Shining a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly with Ashley Charbonneau

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Shining a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly with Ashley Charbonneau

This week on my podcast It’s a Lot, I spoke to my college friend Ashley Charbonneau, who is now a therapist, author, and podcaster. We met during our sophomore year of college and worked together on a research project about people's writing traumas and how they impacted their feelings about writing 🤓 It was so fun to have an in-depth conversation with Ashley over a decade and a half later. In the first half of the show, we discuss abusive workplaces, how AI is causing issues that therapists now have to determine how to deal with, the writing process for her new book, why she was inspired to start a podcast, and more.

In the second half of our conversation, we explore what it was like to become the guardian of a teenage sibling, how being the oldest of 8 affected Ashley growing up, her decision to be childfree by choice, and how to read more books you love!

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2016 nostalgia is misguided and perplexing

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2016 nostalgia is misguided and perplexing

For a fun little mini episode of my podcast It’s a Lot, I sat down with my producer, Chris Lindstrom, for a chat about how things are going with the show so far, some of our favorite episodes, and the bizarre 2016 trend that’s been everywhere on social media lately. Yes, 2016 was different, but it was not better. And neither were we! We both reflect on how we’ve grown and changed over the past 10 years—and how Rochester has changed too. It’s a fun discussion; I hope you’ll give it a listen!

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Author and sex & culture critic Ella Dawson on how capitalism makes it harder to create art

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Author and sex & culture critic Ella Dawson on how capitalism makes it harder to create art

After following Ella’s work for years, I was delighted when we struck up an online friendship after I reviewed an advance copy of her (fantastic) debut novel, But How Are You, Really. Since then, Ella has spoken to my college students twice, chatted with me about burnout and boundaries for my business blog, and now joined me on my podcast, It’s a Lot. In this episode, we talk about the mental health impact of the post-publication adrenaline crash, coping with feelings of disappointment through finding community and having honest conversations, and the joys of interviewing other progress romance writers for Ella’s podcast, Rebel Ever After.

In the second half of the episode, we explore how techno-optimists have ruined social media (and possibly the world) by never considering the consequences of their actions, and discuss how Ella has learned to use her privilege to speak up and uplift others’ voices.

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