Everyday Endorphins

This week I brought on Erica Wenger to discuss humanizing your 20s, finding your purpose, and the power of social entrepreneurship. Erica is a speaker with TedX, where she gave a talk on how social entrepreneurship will change the world. She also is the host of DearTwentySomething, a podcast that interviews inspiring women on how they navigated their 20s and what led them to their success in life. Most recently, Erica became a founding member at MadeFor, which is a neuroscience-backed wellness program that helps empower you to make better habits to lead a healthier life. 

This week I had the privilege of speaking with Brigitte and Chris Norton, parents to the late artist Charles Norton. The Norton family orchestrated an exhibit at the High Line Nine to profile Charles' work called "The Pippins: Dilemma of Colors" which features a collection of approximately 57 Pippin drawings and 21 corresponding poems, each featuring a satirical character known as a Pippin. 

Charles battled with severe depression and mental health issues leading to his death in July 2019 at 24 years old. Despite his young age, Charles left his family with a prolific body of work including drawings, illustrations, sketches, poetry, and paintings.

The show is designed to raise mental health awareness and to support Project Healthy Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the stigma on mental health and providing access to resources for those who are struggling. Make sure to check out the exhibit before the end of February 2022. 

In this episode, Chris and Brigitte speak about the symbolism of the Pippins and Charles' mental health struggles, how to help someone when they're suffering, how they grieved the loss of their son, and why its crucial to end the stigma surrounding metal health.

Dating in the real world can be a challenging change of pace after college, and this week's interview with Ilana Dunn is dedicated to discussing how to navigate struggles in the post-grad dating scene. 

Ilana is the host of Seeing Other People, which is a podcast about modern dating that helps listeners feel less alone in their dating lives. Prior to starting her podcast, Ilana worked in content production at Hinge, was formerly a part of Nick Jonas' management team.

In this episode, Ilana and I chat about how to approach dating with a healthier mindset, the importance of establishing open and honest communication, and how dating can affect our relationships with others.

What better way to kick off the month of February by discussing spontaneity, adventure, and relationships. This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Camille Wyand, a strategy consultant based in NYC, and Lizzie Frainier, a writer for The Telegraph, on how they recreated "The Holiday" by swapping lives for a week. This adventure was supported by Thursday Dating and HomeExchange, and in this episode, Camille & Lizzie share what it was like to date in different cities, the value of stepping outside of your comfort zone, and the beauty in going with the flow. 

Check out Lizzie's article for The Telegraph on her experience with the exchange!

So you've graduated and you're financially independent...now what? Adulting is hard, but doesn't have to be. This week, I had the chance to sit down with Dina Carkonen, a Wealth Management executive, to talk about how to manage your money post-grad. In this episode, Dina shares some practical advice for saving and spending, how to practice financial wellness, and the relationship between our emotions and the way we engage with money.

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Arshay Cooper, Award-Winning Author and protagonist of "A Most Beautiful Thing" documentary. In this episode, we chat about Arshay's experience as a founding member of the first all-Black high-school rowing team, what it was like for him growing up in the West Side of Chicago in the 90s, the importance of representation in rowing, and how the sport has advanced his life. 

What better way to start the New Year with the launch of our 50th episode featuring the one and only, Dr. Jack Carlson. Jack is the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Rowing Blazers, an authentic and irreverant apparel company that blends ivy style with vintage streetwear. In this episode, Jack and I talk about his invovlement in rowing as a coxswain at Georgetown, the inspiration behind the Rowing Blazers book and how it evolved into the brand, the challenges he's faced as an entrepreneuer, and his passions for health and wellness. 

This week I had the pleasure of bringing Jackie Emerson onto the podcast. Chances are you know her from The Hunger Games, or maybe from her Ted Talk, "Hold Onto Your Inner Child." In this episode, Jackie and I talk all about the pressures placed on actors around body image, the challenges Jackie faced around self-acceptance and body confidence when cast in The Hunger Games, and the importance of finding ways to ignite your inner child.