When I say the words, weeknight dinner planning, does it give you a pit in your stomach?

Whether busy weeknights for you look like  a battle with decision fatigue OR that you want to make cooking easier but that the meal prep craze, with once a week cooking is just not something you enjoy. Cassy Joy Garcia made it her mission to find a way to support the everyday cook who finds themselves in this exact situation. Today we will be talking through what it looks like to use tonights dinner to prepare for tomorrow nights unique, flavor packed meal of it's own. In this conversation we walk through so many unique,  inspiring, topics that are sure to leave you laughing AND note-taking.

Cassy is also a proud dog mom of 2 pups, Gus & Ben. With that, we will also be talking through how she navigates the dynamic of pets & hospitality especially with guests who may not be as comfortable with pets around. Along with ways to keep your pets comfortable while making your guests feel belonging based on their pet-preferences. 

Throughout the episode you will hear us referencing Cassy's new book Cook Once Dinner Fix! It is available for purchase September 14th, and pre-sale through the links below. We promise that this will change the way you approach weeknight meals, for the better!

Find your copy of the book here:
https://amzn.to/3ByDNPW

Follow on instagram:
 @fedandfit

And redeem your pre-sale rewards here:
 https://fedandfit.lpages.co/cook-once-dinner-fix-pre-order-bonuses/

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Have you ever thought: 
"WOAH, there are way too many people in the kitchen" 
OR 
"I dont know why my food displays always look so chaotic!" 

If you said yes, this episode will give you just the tips you need! Here at Gather we use the term, feast flow. This to us means, the message you speak about your food, and how you want guests to interact with it without even saying a word! In this 101 conversation we will talk about 

1: Serve-ware: How to create simple beauty and dynamic with height & How color of serve ware matters!

2: Why what you cook matters: The perfect ratio based on the number of guests you have to promote ease when serving and eating. 

3: Placement: How to position your food in a way the guides people in the direction you want them to gather. 

Ready to gain three new tips that you can carry with you as you set up for your next event? Let's do this! 

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This week, Sharon Says So shared about us on her account and with that, we welcomed thousands of you to our community! This table just got a whole lot bigger! One of the first things we asked you as you joined our community was, "What you want to know about us OR hospitality." Countless responses came in surrounding the topic of where to event start with hospitality and the topic of developing confidence.  

We decided to put the questions together to create a guide that we believe is a starting place for not just becoming a host, but becoming one that hosts gatherings that welcome, create belonging and connection. These 10 guidelines can act as building blocks as you work towards reframing what hospitality looks like in our culture and your home! 

Here are the 10 Topics we will work through: 
1: Seeing a need & willingness to go first
2: Willingness to fail 
3: Commitment to growth: Personally & practically 
4: Becoming the designated diffuser & difficult conversation manager 
5: Prioritizing ambiance 
6: Creating food intentionally 
7: Shifting from Untouchable to intentional hospitality 
8: Creating Systems & Stations 
9: Auditing your kitchen 
10: Working towards leading with vulnerability and authenticity 

See this list as a way to identify where you need to grow, what you do well and where you need to head next! From there, we would love to support you through blog posts, guides and workshops found at www.gatherintentionalliving.com 

Looking to join the Academie, as discussed in the episode! For listeners of this episode and followers of Sharon Says so, enjoy 30% off an Annual Membership with code "SHARONSAYSSO" at checkout. 

Questions? Email at [email protected]

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Did you know that your words set your guests heart and gaze for the event?

It's easy to feel hospitality insecurity, culture tells us that we shouldn't be confident unless...However our most common way to cope, is to cover our insecurities up with phrases and apologies that do everything except...cover them up! When we welcome our guests with words like: 

"I didn't have time to clean today excuse the mess..."
"I know you cook better but..."
"The kids are crazy right now, but ignore them"

...its almost as if a spotlight is highlighting them and leads to an event that filled with anything except celebration. In this episode I will walk you through ways to rephrase our most common phrases to lead your guests to focus on celebration and time well spent together. 

We as hosts have the power to bring celebration or bring the whole event up in flames....I think I know what one i'd choose, how about you? 

Looking to visit the Hospitality Academie as discussed in the episode? 
Visit it directly at www.hospitalityacademie.com

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Let's talk Invitations, Does the thought of extending one make you cringe? Have you been wanting to get to know your neighbor, but never seem to find a natural way to invite? Have you been wanting to get coffee with that person you often workout next to at the gym? If yes, this episode is for you. Diving into how to invite those in our life to creative gatherings we will be  walking through how to phrase invitation, who to invite, and ways to gather that make everyday hospitality attainable. You will walk away with confidence that your invitation is worth extending and feeling equip to host as you are vs unattainable cultural hospitality expectations. 

In addition to  extending an invitation 101 you will also join us in a conversation about 
*Budget-friendly tips and tricks for hosting 
*Overcoming "CHAOS" Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome
*Ways to gather when life seems cluttered and chaotic 
*
&
*How to live a life of Open Door Hospitality 

Join me, in this conversation that will surely leave everyone who listens ready to 'Just Open the Door'. 

For over a decade, Jen Schmidt has been encouraging, challenging, and cheering on women to embrace both the beauty and bedlam of their everyday lives on her lifestyle blog, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. 

A popular speaker, worship leader and the founder/host of the annual Becoming Conference, Jen shares with humor and authenticity as she invites others to join her on this bumpy, beautiful life journey. As the Lifeway author of “Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation,” Jen believes that an open door is the launching pad for some of His most significant Kingdom work. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, five children, a few too many animals, and an available sofa for anyone who needs it.

Follow Jen on Instagram @Jenschmidt_beautyandbedlam

Or directly through her website https://beautyandbedlam.com/

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Have you every wondered, How do you even say CHARCUTERIE? 

In this episode with Gather Intentional Living's Owner & Hospitality Educator Kayty Helgerson, you will learn the correct pronunciation & everything you need to know to get started. Talking through what supplies you should have in your kitchen for a spontaneous charcuterie, to how to accommodate a variety of dietary needs at your table, this episode will leave you better prepared to create your own! Kayty is a firm believer that a cheese board is a vacuum to an event and a skill every host is capable of. Join her in this fun episode talking about the foundation of everyday hospitality. 

Looking to join one of Kayty's Pre-Recorded Charcuterie Workshops? 
Sign up at Www.Hospitalityacademie.com 

Looking to join a Live Workshop? 
Find the line up at Www.gatherintentionalliving.com 

In need of your own Charcuterie Board, Cheese Knives & More? 
Find one that fits your style at Www.homebygather.com 

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Trauma, mental health and it's connection to relationships is an aspect of culture that often goes unaddressed. So often trauma, betrayal and rejection make their way into our lives and show up later in ways we would never expect. In this conversation with Kobe Campbell, licensed trauma therapist, we dive into how relational trauma can only be healed in relationship. We discuss the unique and beautiful ways that the table, and being a host, comes with the invitation to heal or harm. Talking specifically about how to navigate this topic in our own lives and amongst our guests, this conversation is powerful and eye opening. 

Join us as we learn how trauma in our own lives can be effecting our own relationships and how we can journey with those at our table struggle with their own mental health battles. 

More About Our Guest: 
Kobe Campbell is the founder and lead therapist at The Healing Circle Counseling and Wellness Center and leads the counseling department of the practice. Kobe is an award-winning trauma therapist and Christian counselor. Though Kobe is passionate about helping Christians of color heal from trauma by providing creative and personalized resources, she sees clients from all demographics and backgrounds.

As a first-generation Ghanaian-American, she draws from her personal cultural background to encourage clients to embrace and reconcile to their true selves as they journey toward healing.  Kobe is dedicated to educating churches, organizations, and individuals about the effects of trauma on the mind, body, and soul. One of her greatest passions is speaking and preaching about the integration of mental health and theology.

Kobe received her Bachelors of Art in Psychology at the University of North Carolina- Wilmington and her Masters of Art in Christian Counseling at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. She is licensed by the State of North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and provides virtual therapy state-wide. 

When she is not with her clients, you can find her dancing, planning mental health retreats, reading, or spending time with her family! If you are looking for emotional support and need help navigating past traumas, Kobe would be honored to be a source of support for you.

Find Kobe At
https://www.healingcircletherapy.org
https://www.kobecampbell.com
@healingcirclepodcast

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After Kayty attended a recent comedy show with John Crist & Mike Goodwin she realized a few things 1. How refreshingly clean the show was 2. That they both referenced the connection between how the deepest pain often births the best comedy. After laughing her way through the entire show she knew she needed to dive deeper into this conversation. In this episode Kayty interviews Mike Goodwin from Bowtie Comedy for a riveting conversation about the use comedy and when to avoid it at the table. Diving into how Mike found himself using comedy to cope as a child and how many of us do too we discuss how to nurture this at our table. Whether you are the one keeping everyone belly laughing, or the host of everyday gatherings, this conversation will open your eyes, encourage you to loosen up a bit and better embrace those who take a seat at your table. 

More About Mike: 
Mike Goodwin is a refreshingly funny comedian, speaker, and leader. His signature bowtie is a nod to his expectation-defying brand of comedy that leaves a variety of audiences - from corporate events to swanky galas - laughing hysterically and completely inspired, without a foul or vulgar word spoken.​

Whether it’s a comedy act for a church event or keynote address at a conference, Mike uses his ability to merge leadership and laughter, to help meet his goal of leaving places and people better than he found them. He’s appeared on Lifetime, BET, Dry Bar Comedy, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Daystar, USA the Word Network and Circle TV and been featured on SiriusXM and nationally syndicated radio shows. Mike has shared stages with Dr. David Jeremiah, Tim Hawkins, John Crist and Michael Jr., and participated in the USO Europe Comedy Tour. When not on stage, you can find him sharpening his skills as a writer for digital media outlets and platforms. ​

Follow Mike On Instagram: @bowtiecomedy 
Or on His Website: www.bowtiecomedy.com

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Over the course of my life I have been a part of many gatherings that I didn’t host, but attended as a guest. Some that have made me feel particularly welcome, others that, probably without knowing so, have pushed us away. I’ve become an observer of these gatherings and noted what it was that caused that effect. While of course, a series of factors go into this, the loudest and most impactful element of them all is AMBIENCE.

As we became more familiar with ambience and how vastly different it changes from one gathering to the next, we realized that while of course the company you're with holds significance, ambience is the first impression and the “nest” of any gathering. It either fosters a gathering of enjoyment & comfort, or distance and hesitancy. We often connect ambience to elite gatherings, high social status, and unattainable skills. However, what it really comes down to is three simple categories that can be easily incorporated into all of our lives.

Today we will be breaking down ambience into three categories: 1. Lighting 2. Music 3. Space. 

Learning how these all weave together to orchestrate the tone of a gathering, we know that you will not only feel capable of upholding these tasks, but you will be empowered and refreshed to learn how simple it actually is. 

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Somewhere in culture we learned that it is unacceptable to ask or allow our guests to bring food to our gatherings. While we're not telling you to bring a potato salad to a formal gala, we will be sharing how to navigate this in everyday hospitality. In today's episode we break down 4 main reasons why you should let your guests contribute food and how to ask or organize that as well. 

1: You Can't Do it All, Financially & Time 
2. It makes people feel more comfortable. 
3. It better supports those with dietary needs and families with young kids 
4. It celebrates various cultures at our tables and acts as a conversation piece. 

Towards the end of the episode, we will teach you how to map out your dinner so when your guests ask what to bring, you don't end up with 50 people bringing brownies. We've all been there! 

Join us as we tackle one of hospitalities biggest misconceptions and look at it in a new light. 

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