Today's episode we get to know Jordyn (Jo) through her story. We discuss navigating shifting career goals, parent-adult child relationships and the way identity shifts as we become adults. Jordyn is open and generous with sharing her life experiences with us.

Jordyn is also the co-host of a podcast called "Tricky Existence" which you can check out on major podcast platforms.

If you'd like to connect with Jordyn, her IG handle is @laidyn74

This week's episode features DEBUT AUTHOR and hilarious all around epic huma, Angela Montoya! On this episode we talk about Angela's first book SINNER'S ISLE that comes out this Halloween, but we dive into who Angela is herself, why stories matter to her, and how she has come into becoming a story teller. THIS EPISODE IS SO FUN! I hope you have a blast getting to know Angela!

A year ago TODAY I was served the biggest curveball of my professional life which ultimately was the best thing that could have happened to me, but also set off a year of curveball after curveball - lesson after lesson - and podcasting wasn't something I had the bandwidth for. I've been feeling called back to the podcasting chair for a bit now and BABY I'M BACK. A little rougher around the edges, a little wiser, and a WHOLE lot happier. It's a joy to share the magic of stories with you again.

This week's story is that of Taylor Mills

Taylor and I had a tremendous amount of fun talking about books and career changes and our thoughts on the new Taylor Swift Midnight's album. This conversation also took a deep dive into what Taylor and I experience regularly as two fat women - systemic anti-fat bias as well as disordered eating/eating disorders. Taylor generously shares her story of living with, being diagnosed with, and her recovery from her eating disorder.

Content Warning: anti-fatness, eating disorders/disordered eating, shame/pain around body size

You can connect with Taylor on Instagram at @tayy-milly

This week's story is that of Matea Langston

Matea shares with us her story of going from a very traditional "get your college degree, then join the workforce" path to entrepreneur bookish/fandom candle maker with all the joys and stresses in between. Like usual, our conversation goes all over the place from books we're planning to read this fall, to how Matea comes up with her mystical candle scents, to how there's no one right path in life. Talking to Matea felt like speaking with an oracle, her ability to see nuance and have perspective was enchanting, and I hope you'll feel the same.

You can connect with Matea on instagram two ways: her personal account @mateathemirrorball and her business account (where you can find her amazing candles too!) @shopaugustalchemy

This week's story is that of Sydney Pokard

Our conversation is so packed with laughter and joy (and some heavy stuff too), that I hope you'll find yourself traveling down a nostalgic path, embracing silliness, and feeling seen if you've had complicated relationships with your parent(s). We talk about relationships of all kinds, how we've changed as we've gotten older and how we've also stayed the same.

Content warning: difficult parent-child relationships

You can connect with Sydney on Instagram at @doctorsydney_dvm

This episode is the first of something a little different that I'm calling "Coffee Chat" - shorter, usually lighter episodes about random things and thoughts.

This first installment I'm sharing what books I've got lined up for the Fall season. I'm your classic Fall girlie & I love to set the Fall mood with books that give me Fall vibes. Think academia, think spooky, think magic.

If you're not connected with me on instagram, let's fix that!

My personal IG: @magically.ordinary.Lo

Podcast IG: @ourstoriesareworthtellingpod

This week's story is that of Madyson Russell

I loved this conversation with Madyson, and she ended up digging as much out of me and my story as I did her. In this conversation you'll hear us discuss how our views of church and religion have changed over the past few years, we'll dig into some personality frameworks like enneagram and birth order, and just generally philosophize about people and the way we move through the world with open hearts. I hope you'll enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed being part of this.

Content warning: anxiety, religious trauma

You can connect with Madyson on Instagram at @mad_elyse

This week's story is that of Lauren Shell

Lauren shares her story of being diagnosed with ADHD only very recently, and what it was like to grow up neurodivergent without knowing you were neurodivergent. She shares with us her story of attaching identity to success and achievement as well as the courage it has taken to rewrite these stories and pursue a non-traditional career path. Lauren also shares her cancer diagnosis and treatment that occurred both before and after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Content warning: cancer diagnosis, anxiety and perfectionism

You can connect with Lauren on Instagram at @cshelldvm

This week's story is my career story.

I'm a veterinary neurologist and I'm a pretty average one at that. But that's the thing about being average - most of us are! "Average" is a statistical word mean that you're somewhere in the middle 50% of that particular sample size and it's completely relative and not at all a reflection on your individual self. I wanted to share my story of a pretty "middle of the road" person in her specific sample set (other veterinary neurologists) and how I grappled with dissociating from an identity based on performance and production. While many of you might not be in the veterinary field, I know many of us struggle with feeling the pressure to be "above average" and "extraordinary", so I hope this can feel relatable to you too.

You don't have to be the leader of the pack to be a very vital member of that pack.