What We Think About Us

Recorded awhile ago oops!! But the themes of external vs internal validation are just as valid today as they were a year ago. :)

In this episode Mickey and I discuss external vs. internal validation within relationships, creativity and moral compasses. 

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NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

Recorded awhile ago oops!! But what a gift to get to chat with the incredibly wise, and incredibly kind Niki for this episode. <3

Together we discuss:

• How to navigate championing kindness in environments that seem to beg for niceness/people pleasing. 
• How kindness requires honesty / how to be honest in a kind way. 
• Whether there are scenarios in which kindness isn't the "right" answer to a problem.

(On a personal note, it's so funny listening back on how some things have changed in just a year.) 

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NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I spoke with Jake about making decisions. Together we discuss the challenges of making decisions that people may not understand, whether or not our decisions define us, and how thoughts about our mortality can often inspire our decisions. 

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I spoke with Leysan and Payton (new moms as of 2024), about what their experience of becoming a mother has been like so far. I loved getting to hear them tell their stories about each phase of the motherhood journey: finding out they were pregnant, pregnancy, giving birth, becoming a parent, etc.

I really appreciate how honest both of them were about the high highs and low lows of their motherhood journey, while sharing such thoughtful insights on: 

• all the different expectations that are put on mothers
• the shortcomings of the physical and mental health care available for mothers
• why sometimes there is an "us vs them" mentality between mothers and women without children
• how to construct equitable labor within heterosexual parental relationships 
• the ways in which motherhood evolves your sense of self 

It was such a special episode, and such an honor to get to learn more about these two, fabulous moms!

NOTES

• King Louis XIV - Inviting Newton to Visit the Delivery Room. The Role of Gravity During Childbirth

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I spoke with Vida about community. Throughout our chat, Vida talked about their own community: how they formed it, how they invest in it, how they have benefited from it, etc. We also discussed the negative consequences from a lack of community, why friendships/communities aren’t typically valued as much as romantic relationships, and the reasons why community IS worth investing in. 

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I spoke with Nathaniel about expectations. Nathaniel shared some of his thoughts on the idea of expectations within friendships and dating relationships, as well as how to respond when an expectation isn’t met. We also discussed societal expectations for people when they turn 30, value-based vs. career-based expectations for oneself, as well as how to determine whether an excuse feels like a valid reason for yourself or others not meeting an expectation. Nathaniel is a talented comedic actor, improviser, and writer, so no surprise that this episode contains lots of laughs. :)

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I spoke with Christina (Steen Catucci) about online behavior. In addition to stand up, improv, and TV writing, Christina is an incredibly talented, comedic content creator on TikTok and Instagram. However, as we know, people can be disgusting and hateful online. It was shocking to hear about some of Christina’s negative experiences with people online that included hate comments and plagiarism. It was also fascinating to hear Christina’s takeaways from all these experiences, and her strategies for navigating her career online today. 

Website: Steen Catucci

Instagram: @insta.steen

Research done to show TikTok or Instagram taking down content by queer creators:

• Edinburgh Research - Explorer Experiences of censorship on TikTok across marginalised identities
• BBC - TikTok admits restricting some LGBT hashtags
• them - TikTok Admits It Suppressed Reach of Queer, Fat, and Disabled Creators
• Reuters - TikTok apologises for censoring LGBT+ content
• News is Out - Queer creators grapple with TikTok ban and Meta policy changes

TRIGGER WARNING

• Mentions of domestic violence, childhood abuse, s*icide. 

NOTE

• Ugh, it looks like I need to work on a few mic issues; mine would sometimes cut Christina’s audio out when we talked at the same time (I didn’t notice till after we recorded). Thankfully not too much! 

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This episode is so special to me! Body acceptance is a tough, thorny subject, and an even tougher, thornier practice. I feel so grateful to Hannah for talking with me this week about her own struggles and successes with body acceptance, as well as sharing some fabulous resources (see below).

TRIGGER WARNING

• Mention of disordered relationships to food and body.

DISCLAIMER FROM HANNAH

• “I’m not a professional on any topic of nutrition or psychology.” 

RESOURCES FROM HANNAH <3

• Activism
  • Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH)
  • National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
• Health/Mental Health Resources
  • Health at Every Size Healthcare Provider Listing
• Books
  • Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon
  • Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata
  • Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings
  • Intuitive Eating for Every Day by Evelyn Tribole
• Podcasts
  • Food Psych with Christy Harrison
  • Dietitians Unplugged with Glenys Oyston and Aaron Flores
  • Maintenance Phase with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week Adri and I talked about attraction. 

In friendships, what are the most attractive qualities? In romantic relationships, does an attractive personality win out over physical attractiveness? Do opposites attract / do opposite last?

Adri is so smart AND hilarious, so it was so fun getting to hear her takes on attraction, that have been cultivated through her various life experiences, which she also graciously discusses.  

Can't get enough of this hilarious gal? Check out Adri's horror comedy podcast "Terror Tales of LA the Podcast"  

insta: @terrortalesofla

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!

This week I asked Molly, “Is trying lame?” We both agreed it isn’t… but also maybe it can be embarrassing sometimes… but also that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it! I loved getting to hear Molly’s thoughts on the complicated feelings surrounding trying. Molly discusses what keeps her accountable with trying for the things she wants, describes how it feels to witness people trying vs not trying, and shares some of her strategies for reframing moments that could be seen as failures. 

Support the show

NOTE: The goal of this podcast is to hear many different perspectives. Viewpoints shared by guests are not necessarily shared by the host, and vice versus. Hate speech will not be permitted. Feedback is welcome if something said causes hurt or offense. It's my hope that we can all learn and be better together!