Maxwell's Kitchen

Andrea Firpo describes having a career, a marriage, a beautiful home, and a Porsche in the driveway. From the outside, her life in San Francisco looked successful. Privately, she says, she was crying in the bathtub and struggling to hold everything together.

She joins me to discuss inner child work, attachment patterns, and the changes that eventually brought her to Portland.

Andrea describes herself as a Soul Liberation and Embodiment Guide. Her approach combines coaching, meditation, and spiritual practices. I ask how she handles difficult feelings herself, what she means by self-soothing, and why understanding a problem does not necessarily stop you from repeating it.

We discuss her interpretation of anxious and avoidant relationship dynamics, the impulse to fix everyone around you, and the limits of helping someone who is not ready to change. Andrea shares her experience of leaving her job, moving cities, and trying to rebuild a relationship before recognizing how much was outside her control.

The conversation also explores her beliefs about past lives, reincarnation, karma, chakras, and Reiki. I ask how those ideas fit together and where personal choice belongs in her understanding of the universe.

Later, we get into ambition and non-attachment. Can you keep pursuing something without deciding that only one outcome will make you happy? How do you know when persistence has become refusing to reconsider?

Then my own dating habits enter the conversation. I suggest that attraction is like enjoying pizza: sometimes you like something even when you know it is not good for you. Andrea suggests looking more closely at why certain people feel familiar. I admit that my friends have been asking me similar questions for a while.

There is plenty of curiosity, some disagreement, and a few moments where the questions become considerably more personal than I expected.

Andrea shares personal experiences and spiritual interpretations. This conversation is not medical advice or a substitute for qualified mental health care.

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnVDv3qiq0I

Andrea Firpo’s Website
https://www.andreafirpo.com/

More Maxwell’s Kitchen Interviews
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/interviews

More Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Why does a song you barely noticed as a kid suddenly sound incredible years later? Musician Dallas Breed joins me to talk about changing musical taste, the songs we’re embarrassed to love, and the records that take us straight back to another time in our lives.

Dallas is my friend and an Arkansas transplant to the Pacific Northwest. We start with disastrous best man speeches and stage fright before getting into rediscovering Aerosmith, revisiting Vanilla Ice, and admitting that liking Mariah Carey shouldn’t require an explanation.

We discuss Dallas’s background playing blues guitar, his growing appreciation for electronic music, and how a familiar song can mean something different after you’ve lived a little more. That leads into music shared across generations, New Orleans street performances, and the challenge of making a living playing gigs.

There’s also the question of whether a recording can become too perfect. We talk about quantized drums, Led Zeppelin’s shifting tempos, and why hearing accomplished musicians make mistakes on The Pizza Tapes can make the performance more enjoyable.

The second half moves beyond music into Dallas’s experiences growing up in Arkansas, moving to the West Coast, and trying to understand people he disagrees with. We explore political tribalism, inherited beliefs, automation, and possibilities he sees in blockchain and smart contracts.

It’s a conversation about taste and perspective, with plenty of detours into the things we think we understand until someone gives us another way to look at them.

In This Episode

• Best man speeches and performing under pressure
• Rediscovering music as you get older
• Songs you’re embarrassed to admit you love
• Blues guitar, electronic music, and musical taste
• Nostalgia and songs shared across generations
• Making a living as a musician
• Quantized drums and imperfect performances
• Growing up in Arkansas and questioning inherited beliefs
• Political division and staying open to disagreement
• Automation, cryptocurrency, and the future of work

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcBXKkcGCXk

Full episode page
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/09/22-episode-48-dallas-breed

More Interviews
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/interviews

More Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

When Rob Bearden considers law school, he worries about how old he’ll be when he finishes. His dad points out that he’ll reach that age either way.

Rob graduates at 41, after a working life that already includes the Navy, radio, advertising, owning a hair salon, and construction marketing. His next opportunity takes him into event promotion and eventually a 21-year career at the Portland Art Museum.

Rob joins me to talk about changing careers, following unexpected opportunities, and recognizing the skills that connect seemingly unrelated jobs. His story also includes the years when staying put makes sense because his family needs stability.

This conversation is personal for me. Rob is my former boss, and his willingness to give me an opportunity helps me move into photography, video editing, and graphics. We discuss management, trusting employees, and giving people room to learn instead of deciding every step for them.

We also explore his work as a mediator, from workplace disagreements to facilitating difficult child-welfare meetings. When the emotional weight starts following him home, he finds an unexpected change of pace: driving airport Uber trips and talking with people who are having a good day.

The second half goes behind the scenes at the museum. We compare our experiences with staff pay, limited advancement, donor support, and the tension between education and entertainment. Later, Rob shares his views on changing workplace expectations, mediator neutrality, and staying interested in new experiences as he gets older.

In This Episode

• Changing careers and graduating from law school at 41
• Moving to Southern California without a job lined up
• From advertising to owning a hair salon
• Event promotion and joining the Portland Art Museum
• How relationships create career opportunities
• Mentorship and giving employees room to grow
• Workplace mediation and difficult conversations
• Child-welfare facilitation and emotional burnout
• Museum operations, staff pay, and major exhibitions
• Work, family responsibilities, and starting again

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTCRLTePMdI

Full episode page
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/09/13-episode-47-rob-bearden

More Interviews
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/interviews

More Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Amanda Michelle is an artist, self declared 'book-nerd,' and a 'Health Equity as Social Justice' grant writer who lives in and fiercely loves the small town of Mosier, Oregon.

In this episode, Amanda & Maxwell discuss chapstick, deodorant, boys and girls, addiction, toxic relationships, enmeshment, status, income in a relationship, Kierkegaard, finding out how to love someone, getting married young, having kids young, being friends first with a lover, difference between men and women, Jennifer Love Hewitt, infatuation, teenage hormones, fairytales, losing your virginity, making a marriage work, High School, virility is virtuous for men, Sodom and Gomorrah, King James Bible, The Gospels, Constantine, birth control in the 1960’s, infertility, hostile wombs, cavemen, inventing tools, discovering fire, jaws get smaller, brains get bigger, cadavers, dissecting a frog, scrambling brains, mushrooms, What is life?, Why is life?, shooting guns, no one reads articles-they only read headlines, clickbait, getting likes, dating on bumble, interviewing a date on a video call, texting is hot, pursuing a person, taking a chance, boxing, serial killers, everyone has a weird relationship with food, and there is no normal.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio.

Opening music by Cody Maxwell.

sharkfyn.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast

This episode is best watched on YouTube. It’s a short visual travel diary with music and no narration or dialogue.

Join me for a quick look around Dublin, Ireland, featuring Grafton Street, Henry Street, colorful pub fronts, double-decker buses, and food stops from a two-day trip.

Along the way: Guinness, bangers and mash, fish and chips, Woolshed Baa & Grill, a stay at the Carlton Dublin Hotel, and some less glamorous time at the airport. There’s also a stop at McDonald’s to confirm that the fries taste the same in Ireland.

Part of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip series, this episode condenses the visit into less than two minutes of footage and music. Watch the video for the streets, buildings, and everyday details that tell the story.

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYDSk7pBbNU

Full episode page
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/08/01-episode-45-dublin

More Euro Trip Episodes and Travel Guides
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/itineraries

More Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

This episode is best watched on YouTube. It’s a short visual travel diary with music and no narration or dialogue.

Explore Marseille, France, through footage of the Old Port, Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, Mucem, and Château d’If, with street scenes, graffiti, and scooters along the way.

Part of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip series, this episode condenses moments from a two-day visit into about a minute and a half. The trip also includes Hotel Terminus and time around the Vieux-Port, Marseille’s Old Port.

Watch the video for a quick look at the city through its waterfront, buildings, and everyday details.

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQrESbBJ7QY

Full episode page
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/07/30-episode-44-marseille

More Euro Trip Episodes and Travel Guides
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/itineraries

More Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

This episode is best watched on YouTube. There’s no narration or dialogue, just footage and music from a two-day trip to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Join Cody Maxwell for a quick look around Palma, featuring the Cathedral of Santa María of Palma, waterfront views, shopping, and street scenes. Along the way are tapas, gelato, tacos, Iberian chorizo, and a stay at Hostal Pons.

Part of the Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip series, this short visual travel diary brings two days together in under a minute and a half.

Watch on YouTube
See the full Palma de Mallorca episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOHgY67XoI

Palma de Mallorca Episode Page
Find the episode details and related destinations.
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/07/28-episode-43-palma-de-mallorca

More Euro Trip Episodes and Travel Guides
Explore more destinations with Maxwell’s Kitchen.
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/itineraries

This episode is best watched on YouTube.

A quick look around Amsterdam, Netherlands, with canals, bicycles, coffeeshops, the Red Light District, and moments from a two-day trip.

This short Maxwell’s Kitchen Euro Trip episode includes St. Christopher’s at the Winston, the Anne Frank House, and scenes from exploring the city. There’s no narration or dialogue—footage and music tell the story in less than two minutes.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Amsterdam on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJxlYIoon00

Episode page
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2021/07/26-episode-42-amsterdam

USEFUL LINKS

I amsterdam — official visitor information
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en

Anne Frank House
https://www.annefrank.org/en/

More Maxwell’s Kitchen travel episodes
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/podcast/itineraries

All production by Cody Maxwell.
Opening song “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” written by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel.
Opening song performed by Cody Maxwell.

Kevin Kramer is a husband, father, retired English teacher, and wrestling coach.

In this episode, Kramer and Maxwell talk about turning passion into a career, starting to teach in 1979, being in high school is tough, kids taking Prozac and Adderall, “The Catcher in the Rye”, finding ways to reward efforts, high school is not the most important thing in your life, life highlights, career paths, dual-certification in History and English, having good mentors, wrestling was a doorway to a college degree, University of Oregon, changing majors, technology adjusting the way you do things in school, accountability and transparency, school shooters, mental health crisis, Ronald Reagan, getting news from social media, “The Social Dilemma”, confirmation bias, preparing kids to take tests - need to teach critical thinking instead, World War 2, Auschwitz, Dachau, differences in youth over the years, attention spans, trying to get kids to read classic books, attempting to understand people, “The Great Gatsby”, “The Iliad”, Homer, cutting curriculum in public schools, good vs. evil, duality, how everything is a story, and humans need a beginning and an end.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio.

Opening music by Cody Maxwell.

sharkfyn.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast

Eloy Pando was born in a small West Texas town named Sanderson, population around 800. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Southwest High School in 1977. He is a father of two boys, Nicolas and Cody Pando, a grandfather of four boys, a great granddaughter, three step granddaughters and one step grandson. In Texas he worked in construction and oil fields. He was also a professional wrestler from 1980 to 1985, wrestling for various wrestling promotions in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. In 1988, he and his family moved to The Dalles, Oregon where he worked for the City of The Dalles Public Works for 16 years. He now works for Full Sail Brewing Company and owns and operates Pando Production Studios LLC. He produces radio shows and commercials for Gorge Country Media’s Spanish station 103.1 FM Radio LAZER, various festivals and concerts in the Mid Columbia Gorge.

In this episode, Eloy and Maxwell discuss heat waves, Phoenix, AZ, dry heat vs. humidity, chickens tell you the temperature, San Antonio, TX, Sanderson, TX, learning to speak Spanish, Tejanos, Spanglish, grandfather from Spain, slang, married Catholic priest, leaving the church, coal mines, racism in Texas, marrying into a culture to conquer, racism in the south vs. the northwest, migrant workers experiencing racism in The Dalles, getting hired after someone has a heart attack, prisoners working time off at Public Works, Full Sail brewing company, Union Vice President, being an interpreter for the State, drug busts, raiding a picker camp, domestic violence calls, the fear of INS is instilled in people, hiring illegal workers, AM/FM, Q104 radio station, 100,000 watts of power, having to follow FCC rules, becoming a professor at CGCC, winning a contest for creating a radio show at 16 years old, selling the radio show to the station, building a house from scratch, family dynamics, professional wrestling, being the “bad guy”, and traveling longs distances to perform.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio.

Opening music “Mexican Radio” by Wall of Voodoo .

sharkfyn.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast