That Wasn't The Plan

(We open with Courtney's puppy accidentally getting marijuana poisoning. This is relevant because it sets the tone perfectly for an episode about a man whose life has taken approximately seventeen unexpected turns.) This week's guest is Richard Ault — and his coworkers call him the most interesting person in the world. After about ten minutes, Emily and Courtney stopped arguing with that assessment. Richard is a biologist by training, a technologist by accident, and a high school teacher by s...

(Courtney's back, everyone. Let the drinks flow. Also — Courtney's tooth made a brief unscheduled disappearance. We kept it in. You're welcome.) This week, Emily and Courtney sit down with someone doing some of the most quietly essential work in grief support: Lindsay Brockman, licensed veterinary nurse, certified pet loss grief specialist, and founder of EverKin Pet Loss Support out of Richmond, Virginia. Lindsay has fifteen years across ER, end-of-life, and community animal medicine — and s...

Most of us learned to look at our bodies and immediately catalog what's wrong with them. Too big. Too small. Too much. Not enough. Wasting away. Filling out. The wrong shape for the wrong season for the wrong man's opinion. This week, we're trying something else. Two world-class athletes — ice mermaid and U.S. record holder Melissa Kegler and former NCAA swimmer Sarah Beth Wood — sit down with us to talk about what it's actually like to live in a body that's been measured, weighed, commented ...

Last week, Melissa Kegler said she was going to get her record back. This week, the universe said, we’ll see about that. What follows is five months of waiting for water that is somehow both too warm and too frozen, a logistical nightmare involving flights, storms, dams, and one very specific 24-hour window where everything finally (and briefly) aligns. It is, by all accounts, the worst swim of her life. Naturally, she does it anyway. There’s something quietly unhinged about preparing y...

Courtney's tooth fell out again. Emily's hair is orange. Sarah Beth's pit bull has a pink belly. We're off. Somewhere in the middle of all that, we talk about Rosemary — Courtney's dear friend, gone two years this week. She spent her life helping traumatized kids and reminded us that hurt people don't just hurt people. Hurt people heal people. Then it gets weird (weirder?). We cover: Why every woman should embrace being called a bitch (hint: it just means you have a backbone)Sarah Beth's theo...

This week, we sit down with my friend Jen Quam Howell (JQ), who—on an otherwise unremarkable night—was woken up by her husband with the words no one prepares for: “The house is on fire. We have to go.” What follows is exactly what you’d expect and nothing like you’d expect. Three young kids. One terrifying exit down a burning staircase. A total loss. A hotel room that becomes “hometel.” And a community that quietly, relentlessly shows up—with spreadsheets, sweatpants, and the occasional repla...

What happens when you grow up in a deeply religious household where sex is forbidden, masturbation is sinful, and heaven is apparently keeping score? You wait. This week we’re joined by our brilliant friend Sarah Beth Schooley Wood—champion swimmer, Antarctica bride, and (for a surprisingly long time) a very committed virgin. We talk purity culture, religious guilt, awkward first times, late blooming, and the strange realization that maybe… sex isn’t actually a moral emergency. There are peng...

At 22, Matt Holland dove into shallow water, broke his neck, and immediately knew something was very wrong. This episode has it all: lake house chaos, a midnight helicopter ride, ICU absurdity, fingers-in-the-butt medical exams, and erections. It’s funny. It’s uncomfortable. It’s very honest. And it’s about what happens when your body stops—but your will doesn’t. Support the show

What begins as a casual conversation about hair drifts, quite naturally, into fake fangs, missing teeth, addiction, dentures, dental debt, sobriety, and one impressively pragmatic trip to Mexico shortly after losing all top teeth. It’s painful, absurd, and unexpectedly funny—a story about shame, survival, and rebuilding a smile without the benefit of enamel. Dental insurance, as ever, is the real villain. Teeth optional. Support the show

Just because children never blessed our loins doesn't mean we don't kinda like them. Well, we do, and we don't. Babies, motherhood, and the quiet panic of doing life “wrong.” In Not My Circus, Emily and Courtney talk being child-free by choice, by chance, and by biology—with honesty, dark humor, rockin’ nipples, and zero judgment. A conversation about listening to your own small voice, loving the life you actually have, and accepting that not everyone is meant to run the same circus. S...

Both Emily and Courtney have had their run-ins with homelessness—sometimes more than once. This week, we delve into what it’s like to live without a roof over your head—and the bizarre blend of humor, humility, and resilience that comes with it. The little moments, the quiet dignity, and the unexpected things you discover about yourself when stability takes a hike. Honest, imperfect, and somehow more human—and maybe a little funnier—than we thought. Show Notes: Takeaways Courtney dressed as...

Courtney asks Emily shallow questions about her breast cancer. We laugh and get real. It's not a joke until you wake up with a soul patch downstairs. Show Notes: Summary In this episode, Emily White shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with breast cancer, detailing the emotional and physical challenges she faced. From the initial discovery of a lump to navigating the medical system, the support from family and friends, and the impact of chemotherapy, Emily's story is one of re...