creative life. Alongside her nights behind the turntables, she began exploring textile art—yarn bombing city streets and experimenting with improvisational quilting. Over time, her artistic practice expanded into ceramics, where wheel throwing has replaced vinyl DJing as her primary medium for tactile exploration and expression. I'm deeply inspired by Jolene's self-motivation and commitment to art.

Together we talk about the drive and discipline to create, the benefits of having a regular artistic practice, and how treating art like it's a job has helped her continually prioritize her art even when life got busy. Her creative process is rooted in play and improvisation, and she tells me how that has helped her learn about control and perfectionism - and how to let those go even just a little. She leaves us with this:

"Life is for living. Dive in instead of looking at it from the sidelines."

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did,
xx
Jo

Find Jolene Poydar at https://djjolene.com/
and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/madebyadj/

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

I'm joined by Lynn Harris today, a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and author/co-author of six books. Her comedy and campaigns for social justice and gender equity have changed laws and conversations from Capitol Hill to NASCAR. She is the founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy—the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary creators grow their comedy careers, build powerful communities, and make funny stuff. She co-created Breakup Girl, co-hosted a podcast, served as the first VP of communications at global human rights group Breakthrough, and worked as a Tonya Harding lookalike, which is a long story.

Our conversation is packed with energy and should leave you inspired and ready to laugh this year! We talk about the importance of experiencing comedy from an early age, following her nose towards what she loves, and the work of normalizing women and othered others' presence in the comedy world. We also discuss putting the work out before you're ready (hello fellow perfectionists!), accelerating change, and her mother's priceless advice: "don't ever tell yourself I shouldn't be feeling this way, or if you tell yourself, don't believe it. 

Thank you for being here,
xx
Jo

Find Lynn at https://goldcomedy.com/
And on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/goldcomedy/?hl=en

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year and season 2 than with Alyssa Rapp, who joins me to discuss entrepreneurship, killer instincts and nurturing ambition. Currently the Chief Executive Officer of Empower Aesthetics, Alyssa is also the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Healthwell Acquisition Corp. I, a $250 million special purpose acquisition corporation that successfully IPO’d on NASDAQ. Since 2014, Alyssa has been a lecturer-in-management at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth Business School since 2019. She is also the author of the Amazon bestseller, Leadership and Life Hacks: Insights from a Mom, Wife, Entrepreneur & Executive.

Our conversation hugely inspired me. We kicked it off talking about nature vs nurture, why hard work is extremely necessary but not sufficient for anything that's worthwhile, and how to cultivate drive and competitiveness in ourselves and the people we love (and are raising!). Alyssa shares how mentorship and role models have guided her to where she is now, and the importance of passion, purpose and integrity in business and in life. We also save some time at the end to glean some of her organizational wisdom when it comes to motherhood and being a sports parent - we both agree that scheduling too much makes you miss the juicy in-betweens, and exchange tricks on how to make space for the magic to happen.

I leave you with this from Alyssa: "To whom much is given, much is expected. And the best way to learn is to teach."

xx
Jo

Find Alyssa at www.alyssarapp.com

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

I am so excited to be kicking off SEASON 2 of EAT MY WORDS with you today! To start this new year, I'm taking you through my very own personal MORE OF / LESS OF LIST, to talk through some of the things I'm craving this year (send me yours - we can hold each other accountable!). 2026 means creating more rituals, more art and intentionality, and lowering the noise around me.

I'm so looking forward to this year with all of you - I'm grateful, excited, and thrilled to be here, and I hope you are too!   

xx
Jo

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast

This week we are going back to another great episode to close out our holiday season and usher in a new year! The magnificent Mary Buri is here to remind us of the importance of creativity and the strength of nature. As a garden designer, coach and the founder of Mars Kitchen Garden, Mary has worked one-on-one with more than 150 home gardeners—designing and building kitchen gardens, crafting planting plans, and coaching them through the full growing season, from seed to harvest.

After switching gears from the publishing world to raising her four children, Mary had a lightbulb moment that led to the beginning of her now incredibly successful business. She not only walks us through how to approach gardening, but also discusses starting fresh, and how having a hard time closing the loop on potential led her to channeling her creativity and curiosity into the business of helping others accomplish their garden dreams. The conversation moves from prioritizing needs despite existing demands on you, trying again after messing up, and granting yourself the space, freedom, time and permission to do some things less if it means doing the thing you want to do most.

Mary talks about not wanting her kids to see her saying no to important parts of herself, loving her job because she's good at it, and keeping her curiosity, excitement and delight alive while guiding others to find themselves in the dirt and the plants and the food.

This is a GOOD one - dig in and let me know how it lands,

xx

Johanna

Find Mary on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/maryburi/
Find Mars Kitchen at https://www.marskitchengarden.com/
and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marskitchengarden/

Eat My Words Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmywordsthepodcast/

Eat My Words TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatmywords_thepodcast