What happens when immigration enforcement tears apart the fabric of a community? In this raw, urgent conversation, we explore the human cost of recent ICE raids with Jessica, a social services professional who witnesses firsthand how these actions devastate families.

Jessica takes us inside the vital work of Inner City Law Center, a nonprofit poverty law firm located in Skid Row with attorneys fighting to end homelessness through free legal services. From defending tenants against eviction to helping veterans secure benefits, ICLC provides crucial support to Los Angeles' most vulnerable residents. Their community initiatives include vital document clinics and resource fairs, all offered at no cost.

The conversation turns deeply personal as Jessica shares stories from our shared hometown of Culver City, where longtime community members are being seized in broad daylight. An ice cream vendor who served the neighborhood for 20 years was taken, his cart abandoned on the street. A grandfather was dragged from his truck by masked individuals while driving to work. These raids leave families without breadwinners and children suddenly forced to become providers.

"A lot of the people being taken away have no criminal convictions," Jessica explains. "They're hardworking individuals who look like my family members. This is deeply personal."

Hope emerges through community response. Cities are approving emergency funding, implementing protocols to verify federal agents' identities, and organizing massive solidarity demonstrations. Jessica offers practical ways to help: follow rapid response networks for updates, donate to affected families, and simply check on neighbors who might be afraid to leave their homes.

The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that transcends politics: "Just because it might not affect your life personally doesn't mean it doesn't matter to somebody else... Please don't normalize this violence. This is not normal."

Join us for this essential conversation about community resilience in the face of crisis, and learn how small acts of kindness can make a profound difference during uncertain times.

Champagne flows as Emily welcomes her longtime friend Jay for a delightfully chaotic conversation that weaves through their shared history, recent accomplishments, and mutual digital obsessions. Having known each other since 2016, these friends have seen each other through what they lovingly refer to as their "degenerative years" and emerged stronger for it.

Jay shares her recent academic triumph - earning a master's degree in digital media management from USC, breaking down her expertise in the digital world and content creation. The conversation quickly shifts to their mutual TikTok dependency, with both confessing to a 394-day streak of sharing content with each other daily.

Their digital addiction has led them to a shared obsession: the 90s home decoration show "Decorating Cents," which has traumatized them both with its questionable design choices. With passionate animation, they break down how hosts Joan Steffend and her partner committed design atrocities like gluing hay to walls, hanging used nightgowns as decor, and creating hazardous furniture - all while charging homeowners for the privilege.

The friends dive into Netflix's "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders” expressing admiration for the cheerleaders who advocated for fair pay despite risking their coveted positions. They celebrate the 400% raise these women secured for future team members, even though many who fought for the change won't benefit personally.

In the final segment, Jay shares her teenage "gremlin story" from a trip to Italy, where at 14 she pretended to be 18, drank margaritas with her friend at a discotheque called "Gardenia," and terrified her parents who thought she'd been kidnapped. This youthful misadventure perfectly encapsulates the podcast's core theme - embracing your imperfections while recognizing their consequences.

Make sure to follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok @emilytogremilypod. Need advice? Want to share your own gremlin story? Email us at EMILYTOGREMILYPOD@GMAIL.COM

What makes the Titanic disaster so uniquely mesmerizing even after 113 years? According to Michael, a self-proclaimed Titanic historian who joins us in this episode, it's the perfect three-act tragedy unfolding over just 2 hours and 40 minutes—from the initial complacency to final panic, all playing out on "a well-lit, 900-foot wide stage" with every dramatic element imaginable.

We dive deep into our cultural fascination with maritime disasters, comparing the Titanic's tragic sinking with the recent OceanGate Titan submersible implosion. The contrast is stark and revealing. While the Titanic faced a perfect storm of unlikely circumstances, the Titan disaster emerges as a case study in negligence and hubris. Through recent documentaries, we piece together the troubling portrait of Stockton Rush, OceanGate's CEO described by former employees as "a narcissist bordering on psychopath" who systematically ignored safety warnings and fired dissenting voices.

The most chilling aspect? Everyone seemed to know the Titan was destined to fail. Former employees recounted hearing the same disturbing popping and creaking sounds that were captured in footage before the final, fatal dive. Yet Rush persisted, using a PlayStation controller for navigation and unconventional materials that experts repeatedly warned were unsuitable for deep-sea exploration.

Beyond maritime disasters, Michael shares hilariously cringeworthy "gremlin stories" about his lovesick Facebook mishap and a Spider-Man-inspired gymnastics fail that left him flat on his back at a college party. These moments of vulnerability and self-deprecating humor remind us that even Titanic historians have their less-than-perfect human moments.

Whether you're a history buff, fascinated by tales of hubris, or just looking for a laugh, this episode offers a thoughtful exploration of why certain disasters capture our collective imagination and what they reveal about human nature. Listen now and discover why some tragedies continue to resonate long after the waters have closed over them.

Need advice? Want to share your own gremlin story? Email us at EMILYTOGREMILYPOD@GMAIL.COM and follow on Instagram and TikTok @emilytopgremilypod.

When passion meets purpose, beautiful transitions happen. Lin takes us on her fascinating journey from the glamorous world of car modeling to finding deeper fulfillment advocating for accident victims alongside her partner's personal injury law practice.

Lin's story begins unlike many in the car modeling industry, without the typical introduction through male family members, she forged her own path through genuine automotive passion. "I finessed my way into getting paid," she laughs, describing how she transformed her love for cars into a modeling career that spanned nearly eight years. While others used car modeling as a stepping stone to different careers, Lin remained because she truly loved the vehicles themselves.

The conversation takes unexpected turns through relationship territory, as Lin shares how meeting her partner at a car show led to both romantic and professional evolution. Her candid reflections on transitioning away from modeling reveal the challenges of identity shifts when leaving a high-visibility career. "I went from doing all these fun things to washing dishes and doing laundry," she admits, before explaining how helping accident victims through her partner's law practice has given her new purpose.

We also tackle thorny friendship dilemmas, including what to do when a friend confides about cheating on their spouse. Lin's perspective on loyalty and discretion offers valuable insights: "Friendship means that no matter what you do, I'm there... but sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Whether you're contemplating a career change, navigating complex friendships, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes of car modeling, Lin's authentic storytelling and thoughtful reflections make this episode both entertaining and enlightening.

Need advice? Want to share your own gremlin story? Email us at emilytogremilypod@gmail.com and connect on Instagram and TikTok @emilytogremilypod.

Ever woken up in a dog crate? Given your dad's number to random guys at a bar? Locked your partner out naked in a hotel hallway? Welcome to the world of "gremlin stories", those moments when our worst, most unfiltered selves take the wheel.

Though battling illness for this milestone 10th episode, I couldn't resist sharing these listener confessions that had me cackling despite my lack of energy. From the anonymous heartbroken listener who drunk-dialed her ex at 3 AM after discovering his engagement announcement, to a deliciously petty revenge at a bachelor party where she falsely claimed her ex had never satisfied her (cue the collective gasps). These stories remind us that sometimes our most embarrassing moments become our funniest memories.

The chaos continues with a post-Memorial Day festival confusion that led to sleeping in a storage place, a girl accidentally giving her father's phone number to persistent bar suitors, and a listener's full demon-mode emergence that resulted in her boyfriend seeking refuge in the hallway wearing nothing but his birthday suit. I even share my own gremlin moment from a cruise where I accidentally locked my boyfriend out of our cabin.

These stories connect us through shared vulnerability, the recognition that we all have moments where our inner gremlins break free. What embarrassing, cringe-worthy stories are you hiding? Share your own gremlin tales by emailing emilytogremilypod@gmail.com or connecting on Instagram and TikTok @emilytogremilypod. And if this collection of chaos made you laugh, please rate the podcast 5 stars wherever you listen!

Have you ever woken up in a Target parking lot with your mouth "tasting like regret and tequila"? You're not alone in your gremlin moments.

This episode begins with Emily's attempt to romanticize her life through a carefully crafted sea breeze cocktail, proving that self-care can be as simple as treating yourself to something special. She then dives into a fascinating explanation of "cute aggression"; turns out, science has an explanation for why one listener bit her crush at a university party!

The heart of the episode tackles relationship crossroads we all face. Should you stay with someone who refuses to grow up and consistently puts partying before your relationship? Is it ever wise to give a cheating ex a second chance after years apart? Emily offers thoughtful perspective on both scenarios, acknowledging that while no relationship is truly a "waste of time" (each one teaches us something), staying with someone hoping they'll change rarely leads to happiness.

Listener-submitted gremlin stories bring the laughs, from embarrassing hangover moments to accidentally ruining someone's elaborately planned marriage proposal. Emily contributes her own mortifying memory of throwing up in a wildlife park parking lot during her first trip with her now-boyfriend, proving that even our worst moments can become funny stories years later.

This mashup episode creates a judgment-free space where we can all reflect on our questionable decisions with humor rather than shame. After all, isn't that what connects us? Our collectively messy, imperfect humanity that's still trying to figure it all out.

Have your own gremlin story or need advice? Email emilytogremilypod@gmail.com and follow @emilytogremilypod on Instagram and TikTok to join the conversation.

Have you ever woken up after a night of drinking with that sinking feeling that something went terribly wrong? You're not alone. This episode dives deep into the hilarious, mortifying, and all-too-relatable world of alcohol-induced bad decisions through five listener-submitted stories that will make you cringe, laugh, and maybe feel a little better about your own gremlin moments.

We journey from New Orleans, where a 25th birthday celebration led to matching (except not matching at all) tattoos, to a wine tour where a love of dogs collided disastrously with too much Pinot Noir. You'll hear the digital age nightmare of drunk texting an ex seventeen increasingly desperate times, followed by the university party where one listener's inexplicable urge to bite her crush turned her into a literal gremlin. We wrap up with a DIY belly button piercing, a testament to teenage rebellion and poor alcohol-mixing choices.

Between stories, I share my own experiences and confessions, including my needle phobia that prevented multiple planned piercings and my own peculiar urge to occasionally bite my boyfriend (it's a love language, I swear!). The episode creates a judgment-free space where we can all acknowledge the temporary gremlins we become when our inhibitions disappear.

Have your own gremlin story to share? Send it to EMILYTOGREMILYPOD@GMAIL.COM and specify whether you'd like to remain anonymous. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok @emilytogremilypod for updates, polls, and opportunities to contribute to future episodes. And if you enjoyed these tales of liquid courage gone wrong, drop a five-star review!

Drink in hand, Emily dives into relationship questions. This solo episode is all about love languages, dating history, and the complex journey that led her to her current relationship. She opens up about her toxic past relationship, how she met her current boyfriend of seven years, and shares advice on suspected cheating.

Do you want to share your relationship stories? Have any questions? Need to tell an amazing gremlin story? Email us at EMILYTOGREMILYPOD@GMAIL.COM

Follow along on Instagram and TikTok @emilytogremilypod and watch full episodes on YouTube.