I am known for a few things, and one of them being my incredible love for all things chocolate. As I got older and dove into the worlds of coffee and wine, I realized that similarly chocolate has a culture and world of it's own. It didn't take long for me to realize that the mass produced chocolate that I would feast on as a kid no longer fit the way my foodie palate was expanding. This led me to learn more about what makes chocolate...good chocolate. While truthfully I am very much at the beginning of my learning Nicole Patel, Master Chocolatier, teaches me in this episode all about one of my true loves in a profound and decadent new way!

Through this conversation you will hear:
How a career in Engineering led Nicole to launch her chocolate company

Does your chocolate crack or bend? What are the main differences between what we see on store shelves like 'smores chocolate' and chocolate thats produced in small batches?  How to tell the difference and why it matters

The proper way to store and serve  your chocolate and how it enhances the taste

Delysia is known for their unique flavors and stunning presentation! Nicole will share how she crafts and creates all of it...without tasting a piece!

Chocolate lovers unite for a conversation that will get your excited to dig your teeth into some of the best chocolate you've ever had AND know how to serve it, gift it and more in the future!

Shop Delysia chocolate here!

This episode was sponsored by:

Good Ranchers
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get $30 off your first order of American meat Delivered straight to your door for Father's Day with code GATHER

Bebly Box:
Head on over to BEBLY.com and use code bebly20 for 20% off your purchase and free shipping!

I was the kid who when everyone else was watching cartoons... I was watching cooking shows. 30 Minute Meals was a regular show and Rachael Ray was a household name. As I got older it felt like in many ways Rachael Ray and I grew up together, you may feel the same way. She expanded on to new shows, business endeavors product lines and I... very readily followed along! There was always something about her, a unique factor, that not only captured my attention, but America's attention. Through it all her tips, tricks, recipes and catchy phrases stuck with me. 

Recently I was introduced to Andrew "Kappy" Kaplan, who currently serves as the VP of Culinary Operations for Rachael Ray brands. As incredible as his job is, his journey that got him there is even more dynamic! From a love of food to planning some of the country's leading food festivals, to 'coincidently' meeting Rachael Ray, his story is one that will inspire any dreamer, entrepreneur and foodie! 

Through this conversation we will talk through: 

• How creating afternoon snacks for his siblings turned into a decision to go to culinary school 
• How his degree led him to unexpected  door opening opportunities 
• The' Rachael Ray Effect' and how authenticity leads to trust 
• Yum-O!, the remarkable work being done through their foundation. Along with ways that you can get involved too 
• & much more! 

I have always been inspired by peoples stories, behind the scenes and stories of life lived around the table. This one will surely leave you awestruck and more invested in the work of Rachael Ray Brands than before.

This episode was sponsored by:

Good Ranchers
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get $30 off your first order of American meat Delivered straight to your door for Father's Day with code GATHER

Cotier Brand:
Get your own Convokins for 15% off at Cotierbrand.com using code Gather15

Bebly Box:
Head on over to BEBLY.com and use code bebly20 for 20% off your purchase and free shipping!

There are two types of people, those who live and breathe boxed wine, and those who are skeptical. Truthfully I was always a skeptic, believing that box wine was 'cheap wine' and boy was I wrong!   Recently I learned about a new brand called Bebly that solves a problem that I certainly can identify with and truthfully...I think you can too. Owner, Ally, took a glance at her tablescape a few years back and saw a box wine with paper towels under it to catch any spilling. She searched high and low to find a solution to elevate the way she served it. With no luck she designed a system that makes serving box wine simple, chic, practical and sustainable!

Through this conversation Ally educated me on the truth about box wine, along with the bright future ahead of it that includes something for all of us to learn! (I am officially converted!)

We also dove into the truth about the 'sand shortage' around the world and how it's effecting the cost of bottled wine that we know and love. 

How to simplify our gatherings in our planning so that we can enjoy the process and time with our guests!

...I am always going to advocate for things that make your table effortlessly beautiful, and that enhances your guests experience- which leads me to sing Bebly's praises to you!

This conversation is for the wino (or truthfully even cold brew lover!),  new host, seasoned host, design enthusiast and those looking for fresh ideas for the table! Light hearted, insightful and for sure a new Gather favorite- this conversation is for you!

Head on over to BEBLY.com and use code bebly20 for 20% off your purchase and free shipping! Follow them on Instagram @beblybox for more!

This episode is sponsored by:
 
Good Ranchers
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER 

Do you take time to celebrate everyday? Truthfully, I don't! I find myself falling in this 1 or 100, black or white type mentality and I end up missing so many reasons to stop, pause, and celebrate every day! Today's conversation gave me more than a fresh perspective on every calibrations though, it opened my eyes to a conversation much deeper. As I read through the book Everyday Grand by today's guest, Jocelyn Delk Adams, I came to pick up on stories that talked about the connection of food, culture and race. In our country right now while there are conversations happening about diversity and race, very few are connected to food...which meant I HAD to explore it. 

• Through this drool-worthy and insightful conversation with our joy filled guest you will hear topics such as: 
• How to connect each recipe to an everyday celebration, and find more reasons to celebrate
• How to rewrite the ways we look at failure, learn to embrace and celebrate it 
• How to talk about our experience with foods from other cultures as we try them. 
• The risk of loosing the heart of cooking, time spent recipe developing and being in the kitchen with family 
• The incredibly eye-opening conversation of the connection between food and cultural appropriation 

If you like food, and like to smile, this conversation is for YOU (So basically...everyone!) Our guest today not only has an incredibly accomplished career, but more than that she is relatable, so kind and someone I know we'd all be instant friends with!

Get your copy of Everyday Grand HERE!
Follow Jocelyn @grandbabycakes
and through her website here!

This episode was sponsored by:

Good Ranchers
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER

Cotier Brand:
Get your own Convokins for 15% off at Cotierbrand.com using code Gather15

I cannot believe I'm saying this but my TEDx talk is live on YouTube!

Head on over to YouTube to watch it and then visit us on Instagram @gatherintentionalliving to share your thoughts after watching it! 

Of all the things that have come from my career this far, this is by far what I am most proud of! 

Are you interested in learning about having me come speak to your organization, we would LOVE to add you to the calendar! Email [email protected] to start the conversation!

Thanks for celebrating with us! We LOVE and appreciate you!

As I move into adulthood I find that friendship is something so many of us are trying to figure out. We crave it, recognize the need for it but somehow always find ourselves longing for more insight and direction. This bonus episode is a profound, insightful, and empowering excerpt from Laura Tremaine's newest book The Life Council: 10 Friendships Every Woman Needs.

Specifically talking through Five Friendship Philosophies, you will NOT want to miss this sneak peak!

More about the Author:
Laura Tremaine is a writer, avid reader, and enthusiastic podcaster. She is the host of the 10 Things To Tell You podcast and author of The Life Council and Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. Laura grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Los Angeles sight unseen when she was twenty-two years old. She worked in film and television production for many years at MTV, VH1, Fox, and Paramount Pictures before pursuing writing full time. Laura has been sharing her life online for over a decade. She writes about friendship, anxiety, motherhood, and marriage. Her posts and podcast episodes resonate with women looking for ways to connect more deeply with others as they transform from one era of life into another.

Get your own copy of The Life Council, Here! 

Hands up if you would call yourself a perfectionist! Sometime along the way, we were taught that hospitality needs to be perfect, have you heard this messaging? It's safe to say that across life we are taught that it's safer to hold on tightly and don't let go. Or on the flip side, if things aren't going quite the way you hoped and dreamed that we can control the outcome. One way or another, we all likely could say that we would wonder what it's like to get a taste of freedom from this. To be able to live life and host with surrender. Through my conversation with Podcaster and Author Tara Sun, we talk through some of the relatable and insightful themes in her newest book Surrender Your Story. You can expect to hear conversation topics like:

The Myth of control, Is control really safer?
What we learn when things come crashing down
What chronic illness taught Tara about control
How to build the muscle of surrender
How to break patterns of control for the perfectionists
& More!

Whether you would call yourself a full out perfectionist OR you feel like you have just a little to learn, you will love this conversation with our new ray-of-sunshine friend Tara Sun!

Buy Tara's Book here!
Visit Tara's website here
Follow her on Instagram @Misstarasun
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This episode was sponsored by:

Good Ranchers
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER

Cotier Brand:
Get your own Convokins for 15% off at Cotierbrand.com using code Gather15

Do you find yourself looking ahead at a new week dreading another week of cooking? Does mealtime come and you get the same pit in your stomach knowing that you have cook but...don't have any ideas. Maybe you love to cook, and just wish there was a way to simplify and enjoy the process a bit more. Wherever you're at with your relationship with your kitchen, What if I told you that there's a better way. What if I told you what you've been taught about meal prep and organization actually, may be, all wrong! 

I welcomed on our new friend and meal prep expert, Catherine McCord from the wildly popular platform Weelicious to give us a fresh and inspiring perspective! 

• What the pandemic taught her about navigating her kitchen 
• The cost of NOT meal planning AND what happens in our lives when we do
• How kitchen organization puts you in control and at peace with the cooking process, instead of making you feel like you need therapy from it! 
• How to make meal planning and prep flavor rich, practical and crave worthy for all times of the day 
• How to cook meals that you can prepare in advances, enjoy later and even repurpose into left overs 
• How you can make your meal prep even easier with her meal delivery service One Potato! 

Whether you are a season chef or newlywed learning to navigate the kitchen, this episode is light hearted, inspiring and will give you excitement to get back in the kitchen! 

Purchase Meal Prep Magic Here!
Access your BOGO week of mealy delivery at https://onepotato.com
Follow Catherine @weelicious 

This Episode is Sponsored by
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER 

Have you ever felt like you and your spouse are on different pages when it comes to hosting? We were married not even a year  and I packed our social calendars FULL. Looking back we had plans in our house nearly every night and my party loving, people loving self was ecstatic. It didn't take long for a conversation to happen between Colby and I about expectations. It didn't even cross my mind that maybe, just maybe, someone may need to balance hospitality with quiet time. We learned quickly what this balance looked like for us, and truthfully we ended up healthier because of it!

This type of dynamic is SO normal, do you experience it too? Through years of listening to you and hearing your stories so often this tension or sorts, can keep either marriages divided or doors closed. With neither being ideal, it was time to bring the conversation to the table!

Do you feel like the communication leading up to having people over causes more harm then good? Do you  wish that you and your husband or wife shared the responsibilities before a bit better? Do you want to know the truth behind the way we say what we say and passive aggressive statements?

I knew my conversation with Dr. Glenn and Phyllis would be good, but I couldn't have been prepared for just how profound and transformational it actually was! Whether you are married, about to be married to waiting on your soul mate- this conversation will change you!

Access the resources from this episode here:
http://connectioncodes.co/gather
Use code GATHER for 20% off

Purchase their book HERE

This Episode is Sponsored by
Visit Goodranchers.com/Gather to  get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER 

This episode is quite possibly the most powerful, eyeopening and heart wrenching that I have hosted yet. As I welcome on our new friends, I found that I quickly realized how little I know about incarceration, the justice system and what families endure going through it. Through this conversation my hope is to give us all a new layer of education, information and hopefully in turn compassion and a call to action as community.

You have have noticed that there were a few weeks off from the show AND if you listen you will hear  big news as to why we took an unexpected break in the show!

Through this episode we discussed what Rob & Fox believed about the justice system before their own personal experience and the truths they faced on the other side of them.

Their profound story of getting married, opening a business and the despair that led to  taking money by force . All of which led to their arrest and the beginning of their experience with the justice system.

"It is a horrible place when you as an individual feel like you have run out of options". How we can all relate to and have compassion for the human reality of despair. 

How community came alongside them in the midst of incarceration and solo parenting. How we as community can come alongside families in similar situations as well.

The truth behind the way Hollywood depicts prison time. The reality of incarceration and why it's important to care.

How a story of despair can be rewritten to a story of purpose and hope

This powerful story makes room for all of us to grow in understanding on a difficult topic, yet, one that is so necessary for us to be aware of as part of community. Be sure to follow them, watch their documentary and purchase their newly released book!

Purchase their book here!
Follow them on instagram @foxandrob
Search their website Foxandrob.com

Give and Learn more about Rich Family Ministries here!

Visit Goodranchers.com/march to enter the contest and get a year of bacon with your subscription and $20 off your first order with GATHER