Guest: Blaze LaBoon

Guest: Dylan Altemara

You know we love a deep dive into the things that drive people to serve, particularly in government.  This week, Dylan Altemara joins me at my kitchen table to discuss how is own personal experiences led him to get involved.  Dylan gets candid about how his own health, two major medical events in his family, navigating insurance claims, filing for medical bankruptcy, and living with housing insecurity made him want to work to eliminate or ease these hardships. Dylan also talks about the importance of being intellectually curious, the immediacy of now, being comfortable with loss at a young age, and how normal teenage milestones weren’t even on his radar.  He’s running for PA State Representative in District 39 and finds that we all have way more in common in our day-to-day lives that we have differences. Get cozy! Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Guest: Braeden Shaak

Happy Wednesday, Teabags!  For those of you who have followed me on socials for a long time or who have read my blog, you’ll know my guest as Kid 1.  My oldest, Braeden, joins me at my kitchen table this week to have a yap about what life is like with “Irish twins.” Plenty of people experience having kids close in age, but Braeden talks about the challenges and joys that come with parenting kids who are extremely close in age.  He also discusses how his kids are each other’s shadow, how parenting changes the core functions of who you are, what it means to have a Hootie, and how what is important is what works for YOU. I also take offense when he calls Mötley Crüe “classic rock” because it’s fucking disrespectful. Get cozy! Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Guest: Jonathan Slade

Taking a seat at my kitchen table this week is Jonathan Slade, a college professor, documentarian, and the creator / reporter / photographer of the hyperlocal newspaper, The Mason-Dixon Surveyor. I was really excited to sit down with Jonathan and dive into the impetus for him to start the paper and the logistics of what it takes to bring good writing and news to his small community.  Jonathan also provides deep insights about a number of other topics as he talks about his concern that stories about our communities are vanishing, the impact of poor media literacy, the importance of talking to people who aren’t normally talked to, and how he doesn’t want to be known as the guy who wrote great emails. Let’s see how many of my GenXers can spot the mentions of dittoes, rolodexes, phone books, typewriters, and white out! Get cozy! Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Guest: Blaze LaBoon

Teabags, it’s time to post up with the guest who quite possibly has the coolest name on the planet! Blaze LaBoon pulls up a chair at my kitchen table today to talk about how sports has been so foundational in her life.  She also chats about the origin of her name, wtf it means to be a stoop kid, her jobs with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins, and her hopes to one day transition to playing pickleball as she gets older. Get cozy! This week's small business spotlight is on Tiger Moth Mercantile. Find Tiger Moth on Instagram: @tigermothmercantile Order from Tiger Moth at www.tigermothmercantile.com Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Guest: Melia Myers

Every once in a while, I’ll have a topic idea that I’ll float by a potential guest because it’s something I’m curious about and want new perspectives.  And sometimes the lesson I learn is that the universe doesn’t care what I want, and instead it gives me a gift. Today I welcome my niece, Melia Myers, to my kitchen table.  My goal was to have a yap about the changes in how we market colleges and the promise of jobs to kids differently now than when I went to college.  But her story is far more about college and the future from a Gen Zer who is about to enter her senior year of college amid a volatile job market and big technology disruptions. She also shares how her anxiety and depression manifested at young ages, how she loves a hot goss session, why she chose a small school not too far from home, and why you couldn’t pay her to go back and do 1st semester freshman year again. The kids may love to spill tea, but they’re still alright.  Get cozy! This week's small business spotlight is on Tiger Moth Mercantile. Find Tiger Moth on Instagram: @tigermothmercantile Order from Tiger Moth at www.tigermothmercantile.com Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.