this week, we take a blast to the past and introduce my freshman year roommate onto the pod - CHASE! chase and i went in blindly to the college dorms five years ago, and boy oh boy do we have many tales for you. we discuss everything from me having a name no one can pronounce and her having one that's a boys' name, her mom's culty experience at a yoga retreat, and how only *some* men are allowed to be famous. i hope you like this light and fresh guest ep!! signing off, no comment.

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

chase's instagram: @chasefetterley

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

recently i have been on a constant go-go-go train, and it's exhausting both physically and mentally. one thing i've been intentionally practicing is saying no to others and opportunities that arise that jeopardize my short-term and long-term goals and well-being. it can be really hard to set boundaries with others, but this is truly a form of self-care that all of us should adopt. i hope this resonates with you if you have been experiencing something similar lately. keep saying no! it's a beautiful word!

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

i'm surrounded by quite a few golfers in my life, especially in my immediate family and close friend group, and i think it's time for me to step up to the plate and give you an update on my golfing abilities as of summer 2023 cause a girl's been golfing a lot. in short, i'm an up and coming tiger woods. i hope you liked this golf episode and could visualize my nearly perfect swing amidst a green grassy fairway on a bright summer day. catch ya next week ... and who knows, i might be wearing a titleist hat by then ;-)

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

long time (two weeks) no see! in this episode i introduce you to my close friend claire who is a woman in STEM herself, just like me. we discuss our experiences as females in the STEM space, claire’s current research position and her first job as a recent grad, and touch on our opinions surrounding animal testing and ethics. we hope you found this episode to be both entertaining and educational!

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

i am introducing you to my internet friend, and now real life friend, lily! i’m sure plenty of us remember our old spam accounts from high school, and while they were a bit toxic, i met one of my bestest friends that lives 740 miles away from me through my spam account. lily and i break down how we met, how different our lives were/are growing up in different parts of the country, and how we’ve sustained an 8 year long friendship whose foundation began online for years before we met in person. 

forgiving others who did us dirty is tough sometimes. i think we would be lying to ourselves and others if we didn’t admit that we have held a grudge for a long time, or even never truly forgiven someone (be it that they didn’t apologize and you never spoke again, or you didn’t forgive their apology and you never spoke again, or any other circumstance). the truth is: we all are allowed and capable of growing and changing - if you cannot forgive others and allow them to change, how can you grant yourself that same room to improve? i talk about this realization, and the shift of forgiving someone else for them to forgiving someone else for yourself. and let us not forget about forgiving ourselves for our past doings too. hope this resonates with you!

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

this episode is very important to me as it is being uploaded on the first day of Pride Month, and it's incredibly important for me to touch on the injustices that many folks who identify with the LGBTQ+ face (although i am barely grazing the surface in this episode. i hope you use this month to amplify and protect LGBTQ+ lives and voices, and that you learned at least one new thing from this episode. below are resources i highly encourage you to utilize:

Pride Month Resources (not exhaustive):

Pride Events Calendar: https://www.iglta.org/events/pride-calendar/

The Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality: https://www.hrc.org/resources/best-places-to-work-for-lgbtq-equality-2022

The Jim Collins Foundation for those seeking assistance for gender-affirming surgeries: https://jimcollinsfoundation.org/apply/

Volunteer for an LGBTQ+ Non-Profit, like The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/volunteer/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw-JyUBhCuARIsANUqQ_KdBMA5xN6r92OkIhcCEGaYTuZgjMFPXmn5VtXpf-rWncPXv_MAI38aAl5UEALw_wcB

Haley Jakobson's instagram for Pride Survival Guide: @haleyjakobson

Rainbow-Washing Infographic on instagram: @so.informed

sending you so much love, and extending a happy and safe pride to all the queers listening <3

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

there is nothing like a childhood best friend, and i am so excited that i get to introduce you to mine! get ready to listen to the most unhinged, chaotic, hilarious, embarrassing episode i've ever recorded because we really let it all out there in this one. we detail our friendship history, how it's lasted for 17 years and counting, and share a lot of funny stories down memory lane. i hope you enjoyed this silly one and it brought a smile to your face. here's your reminder to go text/call a friend who means a lot to you!

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

kristina's instagram: @kristina_simpsonnn

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

we are entering that time of year where it’s warming up outside, and we might be becoming more critical of our physical appearance or hearing others’ comments on their bodies. i wanted to touch on the importance of body neutrality today because this is a very important ongoing practice that all of us should adopt. our bodies are the least interesting things about us, i promise!

TW: this episode is not a substitute for any professional help or resources. please refrain from listening if this content may be triggering to you, and check out some of the resources included below.

resources: 

1. NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) Helpline - Call, Text, and Online Chat: (800) 931-2237

2. Free or Low Cost Mental Health Care in Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/healthcare/help/type/free-or-low-cost-mental-health-care 

3. BetterHelp Online Therapy: https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&utm_content=133524759310&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=better+help_e&network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=e&utm_campaign=15234220559&ad_type=text&adposition=&kwd_id=kwd-10769550178&gclid=CjwKCAjw04yjBhApEiwAJcvNofgui59Nlij6rxB8gxLw1F8ZH5ivc8HTbQW6qbsJZ5su2oYMHcAuLBoCwyUQAvD_BwE¬_found=1&gor=start

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr

the art of being alone is perhaps one of the hardest things humans must overcome and learn. the thing is, no one can hand you a good relationship with yourself - to like yourself enough to enjoy being alone. it has taken me a long time to differentiate physical solitude vs. the feeling of loneliness. reclaiming my identity and enjoying my active/passive alone time is something i practice every week! today i want to talk about how you can master the art of being alone because it’s not so bad after all, and shouldn’t be something we fear. 

xoxo elena

instagram: @elenatsantis

cover art: lily van brocklin, @lilyvanbr