Welcome to Episode 21 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Gem - By day, Gem works in program management, transforming disjointed systems into intuitive, people-first solutions. By night, she brings spicy, sapphic, and gay fanfiction to life, narrating danmei (Chinese “Boys Love”) stories into audio gems (aka podfics) under the alias Danmei Podfics With Gem.
We’re talking all about fanfiction, smut, danmei, audio gems and podfics!
More of Gem's links: https://gempodfics.carrd.co/
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Welcome to Episode 20 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Veronika Stetska - a copywriter and self-published author on Amazon. In her working life, she’s focused on the importance of storytelling and community-building. Her passion for storytelling led Veronika launching her Substack called Tea Time with V, where she writes articles about lifestyle, design, interiors, fashion, beauty, and stories that you can read over a cup of tea (or coffee).
We’re going to be talking to Veronika about what makes New York great. From the food and culture to the fashion and hidden gems, what does it truly mean to be a New Yorker?
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Welcome to Episode 19 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to CHARLiiE - a multidimensional creator, and the visionary behind Light to Lead — a platform dedicated to collective awakening and the journey of coming home to self. She’s also an attorney, an Air Force veteran, and a clinically trained social worker — a path that led her through systems of structure, service, and survival, only to return home to the deepest truth of who she really is.
With a voice rooted in lived experience and a heart devoted to the fullness of the human journey, CHARLiiE invites others into a space of remembrance, liberation, and radical self-acceptance. Her work speaks to what it means to be radically human — to stop chasing who we think we should be and instead remember who we’ve always been.
What does that all mean? Tune in to find out.
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Welcome to Episode 18 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Karen Sargent - a hospice chaplain, spiritual director, and ceremony officiant based in Rhode Island. She believes that talking about difficult and taboo topics is what brings us closer together and what helps us learn about ourselves. She believes that death is a part of life, and that we can learn from the dying. When she’s not doing hospice-y things, you can probably find her at a coffee shop, eating popcorn, or playing with her dog Waffle.
We’re talking all about death.
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Welcome to Episode 17 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Mistress Lauren - a professional dominatrix and certified sex coach based in NYC. She enjoys getting paid to humiliate men, and hopes to destigmatize sexual shame and sex work.
We’re talking all about working as a dominatrix and asking (and debunking) everyone's top questions. This may be one of the most transparent conversations you'll hear from a dominatrix.
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Welcome to Episode 16 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Francesca Ottavio - Born and raised in NYC, Francesca currently supports content strategy for Joss & Main (a Wayfair SRB) and assists in various content production projects at Plural, being in production world for 6 years. From an early age, Francesca cultivated an entrepreneurial mindset, exploring a variety of side hustles, which we’re going to talk about today.
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Welcome to Episode 15 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Allie Ailis (pronounced like Eilish) - a blogger, niche interest collector, and artist. She likes to read, crochet, journal, write, and attend pole dance classes. When not in front of a screen, she can be found hiking with her dog, Luna.
We’re talking all about internet culture, pop culture conspiracy theories and so much more. This is the episode that'll make you laugh.
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Welcome to Episode 14 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Hannah Elston - who has been working in production since she was 21 as a writer and producer, starting out in live events writing on-stage segments, and video content for shows around the world. Hannah moved to producing television commercials and after some time, she transitioned to producing and art directing social media content. She wrote a book called 'You are My Sunshine’ about her personal journey of exploring the pain, heartache, and strength that comes from starting a new life after the loss of a loved one. Hannah also has a substack called Sad Girl Writes A Book, which is how we met!
We're talking all about the personal journeys we go through as we cope with loss and grief.
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Welcome to Episode 13 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.Today, we’re talking to Polina Petrova - Polina is 22 years old, originally from Bulgaria (where she’s currently based), and studying Media and Communications in Germany. Her biggest dream is to work in luxury brand management. Outside of work and school, Polina is currently in the process of publishing her first novel. We’re talking all about myopathy - What is it? How does it affect one's life? What it's like in the dating world? and more!!--The unforgiving shameless plugs...Follow the pod on YouTube🎥Listen to the pod on Spotify🎧Maybe subscribe to my substack too 👉👈
Welcome to Episode 12 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.Today, we’re talking to Anayasha Dalia - who moved Toronto a year ago and has carved her own path creating two marketing agencies when she was struggling to find a job in her industry in Canada. Her family and friends, even herself, didn’t think she would make the move, but her gut told her to just jump and now here she is.We’re talking all about the transition from moving to a new country and culture - not knowing anyone and having to build community from scratch.Anayasha's substack--The unforgiving shameless plugs...Follow the pod on YouTube🎥Listen to the pod on Spotify🎧Maybe subscribe to my substack too 👉👈
Welcome to Episode 11 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Iso (ee-so). Iso is 26 years old, born in Gambia, West Africa, grew up in the Bronx, and now lives in New Jersey. Iso is passionate about psychology, learning about people, and having meaningful thought provoking conversations.We’re talking all about friendship dynamics - how to say goodbye to friendships that aren't serving you and be more intentional with the friendships that you truly value.
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Welcome to Episode 10 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Dein Peter - a brand strategist, business consultant, and creator passionate about helping individuals and businesses grow with clarity and purpose. She is Nigerian, based in Lagos, Nigeria, and she runs an online community focused on faith, financial growth, and personal development.
We’re talking all about Christianity - both the good and messy parts that can be associated with the religion.
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Welcome to Episode 9 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.Today, we’re talking to Tirhakah Love - a writer from Houston, Texas with 12 years of experience and hundreds of pieces written across print and the interwebs. They started fresh out of college and jumped right into the late-stage blog era with music and culture-writing before branching out to tv, film, politics, tech, and gaming. After 12 years of writing, Tirhakah recently pivoted into marketing and is trying to make a name for themselves in yet another catastrophic industry. They also run a substack called Free Cable - a raunchy humor newsletter that reveals the dark arts and absurdity of the entertainment industry.We’re talking all about Tirhakah's experience as a culture writer and the power of storytelling.Tirhakah's substack--The unforgiving shameless plugs...Follow the pod on YouTube🎥Listen to the pod on Spotify🎧Maybe subscribe to my substack too 👉👈
Welcome to Episode 8 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Donatella - a 24-year-old Canadian currently living in Italy, where she is pursuing a law degree at the University of Bologna. Originally from Brantford, Ontario, Donatella completed a BA in Law at Carleton University in Ottawa, where she also studied French and Italian. Outside of academics, Donatella runs a substack newsletter titled “To Whom it May Concern”, where they share reflections on studying and living abroad, cultural observations, and reflective essays.
We’re talking all about the power of language and how linguistics impact culture.
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Welcome to Episode 7 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Claire Zou - an elementary school teacher who started her teaching career in Brooklyn where she taught fourth grade at an Uncommon charter school. Over time, she grew critical of the top-heavy charter system and has since decided to pivot to the NYC Department of Education (DOE for short). As part of this pivot, she is spending a year teaching abroad in Taiwan on a Fulbright grant. When she returns to New York, she hopes to utilize her improved Chinese to serve at a DOE school in either Chinatown or Sunset Park. When Claire is not teaching, she enjoys woodcarving, gardening, and hot springing
We’re talking to Claire about her time as a teacher and her pivot to DOE.
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Welcome to Episode 7 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Lauren Boone - an Emmy award winning producer who graduated with a B.A. in Journalism & Media Studies and as a Division 1 athlete from Rutgers University. Since then, Lauren has spent her professional career at MSNBC and NBC Sports as a booking producer. Lauren launched Shimmer Communications in 2025 with the goal of tackling the new media environment in a world of podcasts, YouTube, streaming, broadcast, and whatever tomorrow may bring.
We’re talking all about Lauren's time working as a book producer at MSNBC and NBC, + the current media landscape and how we should go about navigating it.
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Welcome to Episode 6 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Erica Wirth - a whale connoisseur that has always loved marine mammals and began working in the field when she was fourteen. She graduated from Eckerd College with a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies and Psychology in 2018 and is now operating out of Monterey, California. She’s also a mom to her lovely dog Peaches.
On this episode, we’ll be talking to Erica about working her time working on the water and her old podcast that she used to host called Breaching Extinction
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Welcome to Episode 5 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Kiana - an international model for about 5 years with representation in LA, Toronto, Montreal, Mexico, Cape Town, and London UK. She’s been featured in Vogue Italia, and has worked with brands such as Patek Philippe, SSENSE, Holt Renfrew, Diadora, Nike, and La Roche-Posay.
Today we’re talking all about the world of modelling and how modelling can affect one’s perception of self.
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Welcome to Episode 4 of the Everyday Stories podcast!
A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.
Today, we’re talking to Stephan Washburn - a professional Video Editor, Photographer, and Music Producer based in New York City. He is currently working full-time as the Production Manager at Plural, a bespoke marketing agency located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Stephan has worked with many different brands including: Don Julio Tequila, Johnnie Walker, Netflix, Turf Design, Joss & Main, AllModern, Mavi Jeans, American Eagle, Aerie, Paris Hilton Fragrances, Vince Camuto, Douglas Elliman, Compass, Corcoran
Stephan is from upstate New York, where he was exposed to the outdoors through the Adirondack Mountains from a young age. This has inspired his personal creative endeavors in landscape photography, documentary filmmaking, and music production.We’re talking all about two of Stephan’s biggest passions - hiking and the art of cinema
Stephan's short film The Final Steps: Becoming an Adirondack 46'er
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Welcome to Episode 3 of the Everyday Stories podcast! A podcast about the everyday stories from the people you know and the people you don't know. Here to help you learn a thing or two about life and the stories that define us.Today, we’re talking to Tess Cieplucha - a 2020 Tokyo Olympian, Short Course World Champion, Pan Am Champion, 8x all American from Georgetown, Ontario. Her speciality - the 400 Individual Medley (for those who don’t know, that’s the race where you swim all the strokes). Tess studied Environmental Science at the University of Tennessee and is currently a pro swimmer, swim clinician, youth mentor speaker and sourdough enthusiast.We’re talking all about Tess' swimming career, her experience at the Tokyo Olympics, and how she stays motivated to just keep swimming 🐟--The unforgiving shameless plugs...Follow the pod on YouTube🎥Listen to the pod on Spotify🎧Maybe subscribe to my substack too 👉👈