Second-Hand High

Send us Fan Mail Howdy-hey, and... hello! Here, together again, we’re at a gooood time to have a good time!   And nowadays, it's more important than ever to continue creating... it’s about literally putting the good we have to offer out into the world.  Fortunately, my guest Mary has some great ideas about how to bring that positive vision to life. She finds peace best by literally going back...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, howdy, and hello. It's been (checks watch) faaaaar too long since last we gathered together in the spirit of getting buzzed, baked, and blazed off the good will and good deeds of our fellow humans.  And are we ever in luck, because there are still plenty of good guys (and gals) still at large who deserve credit for their everyday heroics and community service. Perhaps no...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, howdy, and hello... y'all know the drill! Please welcome to the podcast, the founder of Anchored Project Solutions... India Miles! This Texas-based project manager focuses her high on a split second side-of-the-road act of kindness that touched her profoundly and reminded her of the importance of seeing the humanity in everyone. The organization she champions as part of...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, howdy, and hello, and... welcome back! I hope it's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder, because I've been gone, gone for far too long! What can I say? It's been a whirlwind of a year with a new job, new dog, and the same old life curveballs. Trying to stay afloat in a fast-paced world is a lot, I'm not gonna lie. I guess you could say I could us...

Send us Fan Mail Warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide and eating disorders. Please be mindful of your wellbeing while listening, and turn off or skip over parts that may be triggering. Second-Hand High. Episode six. You know the drill.  In this installment of the podcast, I had the delight of discussing life's highs and lows with Kennedy Sutton. She's, you guessed it, an es...

Send us Fan Mail High again! It's your highness and host Sweeney here, and today, I’m talking with Mr. Antoine Martin, a former high school drama classmate of mine. Nowadays, he’s a bona fide physicist, runner-in-training, and, thanks to his partner, an increasingly enthusiastic volunteer for a human services organization that is both his high and his cause.  So don’t change that channel (ok,...

Send us Fan Mail Well, high there! Welcome to episode four of, not the first, not the last, but… the SECOND-Hand High season! Joining us is my longtime friend, Bob Millsap. A career chameleon, loving father and husband, and exceptionally talented writer, Bob’s high centers on the lessons in perseverance he learned from his wife Shelly after she sustained a traumatic brain injury from a homemade so...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the third episode of the storied second season of the one, the only… Second-Hand High! This episode is especially exciting, as it marks my first-ever interview with someone I’ve never met before! Terry Bartley is a West Virginia resident, high school teacher, and a newly minted author! His high takes a look at how watching families receive a little Christmas magic has s...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready for lift off, because in the second episode of season two, we're talking with author of the Deception and Justice series, Kirsha Fox!  Her high unsurprisingly deals with the magic of sharing the love of the written word with others through TikTok, while her "Because it’s your Cause" highlights a well-deserving group that literally rocks. So strap in and pr...

Send us Fan Mail It’s great to be back after a long, refreshing hiatus, and now I’m ready to kick off season 2! In the premiere episode, I'm joined by Will Grove— a *Pennsylvania native, serious foodie, and my colleague at the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona. His high is a two-for-one, where he recounts how at a Phoenix-based museum, the kind treatment of the employees towards a young child...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, howdy, and… happy first-aversary to Second-Hand High, which turned a whole year old today, June 30th! I'm literally coming in at the 11th hour on the day of to provide this celebratory wrap-up episode for season 1. I couldn't be more proud of the guests I've had, the memories I've made, and my much-improved audio editing skills. Seriously... it's a ni...

Send us Fan Mail Hey, howdy, and... oh, you know the drill! For lucky episode #13, my guest is a high school friend from France with whom I recently reconnected via social media. Amandine and I not only shared many AP classes, but a love of nerding out over marching band and all things Lord of the Rings! In the interval between high school and adulthood, Amandine has not only returned to France an...

Send us Fan Mail To quote a beloved first lady, when the haters go low... we get high! Pretty sure that's verbatim... Speaking of bait, I have no shame dangling some in front of you-- get ready for an ah-mazing episode! Join me as I interview my nemesis-turned best friend-turned reluctant stepsister-to current half sister Dusti Poague (whew)! If she had a motto, it would be "Must love do...

Send us Fan Mail Cheers to the New Year, and the new highs that will accompany it! Starting us off strong, our first guest of 2022 will forever be "Lund" to me from our church mission days, but she's now more commonly known as Rebekah Lund Hiatt. Her high involves the non-profit, the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network, where she works as an attorney. When a new colleague first...

Send us Fan Mail Hold onto your hats, because we're officially back after a brief hiatus! Episode ten features Elena Joy Thurston, an inspirational LGBTQ+ speaker, trainer, and founder of the nonprofit Pride and Joy Foundation. Elena lost her marriage, her church, and her community when she came out as a lesbian, leaving this mother of four no choice but to find herself, her voice, and her pl...

Send us Fan Mail ***Full disclosure: this episode's high discusses faith transitions and religious themes that may be sensitive to some listeners. Please listen at your own discretion.  Get ready, because this episode featuring my fake frenemy Clark Graham is much like a chocolate-covered pretzel-- a little bit salty, a little bit sweet.   Eir's feel-good moments stem from seeing loved o...

Send us Fan Mail Care to be inspired? Then you've caught us at the right time to have a good time! This episode's guest, Hannah Issacs's, is a former teacher-in-the trenches friend of mine who is from Philly, but now lives somewhere substantially less chilly.  Her high comes courtesy of her step-dad Bob. What about Bob? He's just the kind of guy who will drive out of his way to...

Send us Fan Mail It's (probably) not what you think... Crotch is actually a person, who happens to be my best friend from college and the very definition of an entrepreneur. Her highs for this episode include her father's  hugely generous gesture to a single mother with a large family, as well as a religious leader who put his money where his heart is to help a college student in his con...

Send us Fan Mail The highs keep coming six by six hurrah, hurrah! And if you're lucky, you might learn a few tricks, courtesy of this episode's guest, Nick Ramos, a former roommate and current friend of mine. Journey with us as he describes a work superior who wears her bravery on her sleeve, and taught him to not be so quick to judge a person by their peppiness. We'll also hear how...

Send us Fan Mail Shall we begin? Yes, let's! My oldest cousin Sarah Konold recounts how her mom, my aunt, overcame childhood trauma to become an amazing mother to her and her brother, as well as a trusted youth mentor. Due to her mom's sterling example, Sarah is currently in school to earn her psychology degree and work with kids in foster care. Get ready. Get set. Get high! Want to shar...

Send us Fan Mail She may have bore me, but she rarely bores me... I'm keeping it in the family for this episode, and am mostly pleased to introduce my guest... my one and only mother, Connie Sweeney!  She has not one, but TWO stories (and some tangents in between), about observing the charitable acts of fellow church-goers that continue to inspire how she serves others to this day. These tale...

Send us Fan Mail On this, the third episode of Second-Hand High, I'm joined by Patricia Mejia, who may be my most bizarre-ever friend connection. Never underestimate the power of karaoke and sushi! If you want to inhale the feel-good fumes of a great story, you're in the right place—Patricia, who was born in the Philippines, shares how her parents' work ethic and incredible generosi...

Send us Fan Mail On this, the second episode of Second-Hand High, I'm joined for my very first interview-style podcast episode by my husband, I mean, guest, Arthur Sweeney-Lawson! Listen as this aspiring web developer and newly minted father recounts how his aunt's inspiring act of goodwill during the Bosnian War has stuck with him all these years later, helping him view others beyond th...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the inaugural episode of my podcast! Second-Hand High started as the wisps of an idea two years ago when my husband and I were out walking our dog around our apartment building and ran head first into a pungent cloud of marijuana smoke. I just had to wonder... is a 'contact high real?' Spoiler alert: yes. It also made me think of the good feels we all get when...