A Sassy Little Podcast with Sandra Ann Miller a.k.a. The Happyist

Norman Korpi is someone you just want to hug. He's smart and genuine, generous and open. We get to talk about: what a small world it was in the 90s, finding RuPaul, making $100 per ep, being gay on TV during the AIDS crisis, being a connector, "public" television, seeing the change, using fame and recognition positively, opening doors and putting up walls, equating being on TV with being rich and...

This ep marks the end of the first year of A Sassy Little Podcast for Getting Over It. Thanks so much for being a part of it! Much gratitude to all of the wonderful, smart, generous, kind and insightful guests we've had. This week, it's a solo ep with Sandra, talking about going it alone. That means more than walking away from a relationship, blazing your own trail or even standing up for yourself...

We are swimming in a swamp of mis- and disinformation. Dr. Caroline Orr Bueno (one of my favorite people on Smart Twitter) breaks it down for us. Misinformation vs. disinformation, coordinated efforts and bots, inauthentic activity, information disorder, holding social media companies responsible, Twitter's misinformation button, global reach of disinformation through the internet, social media co...

People are angry these days. And, with everything going on in the world, it's not a wonder folks are losing it. We talk with Dr. Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite about how we can feed anger, making that emotion more accessible, recognizing your anger and the anger of others, removing our rose-colored glasses, the definition of anger, anger is an energy but it's also exhausting, rampant injustices, anger...

Pelvic floor therapy isn't something we discuss. Maybe because many don't know it's an option for pelvic pain, incontinence, sexual dysfunction and other "down there" matters. Dr. Justine Roper, a pelvic floor physical therapist, joins us to talk about why more providers don't share this therapy with patience (hint: many don't know about it), going to an expert (not just your GP), shared decision-...

We recorded this episode shortly after Simone Biles took herself out of Olympic competition and, boy, the reaction she got from some people who were likely far from perfect. But we see her as perfect in what she does, and we project our hopes onto people like her, as if it's their responsibility to deliver for us. We need to shoot down the idea of "perfect" and the idea that you need to be perfect...

The term 'codependency' was born out of AA about friends and family who could hurt someone's recovery by "over-helping". Dr. Menije Boduryan-Turner talks with us about how codependence is found both in- and outside abuse, how the roles of family members in addiction play a part in codependency, how it comes out of all forms of abuse, we can find ourselves overly investing in a relationship (that's...

Naty Rico is a disability advocate and educator, and the coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center at the University of Arizona. She talks with us about what ableism is beyond the dictionary definition and how able-bodied people might not be aware of how they are complicit with it, how it's a system of oppression favoring able-bodied/-minded people, the definitions of ableism by Talila TL Lewi...

Amy Irvine (ep 006 Financial Fears) returns to the pod to talk about how we can avoid some of our financial foolishness by understanding how much our emotions are linked to our finances (whether we have it or not), realizing in the past year how we can scale back if we really need to (hello, lockdown), the psychology around wealth (having fun with it/spending 'til it's gone or hoarding it/worried...

Starting first as an online bookstore throwing great online events in September 2020, and opened their doors to a brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building on May 15th of this year,  still doing great online events. Mixing a love of literature and music, Kristin Enola Gilbert and Javier Ramirez followed their hearts and passion to open something truly special store. We ta...

Getting a trophy for everything is a nice gesture, but there's actual value in losing. Yes, really! And if you think you're always going to get an accolade for everything, you are going to be faced with a world of disappointment. Lisa Stephen, PhD, talks with us about developing coping skills, how failing is a part of the process of success, it's essential and there's no potential for growth witho...

We more or less met our most authentic selves during lockdown, when we couldn't see our hairdresser without risk. Once the world opened up, did you run back to coloring your hair, or did you decide to let your gray stay? We talk with Anne Kreamer who wrote the book on going gray (aptly titled GOING GRAY: HOW TO EMBRACE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF WITH GRACE AND STYLE), who talks about her experience and t...

Jackie Jones is a comedian, motivational thinker, roller-skater and hugger. JJ talks about the importance of being able to self-soothe, being OK with awkward silences, and acknowledging them. We also talk about reading in public; pumping yourself up; learning what works for you; shrinking the spectrum; Jedi mind-tricks, asserting (smiley) dominance; look to where your discomfort comes from; how an...

Interior designer, Anna Lobell, gives her insight on how to embrace your personal style by creating a space for yourself and an environment that will support and uplift you. The importance of knowing yourself and the courage to express yourself. Avoiding trends (like an all white room with a single cactus). The importance of being comfortable and happy in your space. Understanding compromise and p...

Writer Locke Hughes talks about her struggle with being on time, her experience with Diana DeLonzor's book, NEVER BE LATE AGAIN: 7 CURES FOR THE PUNCTUALLY CHALLENGED, the irony of being able to be on time for things you are excited about, being late so you don't "waste time" if you're early, the anxiety of waiting, giving up magical thinking and giving yourself more time, confronting the late peo...

Los Angeles has a homelessness crisis that has been going on for years. While politicians talk about solutions (we're looking at you, Eric Garcetti and Mike Bonin), Heidi Roberts and her husband decided to create one with Haaven Shared Housing. Since it opened in April 2018, they have taken 168 people off the streets (that's about 1 person per week) and have an 80% success rate (meaning people are...

With a PhD in Nutrition Science and Policy in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition & Exercise Physiology, Rachele Pojednic knows what she's talking about when it comes to the importance of exercise. With what she describes as "a real marketing problem," exercise is too often associated with weight loss, and physical activity is too important to miss because of bad PR. This episode is not meant to b...

Jeff Bezos got even richer during the pandemic because we were so reliant on online shopping, namely shopping with Amazon. It's time to spread that wealth by shopping directly with small online businesses and local stores. Cynthia Nielson is a seller on Amazon, which is necessary for small businesses to compete and find customers. Keep in mind that Amazon isn't like shopping at a retail store wher...

When you start to list your pet peeves, you learn that they are more or less infinite. Real-life friends Gia DeSantis (ep 005 Ageism) and Jasmine Milligan (ep 015 Clutter) return to share their current pet peeves, admit to what they are guilty of (including car theft?) and how the list that was supposed to be limited to 2 each keeps growing and growing to include: littering, what a dick Stephen Mi...

Inspired to open up the "classic" tool of the 5 love languages to be more inclusive, Anne wrote SPEAKING FROM THE HEART: 18 LANGUAGES FOR MODERN LOVE, illustrated to show what those languages may look like and what they don't. We talk about: Opening up to how we see relationships, especially platonic ones; giving and receiving love more easily and openly; asking yourself if you're holding back; sh...

In 2008, in a cloud forest in Madagascar, Ericka Lutz's husband, Bill, suddenly became ill and passed away hours later in front of her and their 16-year-old daughter. With that sudden loss, her world was upended, PTSD set in and then came people's judgments if she wasn't being the perfect widow. We talk about: How American's are terrible at dealing with loss/grief; how sudden loss reshapes you; lo...

Gloria Davis Browning is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, culinary school graduate, educator and advocate of Health at EVERY Size. We talk about how basic nutrition is pretty basic, how the latest food fads of Keto, Paleo and Intermittent Fasting aren't needed to keep ourselves healthy (the key to that is whole, natural foods prepared in a healthy, tasty way), that we shouldn't vilify vegetabl...

Julie Sedivy has a PhD in linguistics and had 5 languages under her belt by the time she was 5. Born in the Czechoslovakia and moving several times through many European countries, her family landed in Canada and slowly, English became the dominant language despite their Czech roots. Keeping a heritage language is difficult, and near impossible in a home where only one parent speaks that second la...

In America, home of the Super Big Gulp, living smaller isn't something we think of as a goal. To Laura Fenton, living smaller is a mindset more than the amount of square feet involved. We talk about pairing back to what is essential, how downsizing can be liberating, the cleverness of a studio space, playing an endless game of Tetris, accumulating things just because you have the space, living in...

Writer, wife and mother, Adele Paul remembers the day her life changed when suddenly, after getting a regular virus, her energy was gone.  Listen in as we talk about: waking up tired, setting two alarms vs not owning one, getting sick, being diagnosed (and excited about that), the difference between being tired, exhausted and fatigue, going to bed at 9:30, not getting over it, doctoring, not being...