It's a Lot

Content warning: This episode contains mentions of sexual abuse and providing therapy to sex offenders. The discussion is high level and not graphic; it takes place during the first half of the show.Ashley Charbonneau, a licensed clinical social worker, podcaster, author, and obsessive reader, joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a wide-ranging conversation about the many different things we're told we shouldn't talk about. We discuss her experiences as a therapist providing therapy to sex offenders, abusive workplaces, healing from career events that shatter you, and the complex issues AI is creating that therapists now have to figure out how to handle. In the second half of the episode, we explore Ashley's experience as a stand-in mom figure to her younger sibling, who she became the guardian of in 2023. We talk about the value of staying regulated when your kid is upset, how hard it is to be an authority figure to someone you really shouldn't have authority over, and the liberating moment of realizing that you get to choose whether or not to have kids. Ashley also shares how being the oldest of 8 kids shaped her decision to not have biological children of her own. We also hype up the importance of vasectomies (and talking about them!).Links:Pre-order Ashley's book, The Resilient Therapist: Healing from Career-Altering Adverse Psychological Events, out October 1, 2026.Listen to Ashley and her colleague Morgen's podcast, The Art of Being a Therapist.Regretting Motherhood by Orna Donath is the book Ashley mentions in the episode.For more of Ashley, follow her on Instagram and check out her website.Follow Emily on Instagram and check out her business, Serve Me the Sky Digital, if you need a social media strategist, speaker, or writer!To support the show, leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks!We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art.Mentioned in this episode:Joe Bean RoastersVisit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own BusinessCheck out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/

Content warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide attempts (they are not discussed in a detailed or graphic way, but they are mentioned briefly). Please take care while listening.Author, educator, mental health advocate, and mom Leanne Toshiko Simpson joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a thoughtful and funny conversation about her chaos whirlwind life. Leanne talks about living with bipolar disorder, how having a kid can help you hate mornings less, the ways we're conditioned to shrink ourselves and not be "too much," the power of mad friendship, writing funny in her novel Never Been Better, and how if you can't laugh about your struggles, they're probably crushing you.In the second half of the show, Emily and Leanne discuss their experiences with motherhood, including the rigid gender expectations surrounding how much a mom should do in the first year of their child's life, how important it is to have a partner who doesn't suck at sharing childcare responsibilities, and why it's actually a good thing to have diverse interests aside from just your kid.Links:Leanne's book, Never Been BetterFollow Leanne on InstagramLeanne's websiteFollow Emily on InstagramEmily's website"The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of 'Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'" by Jia TolentinoWe are a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art.Mentioned in this episode:Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that Lifts EveryoneUse promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.comCommon Thread Check out Common Thread on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/common-threads-hardcore/ Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own BusinessCheck out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/

Toddlers love snacks. Adults love snacks. But do grownups love toddler snacks? We taste test 24 different snacks for little ones and share our analysis and hot takes! Host Emily Hessney Lynch is joined by Chris Lindstrom, producer of It's a Lot, host of Food About Town, and co-founder of the Lunchador Podcast Network, as well as her husband, Tim Lynch, owner of Tenderchomps Art. In the first half, we try puffs, yogurt bites, and biscuits, and in the second half, we sample bars and 10 different purees & pouches! Among the brands we tried are: Target Good & Gather, Aldi, Little Spoon, Once Upon a Farm, Serenity Kids, Happy Baby Organics, and Little Bellies. Fun links to explore:Listen to Chris's podcast, Food About TownFollow Chris on InstagramCheck out Tim's art businessTim's InstagramEmily's businessEmily's InstagramWe're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network. Our logo was created by Tenderchomps Art. Mentioned in this episode:Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that Lifts EveryoneUse promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.comBehind the GlassBehind the Glass Gallery podcast is a monthly talk with the current month's BTG Roster. Artists are interviewed about their submissions and we dive deep into their process, inspiration and thought process centralized around their artwork in the Behind the Glass Gallery located in the heart of Downtown Rochester NY. Murphys Rank The WorldMeghan, Skye and Tim know you have a lot of choices in life. That's why they're undertaking the herculean task of ranking the world! Join the siblings Murphy as they rank everything from sandwiches to cryptids in their neverending quest to help you find the best. Find it where you get your podcasts!

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of infertility, miscarriage, and IVF. If those are sensitive topics for you, please take care while listening. If you'd like to skip that part, I recommend only listening to the first half of the episode, which ends around the 26 minute mark. Eboni Jones Stewart, a librarian, professor, and bonus mom, joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a conversation about her path to becoming a stepmom (and why she rejects that term for herself), the complexities of navigating teens' smartphone use, and how Roblox is the absolute worst. In the second half of the show, we talk about Eboni's experiences with infertility, miscarriage, and IVF. She shares some of the most unhelpful and infuriating advice she's received, what you can do for someone who has experienced loss, and what motivates her to keeps trying to have her own biological child despite all the hard parts of the journey so far. Follow Eboni on Instagram at @misspearljones and find Emily at @servemethesky.Mentioned in this episode:Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that Lifts EveryoneUse promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.comMurphys Rank The WorldMeghan, Skye and Tim know you have a lot of choices in life. That's why they're undertaking the herculean task of ranking the world! Join the siblings Murphy as they rank everything from sandwiches to cryptids in their neverending quest to help you find the best. Find it where you get your podcasts! Behind the GlassBehind the Glass Gallery podcast is a monthly talk with the current month's BTG Roster. Artists are interviewed about their submissions and we dive deep into their process, inspiration and thought process centralized around their artwork in the Behind the Glass Gallery located in the heart of Downtown Rochester NY.

Recorded LIVE in front of an audience during The 2025 Rochester Fringe Festival, Pauly joins a panel of fellow Lunchador podcasts Matt Austin & Chris Lindstrom (Lunchador Founders), Emily Hessney-Lynch (It's A Lot), and Mike Huntone (Punches & Popcorn) for a fun-filled hour of ranking banter.Mentioned in this episode:Punches & PopcornThe masters of Couch Potato style Mike Huntone, Jason Bills, and Dr. Dominic D’Amore take a deep dive into the best and worst of martial arts films.Food About TownFood About Town hosted by Chris Lindstrom, focusing on restaurants, food and drink of all kinds, and whatever topics I want to cover! https://foodabouttown.captivate.fm/Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone.Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

Pauly and Emily are both podcasters on The Lunchador Podcast Network, and also both entrepreneurs raising young families and juggling.. a lot. In this episode, you'll hear the first half of a conversation between Emily and Pauly in Pauly's style (interviewing Emily mostly about her entrepreneurial journey). Then, the episode fades and you'll be asked to switch over to the It's A Lot podcast (which should have also popped up in your feed automatically) to hear Emily interview Pauly in Emily's style (dealing with the fact that it's just a lot).Mentioned in this episode:Level Up Coffee PodcastLevel Up your coffee game. Wade Reed and Aaron Pascucci, two coffee professionals discuss coffee and the culture surrounding it. https://levelupcoffee.captivate.fm/Mind of MagnusCheck out Mind of Magnus at magnusapollo.com, and leave him factoids at 585-310-2473! https://mind-of-magnus.captivate.fmJoe Bean Coffee - Coffee that lifts everyone.Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

Social media marketer and author Jon-Stephen Stansel joins host Emily Hessney Lynch to discuss his journey as a social media marketer, from government and higher ed days to his current work as a social media consultant in the entertainment industry working with brands like Invincible, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, Hazbin Hotel, Sausage Party: Foodtopia, and Avatar: The Way of Water. We chat about the joy of getting to be funny and creative as a social media manager, some of the dark parts of the job that can impact your mental health, and how AI won't be able to do what social media pros do because it doesn't have something very human: taste. In the second half of the show, we explore Jon-Stephen's life as a dad, including the ways he tries to do more than dads of past generations did, wanting his son to be bored sometimes, the struggle with deciding how much to share online, and more. You can follow Jon-Stephen on LinkedIn or at @jsstansel on all other platforms. Check out his website here, and make sure to preorder his book The 10 Principles of Effective Social Media Marketing, or ask your library to add it to their collection! And find Emily on Instagram at @servemethesky.This is a production of the Lunchador Podcast Network. Our logo was created by Tenderchomps Art. Mentioned in this episode:Behind the GlassBehind the Glass Gallery podcast is a monthly talk with the current month's BTG Roster. Artists are interviewed about their submissions and we dive deep into their process, inspiration and thought process centralized around their artwork in the Behind the Glass Gallery located in the heart of Downtown Rochester NY. Murphys Rank The WorldMeghan, Skye and Tim know you have a lot of choices in life. That's why they're undertaking the herculean task of ranking the world! Join the siblings Murphy as they rank everything from sandwiches to cryptids in their neverending quest to help you find the best. Find it where you get your podcasts! Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that Lifts EveryoneUse promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com