Regan Rouse | Stepping Out From Behind the Lens

Regan Rouse | Stepping Out From Behind the Lens

Brit Stueven sits down with Regan Rouse, photographer, visual storyteller, mom of two, and the woman behind the lens at the very first Not Til Now. After spending more than two decades capturing other people’s stories, something unexpected happened while photographing a room full of people stepping into their firsts: Regan realized that it’s finally her turn. In this conversation, they talk about creativity, motherhood, postpartum depression, photography, and the strange way life keeps bringing us back to ourselves...sometimes years later. They also talk about Regan’s return to film photography, her documentary project, After Birth, which has evolved into a nonprofit and upcoming art event, and why David Comstock’s “Thump” story solidified a future tattoo.  Somewhere between darkrooms, New York memories, and conversations about parenting, this episode becomes a reminder that the work happening beneath the surface is still work. And how often times, the thing that makes you thump is also the thing calling you forward. Connect with Regan Substack: https://reganrousephotography.substack.com/ [https://reganrousephotography.substack.com/] After Birth: https://afterbirth.org/ [https://afterbirth.org/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reganrousephotography/ [https://www.instagram.com/reganrousephotography/] Connect with Brit Substack: https://britstueven.substack.com/ [https://britstueven.substack.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britstueven [https://www.instagram.com/britstueven] Stay Connected with Not Til Now Not Til Now is a live event and creative platform celebrating firsts — first-time stand-up, first-time storytelling, and first-time performing a long-held dream. Created and hosted by Brit Stueven in Lakewood, Colorado. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow [https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow [https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow] Writing Group: https://nottilnow.substack.com/ [https://nottilnow.substack.com/]

Alicia Alexander | After the Second Chance

Brit Stueven sits down with Alicia Alexander — founder of Everle Consulting, master connector, playlist curator, and yacht rock enthusiast. She’s the woman who welcomed everyone into the very first Not Til Now — and who is now helping shape what comes next. (Next show is Sept. 30!) In this conversation, Alicia opens up about divorce, addiction, Guillain-Barré syndrome, surviving a coma during Covid, waking up after a life-saving liver transplant, and rebuilding a life she genuinely loves. They also talk about friendship, sobriety, motherhood, “occupational osmosis,” the strange dreams she had while in a coma (including an EXTREMELY vivid trip to Holland), and why she believes connection is one of the most important things we can give each other. Somewhere between the stories about feeding tubes, Christopher Cross, and Facebook friendships, this episode becomes a reminder that second chances don’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes they arrive one ordinary day at a time.  Alicia is living proof of what can happen when someone decides to truly live the life they almost lost. Connect with Alicia Website: https://everleconsulting.com/ [https://everleconsulting.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djhotdish/ [https://www.instagram.com/djhotdish/] As promised:  Alicia’s interview w/ GRLPWRDEN: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SHgafIsnUX8U8ciRrvo31 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SHgafIsnUX8U8ciRrvo31] Alicia’s Yacht Rock Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/70jWGnh00j95jtE9prdmzs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/70jWGnh00j95jtE9prdmzs] Stay Connected with Not Til Now Not Til Now is a live event and creative platform celebrating firsts — first-time stand-up, first-time storytelling, and first-time performing a long-held dream. Created and hosted by Brit Stueven in Lakewood, Colorado. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow [https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow [https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow] Writing Group: https://nottilnow.substack.com/ [https://nottilnow.substack.com/] Connect with Brit Newsletter: https://britstueven.substack.com/ [https://britstueven.substack.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britstueven [https://www.instagram.com/britstueven]

Natalie Grey | Letting Go of Where You’ve Been

Brit Stueven sits down with Natalie Grey Cottrell — a multi-faceted, wildly courageous woman who once drove across the country alone through 48 states. This was after she realized the life she had built no longer matched the life she wanted. At Not Til Now, Natalie closed the night with a story full of roadside chaos, unexpected beauty, and this opening one line: “The bravest thing you can do is not define where you’re going. It’s to let go of where you’ve been.” In this conversation, Natalie opens up about the eerie silence that came with becoming an empty nester, the moment she drove away from Seattle and cried for 12 straight hours, and how years of stress, survival, and loss finally caught up with her the second she had space to feel it. They also talk about emotional breakthroughs, the infamous roadside “female urinal” incident 😂, what happened after the road trip ended, and why pushing through hard things changes your perspective forever. The chat ends with several mic-drop moments on authenticity, identity, aging, and why Natalie now helps women “ditch the dye” and embrace their inner Grey Wolf. This episode is funny, moving, and full of reminders that the life you want often begins the moment you stop clinging to the one that no longer fits. 🎥 Natalie's NTN Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6nEQVlEUsY&t=4s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6nEQVlEUsY&t=4s] Stay Connected with Natalie https://www.instagram.com/thegreywolfbynatalie/ [https://www.instagram.com/thegreywolfbynatalie/] Stay Connected with Not Til Now Not Til Now is a live event and creative platform celebrating firsts — first-time stand-up, first-time storytelling, and first-time performing a long-held dream. Created and hosted by Brit Stueven in Lakewood, Colorado. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow [https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow [https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow] Writing Group: https://nottilnow.substack.com/ [https://nottilnow.substack.com/] Connect with Brit Newsletter: https://britstueven.substack.com/ [https://britstueven.substack.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britstueven [https://www.instagram.com/britstueven]

Debbie Scheer | Saying the Hard Thing Out Loud

Brit Stueven sits down with Debbie Scheer — comedian, storyteller, auctioneer, emcee, and someone who believes that if we can laugh about it, we can talk about it — especially when the conversation includes things like Effexor, mushrooms, and braless boobs. 😂 At Not Til Now, Debbie made a last-minute pivot. What started as an idea for “lie-down comedy” (yes, pillow and blanket included) turned into something much more honest: a story she had been carrying for a long time about parenting a child struggling with mental health — and the isolating reality so many families are navigating behind the scenes. In this chat, Debbie shares what it looked like to finally say the hard thing out loud, even when she wasn’t sure she could get through it without crying. They talk about the shame that keeps people silent, the moments that make you feel like no one else could possibly understand, and what actually helps when you’re in it. This episode is funny, tender, and oh-so-freeing. If you’ve been carrying something you don’t quite know how to say, you’re gonna want to start here. 🎥 Debbie’s NTN Performance This is not publicly listed. Please contact Debbie or Brit for the link. Stay Connected with Debbie https://debbiescheerspeaks.com/ [https://debbiescheerspeaks.com/] https://www.instagram.com/debbiescheerspeaks [https://www.instagram.com/debbiescheerspeaks] https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiescheerspeaks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiescheerspeaks/] Summit Auctioneers Collective https://summitauctioneerscollective.com/ [https://summitauctioneerscollective.com/] Stay Connected with Not Til Now Not Til Now is a live event and creative platform celebrating firsts — first-time stand-up, first-time storytelling, and first-time performing a long-held dream. Created and hosted by Brit Stueven in Lakewood, Colorado. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow [https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow [https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow] Writing Group: https://nottilnow.substack.com/ [https://nottilnow.substack.com/] Connect with Brit Newsletter: https://britstueven.substack.com/ [https://britstueven.substack.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britstueven [https://www.instagram.com/britstueven]

Mike Betts | The Courage to Keep Showing Up

Brit Stueven sits down with Mike Betts — husband, dad, Cultural Architect at Fidelity Investments, nonprofit leader, and the man who shook his butt to Neil Diamond at Not Til Now. What started with seeing his pastor take a Stand-Up 101 class turned into an eight-minute set in front of 320 people at the Lakewood Cultural Center. But underneath the laughs is a much deeper story. After losing two of his children, Michael and Cora, Mike and his family turned unimaginable grief into purpose through the Michael and Cora Betts Legacy Foundation, raising nearly half a million dollars for Judi's House and helping families navigate loss. In this episode, they talk about the accidental “eavesdropper” that pointed him to Judi’s House, why hearing “that’ll be hard” only makes Mike want something more, the one-liners from his wife that keep him humble, and how one brave decision tends to lead to another. This conversation feels a little like a really great wedding speech. There are laughs, there are tears, there are unforgettable stories, and somewhere in the middle, you’re reminded of what really matters. 🎥 Watch Mike’s NTN Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cvSaJ1Qsco [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cvSaJ1Qsco] Stay Connected with Mike Michael and Cora Legacy Foundation: https://www.bettslegacy.org/ [https://www.bettslegacy.org/] 2026 Betts Legacy Golf Tournament: https://bolder.bid/app/public/bidapp/betts [https://bolder.bid/app/public/bidapp/betts] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickeybetts285 [https://www.instagram.com/mickeybetts285] Stay Connected with Not Til Now Not Til Now is a live event and creative platform celebrating firsts — first-time stand-up, first-time storytelling, and first-time performing a long-held dream. Created and hosted by Brit Stueven in Lakewood, Colorado. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow [https://www.youtube.com/@nottilnow] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow [https://www.instagram.com/nottilnow] Writing Group: https://nottilnow.substack.com/ [https://nottilnow.substack.com/] Connect with Brit Newsletter: https://britstueven.substack.com/ [https://britstueven.substack.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britstueven [https://www.instagram.com/britstueven]