a podcast is the best excuse...

→→→→→→→ MY NEW BOOK, WHAT GOES WITH WHAT, WILL BE OUT ON OCTOBER 15TH!! ALL-PREORDER INFO IS RIGHT HERE!! ←←←←←←←←← BOOK TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT COMING REAL SOON I PROMISE!!!

There are a variety of reasons to make a podcast, but having an excuse to talk to people you admire is at the top of my list. Reaching out to someone you’d love to talk to can feel random and scary. But if you have a podcast, you have a reason.

My own podcasting journey began way back in 2018 when I launched my show Keep Calm & Cook On (actually I guess it started more like a decade ago, in 2014, when I was the first host of Radio Cherry Bombe; that’s where I learned how much I loved getting to have meaningful conversations with people and sharing them).

For Keep Calm & Cook On, my first episode was with Georgine Drewes, who was 90 at the time of our recording. Grace and I met Georgine at Angel Food East, where we used to all volunteer together. She was our friend and we learned so much from her. Georgine passed away shortly after we recorded. Every so often I listen back to the episode just to hear her voice and remember the excitement Grace and I both felt when she agreed to be my first podcast guest.

Georgine was the coolest.

I used to make podcast episodes regularly, and at one point I even taught myself how to edit audio. Sometimes I did the legwork of getting sponsorships. Doing my podcast on my own meant I could take a break whenever I wanted. And in 2022, after 75 episodes, I felt really satisfied with my podcast and ready to call it a day.

….then this year I found myself missing it. And also really wanting to talk to other people who, like me, had found joy, safety, and empowerment in their bodies through lifting things (longtime readers of this newsletter know how much powerlifting has impacted my life). So I made nine episodes “ON LIFTING” and aired them once a week for the last couple of months.

While I didn’t focus on food for this season, I had conversations with people about how they nourish their bodies, including their physical strength and mental health. These conversations were all with people willing to be so honest about their relationships to their bodies. I’ve heard from many of you, including tons of you who have never touched a barbell of dumbbell, about how much you’ve enjoyed these conversations, which means to much to hear.

So today, I just wanted to say thank you. Thanks for all of you who have listened and thanks especially to the people I admire who said yes when I asked them if they would talk to me (each individual episode is linked in the names below):

1. Laura Khoudari — author of Lifting Heavy Things and also the writer behind Tender at The Desk and Stove

2. Casey Johnston — author of LIFTOFF: Couch to Barbell and the writer behind She’s a Beast

3. Corinne Fay — the writer behind

   Big Undies
   and producer at
   Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith

4. Ashley Dyce — who just competed in Paris at the Paralympic Games!!!!!!!!!

5. Gabi Dixson — a professional Strongwoman (how cool is that?!) and so much more

6. Alex Lau — the absolute strongest food photographer I know

7. Elazar Sontag — restaurant editor of Bon Appétit and a great pal!

8. Le Carr — the co-owner of Rain City Fit and the founder of Pride Deadlift Party

9. Sharon Salomon + Tricia Lucero — Sharon is an 80 year-old competitive powerlifter and Tricia is her trainer / together they are a riot!

---

Want to see something amazing? Sharon Solomon, who I interviewed in my final episode this season, sent me a photo of the tattoo she got herself for her 80th birthday and said it was okay for me to share it with all of you! How amazing is this?!?!?!

And before I sign off, and also while we’re on the topic of feeling good in our bodies, I hope you’ll join me this weekend for my ‘No Judgment’ class! Read more about it below.

The goal of ‘No Judgment’ classes is to repair + improve our relationships to our bodies and the food we cook and eat. For this installment, we'll talk about revisiting and embracing childhood comfort foods. And we'll make mine! Sliding scale from $0 to whatever you want.

A bit more about these classes: Whether you come because you’re recovering from an eating disorder, dismantling body image issues, or something else entirely, these classes will provide the joy of cooking in community and a supportive atmosphere to eat together without judgment. When you sign up for class, you’ll receive recipes + a grocery list. Class will begin with step-by-step cooking instruction and will be followed by time to eat together while we all talk + share resources. To create a safe, supportive environment, discussion of weight loss/dieting techniques will be strictly prohibited.

»»»» SIGN UP HERE!!! ««««

Alright that’s it for today folks! Thanks for being here. xoxooxox