Clunky Beginnings

Ep 7: From Solo Travel to Shared Ritual: A Modern Love Story Mishka & Emil

Rachel sits down with friend and creator Mishka Silberman to trace her Eat-Pray-Love year, meeting partner Emil in India, and the “Love Ritual” check-in practice they now share with the world. They cover why handling conflict kindly predicts relationship success, how gratitude changes your brain (and your bond), and when to start rituals in a new relationship. Plus: a self-love version if you’re solo, body-doubling meetups, and why your relationship is an emotional dojo. Do your own Love Ritual https://loveritual.com/ Single? Join my database! https://in-good-co.com/ Join LoveClub [https://ingoodcompany.myflodesk.com/hxwzrg83qs] and do this In Good Company on Oct 27.

Ep 6: Two Paths Converged: Sarah & John’s Almost-Missed Love Story

What happens when two people keep crossing paths but aren’t yet ready to meet? In this episode of Clunky Beginnings, host Rachel Joy Barehl sits down with Sarah and John Mediatore to unpack their extraordinary, almost-missed love story. From a quiet moment in the woods to a green room rehearsal months later, and finally to a deeply intentional wedding in the same forest where it all began, Sarah and John share the tender, messy, magical journey of finding each other after heartbreak. We talk about: * Trusting timing and intuition * Blended family dynamics and the courage to open your heart again * How poetry, nature, and running became rituals of connection * Creating safety, softness, and “parts-aware” communication in a relationship Whether you’re single, partnered, or somewhere in between, this conversation is an invitation to stay curious about love, even when it’s clunky. 💌 Add yourself to Rachel’s Rolodex of singles to be considered for future events and potential introductions: in-good-co.com [https://in-good-co.com]

Episode 05: Cole & Derek on Dating apps, Depression & Deciphering.

In this episode of Clunky Beginnings, Rachel Joy Barehl has a conversation with her dear friend Cole and her fiancé, Derek, about their love story that began on Bumble. They explore the nuances of online dating, dating in LA, the importance of a solid profiles, and the dynamics of their first date, which took an unexpected delightful turn during trivia night.  Cole and Derek share insights on navigating serious topics early in a relationship, the significance of community support, and the challenges of merging lives while maintaining individuality, the necessity of being honest about desires and expectations, and the importance of understanding mental health within relationships. Looking for love? Enter my orbit, introduce yourself. [https://in-good-company.smartmatchapp.com/client/submissionform/33/] Stay connected with my newsletter. [https://ingoodcompany.myflodesk.com/facksus8im]

Episode 4: Real love baby! My first client meets his match 💘

In this episode of Clunky Beginnings, Rachel Joy Barehl interviews her first VIP matchmaking client, Dan, who shares his journey of dating after divorce. The conversation explores Dan's experiences with dating apps, how he discovered Rachel's matchmaking services and all that unfolded when their worlds collide. They discuss the quality of dates, significance of community, and other moments of joy and connection along the journey. Hear Dan's outside-the-box second-date idea. ENTER MY ORBIT [https://in-good-company.smartmatchapp.com/client/submissionform/33/] If you're a dater, you're invited to introduce yourself, add yourself to my digital rolodex 👆🏼🗂️ Daters, haters & magic makers, get my newsletter. [https://ingoodcompany.myflodesk.com/]

Episode 3: How can we smash the patriarchy if we can’t stop breaking each other’s hearts? Bear Hebert on undoing patriarchy, natural inquiries into compatibility and aligning our behavior and words.

Bear Hebert [https://www.bearcoaches.com/] is a writer, researcher, coach, artist and activist. They have been thinking about and working against patriarchy arguably for their whole life but certainly for the past fifteen years. Bear is a white, queer, working-class, genderqueer human with a background in activism and cultural organizing.  Bear is teaching a course called Undoing Patriarchy because through their relationships with the men they’ve worked with, dated and been friends with, they’ve seen the ways that internalized, unconscious patriarchal conditioning holds men back from intimacy, vulnerability, and connection. Patriarchy gives men privilege, but it can strip them of their humanity as well. Bear is invested in helping men to unlearn these unconscious patterns because they believe this work is essential for the liberation of all people.  The next cohort starts next week Jan 21-February 24 (Tuesdays 8-10 EST on zoom)  UNDOING PATRIARCHY: AN ONLINE COURSE FOR MEN+ [https://www.undoingpatriarchy.com/] For so many men, traditional masculinity doesn’t fit. There are spoken and unspoken rules that dictate how men are supposed to dress, walk, stand, talk, screw, look and feel that may not be in alignment with who you really are.  Because of this, traditionally male spaces can feel tremendously alienating. The locker room, the basketball court, or the corner bar: can you truly be yourself there?  But then what? If you don’t fit into patriarchy’s boxes of who a man can be, where do you go when there’s seemingly no other socially sanctioned way to be?  What are the options? Pretend to be a bro and suffer from living out of alignment with who you truly are or step outside of prescribed social norms and risk the consequences.  Compulsory masculinity is a trap, and the stakes for pretending otherwise are higher than ever.