Guest: Andrew Mandzy

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.

Guest: Ali Collier Returns

Teabags, pull up a seat and join me in welcoming Ali Collier back to my kitchen table!  A few of you reached out after Ali’s episode early in the year to let me know that you’d like to hear more about Mini Baja, a topic that came up randomly during our first episode.  Today, Ali obliges us and dives into the life lessons she learned from her time on RIT’s Mini Baja team.  In addition to Mini Baja, Ali chats about the dawn of Pro/E and cell phones during her college years, the challenges of being a woman in STEM, how she probably shouldn’t go back to Brazil because of her fingerprints on the gun, the direct line from Mini Baja to her corporate job out of college, and her hopes that fucking Adam from the formula team matured. 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: Monica Cwynar

Welcome to Wednesday, teabags!  The absolutely delightful Monica Cwynar pulls up a seat at my kitchen table to talk about her path to becoming a social worker and clinical therapist.  But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as she highlights some of the many things she’s done in her life that make her call herself the “Forrest Gump of Pittsburgh.” Monica chats about the orgy that is this allergy season, how her activism is closely tied to social work, how she doesn’t want to (but will) be the therapist who avenges your death, and the importance of her community of strong women, starting with the women in her family. 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: Robbie Meixner

Teabags, this episode has me locked in on all things music as I welcome Robbie Meixner to my kitchen table to shoot the shit about music and art being the throughline of life.  Robbie also talks about cool cobra drum pedals, why making art for money sucks, friendships rooted in a mutual love of ninja turtles, and how concerts are a connection of souls. During our yap, Robbie and I go back to our MTV days.  And because of MTV and my own musical throughline, I have what I call “lyric brain” which means my brain autofills song lyrics (and often movie quotes) when I hear certain phrases or combinations of words.  So when I say that we “go back” to MTV – my brain also says that I went back to Cali, to the USSR, to the high life, to the grill again, to where I once belonged, and most importantly, I recognize that I wanna go back and do it all over.  Those of you who get all that, get me.  And you’ll probably get Robbie, too. Get cozy! This week's small business spotlight is on Umber Chocolates. Find Umber Chocolates on Instagram / Threads: @umberchocolatespgh Find Umber Chocolates on Facebook: \umberchocolatespgh Order Umber Chocolates at www.umberchocolatespgh.com NOTE: My sincerest apologies to anyone whose ears are easily irritated - it was a really windy day and I live in a fucking wind tunnel.  So for the first probably 20 minutes, I assumed the "knocking" you can hear in the background was a rattling door.  Turns out, it was the welcome sign that hangs on my door.  I removed that about halfway through the recording, and your ears can rest from that point on.  Jesus, Karen. Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Guest: Andrew Mandzy

Welcome to Wednesday, Teabags!  The At My Kitchen Table team finally met the demands of Andrew Mandzy’s team (green M&Ms only) to make podcast magic happen.  Andrew joins me today to talk about what it took for a risk averse Jersey boy to leave his corporate job this year and pursue something new, and to explore his Ukrainian roots and bicultural upbringing. He also chats about other stuff – like how he became instant BFFs with my sister, having a shiner for his first presentation in a new role, his business associates Chat & Claude, and how his multilingual family confused a French waiter. I swear he’s not aloof, so pull up a seat and get cozy! This week's small business spotlight is on Umber Chocolates. Find Umber Chocolates on Instagram / Threads: @umberchocolatespgh Find Umber Chocolates on Facebook: \umberchocolatespgh Order Umber Chocolates at www.umberchocolatespgh.com Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband). All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.