Welcome to Season Two, loves! We’re back with an updated format, a hilarious and awesome intro song (thanks to my amazing Shaun!), and continued sharing and healing.

On this episode, I chat with Nicole Picou, The Feral Herbalist and owner of Into The Feral - a witchy, boutique gift shop in Avondale, Chicago. We chat about her life, what it means to be goth, entrepreneurship, and finding community and purpose in doing the work.

Visit Nicole at:

Into The Feral

2914 West Belmont

www.intotheferal.com

IG @intotheferal @theferalherbalist

Well, definitely the funniest podcast to date. If you haven’t met my sound guy, aka my husband extraordinaire, you get to hear from him today! Shaun shares a little bit about his story and how he’s turned his rage and ire into the chill, happy, funny dude you know today. We pull out all the stops and mayhem in just a short amount of time, because it could go no other way than the way it’s meant to. Hear Shaun’s story, check out his music, and know that even when we’re not recording, we laugh a whole lot together.

If you want to check out his band’s music, listen to Tragic Times on Spotify.

More big stuff coming soon!

Jason Mattix tells his story of what it means to dig. Dig through the earth and uncover deeper connections to it, dig through the layers of the heart and find what truly matters, and dig through the pain to uncover the power of resiliency and moving past the ego into the joy of connection and contemplation.

Jason is a landscape architect and the founder and owner of Digmattix, a company dedicated to creating outdoor spaces that speak to the soul. Small town roots with big city energy, above all, he’s a traveler and a lover of human connections. Additionally, he’s someone who has uniquely designed his healing journey with the same care and artistry he designs earthly realms.

Jason’s happy to receive your inquiries and further questions, so reach out to him here:

DIGMATTIX | DIG. PLANT. BUILD.

www.digmattix.com

Instagram: DIGMATTIX

email: jason@digmattix.com

Today’s guest is my dearest friend Jai Ramakrishnan. An avid magic maker of phenomenal Indian cuisine, a survivor through challenging marital times of alcoholism and early onset dementia, and a bright and brilliant career woman, mother and rich part of every community she touches. She tells her story of growing up in India and eventually moving to the states to weave us through what she likes to call “her Victorian novel” of her life. Hearing her story is a reminder that coming from different upbringings, ages and cultures, we still see ourselves in each other and we are all powerful survivors. Jai offers her warmth and support to anyone going through the challenges of handling dementia in loved ones, and if you know what’s good for you (LITERALLY), you’ll want to reach out to her and order her catering. It’s life giving. You can find Jai on Instagram @ramakrishnan.jai

I speak with Zo Erickson today who courageously and candidly shares their story into their trans masculine journey. We talk about the trajectory of thoughts, feelings and people that helped them arrive to this newfound identity, and Zo helps shed light on questions some of you might have. We also talk about their polyamorous relationship pivot and their reflections on this choice. An absolutely badass episode. Zo is totally charming, kind and encourages us to have a little grace, which we all could practice more of.

If you would like to follow Zo’s journey, you can find them on Instagram @zo.adeline.

So many of you asked for my story, so here it is! A brief history of Jillian, including some of my trauma, my take on it, and how I became a healer and yoga teacher. Although I rarely get to share my story, I wanted to honor your curiosity. I also know it’s so important for me to share some of my darkness because I celebrate it and it’s made me who I am. Enjoy, my loves!

I talk toCelia DeBoer on the show today who shares a bit about her story growing up and how she found her way to social justice, yoga and higher education learning…and how she combines all of these into new learning opportunities for her students. We then discuss her experience volunteering at Prison Yoga Chicago and what you may or may not know about the internal prison experience. A little bit of nostalgia, a little bit of education, and a joy to have her on the show!

If you are interested in volunteering with PYC, you can go to their website at https://www.prisonyogachicago.com/

They are taking interviews RIGHT NOW for the next year of volunteer training. Get on it!

My guest today is Lexxi Keilly. A psychotherapist, activist, and all around amazing human. She talks to us today about systems in therapy, current patterns we all are going through collectively, her conservative religious upbringing and how she transformed into a spiritually curious person (much through pole dance!), and the necessary support of community.

We chat about sexuality, activism, and feeling sparkly. One of my favorite things Lexxi mentions through her systems approach to therapy is that you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. This is a conversation that will help all of us feel seen, a little more understood, and a little braver to reach out and create those connections we’re so readily craving.

Resources mentioned in the show:

Humboldt Park Counseling https://www.humboldtparktherapist.com/therapists

Radical Acceptance by Dr.Tara Brach

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson