416. How Their Friendship Became a Revolution | Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig of The L Word

Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, stars of The L Word, discuss their new book, “So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All,” an intimate, hilarious memoir of art, friendship and queerness. 

How Kate and Leisha met; their first impressions of each other and going in for the same role

The impact and legacy of The L Word and Glennon’s recent introduction to the show

Rainbow capitalism, the pressure to publicly “come out,” and the joys of found family

LEISHA HAILEY is an actor, director, executive producer, musician, and podcaster. Hailey is best known for her beloved breakout character Alice Pieszecki in the revolutionary Showtime series The L Word and the reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Before making her mark on-screen, Hailey cofounded the band The Murmurs in the 1990s, recording three albums for MCA/Universal Records and touring worldwide, including with Lilith Fair. More than a decade later, in 2007, Hailey cofounded the indie pop band Uh Huh Her, which toured internationally and sold albums worldwide. 

KATE MOENNIG is a critically acclaimed actor and executive producer whose work spans film, television, and theater. She is most known for her iconic role as Shane McCutcheon in the Showtime series The L Word and the reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Moennig has also starred in Showtime’s hit series Ray Donovan and in Freeform’s breakout series Grown-ish. Moennig’s film credits include the neo-noir legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer, Lane 1974, and Terry Zwigoff's Art School Confidential. Most recently she can be seen in Liz Feldman's series No Good Deed on Netflix. She currently cohosts the podcast PANTS with Kate and Leisha.

The Best Advice We’ve Ever Received

Today, Glennon, Abby, and Amanda remember – and share! – the best advice they’ve ever received:

Plus, we hear from two pod treasures – Sara Bareilles and Glennon’s 7th grade government teacher, Mrs. Yalen – on their best advice.

Ross Gay teaches us how to notice delight and joy in our everyday lives. We discuss: concrete ways to rediscover and capture joy every day; how to rebuild your “delight muscle”; how to dissolve the myth of disconnection between us; and how to “unknow” our people so we can delight in them.

About Ross: 

Ross Gay is an American poet, essayist, and professor committed to healing the world through observing and articulating joy, delight and gratitude. He won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for his 2014 book, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, which was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry. A devoted community gardener, Ross is a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, a non-profit, free-fruit-for-all food justice and joy project. A college football player, he is a founding editor of the online sports magazine Some Call it Ballin'.

415. Are You Addicted to Drama? How to Know & How to Fix it with Dr. Scott Lyons

Dr. Scott Lyons, a licensed holistic psychologist and author, discusses the concept of drama addiction. He explains the physiological and psychological mechanisms behind this addiction, how to know if you have one, and how we can begin to break free from these cycles. 

-The top question to ask to yourself to understand your trauma

-Why you may feel unsafe when relaxed

-How drama addiction shows up in our own bodies

-Why boredom is actually a good sign on the path to healing

-Beginner steps to start divesting from drama

Dr. Scott Lyons is a licensed holistic psychologist, educator and author of the best selling book Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others Scott is also the host of The Gently Used Human Podcast, a delightfully depthful and often hilarious exploration of what it is to be human, to have lived life, and come out gently used. As a renowned body-based trauma expert and Mind-Body Medicine specialist, Scott also helps people to break free from cycles of pain, limited beliefs, and trauma.

414. Candace Parker: WHAT’S THE COST OF GREATNESS?

Basketball legend, Candace Parker, joins Abby and Amanda to discuss her illustrious career, her new book, The Can Do Mindset, and explore themes of ambition, sacrifice, and the cost of greatness. 

-The surprising reason Candace doesn’t like fame, and what she wants instead 

-Candace’s distinction between a boss and a leader that rocked Abby’s world 

-How to call someone you love to a higher version of themselves 

-Candace’s definition of “enough” and how she works to reach it 

Candace Parker has already solidified herself as one of the most influential athletes of this generation. After being selected as the No 1. overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, following a champion career at Tennessee, Parker went on to become the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, win three WNBA championship titles, and take home two Olympic gold medals. Off the court, and since retired, she serves as a public speaker, activist, entrepreneur, studio broadcaster for NBA on TNT, and a wife and mother of three.

1. The one question to ask yourself when deciding whether it’s time to quit something.

2. Why Glennon actually believes that quitting each day is necessary for her survival.

3. The big quits that led Abby to Glennon.  

4. Amanda’s unexpected great relief—and hope for your relief—in learning about how we’re all just as happy as we’re ever going to be. (And how, as expected, Glennon disagrees.) 

5. Rethinking the ending of a marriage as a positive quit and how to talk to friends going through it.

1. The question Carson’s sister asked that made him radically reimagine his life.  

2. Why Carson is having the best sex of his life.

3. How Carson received sign-off from his Mormon Bishop for his first queer date.  

4. The accident that left Carson paralyzed from the chest down at 23.

5. How ableism hurts us all.  

About Carson: 

Carson Tueller is a coach, speaker and activist whose work provides people with the tools they need to live authentic, fulfilling, and powerful lives. He identifies as queer and disabled. Carson grew up as a Mormon in a military family moving around a lot before settling in Utah. His own journey into powerful living began in 2013 when, in the same year, he came out, and was then injured in an accident that paralyzed him from the chest down. Since then, Carson has brought his work to international nonprofits and presidential campaigns – and when he isn’t coaching or speaking, Carson can be found at the gym, reading non-fiction, or playing Pokemon with his niece and nephews.

TW: ⁠@carson_tueller⁠

IG: ⁠@carson_tueller⁠

#disabilitypride #disabilitypridemonth

413. 7 Questions To Reclaim Yourself with Dr. Thema Bryant 

Psychologist, author, professor, and minister, Dr. Thema Bryant, joins us to explore how to rebuild a relationship with yourself and why healing that relationship is the foundation for real connection with others.

-The essential shift to stop believing your wounded self is your whole self

-Why you are worthy of grieving—and why recognizing that changes everything

-How to end the hunger for safety—and what to trust instead

-How to stop constantly running and finally learn to stand still

-The question Abby asked that made Amanda nauseous.

Dr. Thema Bryant is a psychologist, professor, sacred artist, minister and author of the new book Matters of the Heart, who teaches how to create healthy relationships, heal trauma, and overcome stress and oppression.  She is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Dr. Tayma is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and leads the mental health ministry at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. She was the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is the host of The Homecoming Podcast.

412. Trusting Yourself Again with Dr. Hillary McBride 

Psychologist and researcher, Dr. Hillary McBride, joins us to discuss healing spiritual wounds and learning to trust yourself again.

-Why every family is a religion—and every adult is healing from it-How we lose touch with our own needs and desires—and the steps to reconnect and trust ourselves again.-Why having a rescuer fantasy takes us away from critical thinking and our own autonomy-The two main reasons why you might fall into a high-control group

Dr. Hillary McBride is a Registered Psychologist, researcher, podcaster, author, and speaker, - She has lived experience and clinical expertise in the areas of trauma, embodiment, eating disorders, and the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her research has focused on women's relationships with their bodies across the lifespan, and her books include: Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image; Embodiment and Eating Disorders; The Wisdom of Your Body; and Practices for Embodied Living. Her latest book Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing is available now.

Recently, Glennon and Abby had the pleasure of being guests on a new podcast from our dear friend Michelle Obama, called IMO. You know on WCDHT, we have insightful conversations that give fresh perspectives, uplift you and leave you feeling more fulfilled.

And on IMO, Michelle and her big brother Craig Robinson bring candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they’re joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering practical advice, personal storytelling, and plenty of laughs. In this episode, Abby and Glennon join to help an IMO listener figure out priorities when deciding where to move her young family. Glennon discusses why she moved her family seven times, and, as the “bonus parent,” Abby shares what she thinks is most important to their kids’ happiness (hint: It’s not unlimited cake-pops, though she’s tried). Plus, Michelle and Craig share their own stories of uprooting families for careers—including a very strange move to a big house in Washington, DC. 

You can find more episodes of IMO at https://lnk.to/imomichellecraigGD