Gene therapy that sounds like science fiction with Dr. Sam Mackenzie

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Gene therapy that sounds like science fiction with Dr. Sam Mackenzie

February is Rare Disease Month, so on It’s a Lot, we’re doing a mini series focused on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). My son was diagnosed with SMA a few days after he was born, and then received an incredible gene therapy treatment less than a month later. The experience was a lot to go through, as you might imagine. I’m grateful I can share our story and hopefully help other people.

For the first episode of the mini series, I talked to my son’s neurologist, Sam Mackenzie, M.D., Ph.D. I was super curious about what it’s like delivering a life-changing diagnosis to a family, what you learn in med school about empathy and bedside manner, and how Sam ended up a child neurologist in the first place. We also discussed our flawed healthcare system and his hopes for a better one as well as what people can do to help disabled folks in the U.S. If this episode makes you want to support research, the TANGO2 Research Foundation is a great option! And if you want to go more in depth on child neurology, make sure to check out Sam’s podcast, Immature Brains.

In the second half of the episode, we chat about Sam’s experiences as a father of three. He shares his thoughts on parent guilt, his existential fears about how AI will impact his kids’ lives, why risk can actually be a good thing, and lots more.

Lastly, to learn more about SMA and how you can support the community, check out Cure SMA.

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Mad friendship & writing funny with author Leanne Toshiko Simpson

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Mad friendship & writing funny with author Leanne Toshiko Simpson

On the latest episode of It’s a Lot, I spoke with fellow toddler mom Leanne Toshiko Simpson about figuring out when you’re ready to have kids, the joys of slow walks with curious toddlers, and the insidious productivity culture depicted in Thomas the Tank Engine. Leanne is also a writer, mental health advocate, and educator, so in the first half of the show, we dive into her bipolar diagnosis, navigating the mental health system, writing characters with mental illness, the joys of mad friendship, and how to write funny. It was a fun conversation and I learned a lot from Leanne’s insights on mental illness and mad community!

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Everyone loves snacks, but do grownups love toddler snacks?

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Everyone loves snacks, but do grownups love toddler snacks?

For something fun and different on my podcast It’s a Lot this week, I invited Chris Lindstrom, my producer, the host of Food About Town, and co-founder of the Lunchador Podcast Network, and my partner and co-parent Tim Lynch, to join me on a journey of sampling 24 different toddler snacks. It was a goofy good time all around! Chris and Tim offer lots of thoughtful analysis (and speculation) about the flavor profile, manufacturing process, and more, while I tend to just chime in with “it’s SO expensive” or “that was awful.” Whether or not you’re a parent, this is an entertaining listen!

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The truth about two under two: it's just as hard as expected, says mom Kat Eddy

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The truth about two under two: it's just as hard as expected, says mom Kat Eddy

Kat Eddy, mom and owner of Katboocha, returns to It’s a Lot for a follow up about the reality of life with two kids under two! Spoiler alert: it’s really damn hard. We talked about crying in Wegmans (apparently a theme on this podcast now), getting help for postpartum anxiety, the struggles of having patience with your partner during the sleepless newborn era, and more.

We played back clips from part one of our conversation and reacted to them, which was lots of fun! Part two can be listened to as a standalone, but part one is great, so I recommend listening to that if you haven’t yet.

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Pauly Guglielmo gets honest about paternity leave struggles & his inability to resist buying his kid a toy at TJ Maxx

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Pauly Guglielmo gets honest about paternity leave struggles & his inability to resist buying his kid a toy at TJ Maxx

I had a blast chatting with Pauly Guglielmo, a food entrepreneur, radio/podcasting legend, and dad of two, about everything from our childhood traumas to the fun parts of parenthood in a special two-part episode. In part one, Pauly interviews me in his style of his podcast about entrepreneurship, The Pauly Guglielmo Show. In part two, I interview Pauly in my It’s a Lot style about the many aspects of his life that are just a lot.

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Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

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Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

Years ago, I interviewed both Quajay Donnell and Richard Colon for my passion project, I Heart ROC. We’ve all experienced a lot of life changes since then, and our friendships have grown too, so I was excited to check in five years later for a podcast interview! We talk about how photography has helped them better get to know Rochester, their journey to founding Behind the Glass Gallery, and their experiences as dads. At the end of the day, sometimes you’ve just gotta jump in the bounce house, even if you’re in your 40s and you know your legs will hurt the next day!

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Jon-Stephen Stansel on creativity & humor as a social media pro and dad

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Jon-Stephen Stansel on creativity & humor as a social media pro and dad

I’ve followed the work of social media consultant Jon-Stephen Stansel for years, so I was thrilled when he agreed to chat with me for the It’s a Lot podcast. After getting his start doing social media at higher ed institutions and government agencies, his online connections led to him working with brands like Invincible, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, Hazbin Hotel, Sausage Party: Foodtopia, and Avatar: The Way of Water. In this conversation, we talk about the joys of being creative and funny on social media, how AI lacks taste that’s necessary to succeed as a social media manager, the dark pits of the internet, and more. In the second half of the show, we also explore Jon-Stephen’s life as a dad and the joys he’s finding on his parenthood journey.

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Editor & dad Brendan Dabkowski shares about screentime shame & parent guilt

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Editor & dad Brendan Dabkowski shares about screentime shame & parent guilt

I met my friend Brendan Dabkowski through Instagram years ago and now we’re both adjunct professor at Nazareth University. We’re also both parents of little ones and know the struggles of finding enough childcare, needing mental health support to navigate parenthood, and more! It was fun to dive deeper on these topics with a friend. My favorite parts were hearing about some of the joyful experiences of his life as a dad so far, like taking his son on long bike rides and watching his daughter light up around their new kitten!

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Illustrator Anoosha Syed says you have to know your "why" when it comes to social media

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Illustrator Anoosha Syed says you have to know your "why" when it comes to social media

This week, I was thrilled to chat with children’s book author/illustrator Anoosha Syed. She’s had a fascinating career path so far and she’s an incredibly talented artist, and she’s a new mom as well! We had a great conversation about content creation, building a brand online, letting go of dreams you once had for your career, and how damn hard it is to balance freelance work and motherhood.

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Kat Eddy feels ready for life with two under two

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Kat Eddy feels ready for life with two under two

In episode 5 of It’s a Lot, I chatted with mom and business owner Kat Eddy, the founder of Katboocha, about her expectations before becoming a mom of two kids under two. We spoke about a month before her youngest was born, so make sure to tune back in this fall when we have a follow-up conversation about the reality of two under two!

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