Coffee in the Corral

Marriage? This week, I took some time to unpack my thoughts on Nate and me recently celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary. I believe that the marriage contract, as a legal relationship, has some major flaws. Mostly because our society worships couples who have been married for many years. I am not against people who are in love and end up staying together for a lifetime. But I am against this i...

This week, I am honored to interview such a brilliant and wildly delightful human!  Bridge is not only a successful, highly knowledgeable therapist; they are also an important part of the queer community, constantly offering value, support, and experience-driven guidance.  Bridge brings some very interesting, thought-provoking conversation to the table today as they share about their own self-disc...

If you are in the overwhelming throes of raising teens, this episode is for you.  However, even if you are not raising teens, the exercise I demonstrate today is a wonderful tool that can be used to recenter and ground yourself during any difficult season of life. Being a parent has been kicking my ass lately. If I am not intentional, I end up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and seriously doubtin...

This week I share a story of my recent trip to a friend's wedding and my experience of seeing some of the cult members again. I spent months preparing to attend this event. I was determined to change my brain and be a whole different person than the old village "Abby". It's never too late to let go of the old you and create whoever you want to be! Join me today to hear how my tri...

This week you’re in for a real treat! My 18-year-old daughter, Tanaya, joins me to share 18 things she has learned over her lifetime so far. This conversation is not only packed with sheer delight and joy, but it is also infused with important life lessons and deep wisdom. I think we can all learn from this engaging, enlightening conversation. Tanaya touches on people-pleasing, awkward moments, pe...

Join me this week as my partner Jenna and I talk about our recent trip to the Indiewood Film Festival! Our adventure includes: - How we got a personal invite to the festival - The roach invasion - Why Jenna ended up on the phone for 4 hours - How Tanaya worked the crowd like a pro - Nate's almost emergency visit to the ER - Our new favorite way to have hard conversations - The incredible gift...

Tired of trying to find the reason for shit that happens in your life? Me too. This episode is my raw take on our recent loss. The pain is still painful. My head is still spinning a bit as I wrestle a lot of big feelings. Is life a game to figure out? Is there really a reason for everything that happens? Why do some things work out and then other parts of life feel like a cruel joke? I have a lot...

This week I am deeply honored and super stoked to have the lovely Jen Johnmeyer on to share her life story. Jen is not only a talented writer, she is also a mother, wife, and beautiful student of life. Though her story is woven with pain and hardship, her journey has led her to find deep healing, meaning, and gratitude that has projected her into her best life yet.  Jen’s story reminds us it’s nev...

This week, I am super excited to officially launch my rebranding of this podcast as “Out With The Old, In With The You!” Shout out to Faith Lee for her badass podcast cover design! Today we kick the celebration off with an empowering discussion about how we can learn to work through our trauma triggers. Yes, it’s actually possible! With the advice from Michael A. Singer and his incredible book, “T...

Have you ever experienced watching a cat come back to life? Well, we did. And in today’s episode, my daughter Avriella shares our incredible cat story.  After bad luck with the last two cats she has owned, Avriella was prepared for another tragedy. But what could have been a very traumatic ending, was miraculously turned around in a very unexpected way. Apparently manifesting works. Listen in to h...

Life is full of unpredictable events. Hell, just living life is a dangerous undertaking! We all know what it feels like to have our day ruined by frustrating, unexpected issues.  The unfortunate news is that life will continue to “life” and things will continue to go “wrong”.  The GOOD news is that these events do not have to dictate how we feel nor do they have to ruin our day! We still have lots...

Are you tired of riding the roller coaster of life’s uncontrollable events?  Do you feel exhausted from constantly trying to calm the storm? Does the thought of living a peaceful life feel out of reach? Today, I'm sharing an incredible book that has been changing my life in big ways. In his book, “The Untethered Soul”, Michael A. Singer unpacks the secret to achieving this unshakeable inner pe...

Special episode this week! Be the first to hear my new book read aloud! Today I share about my recent trip to visit my sister and her kids and how this experience inspired me to write my first children's book. Evolving is beautiful work, but it is also hard work and sometimes scary as fuck. Learning to honor our transformation by opening up to those we love can feel risky. Join me today as I s...

Oh my gosh I am so excited for this conversation! Katy Henson is not only an ISA Certified Arborist and Certified Forager, but she is also one of the most delightful humans I have ever met! Katy shares with us today: - How nature became her safe place as a child - What humans did thousands of years ago to coexist with nature - Why creating habitat is so important - Simple things we can do today to...

This week I am celebrating two very important milestones: The accomplishment of reaching podcast episode 200 and how it all got started four years ago… My film, From Cult to Queer, has been invited to a live screening this September at the Indiewood Film Festival Hollywood in LA!! Wait till you hear what theater it’s going to be playing at! I biked nearly twenty miles in the blazing heat today to...

I am so incredibly excited to share this conversation with you! I had the honor of reconnecting with a dear friend last week and getting to hear all that she has learned and is learning in her life, post growing up in the same cult that I grew up in. Janelle is not only just a fucking blast to talk to, but she is also extremely intelligent. In this episode she shares her newfound passion for &quot...

I turned 43 this week - and you know what? Every year just keeps getting better. Today, I talk about the incredible birthday I had with my family and how I have decided to view aging. In a world that does it’s best to make us terrified of getting older, I am determined to rewrite those toxic messages. Anyone who is familiar with Dr. Ellen J. Langer knows that her work has proven over and over agai...

In a world that is brimming over with extensive research, excellent advice, and endless knowledge at our fingertips, it can feel overwhelming learning to incorporate and “do” all the things. Today, I will boil it down to three simple steps you can take that have the potential to truly change how you feel, how you think, and how you respond. I also talk about: Playing the “What if” game from a diff...

Instant Stress Hack - a conversation with my girls! #196 This week is a special episode brought to you from the front seat of our truck! My two daughters, Tanaya and Avriella, join me today in a thought-provoking conversation about some cool things I am learning from Dr. Ellen Langer. I just love talking with my girls. Not only is it an absolute blast, but I also always appreciate their perspectiv...

Overflowing with gratitude today as I share my recent accomplishment for my film, From Cult to Queer!! Over a year ago, I hobbled into the office of my friend and film director, Taylor Brown, with crutches to begin telling my story. In the midst of recovering from a motorcycle wreck, I took the leap to start making a film about my life. I was terrified, shaky, and fearful that it would all be too...

Are you an all-or-nothing person like me?  If so, this episode is for you. It’s for me. It’s for all of us who grew up being told that our worth comes from what we can accomplish.  I have lived my whole life giving one hundred and ten percent. Sometimes, it was great, but more often than not, it was detrimental to my health in a myriad of ways.  Who knew that a workout program designed specificall...

Happy Pride Month, my lovely community!! I am so fucking grateful to be sharing today about my own queer journey and the things I am learning in this beautiful season! I talk about: What I believe that Pride is all about My current struggle of feeling judgmental towards the other side now How I want to treat all of humanity The need for diversity in ALL humans My journey to discovering my queernes...

Today I am joined by my lovely partner, Jenna, as we discuss our recent trip and how it reminded us that we need to keep finding ways to rejuvenate our lives. At the start of this episode, Zelle seemed strongly determined to sabotage our session, and despite our many efforts, she stuck around to keep us on our toes. ;) Gotta love those animals! It's so easy to go through life, get stuck moving...

Have you ever had a bad feeling about something but excused it away for one reason or another and then ended up very much regretting it? Yeah. Me too. Today I share my recent, unfortunate visit to a new dentist. What I thought was going to be a checkup and possible cavity filling turned into a horrible experience that I am still currently suffering from. My body knew. From the beginning. But I rea...

This episode isn’t what I planned it to be. But that’s the way life is sometimes, I reckon. What was supposed to be a fun, substitute job at a new building ended up being me taking over ISS (in-school suspension) for the day.  Before this week, I had never done ISS, and yes, that was on purpose. I never want to be known to my students as an authority figure who enforces shame and strict laws on th...