PLATE & PONDER: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton
Join a powerhouse married couple—empty nesters turning their kitchen table into a hub for unfiltered conversations on life's big questions. She's a dedicated inner-city charter school director, elected official, and former school board president; he's a seasoned media executive, professor, and author. Together, with decades of experience in parenting, politics, public service, and purpose, they sip wine, share a meal, and dive deep into current events, cultural shifts, geopolitical headlines, and the hilarious highs and lows of empty-nest life. Expect candid debates, heartfelt stories, intriguing interviews, belly laughs, and no-holds-barred insights that challenge your views and spark your curiosity. Perfect for fans of thoughtful political podcasts, relationship dynamics, and real-talk commentary. Unscripted. Unfiltered. Unapologetically real. Grab a seat—new episodes weekly. Download & Follow now to join the conversation! #Current Events #Politics #Relationships #RelationshipDynamics #PublicService
Episodes
We dedicate this episode to the GREAT FRED C. COHEN...
We cover it all on this one... And sorry about the long pause... And just know that's a pet-peeve of mine for podcasts I love too! We'll be back more regularly... But what did we cover? How bout 83 markets now! Thank you Botswana for joining the crew. El Salvador too! And how about the BREAD & CIRCUS trying to take our attention away from issues that do affec...
Jen and Chris Fenton are back in the kitchen—and this time, the house is actually theirs. With both 19-year-olds officially settled into sophomore year of college, the Fentons have fully reclaimed empty-nest life: no more last-minute Target runs for dorm stuff, no more competing for bathroom time, and plenty of space to actually finish a conversation. The freedom feels almost illegal.
The first order of busines...
For sure, Chris spent more time in "The Woodshed" getting disciplined than the average kid...
So grab your lunch trays and settle in, empty-nesters—Jen and Chris Fenton are cracking open the yearbooks, dusting off the memories, and serving up pure Back-to-School week chaos on this unforgettable episode of Plate & Ponder. From the pure pandemonium of first-day jitters and locker jams to the teachers who made...
S3E1 of Plate and Ponder: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton just dropped and it’s pure parental survival comedy gold.
Twitter Quote of the Week: "Sure, kids at Penn State were selling blow to the Athletic Director, but at least they weren't getting blown by the Athletic Director. I call that progress."
Two kids. Two campuses. One epic college move-in chaos storm.
Jen and Chris navigate the wild differ...
Jen and Chris are back… and they are venting. Hard. What was supposed to be pure empty-nest bliss has been completely hijacked by back-to-school chaos as their son Dylan prepares to live off-campus at McGill for the very first time. Cue the FedEx horror stories, the pure insanity of shipping anything across the border, and the shocking realization that the United States Postal Service might actually be more c...
In this candid episode of Plate & Ponder: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton, the duo unpacks the wisdom Jim Carrey would give his 20-year-old self—and how those same lessons apply to raising (and still guiding) their own young adult kids. They celebrate just how much of a genuine mensch John Cena continues to be, then dive into the modern dating dilemma: why younger generations see ghosting—o...
Apologies again for the Beijing Black Out midway thru our last episode! Hope we make it up here!!
Stranded on the JFK tarmac for three hours, Chris turned a travel nightmare into movie magic with Friday Night Lights - again - and Jen agrees. They rave about the cast’s powerful performances and how the film hit different in that unexpected setting. The conversation then shifts to the latest World Cup halftime sh...
NOTE: Beijing shut us off mid sentence at the 21 minute mark... So instead of starting up again and frustrating Jen, we'll cover much more on Part Deux of this epic episode!!!
In this laugh-out-loud "first half" of our latest episode we dive headfirst into Chris’s recent travel chaos and the absolutely balls-out move his Delta pilot pulled to save the day. We also give a heartfelt update on their beloved ...
Dog Farts, Flynn’s Near-Death Surgery & Empty Nest Chaos: Jen & Chris Fenton Spill It All | Plate & Ponder
From hilarious and absolutely pungent - during episode - dog farts to heartbreaking emergency surgery, Jen and Chris Fenton get real about the beautiful mess of empty nesting. They open up about their beloved dog Flynn’s terrifying brush with death and the powerful moment the whole family...
Empty Nesting Just Got Real: From Inside-Out Underwear Hacks to Life-Changing Decluttering, Deep Friendships & Raising Kids Who Actually Work Hard
In this laugh-out-loud yet deeply insightful episode of Plate & Ponder: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton, the hosts sit down with power couple Geoff Suddleson (Uber Agent & Partner at United Talent Agency) and Amy Suddleson (Founder & CEO of The Ni...
Get ready for fireworks, belly laughs, and real talk in this unforgettable episode of Plate & Ponder: Empty Nesting w/ Jen and Chris Fenton!
Jen and Chris kick things off with the most ridiculous (and painful) 4th of July story you’ll hear all year — the legendary tale of getting a bottle rocket shot straight in the butt. Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds, and it sets the tone for a celebrati...
In this unfiltered episode of Plate & Ponder, Jen and Chris Fenton tackle the chaos that is Los Angeles right now — from the latest fire ripping through the city and the frustrating mistrial in the Palisades arson case to the ongoing crisis of homes still not being built.
On a much lighter (and funnier) note, they obsess over their favorite Below Deck star, Chef Ben, swap hilarious stories about awkwa...
Jen and Chris Fenton are back with another raw, hilarious, and surprisingly deep episode of Plate & Ponder.
They kick things off in classic empty-nest fashion — swapping stories about Dylan’s first full-time paycheck and his very Gen-Z request that Dad “figure out how to get the taxes back,” plus Kaylie’s legendary overpacking for Costa Rica (yes, we’re talking 65 pounds ...
In this heartfelt and hilarious episode of Plate & Ponder, Chris is joined by his brother Jon and Jon’s daughter Taylor (a UCLA student) for a special family reunion. The trio dives into some of the wildest childhood stories from Chris and Jon’s upbringing — including the time their parents left them home alone for two full weeks while they traveled to Japan, and the unforgettable (and slightly...
DOG BUTT RETAINER RESCUE + TRANSATLANTIC CHAOS!
We pulled a plastic MOUTH RETAINER out of Flynn the dog’s ASS… LIVE on air.
Jen’s badass sister Allison crashes our LA studio from London for the ultimate sister showdown: UK food cravings, the latest British slang that’ll have you gobsmacked, and a savage “Who Knows Jen the Best?” contest. Chris goes full Morrissey karaoke wit...
Episode Summary – Plate & Ponder: Empty Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton
In this laugh-out-loud, tear-jerking, and wildly relatable episode, Jen & Chris Fenton sit down at the table (plates fully loaded) to tackle the biggest question every empty-nester is secretly Googling:
How do you parent college kids who are “technically adults”?
They go full debate mode on over-parenting vs. und...
Grab a glass of wine (and maybe order some takeout) because Jen & Chris Fenton are back with another heartfelt, hilarious, and deliciously real episode of Plate & Ponder: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton!
Chris can’t stop geeking out over the brand-new Michael Jackson biopic Michael and Michael’s lifelong infatuation with dance legend Bob Fosse—complete with moves, music, and the ki...
Jen comes back to cohost this special (Trailer Link:) BAD COUNSELORS episode to mostly keep me in check from sounding too much like an infomercial, but honestly, I'm so inspired by this film that I'm not sure she was successful.
In this episode we talk about how we beat the odds - the decade long process from idea to movie screen with BAD COUNSELORS. In fact, not only did we break records -- we CRUSHED them. From fir...
8 DAYS of non-stop DMs and texts from you legends screaming “WHERE’S THE NEW EPISODE?!”
The empty nest? Officially CRASHED. Both kids are back home for the summer and the Fenton household is pure chaos.
So I (Chris) said screw it — grabbed the mic solo, jumped straight into my wheelhouse with zero script and maximum flair, and delivered the most unfiltered take you’ve heard on l...
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