Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden? This week’s episode is a two-part - time to buckle up!

I want to start by saying that this episode and the previous have some pretty intense trigger warnings. My guest is activist, influencer, Mom, and political candidate Allie Phillips, and her story can be a hard one to listen to. Please be aware that the following topics are discussed: fetal abnormalities, abortion, suicidal thoughts, depression, and death. Because of the heaviness of the episode, I’ve split it into two parts. Both parts will be dropping on the same day, but I encourage you to take a break in your listening if you need to.

At the end of this episode, we do go into a few fun and funny things, so as per usual, I hope that YOU will leave feeling hope. I know I did!

Now: I’m excited to introduce today’s guest, Allie Phillips. Allie has become a dear friend over the past six months, but more than that, I’m blessed to work as her campaign manager in this important election year. Having said that - are you ready? It’s time to grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us… in the story garden.

Want to learn more about Allie? Check out her website at allie4tn.com or find her on Facebook, Instagram, and - of course - TikTok!

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden? This week’s episode is a two-part - time to buckle up!

I want to start by saying that this episode and the next have some pretty intense trigger warnings. My guest is activist, influencer, Mom, and political candidate Allie Phillips, and her story can be a hard one to listen to. Please be aware that the following topics are discussed: fetal abnormalities, abortion, suicidal thoughts, depression, and death. Because of the heaviness of the episode, I’ve split it into two parts. Both parts will be dropping on the same day, but I encourage you to take a break in your listening if you need to.

At the end of the second episode, we do go into a few fun and funny things, so as per usual, I hope that YOU will leave feeling hope. I know I did!

Now: I’m excited to introduce today’s guest, Allie Phillips. Allie has become a dear friend over the past six months, but more than that, I’m blessed to work as her campaign manager in this important election year. Having said that - are you ready? It’s time to grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us… in the story garden.

Want to learn more about Allie? Check out her website at allie4tn.com or find her on Facebook, Instagram, and - of course - TikTok!

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

This week’s episode is extra special, as it was recorded live on location at Historic Rose Mont in Gallatin, TN. Featuring four guests (plus a little history about the location), our initial story prompt was community but as is often the case, the conversation evolved and became more about the intersection of race + community and how the world has changed over time. Thank you to our audience for joining us and a special thank you to my guests for their willingness to not only open up, but do so in front of an audience.

This week’s guests are, in order of appearance, Kate Ullery (Rose Mont), Bill Ligon, Kenneth Thomson (Sumner County Historian), Nicholas, and Kaneisha Dotson with music provided by Megan & Her Goody Goodies. To learn more about Historic Rose Mont, visit historicrosemont.org!

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden? Today, join host Megan Lange for the first minisode (and in the process, officially meet Fish the Dog).

The music for this episode was provided by Megan’s band, Megan and Her Goodies, which can be found at meganandhergoodygoodies.com.

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden? This week’s episode is a little long and we’re talking politics and activism, so buckle up! 

If you haven’t yet gathered from prior episodes, I consider myself to be a progressive - but I’m really interested in having conversations where we find common ground, because I believe that there is common ground to be found with almost anyone. If you’re feeling like you don’t want to listen to this episode, I REALLY hope you will (and feel free to shoot me an email afterwards!).

Now, I’m excited to introduce today’s guest, Nathan Higdon. Nathan is an activist, a campaign manager, a teacher, and a STRONG advocate for underserved communities. He was there at my first protest (and made me feel a million times more comfortable!), answers my calls EVERY time (and there are a lot of them!), and is generally just a great friend to have. He and I serve on the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee together and I like to think that together, we cause at least a little bit of Good Trouble.

Want to connect with Nathan? Find him on Twitter and Instagram at jnathanhigdon (and don’t forget to follow indivisibletn, too!). 

Special thanks to musician Mia Rago for use of her song “Tension,” which can be found on streaming platforms or by visiting miarago.com - and I’m gonna go out on a limb here, because I appreciate every single musician that lets me share their music with my listeners, but WOW, do I love her stuff. Please be sure to check her out!

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

I’m extra excited to introduce today’s guest, Jon Tigert. Jon and I met in 2015 as part of the swing dance community and as you’ll hear, our friendship has clearly developed over the years. He is a talented dance instructor, performer, band leader, drummer, and is a self-described jack-of-all-trades, and I am truly honored to have him join me this week.

Want to connect with Jon? You can always find him on socials, but my best recommendation is to head on over to Lindy Focus this December and meet him yourself. Visit lindyfocus.com for more info, and maybe I’ll see you there!

Please note: this week’s music is a live recording by Megan and Her Goody Goodies, featuring Jon on drums, performing a song about a dentist. You can find the Goody Goodies on your streaming services or at meganandhergoodygoodies.com (but be aware - this version of Long John Blues is NOT available).

A special request: if you know someone local to the Middle TN area who you think should be a guest on Story Garden Pod, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

Earlier this week, I had to write a new bio for myself to be used at a local event and - while writing it - I described Story Garden Pod as “a podcast that focuses on building community through storytelling.” As you listen to each episode, I hope that your takeaway is just that - the growth of community. I believe, with all my heart, that we can find common ground with almost anyone, and I hope that you, listener, are inspired by the stories shared to go and listen to the stories of folks in YOUR community. 

Now on to my guest! Earlier this summer, this guest joined us to share one story during the special Pride episode. This week, I am honored to welcome my friend David Lowe to join me for a full episode. David and I met last year while volunteering with several local campaigns, and I don’t believe that words can cover the richness that he has brought to my life - and to my greater community. This episode was especially fun because David’s husband, Michael, jumps in and out with us (have no fear - Michael will be back for a full episode later this fall!).

Special thanks to musician Michael Conrad of Greedy Cherry for use of his song “Bossa Mysterioso,” which can be found on streaming platforms or by visiting greedycherry.com. The entire Bada Bing album is honestly a fun trip, so go on and give it a listen!

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

Now, I’m excited to introduce today’s guest, Josh King. Josh and I became friends in the fall of 2019 and have since developed the kind of friendship that will span a nation (literally, since SOMEBODY is leaving us to move to Buffalo). Josh owns his own business, Josh The Planner, is Papa Hen to his seven chickens and his dog Tennessee, and he and his husband OJ are a staple at my social gatherings. Mostly, this episode is just two friends sitting down to giggle a lot while I try to dig out stories, so whatever you take from it, I hope one lesson is that it’s important to have friends you can laugh with.

Want to connect with Josh? Visit his website at joshtheplanner.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram at joshtheplanner! Make sure to stay tuned over the next few weeks as Josh unveils the 555 Plan - it’s going to be a great resource for those interested in development and I’m excited to see it grow!

Special thanks to musician Jay Rin for use of her song “Old Friend,” which can be found on streaming platforms or by visiting jayrinmusic.com - and don’t forget to follow her on socials to catch her next local gig. 

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

Please note that this episode discusses the grief of losing a spouse and the grief of losing a parent. The conversation was a healing one for both Kelley and I, and I hope you will feel the same way.

And now, I’m excited to introduce today’s guest - Kelley Turnage Taylor. Kelley, who was introduced to me this past April by our mutual friend Kate, is the owner of Five Oaks Wood, an instructor with Nia House Montessori in Nashville, and has already, in our short friendship, shared more wisdom with me than I thought possible. She is kind, intelligent, hardworking, and honest - and she’s also sharing her grief journey in ways that are really, really beautiful.

Want to connect with Kelley? Follow Five Oaks Wood on Facebook (and stay tuned, as I’m sure I will also share when it opens to the public). Donations to the Todd Fund can be sent to Hendersonville Boy Scout Troop 406. Finally, you can listen to the food desert podcast, Nia House Kids News Network, on your favorite podcast platform!

Special thanks to musician John Eason for use of his song “Be Amazed,” which can be found on streaming platforms or by visiting johneasonmusic.com - and don’t forget to follow him on socials to catch his next local gig.  

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.

Our lives are made up of stories, and here in the Story Garden, we strive to SHARE those stories. Are you ready to visit the garden?

Today’s episode is extra special - it’s June, and that means it’s PRIDE Month! This episode was recorded on location at the Affirming Hendersonville event hosted by The Collab with support from Earth First Plant Co and Willow Tree Therapy. I’m thankful to these businesses for allowing me to capture a few stories from the event - and even more grateful for their investment in community building by hosting such an amazing day! We’ll hear from six different members of the LGBT+ community as well as a chat with the event organizers and I know you’re going to love it!

Please be aware that the first story has mention of suicide and several of the stories mention bigotry and bullying. At the same time, there is a great deal of joy shared in these stories, and I hope you leave as inspired as I did.

The Story Garden Pod is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Google Podcasts or here at storygardenpod.com. Are you ready to support the podcast? Become a Patreon Supporter at patreon.com/storygardenpod.