Ducking Realitea
Ducking Realitea Casual Conversations About Serious Sh*t. Real Stories. Raw Moments. Big Joy. Hosted by Siobhan Welcome to Ducking Realitea, the podcast where we spill truth like tea and dive into the gritty, hilarious, and healing parts of being human. Hosted by Siobhan, this show is all about casual conversations with real people who’ve lived through some serious sh*t and came out the other side with stories worth sharing. From trauma to transformation, heartbreak to humor, we explore what it means to rebuild your life, trust your gut, and find joy even in the mess. These are the stories behind the strength, raw, unfiltered, and deeply human. If you're craving connection, curious about how others have healed, or just need a reminder that you’re not alone, this pod’s for you. Grab your beverage of choice (or roll one up), and join us each week for soulful storytelling with a side of sass. Let’s rebel against the noise, talk about what actually matters, and maybe even laugh our way through the chaos. Because here at Ducking Realitea, we believe: Your story matters. Vulnerability is power. And joy is always worth chasing.
Episodes
In this episode of Ducking Realitea, Siobhan sits down with Brianna Devlin, a museum nerd and history lover who turned a lifelong fascination with Alameda’s Pinball Museum into a career, and a path to graduate school.
Brianna shares how growing up on the “storybook” island of Alameda shaped her love of community and culture, and how a late-night search for “museums near me” led her from front desk staffer to exhibit curat...
Siobhan sits down with returning guest Lee Williams, and her very vocal dog, Tiburon, to talk about trauma, healing, and the quiet ways safety gets rebuilt.
After experiencing a terrifying home invasion, Lee’s sense of security was shattered. Locks and cameras helped, but fear lingered. Enter Tiburon: a nine-month-old Siberian Husky adopted almost on instinct, whose size offered protection, but whose presence offered some...
This episode of Ducking Realitea is a chaotic, tender wander through the life of Johnny Dismal: bartender-turned–festival boss, punk rocker, and darkly hilarious visual artist. Johnny and Siobhan trace his journey from a childhood bouncing between Air Force bases in Europe to becoming a self-described “Masshole” obsessed with hardcore shows along the New England coast.
Johnny unpacks how music and art showed up early—pare...
Siobhan sits down with artist and entrepreneur Sarah Woodruff to talk about what it really means to live creatively, without apology. Sarah shares her winding journey through thrift-store fashion eras, owning multiple businesses in her twenties, founding a burlesque troupe, singing in bands, and eventually stepping away from a soul-draining corporate job to rebuild her life (and studio) on her own terms.
They explore the ...
What are the odds an adopted kid is a perfect kidney match for their dad?
Jamey Aspel’s story is one in a million—and somehow also painfully human.
In this funny and deeply honest conversation, Jamey joins Siobhan to talk about growing up adopted in evangelical Appalachia, coming of age as a gay kid in a world that told him he was wrong, and the jaw-dropping moment he discovered he was a near-perfect kidney donor matc...
In this milestone 60th episode, Siobhan is joined by Danielle and Holly for a wide-ranging, deeply candid conversation that feels less like a podcast and more like sitting at a bar with people who actually care about the world, and each other.
They talk about community as a form of survival, especially in a time when the news cycle feels relentless and overwhelming. From taking intentional breaks from social media to prot...
Steve “Stevie” Lofgren might technically be “just” a bartender, but this conversation makes it clear he’s also a philosopher in a leather jacket, the kind you meet at 1am who accidentally helps you rethink your whole life. Siobhan and Stevie trace their friendship from late-night bar hangs to 4am world-saving sessions, then dive headfirst into his wild, unfiltered Oakland upbringing.
Growing up in 70s/80s Oakland as one o...
What’s it really like to work alongside a police dog? On this episode of Squirrel Gurls, we sit down with Officer Fetzer from the Alameda, California Police Department K9 Unit to get an inside look at life as a K9 cop. From her path from law school to the K9 unit to the unique bond she shares with her partner, Ace, this episode dives into a world most of us only see from a distance.
Officer Fetzer shares gripping and ente...
In this deeply candid episode of Ducking Realitea, Siobhan sits down with therapist-in-training and soon-to-be mom Carissa Kerwin for a conversation that moves effortlessly between laughter, frustration, and profound insight. From navigating long-distance love and career pivots to surviving pregnancy hormones that no one warned her about, Carissa shares what it really looks like when life stacks all the transitions at on...
This episode of Ducking Realitea dives headfirst into the messy, funny, terrifying, and strangely beautiful reality of living with metastatic cancer. Siobhan sits down with Sarah Knopp, who was told she had six weeks to live after aggressive HER2-positive breast cancer had already spread to her liver. Eleven years, 160+ rounds of chemo, brain surgery, a hysterectomy, and a lot of dark humor later, she’s not only still he...
This week, Siobhan sits down with Wanda Reynolds, Chief Content Officer and Executive Producer at ABF Creative, for a powerful conversation on reinvention, resilience, and the real work of building a meaningful life.
Wanda shares her journey from the East Coast to California, opening up about navigating chronic illness, starting over without a support system, teaching full-time while building a company at night, and ultim...
In this candid and courageous follow-up, Siobhan welcomes back returning guest Dr. Hannah, whose first appearance sparked some of the podcast’s most heartfelt conversations. This time, they go even deeper, unpacking white privilege, identity, and the uncomfortable mirrors most white women avoid. Drawing from Hannah’s academic background in multicultural studies and Siobhan’s lived perspective, they explore what it reall...
Siobhan and veteran Burner Brenda are back from the dust with a brutally honest debrief of Burning Man 2025. From dust storms, rain, and 27-hour gate lines to surprise reunions, camp chaos, emotional curveballs, and art that hits you right in the soul, this episode dives into what the Playa really teaches you about resilience, community, and yourself.
Siobhan opens up about being a first-timer navigating anxiety, belongin...
This is part one of a heartfelt two-part episode, Siobhan welcomes back her friend and veteran Burner Brenda, fresh off a year of seismic life shifts, new job, facing eviction, and finding unexpected joy (and love) at the Fireside. What begins as a personal catch-up quickly evolves into a full-on Burning Man bootcamp, equal parts dust, wisdom, and radical self-discovery.
Brenda draws from seven burns and her years volunte...
This week on Ducking Realitea, we’re diving into the raw, unfiltered terrain of grief with someone incredibly special. Stacia isn’t just a seasoned therapist in this space, she’s also the person who sat with Siobhan through some of her darkest disorienting moments, making this conversation tender, honest, and deeply human.
Together, they explore what grief actually looks and feels like beyond the clichés and movie scripts...
In this raw and riveting episode, Siobhan sits down with Erik, a man who’s stared down addiction, homelessness, and trauma, and somehow turned it all into purpose. From sleeping on the streets of San Francisco to finding love and stability, Erik’s story is a masterclass in resilience and radical self-reinvention.
With unflinching honesty, he opens up about multiple marriages, substance abuse, a near-fatal stabbing, and th...
In this milestone 50th episode, Siobhan welcomes back one of her very first guests — the radiant and real Carrie, for a raw, full-circle conversation about transformation, independence, and authenticity. Three years after leaving her marriage and corporate life, Carrie reflects on how her daughter’s courage inspired her to finally stand up for herself and start over.
Together, they explore the lessons of letting go, from ...
This episode is equal parts howl-laugh funny and gut-honest. Tara grew up on the move, addiction, violence, VA psych-ward parents, and a cross-country “escape” to North Dakota, then found stability with her grandmother and, eventually, herself. She talks teen pregnancy and an open adoption, choosing partners who felt “protective” until it slid into control, and the thief-in-the-night breakups that followed.
Through it all...
Tracie Reams, Siobhan’s very first guest, returns to Ducking Realitea for a raw, heartfelt catch-up on life’s twists and turns. After leaving her role as Clinical Director due to surgeries and health setbacks, Tracie found herself unexpectedly terminated, just a week before a crucial doctor’s appointment. As her own healing journey unfolded, she also stepped into the role of caregiver for her father, who’s now battling d...
A brief update on what's happening in the Ducking world, and why there isn't an episode out this week along with an introduction to the Squirrel Gurls.
Curious, quirky, and completely unfiltered podcast with host Siobhan and Ana.
Two funny and inquisitive girls interview various guests in a stream-of-consciousness style. While they try to stay focused, they take the audience on a wild ride through the...
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