Solace and the City

I couldn't think of a better first guest for the Solace and the City Season 2 premiere than the one and only Lucie Fink!  Lucie and I missed each other by one year at Johns Hopkins, but she is well-known throughout the school for being one of the most successful alumni in recent years.  Safe to say I was beyond exited and honored to record with her!  In this episode, Lucie talks about her journey from an inspiring doctor to a YouTube sensation, and all of the things she did along the way to turn her dream into a reality.  Instead of letting negative comments on her media channels bring her down, Lucie talks about he fascination with "troll psychology" which led her to a very interesting Zoom call.  Lastly, Lucie shares her love story with her high school sweetheart, whom she just celebrated her one year anniversary with!  You can follow Lucie on Instagram at @luciebfink or see all of her videos on YouTube!

I hope you enjoy the episode!  For reference, I've listed the individual episodes below for reference!

@mattjames919 -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cookies-and-connecting-with-people-matt-james/id1485920139?i=1000455706507

@francisccellis -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-chillness-francis-ellis/id1485920139?i=1000456125983

@subwaytherapy -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-understand-but-i-will-try-we-need-each-other/id1485920139?i=1000457967195

@gardeingirl -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-and-discovery-ramsey-shindell/id1485920139?i=1000462406440

@wemetatacme -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-met-at-therapy-lindsey-metselaar/id1485920139?i=1000465148030

@noahkahanmusic -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wednesdays-are-the-worst-days-of-my-life-noah-kahan/id1485920139?i=1000466504738

@chelseyjadecurtis -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-accept-the-love-we-think-we-deserve-chelsey-curtis/id1485920139?i=1000474961823

@treaturselfcaroline -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-another-manic-monday-caroline-moley/id1485920139?i=1000486259905

I have a very special episode to share this week.  I had a virtual recording with Samantha Tirone, who is an amazing woman with a powerful story.  Samantha was engaged to a wonderful man named Ryan, but two months before their wedding he passed away from an overdose.  This life-shattering event caused Samantha to reevaluate what was truly important in her life and begin to be an advocate for those suffering from addiction.  Despite how painful it is to share, Samantha tells her story as an effort to normalize these types of difficult conversations and reassure those suffering that they are not alone.  You can follow Sam (and her dance troop) at @DECAdancecomp on Instagram.  If you or a loved one is sufferring from addiction or substance abuse, you can call  1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit https://www.samhsa.gov.

Happy Labor Day from me and the one and only Mike Johnson!!!  I have SUCH an exciting episode to share with you all.  I (virtually) sat down with the fan favorite from Hannah Brown's season of the Bachelorette and had the most amazing conversation.  We talked about his experience on the show and thereafter.  After long talks with executives of the franchise, Mike was unfortunately not picked as the season's male lead.  In this episode he opens up about how that decision made him feel as well as his thoughts on the show's overall lack of diversity.  Finally, Mike tells me about his incredible new book coming out, Making The Love You Want.  You can follow Mike on Instagram (if you don't already) at @mike_johnson and buy his book on October 2, 2020!

It's Virgo season so you know what that means!  I finally was able to speak with an astrologer to learn more about my own chart and, let me tell you, it was worth the wait.  I was lucky enough to speak with none other than Colin Bedell, the co-founder of Queer Cosmos who was featured in my favorite New Yorker article about, you guessed it, astrology!  Colin and I talk about the fascinating statistics which show how interest in astrology escalates in times of uncertainty.  He also helps me discover that my co-star has been lying to me, because I apparently do not know what year I was born in!  Even if you are not as astrology-obsessed as I am, I know you will find this episode with Colin so interesting.  You can also follow Colin on Instagram at @QueerCosmos for more information on the Zodiac signs!

This week I caught up with Catie Orlando, my friend from college who inspired me to open up about my own mental health issues by sharing her story of recovery.  Like myself, Catie has a long history dealing with her mental health.  In this episode we talk about the ways in which our anxiety helped manifest disordered eating, and Catie opens up about her time in rehab which has led her to sobriety.  Catie is such an inspiration to anyone battling some type of addiction or another, and I feel honored to share her story on my platform.  You can follow her on Instagram at @kto969.

Surprise! I decided to release a BONUS episode to give you guys a bit of insight into my life! I’m sure that over the past few months you’ve come to realize that I have a plethora of mental health issues to speak to. I thus wasn’t sure where to begin, and so I decided to use one of my favorite card games as prompts! If you so desire, take 24 minutes out of your day and listen to me answer some deep questions courtesy of @werenotrealylstrangers!! I hope you enjoy. :)

This week I was lucky enough to speak with one of my favorite podcast hosts and bloggers, Cameron Rogers!  Cameron is the founder of the Freckled Foodie account on Instagram, where she works to promote a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle.  After working at an intense Investment Banking job for five years, Cameron decided to focus on her passion and make Freckled Foodie a full-time job.  We talked about this professional transition as well the payoff of pursuing your dream!  In addition to sharing a lifestyle of finance coupled with side hustles, Cameron also battled an unhealthy relationship with food.  We talked about how she navigated this time in her life and ultimately used her story to ensure other young women that food is freedom.  I absolutely loved talking to Cameron, and I encourage everyone to follow @freckledfoodie on Instagram and tune into the podcast Freckled Foodie and Friends!

I am humbled to be sharing my conversation with actress, model, and transgender activist, Angelica Torres.  Angelica stars in Season Two of Pose (an absolutely amazing show), but I first heard her speak on a panel hosted by The Grapevine.  I was so inspired by her kindness and eloquence that I took a chance and asked if she would speak on the Solace and the City.  Safe to say I was through the moon when she agreed to share her story with my listeners!  Angelica and I spoke about the abuse she experienced during her childhood and the moment she experienced gender euphoria.  She then sheds light on how the misrepresentation of trans people in media has perpetrated a misogynistic and transphobic society.  This is one of many reasons that there hasn't been a week in 2020 where a trans person has NOT been murdered.  Angelica is so amazing, and I want to be sure to share numerous ways you can support her and causes she cares about.

Venmo: @angelicactorres

Instagram: @angelicactorres

Resources: https://www.aliforneycenter.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwyJn5BRDrARIsADZ9ykFecr62xe4DhPT14jS0zsr6DfJC5hT1N6vROE50qaEHD7XAlxS5rNUaAqdFEALw_wcB

Kanye West. Mariah Carey. Demi Lovato. Robin Williams. Russell Brand. Frank Sinatra. -- What do all of these incredibly talented celebrities have in common?  They all have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.  With the recent news of Kanye West's tweets, I wanted to sit down with my friend Caroline Moley to learn more about this extremely stigmatized mental illness that is so prevalent in our society and pop culture.  Caroline goes into detail about what manic and depressive episodes look and feel like for her and sheds light on other nuances of the condition.  We spend quite some time thinking about the extent to which our personalities are defined by our mental illnesses.  Is being manic depressive in fact a double-edged sword?  Finally, we discuss how humor can be used as a coping mechanism for internal battles.

My conversation with Caroline was truly enlightening, and I think everyone will take something from this episode.  You can also follow Caroline on Instagram at @treaturselfcaroline, and check out her meme page at @triggerwarningqueenmemes!