Sip With Me

In episode 31, Iron Chef winner, activist, & restaurant owner Justin Sutherland teaches us a thing or two about how to balance many hats while serving up some of the best eats in the nation.

Classically trained in French cuisine, Justin “returned to his southern roots when he opened his own first restaurant, Handsome Hog, in St. Paul MN” and has since then opened several eateries with varying cuisines. On top of running these restaurants, Justin co-owns Hybrid Nation, a “socially-conscious streetwear and lifestyle brand” and

created an organization during the COVID-19 pandemic which helps support hospitality workers. I mean, what a freaking amazing guy!

Hear about his influences and motivations while we discuss his several restaurants and learn how hard the COVID-19 shutdowns were for his team and the community. Plus, find out what it was like to win Iron Chef and compete on one of our favorite shows, “Top Chef”. Last, we discussed his TruTv series “Fast Foodies” and found out what he likes to eat the most!

In episode 30, viral portrait photographer David Suh eats our self-doubts for breakfast and makes us look amazing while doing it.

David is a photographer who “empowers women to re-connect with their inner Queen, give, permission to celebrate themselves and create beautiful portraits”. He’s gone viral on multiple platforms for his stunning portraits and helpful selfie tips, so we wanted to talk with him about his “why”.

First, we chat about his inspirations and how he came to view portraiture through a lens of empowerment and self-love. Then we discuss what a client shoot looks like from booking to completion. Last, we end the episode with some fun selfie tips and a riveting round of rapid fire.

His mega-famous pug Maya also makes an appearance!

In episode 29, we give a rose to our favorite Bachelor contestant & business owner, Corinne Olympios.

She rose to fame on season 21 with her infamous naps, but honestly she was just doing her. She made waves on her season and continues to capture the attention of folks all around the nation. She is a Founder of Aura Sugar Co, which has had pieces featured everywhere and worn by many of your fave celebs. The beaded jewelry is all gorgeous, handmade, and infused with aura cleansing properties. And let’s be real, beaded jewelry was literally THE thing of 2021... & she started it!

Corinne joins us to talk about the founding of her business (also a partnership with a bestie like our podcast) and we talk what makes her pieces so adored. Plus, we chat about what it was like on The Bachelor and how it can be difficult for people at all levels of culture to love themselves and stay genuine in a world of increasing pressures. Last, we of play a round of rapid fire and talk her favorite cocktail, The Dirty Martini (extra dirty)!

Travel Expert and Advisor, Kendra Thornton

In episode 28, we jet off somewhere warm with travel expert Kendra Thornton. President and Owner of Royal Travel & Tours, trip planning is in her blood, literally in the form of her family business! The vast knowledge and experience she gained helping others book travel led to her becoming the nation’s recognized leader in travel advice and opinions.

She’s shared travel tips and trend analysis on dozens of national and local media broadcasts and is the go-to authority for travel advice, quoted frequently in major publications like Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Kendra has worked in the industry nearly her whole career, with time spent at giant travel players like Orbitz.com and smaller groups like the Travel PR firm she founded.

She joins us to discuss all of the ways COVID-19 impacted the travel industry and could impact your travel plans this fall/winter. Plus, hear her personal travel tips & tricks for a good deal or a stress-free planning process. Kendra ends her time with us completing a round of rapid fire in which she shares what destinations are still on her bucket list!

In episode 27, we blast off to outer space with famed Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysicist Dr. Jonathan McDowell.

Ioanna & I have shared a love of space since the inception of our cosmic friendship, so we are honored that Jonathan joined us for a chat on our favorite subject!

Jonathan has worked for decades studying all things space, including black holes, x-rays, and lately a lot of falling space junk (ex: the falling Chinese rocket that captivated the world earlier this year). He is the go-to guy for press inquiries and information on space, leading to him creating “Jonathan’s Space Report” and his appearing in thousands of media and print pieces. We’re obsessed with his live tweets and he is the funniest scientist we have ever met!

Jonathan tells us about his work at the Chandra X-ray Center, why a giant rocket fell uncontrolled to earth this year, what’s really inside a black hole, and he shares with us his favorite non-alcoholic beverage of choice (which he sipped on during our interview), The Mango Lassi!

In episode 26, Ioanna & I grab our heels and pop a collar to impress Fashion Icon, Expert, and Influencer Carla Rockmore. Before you listen to this episode, you must check out her looks on Instagram (@carla.rockmore) so you know why we wanted to talk with her a.k.a. she is FABULOUS!

Celebrating the self-expression of 50+ through fashion, fun, & fierceness, she embraces color, patterns, and everything that will make your look pop. She’s worked in the industry for decades and has the perfect eye for what’s in now and what will be in next season.

We talk to her about her career and what it’s like working in the fashion industry. Plus, how the pandemic changed fashion and consumer expectations forever. Last, we take a tour of her huge closet to hear about some of her favorite pieces and find out how she embraces positivity to show people just how beautiful we all are!

To celebrate Ioanna’s recent engagement, we turn up the heat and talk love, relationships, and post-covid era dating trends with relationship expert and television personality Rachel DeAlto!

As Chief Dating Expert for Match and a featured expert appearing on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight and TLC’s Kate+Date, Rachel truly is the go-to person for anything related to your love life. She’s shared her advice on many national talk shows and has given several amazing Tedx Talks! We thought she had done it all, but now she’s coming out with a new book this September!

Our MUST READ for fall 2021, “

relatable: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere (Even If It Scares You)” is a book that needs to be in your shopping cart now! In our chat with Rachel, Ioanna & I get some tips on how to get along with our fiancés, learn about how the pandemic forever altered the dating scene, and discuss the new book. Whether you’re in love or “it’s complicated”, you’re sure to learn something useful in this week’s interview!

In episode 25, we take a bite out of food history with Max Miller, Host of ‘Tasting History’ on YouTube. At over 750,000 subscribers and tens of millions of views, he has mastered the art of delicious edutainment. One part history, one part food, and one part comedy, Max teaches his viewers around the world how to make historical dishes while sharing the history behind the food. In this episode, we learn about why he started the series and how he studies up for each week’s video! Plus, get a glimpse into his exciting future when we ask about the history of cocktail making. We end with an update on his cookbook and a tasty session of rapid fire, in which we hear about the most unique ingredient he’s had to source for an episode!

In episode 24, we sing in the stairwell with Lauren Paley. Also known as “The Stairwell Siren”, she has accumulated over 3 million followers and 50 million likes on TikTok for her angelic performances singing in a stairwell. It might sound simple, but you have to see it for yourself to understand just how unique her talent is. We chat with her about how she connected the dots between her voice and the stairwell, learn about her vocal aspirations, and find out what it’s like to go so viral with such a unique talent.

In episode 23, we celebrate Pride Month and get to know everyone’s favorite Dad and former Disney performer, Ben Ptashinsky, also known widely as “equityben”. He gained quite the loyal following over his years at Disney and now continues to grow his fanbase through his work as a content creator, viral TikTok star, and recently author! You’ll hear about the viral TikTok he posted to honor Pride Month (which was featured on media around the globe) and find out how he catches on video some of the cutest and most authentic moments with his family! Plus, a peak at his plans for the future and a riveting session of rapid fire!