Tell me who you are, listener!

Jessica Slice on the Finances of Being Disabled

Today we're featuring Jessica Slice, a disabled author, speaker and essayist. Her book, “Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World,” is an amazing look at how her experience in her body — which more often than not needs to be in a reclining position — has been an unexpected asset in her ability to parent & connect with her children. She also writes about the challenges it brings and the very diverse experiences of other disabled people in their lives as parents. Jessica has one of the more drastic and interesting financial and life transformations of any guest on OPP. Growing up, she was able-bodied, and then one day at age 28 she went on a hike that left her so exhausted she could barely function. That incident triggered a series of symptoms that would later reveal a disability, which she’ll explain more in this episode. Her disability requires her to do most of her work in her adjustable bed, and largely prevents her from walking very much, or from traveling. This killed her former career as a highly-compensated real estate agent and forever altered the trajectory of her work prospects. She talked to me about how expensive it is to be disabled, how she forged an alternate career path and she gave some advice about how to get into the lucrative racket of paid speaking gigs. If you haven't already, please fill out the OTHER PEOPLE'S POCKETS LISTENER SURVEY [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLpSjGZEUFGYOjX4I77a06qtJV84COI8-TDQavB6PH3b3XWw/viewform]! It really helps us grow the show. Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com [otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com]. Find links to my socials here [https://www.mayalau.com/]. Find Jessica: jessicaslice.com [http://jessicaslice.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicaslice] Substack [https://jessicaslice.substack.com/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Tell me who you are, listener!

I want to know who you are. I mean that in the best possible way. Here's the thing about making a podcast: you spend a lot of time creating something, you put that thing out into the world, and … you really don’t know who exactly is listening to it. I do have some audience demographic data, but it’s not very robust. Knowing who is listening helps me land potential sponsors, and that helps OPP grow. So I made a survey. It takes about three minutes. Help shape the future of this show! Click here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLpSjGZEUFGYOjX4I77a06qtJV84COI8-TDQavB6PH3b3XWw/viewform]. And thank you! -Maya Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Sunshine Hanson on the Business of Being a Surrogate

How do you compensate someone for giving life to another person's dream? Sunshine Hanson is a three-time gestational surrogate, which means that on three different occasions, she was pregnant with and gave birth to other people’s babies, and was paid for it. Her experience of helping families who wanted biological children but could not carry them on their own and navigating the financial aspects of that, inspired her to start her own agency, called "Surrogacy is...," which matches intended parents with prospective surrogates. I’ve always wanted to interview a surrogate because I’m fascinated by the idea of getting paid to do something that is so personal and that you really can’t put a price on. We talked about how much money she made by being a surrogate; how it helped her pay off debt and reach financial goals; the ethics of paying someone to be pregnant & how to guard against exploitation; and about the financial literacy that should be talked about more in life and in the world of surrogacy. Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com [otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com]. Find me on social media here [https://linktr.ee/mayalau]. Find Sunshine: Surrogacy.is [http://www.Surrogacy.is] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/surrogacy.is] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Surrogacyis] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@surrogacy.is] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/surrogacy-is/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Margo Clayson on Learning to Budget the Hard Way

What happens when you finally start to budget in your 50s, then you discover to your total surprise that you are $40,000 in debt? I spoke to Margo Clayson about the uncomfortable conversations she had — and new relationship patterns she created — on her journey to becoming financially sound. Clayson is founder of The Mighty Microgreen, an organization that helps educators create interactive STEM and nutrition lessons using microgreens. She’s also an educator, longtime student, mom, grandmother, wife and Canadian now living in rural Idaho. I talked to her about the unusual way her financial reckoning came about, how she navigates money and marriage, and what budgeting looks like when you’re living off Social Security.  Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com [otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com] Find me on social media here [https://linktr.ee/mayalau]. Find Margo: The Mighty Microgreen [https://themightymicrogreen.com] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/margo-clayson/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themightymicrogreen/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Amelie Tsoungui, Writer Who Self-Deported to Cameroon

Amelie Tsoungui is a Cameroonian immigrant who moved to the U.S. at age six. After two decades growing up in Chicago and spending part of her 20s in L.A., she decided to self-deport to Cameroon in 2025 after the Trump administration said it would revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonian nationals. The cancellation of TPS meant she would no longer be able to live in the U.S. legally. This experience of moving back to West Africa, a home she only knew as a child, sparked her passion for digital storytelling, leading to multiple viral TikTok videos on her channel @amsthebomb237 [https://www.tiktok.com/@amsthebomb237], where you can watch, almost in real-time, what it is like to transition to life in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Her work explores themes of immigration, assimilation, spirituality, feminine rage, and karmic lineage, drawing from her BFA in Film and Television from DePaul University. I spoke to Amelie as part of a series on how the Trump administration is affecting people's personal finances. Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com [otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com]. Find me on social media here [https://linktr.ee/mayalau]. Connect with Amelie: Linktree [https://linktr.ee/Amsthebomb] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]