This week we are coming back briefly to announce the end of the podcast. We are so grateful for the time we got to spend making space for difficult conversations, and we have reached a natural ending point. No, we did not have a falling out, yes we are still besties - our lives have just changed tremendously since we started this conversation in December 2020.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who joined us along the way as a listener, guest, and supporter. We love you all and we hope you had as much fun on this ride as we did. Tune in for our final conversation and let us know what you think.

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In this week's summer remix series, it was Reyna's choice and she went way back to season 1 episode 4 because summer has officially begun, ya'll! Which makes us think about bodies, bodies, bodies!

No matter what shape or size you are, everyone has their own idea of what they think their body should look like. Where do those ideas come from, and do they come from a healthy place? This episode we talk about what our body goals and insecurities are and some of the work that we've done to help with those. We discuss body shame, body acceptance, toxic diet culture and the standards society puts on us to achieve this "perfect" body- spoiler alert: some goals are just not achievable unless you have a lot of money.

How can we embrace our bodies while simultaneously working on them both physically and mentally? How will you show love to your body this summer? Let us know!

Content warning: Megan shares some information on her high school eating disorder. Details are not discussed and specific diets are not endorsed. 

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For this week's summer re-mix we're sharing an interview we did during season 2 with our friend Shafina, who lost her second child when he was stillborn. This is a heavy topic but - as we discuss in the episode - it needs to be discussed. Each year about 21,000 babies are born stillborn and because we live in a society that says some kinds of grief are bigger than others (e.g. "stillborn child is not as painful as losing a child later in life"), that's 21,000 families with disenfranchised grief and no one to hear their story.

Shafina does a beautiful job helping us step inside her story, get to know her son, and experience her loss, pain, and eventual understanding of what happened to her and her family. Years later we still get chills when we think about this interview.

From Megan on her choice to release this episode: I decided to choose this episode to re-release because it hits close to home for me. I had a brother, Daniel, who died the day he was born. He wasn't stillborn, but my parent's experience was very close to Shafina's. Growing up I thought a lot about Daniel. I wanted to know him, I wished I could talk to him... but I at least wanted to be able to talk about him. I think my parents didn't quite have the words to help us understand who this baby that came before me was for them, and I wanted to re-share Shafina's story for other parents and families who might be feeling lonely in this loss in the same way I remember my family feeling.

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For this week's summer re-mix series Reyna chose "Power" from season 2 with the incomparable Ambrosia Carey from Successful Stylist academy. We could all use some inspiration and motivation as we head into summer and this episode has tons of it.

Ambrosia's story starts with the birth of her first child when she was a teenager. Instead of letting that hinder her dreams, early parenthood pushed her forward. As a teen mom and a woman of color she became the owner of multiple successful businesses and has helped others achieve their dreams of doing the same. Along the way she learned her purpose is to educate and empower others to become successful no matter what life throws at them.

Make sure to show your support and give this classic episode a listen. If you like what you hear from Ambrosia (especially if you work in the beauty industry) you can also tune into her pod Successful Stylist Academy on all platforms.

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Happy June/Happy Pride! For this week's summer re-mix we are reissuing our season 4 conversation about bisexuality with the team from Catcall Magazine . This was such a fun conversation, and also served as Megan's first official "coming out" on the pod. We wanted to reissue this one because at a time when anti-trans, homophobic, hate is spreading we think its important to center queer joy and queer thinkers and queer conversations.

In this episode we cover:

Thank you to the team for sharing your stories so openly! This was so fun for us!

About Catcall:

Catcall is a digital collective uplifting Midwest writers, photographers, and artists. We focus on telling important community stories through an intersectional feminist lens that call out and dismantle systemic inequalities; uplift and illuminate the experiences of women, non-binary folks, the queer community, and allies in the Midwest; and connect us all as we catcall back at the patriarchy. This week's guests are: 

Kelcie McKenney, Editor-In-Chief / Founder

Kelcie (she/her) is a writer, editor, and artist who is passionate about intersectional feminism, local activism, queer representation, and strengthening community. You can find Kelcie reading (probably smut or Twilight), talking astrology, hanging with her three-legged cat and four-legged dog, or trying to overthrow the patriarchy.

Emily Park, Managing Editor

Emily (she/her) is a Kansas City-based journalist, passionate about giving a voice to those who don’t always have one. From news to features to business-to-business reporting, she’s done it all. In her free time, you can find Emily reading (probably fantasy smut), playing board games with her partner, or cuddling up with her dogs and cat.

Max Sheffield-Baird, Contributing Writer

Max Sheffield-Baird (they/them) is a writer and marketing strategist who’s passionate about racial and economic justice. Max is a parent of a rambunctious infant and is a student at Colorado State University and is expected to graduate in July 2021. In their dwindling free time (hello parenthood!), they enjoy podcasts, reading fantasy and non-fiction, and educating people on kyriarchy on the internet.

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For this week's summer season re-issue Reyna chose Season 1, Episode 8, Love Sees Color.

In this episode Reyna opened up and shared with Megan what it was like for her to grow up biracial, raised by her white mom who taught her and her siblings to be "colorblind." Reyna shares the journey she's been on to connect to her heritage and develop a sense of self as an adult, after growing up socialized not to see or talk about race.

From Reyna on the episode: I chose this one to re-issue for our summer re-mix because May is known for AAPI month, and I thought it would be fitting to talk about my journey and challenges finding my identity as a biracial Filipino in a white dominant culture in the 80s/90s where "Love Sees No Color" was the main theme. I want to pay respects to my Filipino heritage, especially after years of feeling like I wasn't able to talk about it or allowed to notice or own that part of myself.

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While we are on our season break each of us are picking out favorite episodes from seasons past to share. This week, for our first re-issue Megan picked "Period Peace" (Season 1, Episode 3).

From Megan: I just love this episode even though it's from the very early days of the pod and a little rough around the edges. Things get super serious around here and so much of the first season was the two of us processing grief. This episode is focused on period shame and is really just the two of us gossiping about ourselves, giggling, and remembering how mystifying it was to use a tampon for the first time.

Hope you enjoy this re-issue and the other ones we have coming up! We will be back with fresh content in late summer!

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Welcome to the season 5 finale! This week we reflect on the season, adding new thoughts and new stories about each topic we covered. We also do a quick mental health check in (having kind of a hard time!) and talk about how to be ok and accepting of wherever we are - without pressure to pretend to feel anything we don't.

We wrap up the episode with a sneak peek of the bonus content we'll be putting out on Patreon between seasons - Megan introduces Reyna to Reddit and "Am I the Asshole" and asks her to rule on the age old rivalry between dogs and babies (and their parents). While we are between seasons you can join the Solid Listen Patreon for $5 a month for access to our bonus content, as well as other shows on the network. You'll also get access to episodes early and ad free.

Starting next week we'll also be re-issuing our favorite shows from past seasons (before we joined SL) with new introductions and reflections on each topic.

And if you REALLY miss us.. we have a phone number now: 909-859-0559. Have a secret you need to get off your chest? Just wanna call and say hi? Leave a message and let us know. We'll keep the identity of all callers anonymous and confidential, but we will respond to messages on bonus episodes.

We'll be back with Season 6 in late July! KIT! See you soon!

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This week we are joined by Alaina Wrencher, host of the Bipolar Buzz podcast. Alaina became a mental health advocate after experiencing a manic episode that landed her in the hospital in 2017.

She recounts the challenges she faced during her stay in the hospital, how it helped her gain a better understanding of her condition, and what her road to recovery was like. She also shares her experience of postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious mental health condition that affects women after childbirth.

Despite the difficulties she faced, Alaina's story is one of hope and resilience. She talks about how she found the strength to overcome her condition and how it has changed her life. She also discusses her passion for advocating for better mental health care in America, drawing on her personal experience to fuel her advocacy efforts.

Alaina's story is an inspiring reminder that recovery is possible, and that those who live with mental health conditions should never lose hope. Her advocacy work serves as a call to action for all of us to work towards improving mental health care in America and ensuring that everyone has access to the resources they need to lead fulfilling and healthy lives.

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