Here's a little Valentine's Day love with a throwback to one of our favourite early episode and to remind you all that we love you. CW: Attempted Suicide, Substance Use, Sex work The Now What Pod talks with Kaitlin Bick, a survivor of domestic sex trafficking. Kaitlin shares her story from meeting her trafficker, developing a relationship with him,…

The Now What Pod chats with Leslie about the moment she decided to end her marriage. Despite being high school sweethearts, and married with 3 children, Leslie threw her husband out of the house after discovering he’d been cheating on her. Listen as Leslie describes how he began pulling away, the way he made her feel insignificant throughout their …

The Now What Pod sits down to chat with Kareema for another episode in our “Bad Boyfriend Month”. Kareema tells us the story of how her religious beliefs led her to getting married young to somebody she’d known for only 3 months. Kareema sensed early on that something wasn't right within her marriage, but ignored her intuition and tried to be patie…

CW: Domestic Violence Annesa has earned herself 400,000+ followers on TikTok for her advocacy against Domestic Violence. This week, she sits down with The Now What Pod to vulnerably share her own personal experience as a survivor. She tells us about being raised in a traditional Bengali family, how she met a man who sold her a dream and married him…

In this second episode of “Bad Boyfriend” Month, the Now What Pod sits down to chat with Bre about her past relationship with a narcissist. She walks us through their courtship and engagement, to finding out he’d actually been defrauding her. Topics Discussed: Love Bombing Discovering she’d been defrauded Breaking up Getting back together Lies and …

The Now What Pod talks with Heather about her experience of being in a long-term relationship with a serial romance scammer. She walks us through how they met and fell in love. They lived happily for a couple of years before things started to unravel, and she soon discovered his secrets. Topics Discussed: Meeting her boyfriend Finding out his real …

This week, The Now What Pod is joined by author Emily Barth Isler. Emily shares her story of being diagnosed and living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She describes the challenges of learning to harness her OCD as a Superpower, including the painstaking decision to take or not take medication for it. The interview includes discussion of …

This week, Nathalie Cholette sits down to chat with The Now What Pod. Nathalie tells her story of starting out as a vibrant girl, in love with life, and of how, through endless expectations imposed on her from an early age, she lost her voice. Nathalie describes losing her identity, the decision to leave her marriage, and how she ventured to reconn…

This week, The Now What Pod sits down to chat with @anotherstrongwidow, Janice Bell. Janice’s husband was diagnosed with cancer when she was pregnant with their third child. The following 6 months would be harrowing, as Janice cared for three children under four years old, and her ailing husband. Six months after his diagnosis, her husband died. Th…

Amber joins The Now What Pod to talk about supporting her children after the death of her ex-husband. Amber married her childhood sweetheart and had 3 beautiful children. After the dissolution of the marriage, her ex-husband succumbed to addiction and later died of an overdose. Amber talks about parenting her children through grief, and the burdens…

Dr. E’Toyare “Torie” Williams joins The Now What Pod to share her expertise in the area of Adverse Childhood Experiences. In this episode, you’ll learn more about how what ACEs are, why they matter, and what your ACEs score is. Topics Discussed: What are ACEs? Childhood Trauma Generaltional Trauma Getting therapy for ACEs ACEs Awareness The ACEs qu…

Diana joins The Now What Pod to share her story of surviving The Troubled Teen Industry. She describes herself the trauma she experienced as a child when her father was killed by a drunk driver, and how in part, that trauma led to her “acting out” as a teenager. Her mother, desperate for help, then sent Diana to a residential treatment program desi…

Nina Purewal faced an unexpected tragedy as a teenager. She joins The Now What Pod to talk about the impact the murder-suicide of her father and brother had on her life and how it ultimately led her to an ashram in Northern California. Her loss and work to heal inspired not only a lifelong love of mindfulness & meditation but also a change in caree…

Serena was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but it tarnished. Her life fell apart when she was just four years old. After her parents divorce, Serena’s brother went to live with her father, while she remained with her mother. Then one day, when left unsupervised, her older brother died in a tragic accident. This event precipitated years of be…

CW: abortion The Now What Pod is joined by post-abortion life coach, Amanda Star Kingsley. After an unexpected pregnancy, Amanda, a married mother of three, chose to have an abortion. Amanda discovered that this was a complex and emotional experience. In this episode, we discuss abortion laws, deciding to have an abortion, the stigma of abortion, a…

CW: Suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic violence Charlene joins The Now What Pod to talk about the impact that the sexual abuse she experienced as a child had on her. As a teen and adult, Charlene struggled with alcohol abuse, mental illness, and suicidal ideology. The one day, just 2 days before she planned to take her own lif…

Sherente, a Two Spirit member of the Narragansett tribe, joins The Now What Pod to share their story of overcoming the discrimination they faced when they decided to compete in a dance traditionally performed only by women. Sherenté talks about their two spirit identity and how they are breaking barriers while fighting for Indigenous visibility. Sh…

The Now What Pod talks with Instamom, Melissa Rainer. Melissa shared her motherhood journey, from stepmom, to bio mom, and then legal mom. Melissa dishes the real real of being a stepmom, and the challenges she faced before finally adopting her step children. Resources: Instamom Pod https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/instamom-podcast/id158791557…

This week, The Now What Pod meets with Megan Hillukka who is a bereaved mother, with 7 children, one who died at 15 months old. When Megan was 36 weeks pregnant her daughter, Aria, died. Megan was caught between saying goodbye to one child, while welcoming a new child into the world. In this episode, Megan shares her experience with the death of he…

Nova Reeves joins The Now What Pod to discuss the murder of her mother by “The Green River Killer”. As a child, Nova was frequently left responsible for the care of her younger sisters, while her mother struggled with drug use and undiagnosed mental health issues. Then, one day her mother disappeared and was never seen again. In this episode, Nova …

Returning Guest, Mandy Reilly, joins us at The Now What Pod to talk about her experience in the “Sandwich Generation”. Caught between raising a child, and caring for her ailing mother, Mandy shares a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story about Love, Loss, and Motherhood.Topics Discussed:All of the updates. Jen and Tesha talk life updates, and we …

CW: Infertility, Infant Loss In this episode of The Now What Pod, guest Kristin Joseph, tells her story of infant loss. She and her husband struggled for 4 years with infertility. They went through multiple rounds of IVF, miscarriage, and infant loss, before having their rainbow baby. Kristin takes us through the stress, pain, grief associated with…

CW: Birth Trauma, Medical Trauma Kayleigh joins The Now What Pod to talk about her experience with AFE (Amniotic Fluid Embolism), a rare, and often fatal complication affecting pregnant women shortly before, during, immediately after childbirth . She shares her post-partum journey, dealing with trauma as a new mom, and how we can better support new…

Today on The Now What Pod we celebrate 1 year of releasing episodes of the show. We also make a fun announcement before sharing some fun and silly outtakes from the show. Thanks so much for listening! Support The Now What Pod Buy Us a Coffee Patreon - and access special episodes monthly Buy our Merch Want to be a guest on The Now What Pod? You can …

Marci Warhaft joins The Now What Pod to share her jaw-dropping journey to self discovery. After suffering years of trauma, Marci coped by abusing both food and sex. She was a soccer mom by day, and stripper by night before eventually deciding to get healthy. Working as a body image and self-esteem expert, Marci constantly worried her past was going…

Afshin joins The Now What Pod to share her story of living with chronic pain. Afshin began experiencing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as a teenager, but learned to mask her suffering after years of being dismissed by doctors. She talks about the impact pain has had on her relationship, daily life with pain, and her service dog. Topics Discussed:…

The wonderful, Nadia George, joins The Now What Pod to share about childhood trauma. She shares her story of growing up in a dysfunctional family, with a father who was in and out of jail, and being failed by the child welfare system until she eventually left home at 15 years old. Topics Discussed: Life Update with Jen and Tesha Introduction to Nad…

Lisa Hicks joins us on The Now What Pod to talk about finding happiness and success as a queer, quirky, and neurodivergent adult. In this episode, she walks us through the self-discovery journey that led to her accepting what her ADHD diagnosis actually means, learning to focus on what happiness is to her, and eventually coming out as bisexual. Top…

Jess Buchanan was held hostage for 93 days in Somalia, before being rescued by Seal Team Six. In this episode of The Now What Podcast, she sits down with Jen and Tesha to talk about her kidnapping and time as a hostage. Jess B explores the ways that she kept hope alive until she was rescued, how she will never again be the person she was before, an…

CW: suicide Sneha, of the MindMatters Podcast, talks to us about the sudden death of her older brother when she was only 16 years old. As a teenager, living in a culture where mental health is taboo, Sneha was forced to seek professional help while hiding the truth from her family. She details how this loss shook her entire understanding of death a…

Amber, a model citizen, went to federal prison for sending an email. This week, she joins Jen and Tesha to share her story. We talk about her arrest, conviction, prison life, and life after incarceration. Amber is on a mission to destigmatize and humanize “felons”. Topics Discussed: (0:00) Intro: Jen and Tesha talk about applying for passports. (7:…

Jen and Tesha chat with Krista O’Reilly-Davi-Digui about the tragic loss of her son to suicide/severe depression. The episode includes a lengthy conversation about the importance of community, and learning how to support others through difficult times. Krista shares an uplifting message about learning to allow joy to live alongside grief. Topics Di…

Jen and Tesha chat with Morgan Flores about her decision to leave the Mormon. She describes what it was like growing up in the Mormon church, and the ways in which the church placed demands on every aspect of her life. Morgan not only describes her decision to leave the church, but also explains the freedom that she has felt since leaving. Topics D…

Jen and Tesha sit down with Michelle and Rachelle from Being Here Human to talk about Grief. What is grief really? How does it manifest? How do we support those who are grieving? And what could we be doing better as a society? Topics Discussed: Introductions: Jen and Tesha talk about what they’ve been binge watching on TV. What is Grief? Grief is n…

We're back! Here's a teaser for what you can expect from Jen & Tesha in Season 2. www.nowwhatpod.com Support our drive to upgrade our audio equipment Buy Us a Coffee Patreon - and access special episodes and content Want to be a guest on the show? Email: nowwhat.podcast.info@gmail.com Instagram: @nowwhat_podcast Facebook: nowwhat.pod.community…

Jen and Tesha reminisce about Season 1. From where this podcast began to where it is now, 35 episodes later. We talk about what we’ve learned along the way, how we’ve felt, what we hope our guests are taking away from these stories, and what we are going to do with our time off. www.nowwhatpod.com Support our drive to upgrade our audio equipment Bu…

CW: graphic violence, domestic abuse In our most graphic story to date, Chelsey opens up about the night that she was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, and survived an attempted murder. The tables quickly turned when she found herself in jail up against second-degree murder charges for his death. One year after the incident, Chelsey opens up about the …

Nikieta joins us to talk about growing up with a Narcissistic mother. Nikieta tells us about her childhood and what it was like growing up with one narcissistic parent and one loving parent. By the time that she was in middle school, she had started figuring out that her mother wasn’t like other moms. As an adult, she suffered from both anxiety and…

CW: mention of sexual abuse and domestic violence We chat with Amy about her recovery from Sex and Love Addiction. Amy walks us through how childhood trauma affected her, and resulted in her desire to be loved at any cost. She shares what life was like being in active Sex and Love addiction, and when she knew something had to change. Amy teaches us…

CW: Eating Disorder Jess came to tell us that it's okay to be fat. We chatted this week, with Jess Sims, a radical self-acceptance, and body neutrality advocate. Jess spent a good portion of her life dieting before deciding one day that she was never going to diet another day in her life, and began unpacking diet culture. Jess is honest and open in…

CW: Eating Disorder In this episode, we talk to @curvyknockout, Mandy Reilly. She shares her story of battling disordered eating since childhood. Mandy remembers the first time she was ever called fat and the impact it had on her. She attended weight loss programs as a child, and later developed bulimia. Mandy takes us through the ups and downs of …

In this episode, Jenn shares her story of having a heart-attack completely out of the blue at 38 years old. This event challenged her beliefs, as a postpartum fitness coach, that she could be healthy at any size. Jenn struggled with feelings of shame about her body, and fought the urge to change everything about her lifestyle, while dealing with a …

TW: Eating Disorders, Weight Loss Liz shares her story of living with disordered eating. From where it all began, to restricting her caloric intake, abusing laxatives, and intense exercise, Liz’s account is honest and intimate. We include discussions around raising children in a society that celebrates thinness, getting help, and supporting loved o…

Emma has been on a self-help journey since she experienced burnout working Internationally in the non-profit sector. Listen as we talk with Emma, about her rock bottom moment, the self-help tools she has found useful, the decision to become a life coach and certified hypnotist. We also have a lengthy decision about negative self-talk, where it come…

Allison suffered a traumatic brain injury with life-altering effects. She walks us through her story from the injury through coming to terms with her new ability levels, to now thriving in her work as a career coach. We discuss what it means to have an invisible disability, women in the workplace, learning to set boundaries, and so much more. Topic…

Mary is an adoptee who spent over a decade searching for her biological family. She would eventually connect with her biological mother, but it was not the reunion she had hoped for. Then, Mary received a text message that would change the course of their relationship, and Mary’s world. She shares what it is like growing up adopted, questioning her…

Andrea was a teenage mother to two very young children when she was widowed at 20 years old. She shares her story of dealing with both grief and an ongoing police investigation, struggling to make ends meet, and sorting through her partner’s belongings years after his death. She describes herself as living tax refund to tax refund, and never feelin…

CW: Infant Loss Episode Description: Frannie, an English expat, discovered within weeks of moving to Canada that she would need to terminate her first pregnancy due to medical complications. From there, Frannie’s journey to define herself and find her purpose has taken many turns. We discuss how she is navigating the pandemic with 3 kids under 4 ye…

CW: Sexual Assault, Drug Abuse Episode Description: Ana shares the story of how she decided to change her life using small tangible steps after years of struggling following an 18 month deployment in Iraq. Ana talks about the effect that PTSD had on her and her relationships, the dissolution of her first marriage, a second marriage to someone in ac…

CW: Pregnancy Loss This week, we chat with Michelle, co-host of the “I Did Not Sign Up For This” Podcast, mother of 5, and widow. Michelle tells us about how she and her husband met, their beautiful life together, and how she is coping and raising 5 children alone after his death. Topics Discussed: (3:45) Their Beginning: Michelle shares how she an…