Asheville Area Favorites

Jane Carter on Embracing Your Weird in Business

Join Laura as she sits down with Jane Carter, a therapist-turned-business coach who helps Asheville's "soulful solopreneurs" build authentic businesses by embracing what makes them different.  Jane shares her journey from therapy to coaching, why she calls her work "stealth therapy," and how running a business brings up all your stuff—in the best possible way. Discover why being weird is an asset in Asheville's creative business community, plus Jane's favorite early morning parkway spots and her special offer for listeners.  Find Jane at https://www.janecartercoaching.com/ Find your host, Laura Jurgens, PhD, Relationship & Intimacy Coach at https://laurajurgens.com Laura specializes in helping people overcome the disconnection from Desire Gaps with their partners. Find her other podcast, Sex Help for Smart People, here: https://laurajurgens.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sumaya Owens of Present Moment Media on Making the Shift From Corporate as a Single Mom

Join this conversation with Sumaya Owens of Present Moment Media for a talk about making the shift from corporate to entrepreneur as a single mom, plus the world of Digital Media, and learn what the heck a fractional marketing executive is.  Find Sumaya at: https://www.presentmomentmedia.org/ or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/_present_moment_media_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MWs1bTRyYnI5a2Jybw== Find your host, Laura Jurgens, PhD, Relationship & Intimacy Coach at https://laurajurgens.com Laura specializes in helping people overcome the disconnection from Desire Gaps with their partners. Find her other podcast, Sex Help for Smart People, here: https://laurajurgens.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Building Community for Remote Workers with Ric Pratte of AVL Digital Nomads

What started as Ric Pratte’s simple desire to grab a beer with fellow remote workers has blossomed into AVL Digital Nomads—a thriving 3,800-member community that's become a cornerstone of Asheville's professional landscape. In this episode, Ric shares how a casual meetup at Wedge Brewing four years ago evolved into a cornerstone local organization hosting dozens of monthly events. From intimate lunch gatherings for introverts to collaborative learning sessions on AI and leadership, AVL Digital Nomads addresses the unique challenges facing full or part-time remote workers: loneliness and lack of professional development. With 40+ volunteer organizers and 450+ monthly participants, the community has expanded beyond Asheville through their parent organization, Thrive Remotely, which includes a global newsletter and chapters in other cities. Ric discusses the economic impact of remote workers on Asheville and shares his favorite local recommendations for getting out and about. https://avldigitalnomads.org/ https://news.thriveremotely.io/ Find your host, Laura Jurgens, PhD, Relationship & Intimacy Coach at https://laurajurgens.com Laura specializes in helping people overcome the disconnection from Desire Gaps with their partners. Find her other podcast, Sex Help for Smart People, here: https://laurajurgens.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jennifer Pickering on Living Your Life Like a Festival & 30 Years of LEAF

I have the joy of interviewing one of the founders of LEAF Global Arts Festival, Jennifer Pickering, about 30 years of LEAF. Check out this wide-ranging conversation, where we talk about the new book coming out (hot tip: pre-order now & get LEAF pajamas!!!), and LEAF's work post-hurricane. Jennifer & LEAF bring such rich gifts to the community, you won't want to miss this conversation.  Grab your tickets to this year's festival, pre-order your book, get camp info, and learn about all the ways to connect with LEAF at https://theleaf.org/ Find your host, Laura Jurgens, PhD, Relationship & Intimacy Coach at https://laurajurgens.com Laura specializes in helping people overcome the disconnection from Desire Gaps with their partners. Find her other podcast, Sex Help for Smart People, here: https://laurajurgens.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Anna Diemer on Everything About Voice & Singing, Plus the Opera Drag King

In this episode of Asheville Area Favorites, host Laura Jurgens sits down with Anna Deimer (they/them), a fascinating entrepreneur who's carved out multiple niches in the voice world. Anna is the owner of Deimer Voice Studio, where they specialize in three unique areas: singing throughout the lifespan (especially for folks navigating menopause), gender-affirming voice lessons for trans clients, and vocal rehabilitation for singers recovering from injuries. Anna is also co-founder of Voice Pro Ed, offering continuing education for voice teachers and speech-language pathologists, plus they host the "Yap Sesh" podcast diving deep into voice science. When not teaching, Anna transforms into drag king Milo, combining their operatic training with gender performance at local venues like The Odd. From accidentally discovering their passion for vocal pedagogy in college to building a thriving practice that serves diverse communities, Anna's journey showcases how following your curiosity can lead to unexpected success. Plus, get Anna's top Asheville recommendations. https://www.diemervoicestudio.com/ http://voiceproed.com [http://voiceproed.com/] Instagram: @diemervoicestudio and @voiceproed Drag: @milo_mawile on Instagram Find your host, Laura Jurgens, PhD, Relationship & Intimacy Coach at https://laurajurgens.com Laura specializes in helping people overcome the disconnection from Desire Gaps with their partners. Find her other podcast, Sex Help for Smart People, here: https://laurajurgens.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.