Friends from Wild Places

If you’re stuck in the messy middle of building a business, the problem might not be your product, your pricing, or your plan. It might be that you’re invisible. We get candid about what it takes to grow a niche brand when you don’t have a brick-and-mortar shop, when your offer is specialised, and when trust is the real currency.

Paul Robinson

• Website: http://www.bottivino.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bottivino
• Tel: +1 917 379 1773

For anyone new to wine, we keep it simple and human. Instead of drowning in grape varietals and regions, we share a beginner-friendly way to build your palate through local relationships, focused curiosity, and slow exploration of a single region at a time. We also highlight Tina’s Wish Ovarian Cancer Research and the importance of ovarian cancer research, fundraising, and quality of life support through institutions like Dana-Farber.

Join us as we support Tina’s Wish Ovarian Cancer Research this month!

If you like practical business lessons, approachable wine talk, and conversations with heart, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’s building something, and leave us a review with the biggest takeaway you’re going to act on.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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Wine can feel like a locked room full of rules, code words, and raised eyebrows. We want the opposite, so we brought on Paul from Bottivino, a San Francisco sommelier and wine educator who’s building a community around boutique Italian wines, storytelling, and the freedom to ask “basic” questions without feeling judged.

Paul Robinson

• Website: http://www.bottivino.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bottivino
• Tel: +1 917 379 1773

You’ll also hear the moment that made his business click: a packed blind tasting class where long-time clients stayed for hours and finally met each other because he set the stage. From there we get into imposter syndrome, skepticism, and why the wine world loses people when it tries to act elite. Paul shares why Italy became his focus, plus his own origin story from Boston to New York as a Shakespeare actor, into hospitality, and into wine after a single unforgettable glass in Sardinia.

Join us as we support Tina’s Wish Ovarian Cancer Research this month!

If you want wine to feel human again, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who thinks wine is intimidating, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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A single news story can split into two completely different realities overnight. We start there, unpacking the competing claims in the Charlie Kirk assassination case: the prosecution’s narrative built on DNA, a note, messages, and motive, versus the counter-story fueled by leaked photos, questions about ballistics, and loud conspiracy framing. We’re not here to cosplay detectives, but we are here to talk honestly about credibility, incentives, and why “confidence” is not the same thing as proof.

Paul Robinson

• Website: http://www.bottivino.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bottivino
• Tel: +1 917 379 1773

Then the conversation turns toward something unexpectedly hopeful: wine as a living story you can taste. Our guest, sommelier and Bottivino founder Paul Robinson, brings a quote from Madame Clicquot that flips the usual script on champagne. He challenges the idea that great bottles should be hoarded for milestones, arguing that wine is made by farmers, shaped by place, and meant to be shared now. We talk about how gatekeeping and pageantry can push people away from wine, and how simple curiosity can pull you right back in.

Join us as we support Tina’s Wish Ovarian Cancer Research this month!

If you enjoy true crime debate, smart skepticism, Italian wine, and practical life perspective, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’s saving “the good bottle,” and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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Your orchid was thriving at the store and dead on your counter two days later. That tiny heartbreak turns into a surprisingly useful conversation about environment, expectations, and the hidden “transition shock” that hits plants and people alike. We sit down with Marisa K Bradley, a Bay Area garden designer, and Tanya Scotece, a longtime funeral director and educator, to talk about confidence, craft, and what it means to build a life of service without losing your center. 

Marisa K. Bradley

• Website: http://www.mkbradley.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @marisakbradleygardens
• Tel: +1 415 846 9922

From there, we zoom out to community and critical thinking. We spotlight Slide Ranch, a nonprofit farm on the California coast near Marin County, and talk about how getting involved locally can pull us out of the stress loop of work and life. We wrap with a fun Fact or Opinion game that lands on a serious takeaway: you can hold strong opinions, but you don’t get to call them facts or harm people over them. 

Join us as we support the Slide Ranch this month!

If this conversation helped you, subscribe to Friends From Wild Places, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a quick review telling us what topic you want next.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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Your outdoor space can be more than a strip of plants and a patio set. We sit down with Marisa, a self described plant nerd and garden designer, to talk about creating “garden rooms” that make a yard feel like an extension of the home: places to cook, gather, rest, and breathe. Along the way, we dig into what great garden design and landscape design really require, from hardscape and furniture to irrigation planning and the often ignored reality of aftercare. 

Marisa K. Bradley

• Website: http://www.mkbradley.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @marisakbradleygardens
• Tel: +1 415 846 9922

Then we zoom out to the long view. Planting a garden is dreaming of tomorrow, but planting a tree can be a 75-year decision. We talk climate change landscaping, choosing drought tolerant plants and climate ready trees, and how to avoid future regrets like overcrowded palms, blocked views, and mismanaged pruning. If you care about outdoor living space, sustainable gardening, and building something that lasts, this conversation will give you a clearer plan and better questions to ask. 

Join us as we support the Slide Ranch this month!

Subscribe, share this with a friend who is redesigning their yard, and leave a review so more listeners can find Friends from Wild Places.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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A garden can look perfect and still feel wrong to live in and fixing that is where design becomes personal. We’re joined by Marisa K. Bradley of Marisa K. Bradley Garden Design, who creates outdoor spaces that support the way you actually move through your day. Starting with Audrey Hepburn’s line, “To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow,” we dig into why gardening is the opposite of instant gratification and why patience, soil health, and natural systems matter more than quick cosmetic wins. If you’ve ever felt like you have a “black thumb,” Tanya says the quiet part out loud and Marissa shares the mindset that helps beginners keep things alive and keep going.

Marisa K. Bradley

• Website: http://www.mkbradley.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @marisakbradleygardens
• Tel: +1 415 846 9922

Midway through, we take a hard turn into true crime with the murder of Henry Novak and the chilling aftermath: a fabricated story, a chaotic scene, and a response that raises questions about police protocol, bias, and what “protecting the truth” looks like when the victim can’t advocate for himself. We talk through why first responders should prioritize medical triage, how accountability works under pressure, and why body cam footage can change outcomes.

Join us as we support the Slide Ranch this month!

We close by tracing Marissa’s roots back to Oregon and the grandmother who taught her composting, resilience, and the idea that individual choices add up in sustainability and climate impact. If you care about garden design, sustainable landscaping, outdoor living spaces, or the systems that shape our lives, this one stays with you. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a fresh start, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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Money fear can freeze the biggest dreams. We talk candidly about what it looks like to want a solopreneur life while still needing stability, and how to move forward without blowing up your finances. Our guiding idea is simple and doable: don’t force a dramatic “quit and pray” moment. Instead, build in a straddle season where you keep your current income, carve out focused time, and stack small wins until the next step is obvious.

Allison Coleman

• Website: http://www.acespayments.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1

Then we zoom out to something bigger than business: service. When you’re stressed or in a dark place, volunteering and supporting a nonprofit can pull your attention outward and help you reset. That’s why we spotlight the Mallory Gaston Foundation in Sausalito, California, a community gym and wellness nonprofit where affordable memberships help fund youth and young adults earning fitness instructor certifications. 

Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month!

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s on the edge of a career change, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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You can feel successful on paper and still crave something truer. Allison joins us to share how she went from being born and raised in Toronto to building a new life in the San Francisco Bay Area, following community, coastline, and the creative pulse of innovation. Along the way we talk about what it really takes to restart in a new place, especially when you do not arrive with a ready made network, just a suitcase, a plan, and the willingness to figure it out. 

Allison Coleman

• Website: http://www.acespayments.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1

From there, we get practical about launching a yoga business in the Bay Area wellness world where options are endless and standing out is tough. Allison explains how she builds trust with new students by finding her voice, not copying the market, and teaching what people actually need: breathwork, slow flow, yin yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra for stress relief, better sleep, mobility, and longevity. We also explore her “strength and stillness” retreat approach, plus how she uses seasons and lunar themes as simple prompts for micro shifts that stick.

Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month!

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review telling us what “stillness” would look like in your week.

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Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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We’re Shireen and Tanya, and we start by challenging the old assumption that bookkeeping has to be local to be legitimate. Secure remote access, US-based training, and tight processes can deliver the same precision while giving business owners a more flexible, modern partner. If you’re searching for QuickBooks support, virtual bookkeeping, or a practical way to get your monthly close under control, you’ll feel seen.

Allison Coleman

• Website: http://www.acespayments.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1

Then we bring on Allison Coleman, a senior payments advisor with ACES Payments, to talk about the systems behind how money moves. We dig into the real-world friction points that drain time and margin: payment processing, merchant services, payroll, operational workflow, and even access to capital. Allison’s approach is simple but powerful: reduce complexity, cut unnecessary costs, and build a finance stack that supports growth instead of creating daily stress.

Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month!

If this conversation gives you a new lens on business systems and human sustainability, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

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A canceled workshop can feel like a punch to the gut, but it can also be the cleanest data you will ever get. We sit down with Jennifer Lares of Mulling Mortition to talk honestly about the unglamorous side of building a funeral service business: ideas that do not land, the sunk cost trap, and the mental work of making cuts without losing your confidence. Along the way, we keep it real and even get into the unexpectedly practical question of what kind of swag actually fits a death care brand.

Jennifer Lares

• Website: Mullingmortician.com
• Tel: +1 352-509-6273
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lares-a09163302

If you have ever wondered what embalming really is, how the body changes after death, or how simple rituals like shrouding can add meaning, you will leave with clearer language and fewer myths.

Join us as we support Operation Solace this month!

We also highlight this month’s nonprofit, Operation Solace, founded in San Antonio to help veterans access non-traditional mental health support, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, and to honor lives lost to suicide through powerful Day of the Dead remembrance. We wrap with a quick word association game and ways to connect with all of us after you listen. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Stay Wild!

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplaces
• Website: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/
• Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcast
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast

Leave a review!