CONTENT WARNING: this episode discusses child pornography, the pornography industry, sex addiction and potential suicide.

Actress and playwright Maddie Corman became brave because she had to be. It was crisis time. About seven years ago her husband was arrested for downloading images of child sexual abuse material* (legally known as child pornography). And while it’s important to point out that he never went further in any way, that shocking act would forever change their lives. Maddie wrote and starred in a one-woman play called Accidentally Brave that depicts the horrors and terrible loneliness she experienced in those early days, years and even now. But she has continued to fight for her marriage, protect her family and heal herself one day at a time. Maddie says there is opportunity when your life blows up. 

Maddie won the Off Broadway Alliance award for best solo performance in Accidentally Brave. 

*Thorn.org : “Child sexual abuse material (legally known as child pornography) refers to any content that depicts sexually explicit activities involving a child.” // “Those working to combat this type of abuse have begun using the term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM), which more accurately conveys the content and is explicitly tied to the source of the problem.”

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

RAINN - help for survivors of sexual abuse

S-ANON - support for loved ones of sex addicts

SAA - support for sex addicts

Accidentally Brave on Audible

Also, from Season 1 of Go Ask Ali: 

Casting Light on to the Dark Web w/ Julie Cordua

Credits:

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Ali’s most requested topics from our listeners has been how to make friends as a big person. And here it is! Dr. Marisa G. Franco has written the book we've all been waiting for, Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make - and Keep - Friends. Franco explains our connection programming, otherwise known as attachment styles, and how knowing yours can help develop and maintain those crucial friendships. She explains the importance of platonic love, how it creates identity and builds character, and why she calls friendship the underdog of relationships. Perhaps mostly importantly, she lays out the steps for how we can make more.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Dr. Marisa on Instagram

Dr. Marisa’s Website: here you can take a quiz to assess your strengths and weaknesses as a friend 

Also mentioned in the episode:

ACE: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex

Credits:

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the darkest days of the pandemic lots of people read books, played video games, mastered Zoom (sorta) or tried their hand baking sourdough. Peggy Orenstein did those things, too, but she also handmade her very own sweater and then WROTE a book about it. So what, you may be thinking, lots of people knit. No. She really made her own sweater. Like she found a sheep (well, three actually) and learned to shear them for their fleece in order to make her own yarn kind of sweater. But, truly, that was only part of the experience she shares in her book Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater. She also learned a lot about herself, her family, her grief and her grit in the process. 

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest

Videos:

Sheep Shorn With 80 Lbs of Fleece

World’s Fastest Sheep Shearing

Hand Carding Fleece

Mentioned in this episode:

Good On You (Brand Eco Ratings)

How Thrift Shopping Is Being Kind to the Earth

The RealReal

Clothing Microfiber Pollution

Virgin Materials

Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Credits:

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Alex Alcheh, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entrepreneurs are “dream big” people. No risk no reward! But how do you know if you truly want to make a career out of your passion? Candace Nelson was always a joyful baker, but she also ended up revolutionizing the entire baking industry and judging everybody else’s cupcakes on The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. In her new book Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit, and here with Ali, she shares the story behind the Sprinkles phenomenon, what she believes is the crux of entrepreneurship, the importance of branding in an Amazon world and some keystone advice for new entrepreneurs. Happy New Year!

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Candace’s Website

Candace’s Book: Sweet Success, a Simple Recipe to Turn your Passion into Profit

Best in Dough,  featuring Pizzana co-founder and master pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi now streaming on Hulu 

Step Up Women’s Network

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy Jarecki, an entrepreneur and mother of three, didn’t know what was hitting her as she walked the red carpet at Ali’s Head Case premiere. What she thought was a strange little fainting spell was actually a subarachnoid hemorrhage. And while almost 50% of people do not make it, Nancy did. She shares the story of that day’s events, the brain surgeries and many months of recovery, all of which, according to her doctors, were made better by her attitude and optimism. She seems to think that having part of her skull sewn into her abdominal wall for “safe keeping” is a hoot. And it kinda is! Let’s just say that keeping a sense of humor is also part of the story.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

“Nancy Jarecki: Head Strong” (Vogue, 02/02/11)

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ali brings her fabulous co-host for ABC’s The Parent Test on to dig a little deeper into his parenting expertise. Psychologist, teacher, author, researcher and the father of eight kids, Dr. Adolph “Doc” Brown, shares some of his greatest gems to help parents gain clarity and insight into raising humans. He boils all the parenting books out there down to just five main takeaways - what he calls The 5 F’s. They talk candidly about the current crisis kids AND parents are in and why it can be hard for dads to find their space. He also shares some common parenting mistakes, the three greatest parenting traits, and how we tap into love. Clue: First Things First.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Doc Brown’s Website

The Parent Test (ABC) Trailer

Books by Dr. Adolph Brown

Children’s Defense Fund

Cradle to Prison Pipeline

School-to-Prison Pipeline

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philanthropist, businesswoman, advocate for women and girls, and mother of three Melinda French Gates shares some insights and advice on ways we can all give back regardless of what’s in the bank. Call it philanthropy, volunteerism or activism, the goals are the same: help others and work toward a better society. She shares how she’s taught her kids to give back, how rolling back Roe v. Wade affected the world, what her biggest concern is regarding philanthropy, how to start your learning journey, and what she hopes her legacy will be - other than many, many grandkids, of course.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Masterclass on Impactful Giving

Book: The Moment of Lift

Pivotal Ventures

The Giving Pledge

Organizations Noted:

Heifer International

Donors Choose

Moms Rising

End the Backlog

Plus More:

Good+Foundation

Joyful Heart Foundation

Research Tools:

Charity Navigator

Giving Compass

GiveWell

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: There is conversation about spousal homicide and attempted sexual assault. If you would like to avoid this content, please see exact timecodes below.

If you watch any news or doom scroll for 20 minutes, you expose yourself to all kinds of worst case scenarios. And those are dramatic and often terrifying. Gavin de Becker is a leading expert on the prediction and management of violence who says managing fear is surprisingly simple. He also, importantly, talks about intuition - the center of his work - which he calls our personal nuclear defense system and our body’s communication method for survival. They also talk about the influence of news media on our psyche and why governments love division in society.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

Trigger Warning Timecodes:

AFTER AD BREAK 1

Hearing of “serial rapist” in news = 20:58 - 21:29 

Spousal homicide / pre-incident indicators = 21:30 - 22:50

AFTER AD BREAK 2

Ali’s experience of attempted sexual assault = 32:41 - 34:11

If you need help -

RAINN & Sexual Violence Help Line: (800) 656-4673 (HOPE)

Resources: The Joyful Heart Foundation

Links of Interest:

Gavin de Becker & Associates

Book: The Gift of Fear

Master Class on Personal Safety

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who knows if it’s getting older or having experienced a global pandemic, but Ali and Melissa are all about getting rid of life’s flashy trappings and making the simple things like friends, family and a real sense of peace their primary focus. Along the way they also touch on her life as a child star playing Laura Ingalls on the classic show “Little House on the Prairie”, setting boundaries and the bliss of a good recliner. Melissa’s newest book and memoir “Back to the Prairie: A Home Remade a Life Rediscovered” details her journey from glitzy Hollywood life to her rediscovering so much more. And she sounds really happy.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Modern Prairie Website

Back to the Prairie: A Home Remade, a Life Rediscovered

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been about 15 years since Facebook went mainstream and the iPhone was released. In this short time social media and our pocket computers have become indispensable, even addicting. And now we have a new frontier on the horizon, the Metaverse. You’ve probably heard this trendy buzzword, but do you know what it is? Dr. Ibrahim “Abe” Baggili, a cybersecurity and forensics expert, shares his opinion, some content and security risks his team has found, what his biggest fear is, and more. Then our second guest, Jim Steyer, a civil rights attorney and the founder/CEO of Common Sense Media, offers a path forward. His global child advocacy and parental resource non-profit is devoted to child privacy, fighting for big tech regulations, and helping parents navigate the ever-evolving digital wild west.

If you have questions or guest suggestions, Ali would love to hear from you. Call or text her at (323) 364-6356. Or email go-ask-ali-podcast-at-gmail.com. (No dashes)

**Go Ask Ali has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Interview/Talk Show Episode! Please vote for her and the whole team at https://bit.ly/415e8uN by April 20, 2023!

Links of Interest:

Dr. Abe Baggili: Twitter

Connecticut Institute of Technology 

Hacking the Metaverse, LSU Media Center (11/08/22)

Baggili Recent Research: Rise of the Metaverse’s Immersive Virtual Reality Malware and the Man-in-the-Room Attack & Defenses

Information Commissioner’s Office (UK)

Jim Steyer: Twitter

Common Sense Media

Book: Which Side of History: How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives (2020)

Book: Talking Back to Facebook (2012)

Child Mind Institute

Metaverse in the News:

Oculus Founder Claims To Make VR Headset That Will Actually Kill You If You Die In A Game (Forbes, 11/8/22)

An Exploration of 12 Metaverse Use Cases (Ericsson, 6/30/22) 

Murder In The Metaverse: Crime or Creativity? (Medium, 5/28/22)

CREDITS: 

Executive Producers: Sandie Bailey, Lauren Hohman, Tyler Klang & Gabrielle Collins

Producer & Editor: Brooke Peterson-Bell

Associate Producer: Akiya McKnight

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.