August 14, 2025 • 47 mins
What happens when your dream career collides with your physical limitations? When external validation no longer sustains you? Join standup comedian, Paula Kosienski, and host, Nicole Swisher, as they discuss:
- Is clean comedy funny?
- Pursuing a standup career while managing chronic illness
- The woes of seeking external validation
- Defining your own success
- Pets parents taking it too far
- Proper chip-eating etiquette
Whether you're pursuing a creative career, managing health challenges, or simply trying to align your daily choices with your deeper values, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and soul-nourishing perspective on what matters most.
Subscribe now and join this exploration of what it means to live a happy life in an increasingly complicated world.
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Host: Nicole Swisher
Guest: Paula Kosienski
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to my crunchy zen era.
I'm your host, nicole Swisher.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm here with my guest Paula Koschensky Hello.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I've known you for I don't know two years, a year and
a half, and we're just laughingbecause I can't pronounce her
last name and I don't know heraddress.
Which is, I think that's fine.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I feel like it's probably more reasonable to not
know how to pronounce someone'slast name than to not know their
address, but with Google Maps,you don't need to know anyone's
address these days.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I don't know anyone.
I put it in my phone though.
Yeah so you don't need to knowanyone's address these days.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I don't know anyone I put in my phone though.
Yeah, so if you don't updatethe phone like that's a problem,
okay, that oh, like in theircontact?
Yes, I didn't know you could dothat.
What do you mean?
You didn't know you could dothat.
I've never put anyone's addressin the contacts before.
I mean I guess I've never likeclocked that it's there.
I'm sure I know it's there, butit's like because when you get
someone's number, you're I'mnever like, oh so what's your
(01:06):
address for my phone?
And then by the time I get it,I think I just you just don't
update it.
I just didn't think about it,yeah, until right now we're we
are different people and I lovethat so much.
I have.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Like I don't know if I have yours in my phone, but I
can put your apartment complex.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I can get there right so, anyway, what is something?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
what is something crunchy or zen that you've done
recently?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
okay, I was thinking about this a lot today and the
crunchy thing that I do is I'vestarted to read ingredients
lists on things more strictly,and I used to do that in college
and then I kind of faded out ofit and now I'm back into it.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So I feel like that's very crunchy yeah, and are
there certain ingredients thatyou're keeping an eye out for um
?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
this is.
I don't actually even know ifit's really that bad for you,
but anything that says gum Ihave a genuine aversion to like
chewing gum.
So I just picture like chewinggum in my food and so like it's
in everything, yeah, and I Idon't like that.
So if I know it's gonna havelike ranch I know ranch has it I
(02:16):
just don't look at the ranchlabel because I just can't live
without it.
But if I can get around thatingredient, I'm sure it's not
even the worst for you.
But it just grosses me out justanything gum, anything gum.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, I mean, it's a great boundary, paula.
Yeah, so what's a memory thatyou would love to relive and why
?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
probably when I was in you know what I'm gonna say
my wedding day truly perfect,because it flies by so fast and
I didn't get a video of it.
I only did the pictures.
So that would be like my chanceto relive the video part of it
would you watch your video ifyou had it?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
yeah, okay, because I've always felt like people
wouldn't actually watch theirvideo.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
I think we would watch it like on anniversaries.
We have a video of the actualceremony, so I'm grateful for
that.
But the video I wanted is likeall the getting ready stuff and
then the reception.
It's like I love home videos.
My mom used to have the vhshome videos and I just loved
watching them.
Those are fun.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, I was cleaning out some stuff and I found like
a tub that had the whole bottomwas lined with like home videos
and I don't know what's in there, and I would love to know.
Yeah, but I don't have thecapabilities currently, so yeah,
like the no vhs thing, right,yeah, but that can be corrected
(03:45):
yeah home videos are the best.
Home videos are fascinating.
There is one.
I'm getting my grab bag casuallyum there is a video that my
sister and I put together for itwas like for a project, um
extra credit for her and it'sour chickens performing the
(04:06):
death scene from romeo juliet.
Oh my gosh, it's, it's fabulousI actually kind of feel better.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
When you said romeo and juliet, I was expecting that
you were doing some sort oflike death march or something.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
It was like oh my god , like okay, I mean, that's
still insane, no, and and ustalking the chickens and moving
them and going thus with thekiss I die, and then flopping
the chicken over that video Iwould love to get.
That'd be fun.
It was great it was cinematicperfection.
So that's awesome, all right.
A random question is if youwere a ghost, who and where
(04:44):
would you haunt?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Oh, I would love to haunt like a really nice house.
Oh, that's a good idea, and Idon't really care who lives
there and I'll be really arespectful ghost.
I'm not trying to give peopleanxiety, but I would just love
to live and enjoy a reallyfantastic home, like one of
those homes in Balmead.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I always think those would be really pretty to see.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Right or like out in.
I feel like Brentwood doesn'tnecessarily have the same
character, but we recently wentto a lake where we didn't have a
home on the lake, but therewere these massive lake homes.
I would love to haunt one ofthose.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, it'd be super relaxing too.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And, if possible, to haunt the boat as well.
That'd be nice Pontoon boat.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I'd like to haunt a pontoon.
Just spend your day on thewater, yeah, be very relaxing.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I think that's a great answer Be perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, so you and I met because we do stand-up
comedy, heck, yeah, yeah, and Ithink I met you at why Nots?
Because you were running theshow, or something like that.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
We actually met for the first time at Zany's.
Remember you Well, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I jumped out at you.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You were like want to be friends and I was like I do
want to be friends, okay.
So I mean, I feel like that waslike not a legitimate, like we
weren't meeting as friends, itwas just like meeting as two
people at that point.
But I feel like we quickly likeI feel like that was in the
fall and then by the winter Iremember you invited me to your
(06:18):
new year's uh party and that weweren't like super close, it was
like you and all of your goodfriends, and it ended up being
so fun.
I feel like our friendshipreally took off from there.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yes, but solving all your apartment problems.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, so great, yeah, oh yeah, you guys, I had a lot
of lawyers coming to my life atexactly the right time the
lord's timing man because Ireally needed some, yeah,
feedback so how long have youbeen doing stand-up now?
Um, I started stand-up when Iwas 20, but I've lived in
Nashville doing stand-up forthree and a half years.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Why Nashville?
Because you're originally fromNorth Dakota yeah, minnesota, I
saw that.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh, I thought I was like I should have worn
something North Dakota.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
But we have problems.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I just wore the one sweater.
I haven't stained um anyway,that's not the point um what was
the question again?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
why did you come to Nashville?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
oh yeah, well, okay, so John and I were dating and we
had watched a show of Nate's atLas Vegas in Las Vegas and it
was like the most insane thingever and it just felt like I
didn't really want to live inlike New York at the time
because this was post-pandemicum.
So I kind of got like a littlestressed about that and I
(07:36):
thought if they can live inNashville, then there's comedy
there and so I'll go there andtruly that is the level of
research that I put into it.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean, it worked out .
Great though it did work out.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you're clean now but you haven't
always been clean, correct no,unfortunately, thank goodness, I
don't have any tapes from thattime, nothing, nothing that I
know of.
If you have it, not that youhave it, but burn it because I
don't.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
It was, it was bad, I was not a righteous, I have a
hard time managing, or likeimagining you being not clean
now but yeah, anyway good um solike.
Why did you decide to make thatchange?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I feel like the like, the easy answer, I guess, is
like I just didn't want to makemy parents uncomfortable and a
lot of comedians, I think theywere like, oh, my parents are
going to have to deal with it,and I just like I would never
You're not supposed to myparents would be disappointed in
me.
You know, I don't want them tobe disappointed in me.
But then I feel like, as I tookit on, it grew into a much
(08:41):
bigger set of values where it'slike I think clean comedy is
really providing a service topeople.
I think there's more people outthere that are craving clean
comedy than there is out there.
I just think it's a.
So it seems like now I feellike I have a more deep reason,
but at the time I really justdidn't.
I wanted my parents to come andnot be disappointed in me.
(09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I think clean comedy is kind of interesting because
even as somebody who, like I,have always been clean and my
reasons for it were more like itdidn't really make sense with
my personality.
They wouldn't be, and then Ihave a professional life and
right, it just didn't.
It was like it would have beena disconnect at this point in my
life.
(09:25):
But I feel like there is astigma of like clean comedy
being kind of boring or likechurchy, but it's really.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
There's some really great clean comedians, yeah,
like hey Bragatti right and Ifeel like clean doesn't mean
detached from reality, like like.
I think Land Morgan's a greatexample of someone who
definitely confronts real issuesthat women deal with.
She's not like she's superrelatable, but she still keeps
(09:55):
it like generally clean.
You can take your kids to it,so it doesn't have to be like
squeaky.
Like you said.
Let's talk about only thegrocery store clean.
It can be real, but justrespectful yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
And what like?
What was your first open mic?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
like, oh my gosh.
Well, I'm okay.
My first open mic was at anextremely hipster coffee shop.
Very hipster.
They had a month where they dida nude art show for an entire
month.
Oh, wow, and subjected everybodyto it, and so they had like
nude paintings on the wall for awhole entire month.
So I'm sure you can catch avibe of what I'm talking about.
(10:37):
And it was supposed to be anopen mic for comedy and also
poetry.
Oh no, and you truly could notput two things that are worse
together.
I mean, it was so bad and butuh, I mean I don't even think I
really walked off stage and itwasn't a great set, obviously,
(10:57):
but it's just that was the firstone did you?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
was it like three or four minutes?
I think it was five.
Oh, it was, it was five yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Because in North Dakota we don't have the.
It's not a real, I mean, it's areal comedy scene, but it's not
competitive like here.
So you can do five.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
There's like not as many people so.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Right, okay.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah.
So are you pursuing comedy fulltime?
Yes, or do you want to?
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yes, but in like not as strict as I have in the past.
I feel like when I moved here,I was like I'm going to do
comedy full time and then I'mgoing to move back and then now
I'm like I feel like saying likea lot, I'm trying to get better
about that.
I feel as though if it's theLord's will, then there's
(11:47):
clearly there's nothing I coulddo about it.
I it either will or won't have.
Then then I'm kind of trying totake myself out of the equation
and be like I will always dostand up because I love it and I
genuinely think it servespeople.
Maybe not mine, but generallystand up serves people and uh,
but I don't, I'm not trying tolike fight people.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, okay.
So because I mean to set somecontext, like I know, a year ago
you opened for Dusty Dusty.
Slay yeah In North Dakota acouple of times Pretty fun, yeah
, and you did the Ryman withNate Land.
Yeah, that was insane.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Not too long ago and you've tried out for Late Night
or something at Zany's yeah wedid the showcase Zany's put it
on where comics were invited tocome and like audition in front
of the Late Night producer, andthat was also very exciting, so
like you're.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I mean, you're decently along Right, Like
you've done some really coolthings, um and, but you still
work.
Do you work full-time now orare you like part-time?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
No, I work part-time, but I'm starting to work
full-time again.
I had a little hiccup therewhere it just didn't make sense
for me to work full-time andthen have an employer be mad at
me because I was like callingout a lot.
So I worked part-time.
Now I'm hoping to workfull-time.
But yeah, stand-up hasdefinitely like evolved in terms
(13:13):
of how I look at it and thepriority that I put on it what
like.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
What was the pivotal moment for that?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
um, I feel like it was a combination of getting
sick frequently and kind oflooking around and feeling like
I only had stand-up and I wasonly focusing on stand-up and I
didn't have anything else goingon.
And then you start to put allthis pressure on stand-up and
(13:43):
then you kind of start to notlike it.
So then you have to backtrackand ask yourself how can I
create a more full life so thatI can do this forever?
And whether I become successfulat it or not truly does not
matter.
I will always do it and I viewthat I have been successful.
(14:04):
Not that I'm not trying to sayI'm killing it by any means, but
I feel very grateful and I feellike I've gotten opportunities
that I have no business havegotten, and I'm just very
grateful.
So you, you're just kind oflike well, I'm farther than I
ever thought I would be.
So we'll just see what happensnow, which let the record
reflect.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I think you're very funny, so I don't know about not
but so you, you said you weregetting sick a lot, yeah, and
you, you've had a medicalcondition most of your life,
right?
Yeah, just chronic illness yeah, and how have you, like, I mean
, how has that been intertwinedwith stand up?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Well, I've definitely learned that when I'm very
healthy, stand up is a muchbigger deal, and then when I'm
not doing well, I'm well.
I should say.
When I'm doing well, stand upis very fun, and then when I'm
not doing well, stand up is verystressful and that's pretty
much with everything.
Up is very stressful and that'spretty much with everything.
(15:07):
But, um, yeah, I feel like you.
Just, I was definitely havingto get, I was getting sick more
and needing more support andjust needing a support system.
That I didn't have and Idefinitely have friends in
comedy that if I wasn't tocontinue doing comedy, I would
still hope that we're friends.
It's more than comedy.
You stand up was I like it, andalso I want the good feelings
(15:29):
that come along with thecompliments and the pride.
And when someone says you'rereally funny or whatever and I
do think, and every, I thinkevery stand-up has to deal with
this there's a moment where,like that no longer is like what
carries you through.
It's like the compliments don'tmatter, because there's always
some situation in or out ofstand-up that can just make you
(15:53):
feel like you're not actuallythat great, and so you stop to
think, you stop treating it likea source of ego and you start
thinking about it as do Iactually really like this?
And if you do, then you keepdoing it, but you don't do it.
To keep up this, I constantlyneed someone to tell me that
they love me yeah you do itbecause you want to make people
(16:15):
laugh.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
You think that people deserve to be able to just
relax and laugh, and it'sdefinitely different yeah, I,
you could go from one show andI'm speaking on this from
experience of like, oh my gosh,that was an amazing show.
I'm like doing so great, andthen the next night you have a
show and you're like this was sobad Right.
(16:35):
Like I can't, oh my gosh, yeah,and if you're just on that
roller coaster for the accolades, the laughs, like that's not,
how do you?
How do you improve too, ifthat's all you're looking for,
right?
Because, everybody's humor is alittle different.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Right, yeah, yeah.
And to your point like what'sthe motivation behind improving?
Is it to get more complimentsor is it because you believe
people deserve a good qualityshow?
You know, stand-up is so oftenlike for the comedian, but it's
really for the audience.
They're the ones who are payingand taking time out of their
(17:13):
life to watch this, so the showshould be for them and they
should enjoy it.
But I will say I'm I feel likethere's an audience for everyone
.
So, while I say it's not forstand-ups, there's a lot of
stand-ups that do completelydifferent comedy and it feels
like there's an audience forthem.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yeah, it does seem like.
I mean, that's part of everyonebeing so different and you get
to relate to different peopleand that's why it is important
to see different people, that'sour theme now different,
different, yeah yeah, but it'shard sometimes and I know that
you're talking about this too.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Like you don't, you don't ever.
I never want to be someone who,like is thought of as like, oh,
they're quitting or they'retaking a break or something,
because frankly, I don't think Imatter that much, like that
would be appropriate for a majorcomedian to say, but it's to me
(18:14):
it's like when someone's likeI'm on vocal rest, it's like
okay, nobody really cares.
It's like nobody really caresif you're taking a break or what
your deal is.
Just you know in your own headhow much you accept and don't
accept.
But sometimes people do likenotice if you're around a lot
and then not around that muchand you want to give a valid
(18:34):
explanation.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
And there and for local, when you're at that level
.
It's like I saw the request forshows start to Peter out after
like two months, where I wasturning it down or like I wasn't
showing up places.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Then people are like oh, she's like not here, right,
I was like I'll be back maybeyeah, well, I don't know if your
audience knows this, but nicoleruns a very successful show and
cheaper than therapy.
So your note, your absence, isdefinitely like was noticed, not
necessarily in like where'snicole, but like that show was
(19:10):
doing really good things and andwhatever happens, I think it'll
continue to do really goodthings.
So I do think like yourpresence and stand-up was very
like helpful for people.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
So and that I mean, yeah, that that show was.
I loved it.
Um, and I started it very soonafter I started stand-up,
because I like putting stufftogether.
That's part of why I'm enjoyingthis podcast and I just wanted
it to be a very safe place foranybody you know audience and
the comedians and like forcomedians to be like, oh, I
(19:43):
can't wait to be on that showbecause it's a fun atmosphere.
And then you know I was hostingit and it just got to a point
where I couldn't do, I couldn'tmaintain a monthly show, right,
and it really can't.
It was.
It was a really hard decisionto like back off because we had
done zanies successfully.
(20:03):
That was really cool, yeah, andfrankly it was.
I mean it was one of the harderdecisions I've had to make
because I was getting so muchenjoyment out of it.
But that just prioritizing myown health and saying like, hey,
if this is meant to continue,like God is going to figure that
out right, and it doesn'tmatter you know that was.
(20:26):
I mean when I started it like Idon't know what.
It's so preachy about it.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
No, it's great, I'm not crying, by the way, I just
burped Go ahead.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
But yeah, it was a lot of like.
You know, I just felt called todo it, yeah, and I felt called
to take a little bit of a babybreak, right, and it was like we
had April, we, and it was likewe had April we might have again
in October, but it really isjust, I needed to prioritize
myself in a way that I don'tknow that I've done in a very
long time, yeah, so and you know, just kind of going back to
(20:58):
your point about how sometimesstand-up can be a very it's like
, if you're there, then you'rethere, and if you're not, you're
not.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And why aren't you there?
And do you not care enough?
Then?
And I get those are validquestions, because we, we all
know that we're not entitled tothis and and people want to kind
of know who's who's doing thehard work, because it is a grind
sometimes.
But, um, but I think everycomedian, every human being
(21:28):
knows what it's like to live inthe reality that you live in and
you can give what you can give,and sometimes you can give a
lot and sometimes you can give alittle.
And so people might be in aseason where they can give a lot
and they might see you notgiving a lot.
It might be confusing for them,but I think that's why I kind
of want to be open about it.
(21:48):
Confusing for them, but I thinkthat's why I kind of want to be
open about it, because I thinkit helps people feel comfortable
, being like I'm not trying tobe lazy, I'm not trying to not
be gracious of what people havegiven me, but you just only have
so much in a day, so you wantto be efficient with it.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yeah, what would you say?
I don't know if I want to asktop five, because that is what I
did this year, but like what doyou have like top one or two
priorities, like what are theyright now?
Speaker 2 (22:17):
okay, I would say honestly and I'm not just saying
this because it's the name ofyour show but number one
priority would be like nothinglike getting sick that makes you
crunchy or makes you care abouthealth in all ways.
So I've been working out more,I've been trying to just treat
(22:38):
my body better.
I mean, you can't tell becauseI just started, but in a couple
months you guys, you're gonna be, like wow, I'll be back.
I'll come back um, but so that'sbeen a big priority.
And then growing more in ourfaith has been a huge priority,
especially more, more, even inthe last couple weeks.
(22:59):
Just yeah, do you?
mean you and John, yeah, husband, yeah, okay yeah, john, my
husband, um, who I love, andit's just, I think you can get a
little bit complacent, and amarriage takes a lot of effort
and there are seasons where it'sreally easy and you're on the
same page, but typically whensomeone's sick or there's some
(23:22):
sort of major stressor, that's athat's hard, so trying to keep
on top of that.
And then you know, we're doingstuff with our church's youth
group and that's been reallyamazing and we'd like to one day
provide our two cats not astudio apartment, so some things
like that.
Hold on Two cats.
Oh yeah, what is happening?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Okay Well, Bella passed away.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
That's why I'm like I thought we were zero cats.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
We were zero cats and I didn't want to touch on that
unless it's sensitive, but sharemore.
No, it was honestly just aquick decision.
So we were zero cats and thenwe went to the cat shelter to
cheer us up and it's a catio.
So it's like we didn't go withthe intention of adopting.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
You never do I know adopting you never do I know you
go with the intention of, like,hanging out okay, I wanted to
bring this up, but again Iwasn't sure how, like sensitive,
because bella was like a week,two weeks ago, yeah, yeah, um
(24:33):
two, I actually went to a catcafe on Saturday because I was
just like there's like multiplein Nashville and I was like what
is this killing it?
It's kind of awesome, it'sawesome, like I.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
We went to the cat cafe and we're chilling out
which the reason we did this isbecause when I was a kid we had
a cat a kitten like two yearsold, unexpectedly pass away from
a heart issue, and so we wereyoung, so my mom did was took us
to the local cat thing catshelter but it was like where
you could go pet them to cheerus up, and so that is now my
(25:08):
tradition.
If a cat dies, we go do thatafterwards.
It's kind of supposed to beheartwarming.
So we went and they have somany cute cats and we we waited
to put in an application becauseit was like that day but we
knew we wanted another cat.
So then we went back like acouple more times we found this
cat we really liked and then,because we travel so much, we're
(25:30):
like one cat is going to belonely, so we'll get two.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Which I mean people recommend two.
So now we have two Fewer catpeople.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Yeah, and we had to.
It's kind of it was kind ofawkward for us.
I don't think the vet cared,but you have to get an
application approved by your vet.
I don't think the vet cared,but you to get a application
approved by your vet.
So the catio had to call ourvet and be like, are they good
to adopt these cats?
And I just in my mind the guywas like they were here like a
week ago but he wasn't judgy.
(26:02):
We have since had to go back,yeah, for the new cat twice if
they probably get that all thetime.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, so I.
So after after I put katharinedown, I went to the animal
shelter because I was aloneduring the whole thing and
that's so sad, like I, yeah, Ididn't want anyone around I was
ugly crying and and then Istarted making dark jokes to the
vet.
I was like this is not good.
(26:29):
Anyway, I went to the shelterand like Philip was like I
recommend no animal for sixmonths and I'm actually really
grateful he said that because Iwas definitely on the verge for
like a week or two, like.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
I put in.
I did put in an application andthen I was like this is not a
good idea.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I'm too busy like I travel, like, and now I'm I'm
kind of, I mean I definitelymiss having an animal, but I
still just feel like I need,yeah, like a moment right
because dogs are a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I think dogs and cats are different.
I love cats.
I'm not trying to like belittlethe cat community here, but
rebounding off a dog is like athousand times different than
quote unquote rebounding off acat.
We knew we wanted cats beforeBella passed.
We knew we were going to be acat household, so it was already
talked about.
(27:23):
But like I just think about ifmy dog from homeus were to die
and can't think about that forvery long.
But the idea of going back andgetting another saint bernard to
like fill the hole, that issuch a different level of
commitment.
So I get, from a dogperspective, why you're like you
(27:45):
should wait it out.
Cats, on the other hand, I feellike they're so easy.
It's like having a plant okay,another plant.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Okay, let's, let's go here for a second let's go here
I have considered a cat.
However, I can't with thelitter it is, it's not great,
it's hard, and I've fosteredcats so like I have some general
idea um, and I just don't thinkI can do it.
Yeah, with the litter I get itso.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I get it.
I don't like the litter.
John skips the litter.
He was the one who, uh,converted us to a cat family.
I mean, I agreed to get the cat, but it was like John's a cat
person, so he's taken why?
Speaker 1 (28:28):
why is there so much stigma around cat people?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I don't know, I don't get it because, well, okay, if
I'm being honest, I do get it.
If you meet the people at thecat shelter, they are, they're
not mean, but they have, they'rejust interesting are they
aggressively protective of thecats that I've encountered?
Speaker 1 (28:49):
that that?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
shelter no, but I've heard that from shelters that
they, it's like, do you evenwant people to adopt these
animals?
But I just feel like cat peopleuh, any you know what cat, or
aside any people that turnstheir animals into like a child
to such an intense degree.
It's like it's just a littleweird.
(29:12):
I mean I get it from like ahaha dog mom.
That's funny.
But like if you were actuallypushing your dog around in a
stroller just have a kid, likeit's too far I've definitely
seen people with cats andstrollers, dogs and strollers.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
I can't.
It's too much.
Yeah, I wouldn't, although I dolove the videos of like people
hiking with cats.
I just think that's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
That is pretty funny, so cute like, how do you get
that cat?
Yeah, nature makes more sensebecause like they like nature,
but it's like when they're likedressing their pet up yeah
you're like I really think youguys should just have a kid,
honestly, yeah like I would putum outfits on kaffrey for
halloween and christmas, that'sa little different and he was so
(29:55):
mad he wouldn't move you, juststand there and glare at me.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I was like yep, this is for the picture, right, right
but there's a healthy amount tolove an animal.
Yeah, I don't know how we gothere.
I don't know, but I like it.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I thought it was nice .
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I do love animals, they're so great they are
awesome yeah it's yeah, okay, wecan't keep going on, I can't
bring it back around.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
If you want, let's do it so I can't john and I.
One of our priorities althoughit's not like a top three is we
want to build some type offamily.
So, like I don't want it tojust be john and I, I want it to
feel like we have a family andideally that would be kids, but
(30:40):
we're gonna adopt.
It's a long process, it's veryexpensive and you have to hit a
lot of qualifications, so it'snot just like a on a whim
situation and definitely doesn'thappen accidentally.
Um.
So in the meantime we're we'relike building a family with
(31:00):
animals, and I know I just saidthat you shouldn't treat your
cat, but what I mean by that iswe don't think of them as kids.
We really do think of them asanimals, but having animals in
your home makes you home moreand it makes you prioritize a
home life more.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
You know what I'm saying, though I do know what
you're saying, because myroommate and I have talked about
this and his point is like ifyou're an introvert, do they
make you be home too much?
And it's like a crutch Like forme, I don't think that's the
case.
I'm not really introverted, I'msomewhere in the middle, but he
is, and so he's like you get towhere.
(31:38):
It's like an excuse to like gohome versus go out and meet
people.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
I would say for the last six months, since Kaffrey
was basically in hospice for sixmonths, there was a lot of home
time and care and I was likethis is a lot of home time.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
But I think that's the difference for me between
cat and a dog, because if you'relike I gotta go home because of
my cats, it's like how sick areyour cats?
So I don't think they keep usfrom traveling or whatever.
Yeah, but it makes us.
I think it makes us care forour apartment more.
We clean, more, I vacuum everyday, we look after things better
(32:12):
than we would if it was just ustwo.
And then also, I think it helpsus to think about things a
little bit more long term, tohave somebody that relies on you
, or like an animal, like vetbills, and okay, we want to live
in this environment, and so I Idefinitely don't think you
should treat your animals aschildren, but there's something
(32:33):
about having living things thatrely on you.
Yes, that like cultivate thatsense of family that can not
fill a void but can be a goodmomentary, because we would love
to have kids, that would be,and and if we had more control,
we would probably have themsooner.
(32:55):
But because we don't have thatcontrol, it's like animals are a
way for us to cultivate a morerich home life.
I guess that's what I'm tryingto say yeah, it would be like if
you got chickens, you know it'slike that's a task it's so.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Yes, I agree I.
What I'm kind of thinking aboutis how, when it's just you like
you think about you so muchyeah, and so when?
You're caring for something orgiving back or volunteering.
It gets you out of your headand I think it's a much more
selfless way to live.
It's not right or wrong to dothe other.
I just think maybe certainpersonalities might find that
(33:33):
helpful.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Right and honestly similar with the youth program
thing.
It's like we've been pouring alot more of ourselves into our
church youth group.
Obviously, I don't thinksomeone else's kids are my kids.
However, it's nice to pour intoa community.
It's nice to have anopportunity for John and I to
like think about somethingoutside of ourselves and outside
of our comedy careers and makesome level of sacrifice, I guess
(33:58):
.
So that environment, that vibe,is like a priority.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, so in all this, have you thought about, like,
what kind of legacy you want toleave?
Speaker 2 (34:11):
wow, that's an insane question I'm sorry, no, I'm not
mad.
That's a good question.
I just feel woefullyunimportant to answer a question
like that.
You can skip it no, okay, Iwant to answer it because, to be
honest, you know, like I, Iknow I think about it and I mean
(34:32):
that's so narcissistic.
But to think about legacy, so Iguess I think that's okay then,
and then I disagree.
Okay, I agree with you unlesswell, okay so and I think this
goes to the conversation aboutbalance and priorities and stuff
three years ago if you were toask me that, I would say I want
(34:53):
to be like a comedian bit, likeI want to tour on, be big
comedian.
That's how I want to like leavemy mark on the earth or
whatever.
And now I still would want, Istill want to leave that door
open for if that's like God'swill for my life.
But more than that, I trulyjust want to be like a faithful
(35:15):
servant of Jesus and there arethings that I think that I
should be doing that aren'tcomedy, that would still fall
into that category, and that hasbecome more important than
stand-up alone.
So like eventually having afamily of children, of human
children, kids that you can pourinto, and like raise up part of
(35:40):
the next generation and justthat sort of stuff.
I I crave that more now thanlike I've ever craved it and
just wanting to, whatever you do, just do it for the glory of
God.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I think that's a great way to wrap up that
segment.
All right, moving on to a muchmore serious segment Much more
serious.
Am I eating chips?
Wrong, that's my question.
I feel like everybody eatschips and they like don't need
napkins, or they're being likevery sneaky about how they're
(36:14):
keeping their hands clean, rightthey're, yeah, like they're
doing something this do youstruggle with this chip eating?
Speaker 2 (36:20):
honestly, I struggle greatly.
Okay, this is how I eat chips.
Okay, let's hear it, I like tobe like people who don't use
napkins, except I don't like thefeeling of it on my hands, and
I think there's a sociallyacceptable amount of times you
do this.
Okay, and to me it's twice.
(36:42):
Once you take a chip, maybe youweren't planning on eating a
chip.
You brush it off no big dealtwice.
Okay, seems like we'recommunicating some chips.
But okay, third time, get upand get a paper towel.
Now what I do is I like to getup on a paper towel and I like
to use it, and then I like to bein denial that I'll need again
(37:04):
and immediately throw it awayand eat a couple more chips and
go back up and get another papertowel.
It's incredibly wasteful, Iunderstand, but that is.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
That is how I solve that problem, okay because I'm
like how are these people justout here like eating chips at a
party and they just like don'thave a napkin, and I'm like here
with my messy fingers right, Ijust haven't.
I don't, right, just wastedcopious amounts of paper towels.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Also, it's good.
Take breaks, maybe eat a fewchips.
Okay, I'm gonna go to thebathroom, I'm gonna wash my
hands.
I'm gonna eat a few tips.
So you're sneaky about it yeah,okay, maybe I'm gonna eat a
bigger dish, so I for somereason feel the need to commit
to a full-time napkin.
I don't know.
It's a balance, okay um,follow-up.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Would you tell me if I had something in my teeth?
Yes, 100, right, because that'sthe kind thing to do, right,
and I think?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
it's like a girl's girl thing to do.
It's like, okay, girl, I feellike you're a girl's girl.
If you would do something likethat, I wouldn't do it in front
of people.
But yeah, it's like it's sneaky, it's like a little bonding
thing.
It's like when you go to yourfriend, you be like, hey, girl,
you know a little something inyour teeth.
It's like a little bondingthing.
It's like when you go to yourfriend and be like, hey, girl,
you know a little something inyour teeth.
It's like a moment where youlike build trust with each other
.
It's like vulnerability, andthen you like, oh, that went so
(38:15):
well.
This person's always going tolook out for me.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yes, so I love doing stuff like that.
So I had something in my teethand then, like I went upstairs
and I came back down to myroommate, I was like I had
something in my teeth likemassive.
Why didn't you say anything?
And he was like I would nevertell you.
I was like what, what do youmean?
You'd never tell me.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
That's terrifying.
I get it a little bit more thathe's a guy, because I don't
think he has the same, I don'tknow.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Yeah, when you said girls, girls like yeah, maybe it
is different.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I just because, from a girl's perspective, you do it
out of like respect for anotherfemale you believe cares about
how they appear.
Yeah, and I feel like guys areeither a jerk about it and
they're like you have somethingin your teeth, or they just
don't care enough to sayanything.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Yeah, it was, it was eye-opening it was and I mean, I
think, when I think about likemy brother or something he would
like, he would say he wouldlike make fun of me, you know.
So I was like I don't know, doyou guys just not say anything?
They're like, oh, she'd be moreembarrassed.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I'm like, no, I'm gonna be straight up the same
embarrassed, like you might aswell do it I always like to
start it with I'm so sorry totell you this be fitting,
because then you're you'resaying you know it doesn't bring
me joy to do this.
I'm not being like you're uglywith stuff in your teeth.
It's like I'm so sorry to bethe bearer by, but you do
(39:36):
something in your teeth very,very chill yes, so do you have
something that you're obsessingover lately?
yes, true crime yeah that makesand we don't have time to get
into it, and that's not a knockon the time, that's just a knock
on how long I will sit and talkabout it, for oh.
I know, but I would like to makeone distinction.
(39:58):
There are some people thattreat true crime almost kind of
like a romance novel, where theyromanticize it and they get
obsessive about it and they getweird and they get disrespectful
.
I don't like that.
I like criminal cases or civilcases where you follow it from,
(40:19):
like the the law standpoint orfrom an investigator standpoint
I'm not trying to do whereyou're like coming up with these
insane theories that areincredibly hurtful to people and
you're kind of romanticizingsomeone who's doing something
terrible.
There's different types, so Iwould like to put myself in the
normal category, not the insanecategory.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I support that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
And I don't want to be one of those people who, like
, watches a murder show and islike, oh my, maybe I'm teetering
on, this is probably a goodself check.
But when you're like, oh mygosh girl, get the popcorn,
let's spill the tea, it's likesomeone has died yeah but
sometimes, if the murder show isnot really about the murder and
(41:07):
about drama surrounding themurder, I think, then that's
okay.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Yeah, I feel like there's some like podcasts and
stuff that are good and thensome that like cross the line.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Right, I agree yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I'm pretty sure that Zita a couple weeks ago said
Dateline was her thing she'sobsessing over.
Okay, but my memory's terrible,so who knows?
But I'm like along those samelines, yeah.
Dateline's good, I had somebodyprofessionally clean my house
for the first time.
Ooh, had somebodyprofessionally clean my house
(41:40):
for the first time, oh, and Ilove it.
That's amazing.
I've like I don't know why Ihaven't done it before.
Um, but I came home and I waslike they made my bed oh my god,
which I don't like.
I don't.
I mean, my bed is like fine but, it was like crisp and like
they'd move the pillows and theybuttoned up the comforter like
wow thing and I was just likethis is that's amazing yeah, so
I think I'm gonna do that again,yeah do it.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
It's great, we've done that.
One time on a deal, I saw somegirl on Facebook who's like I'm
just starting my cleaningbusiness.
I'll clean your house for $30or $40 if you book in the month
of May for a studio, and I waslike, yes, please.
So that was really fun andprobably, uh, if you're a brand
new cleaner I'll take it, but Ifeel like her services probably
(42:24):
went out.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
She did a really great job yeah, I'm thinking
like maybe like twice a year,right, really like a deep clean
or something.
Yeah, the deep clean, right?
Um, do you have anyrecommendation for our listeners
?
Speaker 2 (42:38):
for like a book, or a book a podcast a true story.
Um, I recommend, truly recommendchristianity.
And my second recommendation isa really great book out and not
enough people talk about it andit's pretty popular but it's
still not talked about enough.
It's called chaos and it iswritten by honestly, his name
(43:02):
escapes me, but the.
The book is centered around themanson murders.
However, the book very quicklyevolves into this whole thing
about the corruption of the1960s and the cia and all of
this stuff, and none of it isconspiratorial.
It is all on the record.
Like all of these things thathe unravels, they have been
(43:25):
outed in the 70s and 80s inCongress, like in the political
world, so it's not like someguys like.
I think this it's reallyactually factually checked and
true, so good.
It's a dense book and I thinkit pardon me, I think it changes
your life.
Like I, unless you are alreadyknew about it beforehand.
(43:47):
I don't see how you can read abook like that and not look at
the world, just vastly differentinteresting um my book is
totally different.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Let's get into yours um it's called fast like a girl
by dr mindy pelz, um, and it'sall about how to fast
differently, because, like mencan fast like all the time and
they're fine, but if a womanwere to fast in a way that a man
does, she'll like start to loseher hair and like get very
fatigued.
And so this book talks abouthow to fast like a girl I love
(44:17):
it.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's really good.
I have one question if we havetime for it for the book, yeah
we got like four minutes sure um, okay.
So when it says fasting, doesit mean like fasting for weight
loss or just fasting in general?
Speaker 1 (44:32):
in general for like a healthier situation.
I I'm sure like theintermittent fasting will help
for weight loss and I think itis used as a tool, but not like
a religious type fast.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
It's like no, it's for health.
It's for health.
Yeah definitely for health, andlike if you could give one
takeaway from someone who's likemaybe didn't read the book in
the future, but like probablymaybe not.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Well, when you're have you read it through yet I
have read it, I'm on my secondtime.
Um.
So I would say that as women,we have different cycles and so
we can't fast and stay away,because our hormones change and
so, leading up to like the timewhere we're, we have like more
progesterone and you know,basically, if we're having a
baby, all the things like youshould be giving your body more
(45:20):
like comfort food and not beexercising as hard, and so you
shouldn't be fasting because,it's time to just like be calm
and recuperate right.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Okay, I saw a tiktok about that where someone and
it's a tiktok, so I don't knowif it's real, but it sounds real
now where the girl was like menwill lift the same level of
weight across the whole monthand women will lift harder one
week, less the other week,because of those hormone changes
.
Yes, it's really interestingit's.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
It's definitely along those lines.
That's so cool.
So what are you looking forwardto this?
Speaker 2 (45:51):
week.
This week it is tuesday, right,um, john and I are going to go
to our first show at the opryand I'm so excited I'm wearing a
little dress.
It's gonna be such a fun littledate.
It's like one of those timeswhere we could like cosplay
being like a couple that likehas it all together and like
gonna go catch a show.
You know and paid for thetickets and didn't get them for
(46:12):
free.
Yeah, I'm really excited aboutit and uh, and that's so.
Then that and then otherwise, Ithink it's a pretty chill week.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
I don't have a lot going on yeah, um, I'm looking
forward to a spa day on Sundayfun massage and then steam room
and then maybe like a lunch.
So I love it, very excitedabout it.
I love that, yeah well, paula Ithink we gotta wrap up.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
Thank, you so much for having me on your podcast.
It's a great podcast.
You guys should listen to morethank you, paula.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Um, thanks for listening.
I hope you guys will join usnext week.
Thanks for listening to mycrunchy zen era.
Please subscribe and leave areview wherever you listen to
your podcasts.
This podcast is produced by me,nicole Swisher, and my good
friends Summer Harkup and LizColter.
Editing is by Drew HarrisonMedia and recording is done by
(47:07):
Lagos Creative in Nashville,tennessee.
Thanks for hanging out.
We'll be back next week.
You.
Welcome to my crunchy zen era.
I'm your host, nicole Swisher.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm here with my guest Paula Koschensky Hello.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
I've known you for I don't know two years, a year and
a half, and we're just laughingbecause I can't pronounce her
last name and I don't know heraddress.
Which is, I think that's fine.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I feel like it's probably more reasonable to not
know how to pronounce someone'slast name than to not know their
address, but with Google Maps,you don't need to know anyone's
address these days.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I don't know anyone.
I put it in my phone though.
Yeah so you don't need to knowanyone's address these days.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
I don't know anyone I put in my phone though.
Yeah, so if you don't updatethe phone like that's a problem,
okay, that oh, like in theircontact?
Yes, I didn't know you could dothat.
What do you mean?
You didn't know you could dothat.
I've never put anyone's addressin the contacts before.
I mean I guess I've never likeclocked that it's there.
I'm sure I know it's there, butit's like because when you get
someone's number, you're I'mnever like, oh so what's your
(01:06):
address for my phone?
And then by the time I get it,I think I just you just don't
update it.
I just didn't think about it,yeah, until right now we're we
are different people and I lovethat so much.
I have.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Like I don't know if I have yours in my phone, but I
can put your apartment complex.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I can get there right so, anyway, what is something?
Speaker 1 (01:28):
what is something crunchy or zen that you've done
recently?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
okay, I was thinking about this a lot today and the
crunchy thing that I do is I'vestarted to read ingredients
lists on things more strictly,and I used to do that in college
and then I kind of faded out ofit and now I'm back into it.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So I feel like that's very crunchy yeah, and are
there certain ingredients thatyou're keeping an eye out for um
?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
this is.
I don't actually even know ifit's really that bad for you,
but anything that says gum Ihave a genuine aversion to like
chewing gum.
So I just picture like chewinggum in my food and so like it's
in everything, yeah, and I Idon't like that.
So if I know it's gonna havelike ranch I know ranch has it I
(02:16):
just don't look at the ranchlabel because I just can't live
without it.
But if I can get around thatingredient, I'm sure it's not
even the worst for you.
But it just grosses me out justanything gum, anything gum.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, I mean, it's a great boundary, paula.
Yeah, so what's a memory thatyou would love to relive and why
?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
probably when I was in you know what I'm gonna say
my wedding day truly perfect,because it flies by so fast and
I didn't get a video of it.
I only did the pictures.
So that would be like my chanceto relive the video part of it
would you watch your video ifyou had it?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
yeah, okay, because I've always felt like people
wouldn't actually watch theirvideo.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
I think we would watch it like on anniversaries.
We have a video of the actualceremony, so I'm grateful for
that.
But the video I wanted is likeall the getting ready stuff and
then the reception.
It's like I love home videos.
My mom used to have the vhshome videos and I just loved
watching them.
Those are fun.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, I was cleaning out some stuff and I found like
a tub that had the whole bottomwas lined with like home videos
and I don't know what's in there, and I would love to know.
Yeah, but I don't have thecapabilities currently, so yeah,
like the no vhs thing, right,yeah, but that can be corrected
(03:45):
yeah home videos are the best.
Home videos are fascinating.
There is one.
I'm getting my grab bag casuallyum there is a video that my
sister and I put together for itwas like for a project, um
extra credit for her and it'sour chickens performing the
(04:06):
death scene from romeo juliet.
Oh my gosh, it's, it's fabulousI actually kind of feel better.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
When you said romeo and juliet, I was expecting that
you were doing some sort oflike death march or something.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
It was like oh my god , like okay, I mean, that's
still insane, no, and and ustalking the chickens and moving
them and going thus with thekiss I die, and then flopping
the chicken over that video Iwould love to get.
That'd be fun.
It was great it was cinematicperfection.
So that's awesome, all right.
A random question is if youwere a ghost, who and where
(04:44):
would you haunt?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Oh, I would love to haunt like a really nice house.
Oh, that's a good idea, and Idon't really care who lives
there and I'll be really arespectful ghost.
I'm not trying to give peopleanxiety, but I would just love
to live and enjoy a reallyfantastic home, like one of
those homes in Balmead.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I always think those would be really pretty to see.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Right or like out in.
I feel like Brentwood doesn'tnecessarily have the same
character, but we recently wentto a lake where we didn't have a
home on the lake, but therewere these massive lake homes.
I would love to haunt one ofthose.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, it'd be super relaxing too.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And, if possible, to haunt the boat as well.
That'd be nice Pontoon boat.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I'd like to haunt a pontoon.
Just spend your day on thewater, yeah, be very relaxing.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I think that's a great answer Be perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, so you and I met because we do stand-up
comedy, heck, yeah, yeah, and Ithink I met you at why Nots?
Because you were running theshow, or something like that.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
We actually met for the first time at Zany's.
Remember you Well, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I jumped out at you.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
You were like want to be friends and I was like I do
want to be friends, okay.
So I mean, I feel like that waslike not a legitimate, like we
weren't meeting as friends, itwas just like meeting as two
people at that point.
But I feel like we quickly likeI feel like that was in the
fall and then by the winter Iremember you invited me to your
(06:18):
new year's uh party and that weweren't like super close, it was
like you and all of your goodfriends, and it ended up being
so fun.
I feel like our friendshipreally took off from there.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yes, but solving all your apartment problems.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, so great, yeah, oh yeah, you guys, I had a lot
of lawyers coming to my life atexactly the right time the
lord's timing man because Ireally needed some, yeah,
feedback so how long have youbeen doing stand-up now?
Um, I started stand-up when Iwas 20, but I've lived in
Nashville doing stand-up forthree and a half years.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Why Nashville?
Because you're originally fromNorth Dakota yeah, minnesota, I
saw that.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Oh, I thought I was like I should have worn
something North Dakota.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
But we have problems.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I just wore the one sweater.
I haven't stained um anyway,that's not the point um what was
the question again?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
why did you come to Nashville?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
oh yeah, well, okay, so John and I were dating and we
had watched a show of Nate's atLas Vegas in Las Vegas and it
was like the most insane thingever and it just felt like I
didn't really want to live inlike New York at the time
because this was post-pandemicum.
So I kind of got like a littlestressed about that and I
(07:36):
thought if they can live inNashville, then there's comedy
there and so I'll go there andtruly that is the level of
research that I put into it.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean, it worked out .
Great though it did work out.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you're clean now but you haven't
always been clean, correct no,unfortunately, thank goodness, I
don't have any tapes from thattime, nothing, nothing that I
know of.
If you have it, not that youhave it, but burn it because I
don't.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
It was, it was bad, I was not a righteous, I have a
hard time managing, or likeimagining you being not clean
now but yeah, anyway good um solike.
Why did you decide to make thatchange?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I feel like the like, the easy answer, I guess, is
like I just didn't want to makemy parents uncomfortable and a
lot of comedians, I think theywere like, oh, my parents are
going to have to deal with it,and I just like I would never
You're not supposed to myparents would be disappointed in
me.
You know, I don't want them tobe disappointed in me.
But then I feel like, as I tookit on, it grew into a much
(08:41):
bigger set of values where it'slike I think clean comedy is
really providing a service topeople.
I think there's more people outthere that are craving clean
comedy than there is out there.
I just think it's a.
So it seems like now I feellike I have a more deep reason,
but at the time I really justdidn't.
I wanted my parents to come andnot be disappointed in me.
(09:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I think clean comedy is kind of interesting because
even as somebody who, like I,have always been clean and my
reasons for it were more like itdidn't really make sense with
my personality.
They wouldn't be, and then Ihave a professional life and
right, it just didn't.
It was like it would have beena disconnect at this point in my
life.
(09:25):
But I feel like there is astigma of like clean comedy
being kind of boring or likechurchy, but it's really.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
There's some really great clean comedians, yeah,
like hey Bragatti right and Ifeel like clean doesn't mean
detached from reality, like like.
I think Land Morgan's a greatexample of someone who
definitely confronts real issuesthat women deal with.
She's not like she's superrelatable, but she still keeps
(09:55):
it like generally clean.
You can take your kids to it,so it doesn't have to be like
squeaky.
Like you said.
Let's talk about only thegrocery store clean.
It can be real, but justrespectful yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
And what like?
What was your first open mic?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
like, oh my gosh.
Well, I'm okay.
My first open mic was at anextremely hipster coffee shop.
Very hipster.
They had a month where they dida nude art show for an entire
month.
Oh, wow, and subjected everybodyto it, and so they had like
nude paintings on the wall for awhole entire month.
So I'm sure you can catch avibe of what I'm talking about.
(10:37):
And it was supposed to be anopen mic for comedy and also
poetry.
Oh no, and you truly could notput two things that are worse
together.
I mean, it was so bad and butuh, I mean I don't even think I
really walked off stage and itwasn't a great set, obviously,
(10:57):
but it's just that was the firstone did you?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
was it like three or four minutes?
I think it was five.
Oh, it was, it was five yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Because in North Dakota we don't have the.
It's not a real, I mean, it's areal comedy scene, but it's not
competitive like here.
So you can do five.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
There's like not as many people so.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Right, okay.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Yeah.
So are you pursuing comedy fulltime?
Yes, or do you want to?
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yes, but in like not as strict as I have in the past.
I feel like when I moved here,I was like I'm going to do
comedy full time and then I'mgoing to move back and then now
I'm like I feel like saying likea lot, I'm trying to get better
about that.
I feel as though if it's theLord's will, then there's
(11:47):
clearly there's nothing I coulddo about it.
I it either will or won't have.
Then then I'm kind of trying totake myself out of the equation
and be like I will always dostand up because I love it and I
genuinely think it servespeople.
Maybe not mine, but generallystand up serves people and uh,
but I don't, I'm not trying tolike fight people.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, okay.
So because I mean to set somecontext, like I know, a year ago
you opened for Dusty Dusty.
Slay yeah In North Dakota acouple of times Pretty fun, yeah
, and you did the Ryman withNate Land.
Yeah, that was insane.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Not too long ago and you've tried out for Late Night
or something at Zany's yeah wedid the showcase Zany's put it
on where comics were invited tocome and like audition in front
of the Late Night producer, andthat was also very exciting, so
like you're.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I mean, you're decently along Right, Like
you've done some really coolthings, um and, but you still
work.
Do you work full-time now orare you like part-time?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
No, I work part-time, but I'm starting to work
full-time again.
I had a little hiccup therewhere it just didn't make sense
for me to work full-time andthen have an employer be mad at
me because I was like callingout a lot.
So I worked part-time.
Now I'm hoping to workfull-time.
But yeah, stand-up hasdefinitely like evolved in terms
(13:13):
of how I look at it and thepriority that I put on it what
like.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
What was the pivotal moment for that?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
um, I feel like it was a combination of getting
sick frequently and kind oflooking around and feeling like
I only had stand-up and I wasonly focusing on stand-up and I
didn't have anything else goingon.
And then you start to put allthis pressure on stand-up and
(13:43):
then you kind of start to notlike it.
So then you have to backtrackand ask yourself how can I
create a more full life so thatI can do this forever?
And whether I become successfulat it or not truly does not
matter.
I will always do it and I viewthat I have been successful.
(14:04):
Not that I'm not trying to sayI'm killing it by any means, but
I feel very grateful and I feellike I've gotten opportunities
that I have no business havegotten, and I'm just very
grateful.
So you, you're just kind oflike well, I'm farther than I
ever thought I would be.
So we'll just see what happensnow, which let the record
reflect.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
I think you're very funny, so I don't know about not
but so you, you said you weregetting sick a lot, yeah, and
you, you've had a medicalcondition most of your life,
right?
Yeah, just chronic illness yeah, and how have you, like, I mean
, how has that been intertwinedwith stand up?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Well, I've definitely learned that when I'm very
healthy, stand up is a muchbigger deal, and then when I'm
not doing well, I'm well.
I should say.
When I'm doing well, stand upis very fun, and then when I'm
not doing well, stand up is verystressful and that's pretty
much with everything.
Up is very stressful and that'spretty much with everything.
(15:07):
But, um, yeah, I feel like you.
Just, I was definitely havingto get, I was getting sick more
and needing more support andjust needing a support system.
That I didn't have and Idefinitely have friends in
comedy that if I wasn't tocontinue doing comedy, I would
still hope that we're friends.
It's more than comedy.
You stand up was I like it, andalso I want the good feelings
(15:29):
that come along with thecompliments and the pride.
And when someone says you'rereally funny or whatever and I
do think, and every, I thinkevery stand-up has to deal with
this there's a moment where,like that no longer is like what
carries you through.
It's like the compliments don'tmatter, because there's always
some situation in or out ofstand-up that can just make you
(15:53):
feel like you're not actuallythat great, and so you stop to
think, you stop treating it likea source of ego and you start
thinking about it as do Iactually really like this?
And if you do, then you keepdoing it, but you don't do it.
To keep up this, I constantlyneed someone to tell me that
they love me yeah you do itbecause you want to make people
(16:15):
laugh.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
You think that people deserve to be able to just
relax and laugh, and it'sdefinitely different yeah, I,
you could go from one show andI'm speaking on this from
experience of like, oh my gosh,that was an amazing show.
I'm like doing so great, andthen the next night you have a
show and you're like this was sobad Right.
(16:35):
Like I can't, oh my gosh, yeah,and if you're just on that
roller coaster for the accolades, the laughs, like that's not,
how do you?
How do you improve too, ifthat's all you're looking for,
right?
Because, everybody's humor is alittle different.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Right, yeah, yeah.
And to your point like what'sthe motivation behind improving?
Is it to get more complimentsor is it because you believe
people deserve a good qualityshow?
You know, stand-up is so oftenlike for the comedian, but it's
really for the audience.
They're the ones who are payingand taking time out of their
(17:13):
life to watch this, so the showshould be for them and they
should enjoy it.
But I will say I'm I feel likethere's an audience for everyone
.
So, while I say it's not forstand-ups, there's a lot of
stand-ups that do completelydifferent comedy and it feels
like there's an audience forthem.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yeah, it does seem like.
I mean, that's part of everyonebeing so different and you get
to relate to different peopleand that's why it is important
to see different people, that'sour theme now different,
different, yeah yeah, but it'shard sometimes and I know that
you're talking about this too.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Like you don't, you don't ever.
I never want to be someone who,like is thought of as like, oh,
they're quitting or they'retaking a break or something,
because frankly, I don't think Imatter that much, like that
would be appropriate for a majorcomedian to say, but it's to me
(18:14):
it's like when someone's likeI'm on vocal rest, it's like
okay, nobody really cares.
It's like nobody really caresif you're taking a break or what
your deal is.
Just you know in your own headhow much you accept and don't
accept.
But sometimes people do likenotice if you're around a lot
and then not around that muchand you want to give a valid
(18:34):
explanation.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
And there and for local, when you're at that level
.
It's like I saw the request forshows start to Peter out after
like two months, where I wasturning it down or like I wasn't
showing up places.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Then people are like oh, she's like not here, right,
I was like I'll be back maybeyeah, well, I don't know if your
audience knows this, but nicoleruns a very successful show and
cheaper than therapy.
So your note, your absence, isdefinitely like was noticed, not
necessarily in like where'snicole, but like that show was
(19:10):
doing really good things and andwhatever happens, I think it'll
continue to do really goodthings.
So I do think like yourpresence and stand-up was very
like helpful for people.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
So and that I mean, yeah, that that show was.
I loved it.
Um, and I started it very soonafter I started stand-up,
because I like putting stufftogether.
That's part of why I'm enjoyingthis podcast and I just wanted
it to be a very safe place foranybody you know audience and
the comedians and like forcomedians to be like, oh, I
(19:43):
can't wait to be on that showbecause it's a fun atmosphere.
And then you know I was hostingit and it just got to a point
where I couldn't do, I couldn'tmaintain a monthly show, right,
and it really can't.
It was.
It was a really hard decisionto like back off because we had
done zanies successfully.
(20:03):
That was really cool, yeah, andfrankly it was.
I mean it was one of the harderdecisions I've had to make
because I was getting so muchenjoyment out of it.
But that just prioritizing myown health and saying like, hey,
if this is meant to continue,like God is going to figure that
out right, and it doesn'tmatter you know that was.
(20:26):
I mean when I started it like Idon't know what.
It's so preachy about it.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
No, it's great, I'm not crying, by the way, I just
burped Go ahead.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
But yeah, it was a lot of like.
You know, I just felt called todo it, yeah, and I felt called
to take a little bit of a babybreak, right, and it was like we
had April, we, and it was likewe had April we might have again
in October, but it really isjust, I needed to prioritize
myself in a way that I don'tknow that I've done in a very
long time, yeah, so and you know, just kind of going back to
(20:58):
your point about how sometimesstand-up can be a very it's like
, if you're there, then you'rethere, and if you're not, you're
not.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And why aren't you there?
And do you not care enough?
Then?
And I get those are validquestions, because we, we all
know that we're not entitled tothis and and people want to kind
of know who's who's doing thehard work, because it is a grind
sometimes.
But, um, but I think everycomedian, every human being
(21:28):
knows what it's like to live inthe reality that you live in and
you can give what you can give,and sometimes you can give a
lot and sometimes you can give alittle.
And so people might be in aseason where they can give a lot
and they might see you notgiving a lot.
It might be confusing for them,but I think that's why I kind
of want to be open about it.
(21:48):
Confusing for them, but I thinkthat's why I kind of want to be
open about it, because I thinkit helps people feel comfortable
, being like I'm not trying tobe lazy, I'm not trying to not
be gracious of what people havegiven me, but you just only have
so much in a day, so you wantto be efficient with it.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yeah, what would you say?
I don't know if I want to asktop five, because that is what I
did this year, but like what doyou have like top one or two
priorities, like what are theyright now?
Speaker 2 (22:17):
okay, I would say honestly and I'm not just saying
this because it's the name ofyour show but number one
priority would be like nothinglike getting sick that makes you
crunchy or makes you care abouthealth in all ways.
So I've been working out more,I've been trying to just treat
(22:38):
my body better.
I mean, you can't tell becauseI just started, but in a couple
months you guys, you're gonna be, like wow, I'll be back.
I'll come back um, but so that'sbeen a big priority.
And then growing more in ourfaith has been a huge priority,
especially more, more, even inthe last couple weeks.
(22:59):
Just yeah, do you?
mean you and John, yeah, husband, yeah, okay yeah, john, my
husband, um, who I love, andit's just, I think you can get a
little bit complacent, and amarriage takes a lot of effort
and there are seasons where it'sreally easy and you're on the
same page, but typically whensomeone's sick or there's some
(23:22):
sort of major stressor, that's athat's hard, so trying to keep
on top of that.
And then you know, we're doingstuff with our church's youth
group and that's been reallyamazing and we'd like to one day
provide our two cats not astudio apartment, so some things
like that.
Hold on Two cats.
Oh yeah, what is happening?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Okay Well, Bella passed away.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
That's why I'm like I thought we were zero cats.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
We were zero cats and I didn't want to touch on that
unless it's sensitive, but sharemore.
No, it was honestly just aquick decision.
So we were zero cats and thenwe went to the cat shelter to
cheer us up and it's a catio.
So it's like we didn't go withthe intention of adopting.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
You never do I know adopting you never do I know you
go with the intention of, like,hanging out okay, I wanted to
bring this up, but again Iwasn't sure how, like sensitive,
because bella was like a week,two weeks ago, yeah, yeah, um
(24:33):
two, I actually went to a catcafe on Saturday because I was
just like there's like multiplein Nashville and I was like what
is this killing it?
It's kind of awesome, it'sawesome, like I.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
We went to the cat cafe and we're chilling out
which the reason we did this isbecause when I was a kid we had
a cat a kitten like two yearsold, unexpectedly pass away from
a heart issue, and so we wereyoung, so my mom did was took us
to the local cat thing catshelter but it was like where
you could go pet them to cheerus up, and so that is now my
(25:08):
tradition.
If a cat dies, we go do thatafterwards.
It's kind of supposed to beheartwarming.
So we went and they have somany cute cats and we we waited
to put in an application becauseit was like that day but we
knew we wanted another cat.
So then we went back like acouple more times we found this
cat we really liked and then,because we travel so much, we're
(25:30):
like one cat is going to belonely, so we'll get two.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Which I mean people recommend two.
So now we have two Fewer catpeople.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Yeah, and we had to.
It's kind of it was kind ofawkward for us.
I don't think the vet cared,but you have to get an
application approved by your vet.
I don't think the vet cared,but you to get a application
approved by your vet.
So the catio had to call ourvet and be like, are they good
to adopt these cats?
And I just in my mind the guywas like they were here like a
week ago but he wasn't judgy.
(26:02):
We have since had to go back,yeah, for the new cat twice if
they probably get that all thetime.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, so I.
So after after I put katharinedown, I went to the animal
shelter because I was aloneduring the whole thing and
that's so sad, like I, yeah, Ididn't want anyone around I was
ugly crying and and then Istarted making dark jokes to the
vet.
I was like this is not good.
(26:29):
Anyway, I went to the shelterand like Philip was like I
recommend no animal for sixmonths and I'm actually really
grateful he said that because Iwas definitely on the verge for
like a week or two, like.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
I put in.
I did put in an application andthen I was like this is not a
good idea.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I'm too busy like I travel, like, and now I'm I'm
kind of, I mean I definitelymiss having an animal, but I
still just feel like I need,yeah, like a moment right
because dogs are a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I think dogs and cats are different.
I love cats.
I'm not trying to like belittlethe cat community here, but
rebounding off a dog is like athousand times different than
quote unquote rebounding off acat.
We knew we wanted cats beforeBella passed.
We knew we were going to be acat household, so it was already
talked about.
(27:23):
But like I just think about ifmy dog from homeus were to die
and can't think about that forvery long.
But the idea of going back andgetting another saint bernard to
like fill the hole, that issuch a different level of
commitment.
So I get, from a dogperspective, why you're like you
(27:45):
should wait it out.
Cats, on the other hand, I feellike they're so easy.
It's like having a plant okay,another plant.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Okay, let's, let's go here for a second let's go here
I have considered a cat.
However, I can't with thelitter it is, it's not great,
it's hard, and I've fosteredcats so like I have some general
idea um, and I just don't thinkI can do it.
Yeah, with the litter I get itso.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
I get it.
I don't like the litter.
John skips the litter.
He was the one who, uh,converted us to a cat family.
I mean, I agreed to get the cat, but it was like John's a cat
person, so he's taken why?
Speaker 1 (28:28):
why is there so much stigma around cat people?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I don't know, I don't get it because, well, okay, if
I'm being honest, I do get it.
If you meet the people at thecat shelter, they are, they're
not mean, but they have, they'rejust interesting are they
aggressively protective of thecats that I've encountered?
Speaker 1 (28:49):
that that?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
shelter no, but I've heard that from shelters that
they, it's like, do you evenwant people to adopt these
animals?
But I just feel like cat peopleuh, any you know what cat, or
aside any people that turnstheir animals into like a child
to such an intense degree.
It's like it's just a littleweird.
(29:12):
I mean I get it from like ahaha dog mom.
That's funny.
But like if you were actuallypushing your dog around in a
stroller just have a kid, likeit's too far I've definitely
seen people with cats andstrollers, dogs and strollers.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
I can't.
It's too much.
Yeah, I wouldn't, although I dolove the videos of like people
hiking with cats.
I just think that's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
That is pretty funny, so cute like, how do you get
that cat?
Yeah, nature makes more sensebecause like they like nature,
but it's like when they're likedressing their pet up yeah
you're like I really think youguys should just have a kid,
honestly, yeah like I would putum outfits on kaffrey for
halloween and christmas, that'sa little different and he was so
(29:55):
mad he wouldn't move you, juststand there and glare at me.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I was like yep, this is for the picture, right, right
but there's a healthy amount tolove an animal.
Yeah, I don't know how we gothere.
I don't know, but I like it.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I thought it was nice .
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I do love animals, they're so great they are
awesome yeah it's yeah, okay, wecan't keep going on, I can't
bring it back around.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
If you want, let's do it so I can't john and I.
One of our priorities althoughit's not like a top three is we
want to build some type offamily.
So, like I don't want it tojust be john and I, I want it to
feel like we have a family andideally that would be kids, but
(30:40):
we're gonna adopt.
It's a long process, it's veryexpensive and you have to hit a
lot of qualifications, so it'snot just like a on a whim
situation and definitely doesn'thappen accidentally.
Um.
So in the meantime we're we'relike building a family with
(31:00):
animals, and I know I just saidthat you shouldn't treat your
cat, but what I mean by that iswe don't think of them as kids.
We really do think of them asanimals, but having animals in
your home makes you home moreand it makes you prioritize a
home life more.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
You know what I'm saying, though I do know what
you're saying, because myroommate and I have talked about
this and his point is like ifyou're an introvert, do they
make you be home too much?
And it's like a crutch Like forme, I don't think that's the
case.
I'm not really introverted, I'msomewhere in the middle, but he
is, and so he's like you get towhere.
(31:38):
It's like an excuse to like gohome versus go out and meet
people.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
I would say for the last six months, since Kaffrey
was basically in hospice for sixmonths, there was a lot of home
time and care and I was likethis is a lot of home time.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
But I think that's the difference for me between
cat and a dog, because if you'relike I gotta go home because of
my cats, it's like how sick areyour cats?
So I don't think they keep usfrom traveling or whatever.
Yeah, but it makes us.
I think it makes us care forour apartment more.
We clean, more, I vacuum everyday, we look after things better
(32:12):
than we would if it was just ustwo.
And then also, I think it helpsus to think about things a
little bit more long term, tohave somebody that relies on you
, or like an animal, like vetbills, and okay, we want to live
in this environment, and so I Idefinitely don't think you
should treat your animals aschildren, but there's something
(32:33):
about having living things thatrely on you.
Yes, that like cultivate thatsense of family that can not
fill a void but can be a goodmomentary, because we would love
to have kids, that would be,and and if we had more control,
we would probably have themsooner.
(32:55):
But because we don't have thatcontrol, it's like animals are a
way for us to cultivate a morerich home life.
I guess that's what I'm tryingto say yeah, it would be like if
you got chickens, you know it'slike that's a task it's so.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Yes, I agree I.
What I'm kind of thinking aboutis how, when it's just you like
you think about you so muchyeah, and so when?
You're caring for something orgiving back or volunteering.
It gets you out of your headand I think it's a much more
selfless way to live.
It's not right or wrong to dothe other.
I just think maybe certainpersonalities might find that
(33:33):
helpful.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Right and honestly similar with the youth program
thing.
It's like we've been pouring alot more of ourselves into our
church youth group.
Obviously, I don't thinksomeone else's kids are my kids.
However, it's nice to pour intoa community.
It's nice to have anopportunity for John and I to
like think about somethingoutside of ourselves and outside
of our comedy careers and makesome level of sacrifice, I guess
(33:58):
.
So that environment, that vibe,is like a priority.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, so in all this, have you thought about, like,
what kind of legacy you want toleave?
Speaker 2 (34:11):
wow, that's an insane question I'm sorry, no, I'm not
mad.
That's a good question.
I just feel woefullyunimportant to answer a question
like that.
You can skip it no, okay, Iwant to answer it because, to be
honest, you know, like I, Iknow I think about it and I mean
(34:32):
that's so narcissistic.
But to think about legacy, so Iguess I think that's okay then,
and then I disagree.
Okay, I agree with you unlesswell, okay so and I think this
goes to the conversation aboutbalance and priorities and stuff
three years ago if you were toask me that, I would say I want
(34:53):
to be like a comedian bit, likeI want to tour on, be big
comedian.
That's how I want to like leavemy mark on the earth or
whatever.
And now I still would want, Istill want to leave that door
open for if that's like God'swill for my life.
But more than that, I trulyjust want to be like a faithful
(35:15):
servant of Jesus and there arethings that I think that I
should be doing that aren'tcomedy, that would still fall
into that category, and that hasbecome more important than
stand-up alone.
So like eventually having afamily of children, of human
children, kids that you can pourinto, and like raise up part of
(35:40):
the next generation and justthat sort of stuff.
I I crave that more now thanlike I've ever craved it and
just wanting to, whatever you do, just do it for the glory of
God.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I think that's a great way to wrap up that
segment.
All right, moving on to a muchmore serious segment Much more
serious.
Am I eating chips?
Wrong, that's my question.
I feel like everybody eatschips and they like don't need
napkins, or they're being likevery sneaky about how they're
(36:14):
keeping their hands clean, rightthey're, yeah, like they're
doing something this do youstruggle with this chip eating?
Speaker 2 (36:20):
honestly, I struggle greatly.
Okay, this is how I eat chips.
Okay, let's hear it, I like tobe like people who don't use
napkins, except I don't like thefeeling of it on my hands, and
I think there's a sociallyacceptable amount of times you
do this.
Okay, and to me it's twice.
(36:42):
Once you take a chip, maybe youweren't planning on eating a
chip.
You brush it off no big dealtwice.
Okay, seems like we'recommunicating some chips.
But okay, third time, get upand get a paper towel.
Now what I do is I like to getup on a paper towel and I like
to use it, and then I like to bein denial that I'll need again
(37:04):
and immediately throw it awayand eat a couple more chips and
go back up and get another papertowel.
It's incredibly wasteful, Iunderstand, but that is.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
That is how I solve that problem, okay because I'm
like how are these people justout here like eating chips at a
party and they just like don'thave a napkin, and I'm like here
with my messy fingers right, Ijust haven't.
I don't, right, just wastedcopious amounts of paper towels.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Also, it's good.
Take breaks, maybe eat a fewchips.
Okay, I'm gonna go to thebathroom, I'm gonna wash my
hands.
I'm gonna eat a few tips.
So you're sneaky about it yeah,okay, maybe I'm gonna eat a
bigger dish, so I for somereason feel the need to commit
to a full-time napkin.
I don't know.
It's a balance, okay um,follow-up.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Would you tell me if I had something in my teeth?
Yes, 100, right, because that'sthe kind thing to do, right,
and I think?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
it's like a girl's girl thing to do.
It's like, okay, girl, I feellike you're a girl's girl.
If you would do something likethat, I wouldn't do it in front
of people.
But yeah, it's like it's sneaky, it's like a little bonding
thing.
It's like when you go to yourfriend, you be like, hey, girl,
you know a little something inyour teeth.
It's like a little bondingthing.
It's like when you go to yourfriend and be like, hey, girl,
you know a little something inyour teeth.
It's like a moment where youlike build trust with each other
.
It's like vulnerability, andthen you like, oh, that went so
(38:15):
well.
This person's always going tolook out for me.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yes, so I love doing stuff like that.
So I had something in my teethand then, like I went upstairs
and I came back down to myroommate, I was like I had
something in my teeth likemassive.
Why didn't you say anything?
And he was like I would nevertell you.
I was like what, what do youmean?
You'd never tell me.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
That's terrifying.
I get it a little bit more thathe's a guy, because I don't
think he has the same, I don'tknow.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
Yeah, when you said girls, girls like yeah, maybe it
is different.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I just because, from a girl's perspective, you do it
out of like respect for anotherfemale you believe cares about
how they appear.
Yeah, and I feel like guys areeither a jerk about it and
they're like you have somethingin your teeth, or they just
don't care enough to sayanything.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Yeah, it was, it was eye-opening it was and I mean, I
think, when I think about likemy brother or something he would
like, he would say he wouldlike make fun of me, you know.
So I was like I don't know, doyou guys just not say anything?
They're like, oh, she'd be moreembarrassed.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I'm like, no, I'm gonna be straight up the same
embarrassed, like you might aswell do it I always like to
start it with I'm so sorry totell you this be fitting,
because then you're you'resaying you know it doesn't bring
me joy to do this.
I'm not being like you're uglywith stuff in your teeth.
It's like I'm so sorry to bethe bearer by, but you do
(39:36):
something in your teeth very,very chill yes, so do you have
something that you're obsessingover lately?
yes, true crime yeah that makesand we don't have time to get
into it, and that's not a knockon the time, that's just a knock
on how long I will sit and talkabout it, for oh.
I know, but I would like to makeone distinction.
(39:58):
There are some people thattreat true crime almost kind of
like a romance novel, where theyromanticize it and they get
obsessive about it and they getweird and they get disrespectful
.
I don't like that.
I like criminal cases or civilcases where you follow it from,
(40:19):
like the the law standpoint orfrom an investigator standpoint
I'm not trying to do whereyou're like coming up with these
insane theories that areincredibly hurtful to people and
you're kind of romanticizingsomeone who's doing something
terrible.
There's different types, so Iwould like to put myself in the
normal category, not the insanecategory.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I support that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
And I don't want to be one of those people who, like
, watches a murder show and islike, oh my, maybe I'm teetering
on, this is probably a goodself check.
But when you're like, oh mygosh girl, get the popcorn,
let's spill the tea, it's likesomeone has died yeah but
sometimes, if the murder show isnot really about the murder and
(41:07):
about drama surrounding themurder, I think, then that's
okay.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Yeah, I feel like there's some like podcasts and
stuff that are good and thensome that like cross the line.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Right, I agree yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I'm pretty sure that Zita a couple weeks ago said
Dateline was her thing she'sobsessing over.
Okay, but my memory's terrible,so who knows?
But I'm like along those samelines, yeah.
Dateline's good, I had somebodyprofessionally clean my house
for the first time.
Ooh, had somebodyprofessionally clean my house
(41:40):
for the first time, oh, and Ilove it.
That's amazing.
I've like I don't know why Ihaven't done it before.
Um, but I came home and I waslike they made my bed oh my god,
which I don't like.
I don't.
I mean, my bed is like fine but, it was like crisp and like
they'd move the pillows and theybuttoned up the comforter like
wow thing and I was just likethis is that's amazing yeah, so
I think I'm gonna do that again,yeah do it.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
It's great, we've done that.
One time on a deal, I saw somegirl on Facebook who's like I'm
just starting my cleaningbusiness.
I'll clean your house for $30or $40 if you book in the month
of May for a studio, and I waslike, yes, please.
So that was really fun andprobably, uh, if you're a brand
new cleaner I'll take it, but Ifeel like her services probably
(42:24):
went out.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
She did a really great job yeah, I'm thinking
like maybe like twice a year,right, really like a deep clean
or something.
Yeah, the deep clean, right?
Um, do you have anyrecommendation for our listeners
?
Speaker 2 (42:38):
for like a book, or a book a podcast a true story.
Um, I recommend, truly recommendchristianity.
And my second recommendation isa really great book out and not
enough people talk about it andit's pretty popular but it's
still not talked about enough.
It's called chaos and it iswritten by honestly, his name
(43:02):
escapes me, but the.
The book is centered around themanson murders.
However, the book very quicklyevolves into this whole thing
about the corruption of the1960s and the cia and all of
this stuff, and none of it isconspiratorial.
It is all on the record.
Like all of these things thathe unravels, they have been
(43:25):
outed in the 70s and 80s inCongress, like in the political
world, so it's not like someguys like.
I think this it's reallyactually factually checked and
true, so good.
It's a dense book and I thinkit pardon me, I think it changes
your life.
Like I, unless you are alreadyknew about it beforehand.
(43:47):
I don't see how you can read abook like that and not look at
the world, just vastly differentinteresting um my book is
totally different.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Let's get into yours um it's called fast like a girl
by dr mindy pelz, um, and it'sall about how to fast
differently, because, like mencan fast like all the time and
they're fine, but if a womanwere to fast in a way that a man
does, she'll like start to loseher hair and like get very
fatigued.
And so this book talks abouthow to fast like a girl I love
(44:17):
it.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's really good.
I have one question if we havetime for it for the book, yeah
we got like four minutes sure um, okay.
So when it says fasting, doesit mean like fasting for weight
loss or just fasting in general?
Speaker 1 (44:32):
in general for like a healthier situation.
I I'm sure like theintermittent fasting will help
for weight loss and I think itis used as a tool, but not like
a religious type fast.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
It's like no, it's for health.
It's for health.
Yeah definitely for health, andlike if you could give one
takeaway from someone who's likemaybe didn't read the book in
the future, but like probablymaybe not.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Well, when you're have you read it through yet I
have read it, I'm on my secondtime.
Um.
So I would say that as women,we have different cycles and so
we can't fast and stay away,because our hormones change and
so, leading up to like the timewhere we're, we have like more
progesterone and you know,basically, if we're having a
baby, all the things like youshould be giving your body more
(45:20):
like comfort food and not beexercising as hard, and so you
shouldn't be fasting because,it's time to just like be calm
and recuperate right.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Okay, I saw a tiktok about that where someone and
it's a tiktok, so I don't knowif it's real, but it sounds real
now where the girl was like menwill lift the same level of
weight across the whole monthand women will lift harder one
week, less the other week,because of those hormone changes
.
Yes, it's really interestingit's.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
It's definitely along those lines.
That's so cool.
So what are you looking forwardto this?
Speaker 2 (45:51):
week.
This week it is tuesday, right,um, john and I are going to go
to our first show at the opryand I'm so excited I'm wearing a
little dress.
It's gonna be such a fun littledate.
It's like one of those timeswhere we could like cosplay
being like a couple that likehas it all together and like
gonna go catch a show.
You know and paid for thetickets and didn't get them for
(46:12):
free.
Yeah, I'm really excited aboutit and uh, and that's so.
Then that and then otherwise, Ithink it's a pretty chill week.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
I don't have a lot going on yeah, um, I'm looking
forward to a spa day on Sundayfun massage and then steam room
and then maybe like a lunch.
So I love it, very excitedabout it.
I love that, yeah well, paula Ithink we gotta wrap up.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
Thank, you so much for having me on your podcast.
It's a great podcast.
You guys should listen to morethank you, paula.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Um, thanks for listening.
I hope you guys will join usnext week.
Thanks for listening to mycrunchy zen era.
Please subscribe and leave areview wherever you listen to
your podcasts.
This podcast is produced by me,nicole Swisher, and my good
friends Summer Harkup and LizColter.
Editing is by Drew HarrisonMedia and recording is done by
(47:07):
Lagos Creative in Nashville,tennessee.
Thanks for hanging out.
We'll be back next week.
You.
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