The Open Nesters

Micro-Bursts of Connections with Laura Silverstein (Season 3 | Episode 111) [TESSA] What fun to have Laura Silverstein on our show this week! Laura is a recognized thought leader in the field of relationship wellness, sought out for her expert advice from media outlets such as The New York Times and The Today Show . Author of Amazon Best Seller, Love Is an Action Verb , she is one of today’s...

What’s Tik Tok Got to Do With It? with Mel the Podcaster and Maryjane Fahey from Glorious Broads (Season 3 | Episode 110) [TESSA] Love, Relationships, Sex in a Rapidly Changing World I bring to you today two women who are open about their lives – from all angles. How to handle children who are finding themselves (politically, professionally, emotionally). How to understand and dea...

How to Slow Down with Carl Honore (Season 3 | Episode 109) [TESSA] Magical Time? Magical Times? The children are adults. They are not yet in long-term relationships. They live away from home. They may return home for stretches of time. Our guest this week, Carl Honoré, describes this time as magical. When children and parents become peers. Politics, lifestyles, career paths… it is a tim...

Polysecure with Jessica Fern (Season 3 | Episode 108) [TESSA] What is a “polysecure” relationship like? Is there trauma (from childhood or adulthood) that can stand in the way of the “secure” poly relationship? What if one of the partners wants to pull back, keeping their partner at arm’s length? How do you deal with a “flight response” from one of th...

The Friendship Series: Our Recap and Conclusion with Tessa and Amir (Season 3 | Episode 107) [TESSA & AMIR| Amir and I wrap up this series with joy – we bring our series to a close with so so many resources for you. Books, articles, podcasts. We’re very proud of our mini-series on friendship, and in particular, this specific episode. We Start with a Quote “I’v...

Magic and Mutuality with Jonathan Pillot (Season 3 | Episode 106) [TESSA] Friendships can be family. Jonathan Pillot is such an eloquent speaker and true intellectual on many topics, including the topic of friendship. Jonathan and I met on a dating app. And we found that we have very deep soulful connection. It is such fun to have Jonathan on the podcast for a second time. To listen to our fi...

Men Take Down Your Armor with Carl Honoré (Season 3 | Episode 105) [TESSA] The Friendship Series. Ahhhh… all is right in the world! Truly. “Why?,” you ask. Well, I have a VERY good answer to that one… because my friend (and man I admire so so much) is back on the show. Our first show with Carl Honoré in season one was a true highlight and listener favorite. We began ou...

Pride and Community in Black and Brown Spaces hosted by Yarel (Season 3 | Episode 104) [TESSA] The Friendship Series Continues. Our first guest host, Yarel, brings us a new set of friends and ideas. She is joined on this panel discussion by Yndia Lorick-Wilmot, Jessica Filion, and Melvin Pullen. Yarel is from Lawrence, MA (which today is the second-largest Dominican community in the USA). Her...

Mutual Admiration & Bond = Friendship with Shari Leid (Season 3 | Episode 103) [TESSA] The Friendship Series Continues. This just feels right! It’s like the world pointed me in the right direction in late 2022 when I was inspired to focus on friendship in 2023. That directed to some obvious (and simply joyous) conversations as you have already heard in our first few episodes. And &#...

We Knew Each Other When with Tessa, Denise and Shira (Season 3 | Episode 102) [TESSA] How often have you had a chance to sit with your very very best life-long friends and discuss the how’s and why’s and what’s of your friendship? If you did, do you think you and your friends could find the words to do justice to your deep connections with these precious men and women? It&#8...

Spiritual Soulful Connections with Esther Russell, Lynnea Brinkerhoff, Sara Levine (Season 3 | Episode 101) [TESSA] Dear friends. Insightful women. Sara, Esther, Lynnea are our guests this week. Exploring the spiritual and the soul of dear friendships. SPIRITUAL SOULFUL CONNECTIONS Lynnea Rinkerhoff is an interfaith minister and executive coach. Esther Russell is an Akashic Record reader and...

Don’t Postpone Joy with Joyce Saltman (Season 3 | Episode 100) [TESSA] Joyce is back! That funny lady with so much insight was a guest in 2022. And that humorous episode has become a listener favorite. For 2023, Joyce is just right for our first guest in our new Friendship Series. Joyce Saltman is a Professor Emeritus of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University in New...

Introducing Our Friendship Series with Tessa (Season 3 | Episode 99) [TESSA] Today is a big day. In addition to marking my 61st birthday, this is the day that The Open Nesters launches a new initiative that will dominate the winter of 2023. As you may have heard in our end-of-year podcast we are turning our attention to all aspects of Friendship. Today we launch The Friendship Series on The O...

The Open Nesters | Coming Up Season 3 with Tessa and Amir (Season 2 | Episode 98) [TESSA] Oh, what we have planned for you! Of course, we will dive deeper into familiar territory in 2023. More Hobbies & New Ventures. Sex, Love & Alternative Lifestyles. Soulful & Spiritual. Travel & Adventure. Adult Children & Us. Health & Aging. Yet… we have so much that is...

The Open Nesters Season 2 Review with Tessa and Amir (Season 2 | Episode 97) [TESSA] So so pleased — to review our work this year. Hard to believe that we are at the end of a second season. 52 fabulous episodes. Yay us!!! We leaf through the categories that our podcasts fall under in this brief chat. And you can drill down by category too, but clicking on the category that interests you...

Progressive Love and Communication (Part 2) with Kenya and Carl Stevens (Season 2 | Episode 96) [TESSA] In Carl’s words: One of the major things that Kenya was focused on was the freedom of women: to express themselves sexually in the ways that they desire to, without being judged by the ways of society. We studied things like Tantra and Sacred Sexuality. That pushed us into the ‘...

Progressive Love and Communication (Part 1) with Kenya and Carl Stevens (Season 2 | Episode 95) [TESSA] Kenya and Carl Stevens have appeared in major media. They have great insight into up-leveling our communication. While they are a poly couple, the lessons they teach are applicable to us all. They have created something really special with their Progressive Love Academy. Their three childre...

Intuitive Living with C.c.elaine (Season 2 | Episode 94) [TESSA] Intuitive Living. C.c.elaine is such a delight, and is so soulful She understands dreams and intuition through the hard times. So you should really enjoy this interview. Our conversation brings me back to my days at The University of Florida with so many Georgian friends and that beautiful southern twang that is so soft and deli...

The Future is Female with Vicki Larson (Season 2 | Episode 93) [Tessa] Just as a new book hits the world and the media goes crazy for it… we have the author on The Open Nesters Podcast. This is our second visit with Vicki Larson. Vicki is a longtime award-winning journalist at a San Francisco Bay Area newspaper, author of Not Too Old for That: How Women are Changing the Story of Aging (...

50 Years of Polyamory The Goddess Wisdom of Madeleine Sklar (Season 2 | Episode 92) [Tessa] We have a woman of wisdom with us this week. And more than that: a woman of wisdom who opens up her heart to us. It is such an honor to witness the deep knowledge of a 79-year-old woman. I named this episode “Goddess Wisdom” for a reason, for she is not only wise about the ways of the world...

Divorce, Adult Kids, and Deep Self Discovery  (S2 | E91) with Dan Sivils (Season 2 | Episode 91) [Tessa] I met Dan at the Calling in Love retreat in Columbia this summer. We talk about Dan’s divorce, his status as an Open Nester, and his work as a divorce coach. A year post-divorce, Dan has a cool new life in St. Louis. He is building a new life socially and romantically… ear...

The Midlife Whisperer with Dr. Ellen Albertson (Season 2 | Episode 90) [Tessa] I am very excited to share this interview with you today with Dr. Ellen Albertson. Ellen is post-divorce with adult children. She is an Open Nester who is having the “time of her life,” even though she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully it is in remission! “Midlife can be challe...

Superheroes & Acts of Kindness with Mark Grashow (Season 2 | Episode 89) [Tessa] Mark’s life is an inspiration. And his stories from his life will touch your heart. Mark started a non-profit later in life that has most likely reached over a million people in need across the world. His mission in life has kept him vital, motivated, and full of fire. Born and bred in Brooklyn, a gradu...

The Universe is Waiting for Your Order with Esther Jones-Alley (Season 2 | Episode 88) [Tessa] Every so often I meet someone who’s life-experience simply amazes me. This is one of those cases. From the way, Esther raised her children to her near-death experiences I was so impressed. And Esther’s approach to life from a spiritual perspective is so refreshing. I am truly looking for...

Wise Women Panel on Sex and Aging Part Two Awakening, Accepting, Rejoicing (Season 2 | Episode 87) [Tessa] Our sixth entry in our episodes related to Sensuality, Sexuality and Aging Month on The Open Nesters Podcast. This is Part 2 of our Panel Discussion. This is our first-ever panel. We have collected four brilliant women to discuss sexuality, sensuality, and aging. I am so pleased to bring...