But Not All At Once

If you'll excuse the sniffles (pollen + big feelings), I'd love to chat without an opening theme song or organized outline. Maybe you've needed this too? I'm hopeful that we can right the ship, fix what's been broken, figure this whole mess out...but not all at once. And not without speaking and facing the truth.  Perhaps we'll be the pocket of big-hearted folks to do...

Welp, we're skipping the official relaunch and jumping right back into things thanks to highly-paid  professional athlete (and evidently in-demand graduation speaker) Harrison Butker. He’s got thoughts about your purpose, calling, vocation, life choices . . . and I have thoughts about THAT. If Travis Kelce weren't busy making heart eyes beside Lake Como with the woman Butker quotes only...

Welcome to 2023 and a metric ton of royal updates, flip-flopping opinions and journalistic analysis. Recently, royal-watching has been both a sociological study and a Rorschach test; what we see reveals much about us. If you haven't heard the in-depth walk-through of H&M's first three docuseries episodes, listen to The Doc Without Drama before pressing play here. (BTW, an additional...

After a sabbatical, we're back with a quick-turnaround episode dissecting the first three episodes of the Sussexes' Netflix documentary. Come back next week for a breakdown of the final three! We mix in a bit of history, context, caveats and perspective, but I anticipate a third episode will come post-documentary where we dive into the Queen's death and funeral; who's gotten ne...

Nothing about growing up is easy, whether you have kids or not. To be candid, my four children have done nothing but make clear how NOT grown up or prepared I am for the realities of life with children in 2022. Today, Meg and Mary Flo of Birds & Bees are here to save us. And maybe our sanity and a whole lot of face while they're at it! Every part of parenthood requires a deep bench and lo...

There aren’t words for today, just loosely connected thoughts and a deep, aching well of feelings. If you need a friend’s voice right now, here’s one. 💗 This episode was released earlier today on Patreon .  Thanks for being here, y'all! I'd love to hear from you at @ ButNotAllAtOnce on social media or via ButNotAllAtOnce.com .

Do women have hobbies? Do grown-ups know how to blow off steam? Is it possible to relax while both doing and NOT doing something? Let's dive in to what spring break could look like for grown-ups. Come back later this week for a meatier interview; in the meantime, let's imagine we've rented the largest beach house known to mankind and dedicated each room to a different fantastic acti...

It wasn't an announced break, but we WERE on a break - and now it's over. Delighted to catch back up with you about how I've been, how you've been, how the world has been (eep), what the royals are up to, and what we can expect in the months ahead. Have missed you, friends! Episodes mentioned: Margot Guy's Long Road to Motherhood Oprah's Sussex Interview The update to...

In the midst of a challenging season (say, facing your high school sweetheart's metastatic cancer diagnosis), it can be hard to see anything beyond the moment ahead. Envisioning the future, or even making it through the next step, can seem downright impossible. Megan Scherer knows that feeling well, and her family has used it to change the lives of others'. The Scherers' charity, Wo...

Here's an extra chat for you this week based on a through-line in my conversations this week. My colleagues and friends (and I) seem to be feeling, thinking, crying over, looking like and worrying about things that may resonate with you too. Listen first, and then have a cookie. Take a nap. Send someone else a chicken pot pie. Ask for a break. Cry all the tears. Punch some pillows. Give yours...

 In April 2019, Meredith Jaggard was fearless enough to join But Not All At Once as our first-ever guest. The podcast was just a concept then, and by pouring out her heart and her story, Meredith started it with a bang. Now she's back for more. Today we talk about the lives her words changed, an obituary I had to write, pandemic weight gain, modern marriage, and uprooting your whole life a se...

Brooke Turner's story may be But Not All At Once 's most downloaded episode ever - and for good reason. Describing herself as a "student of hope" despite unexpected widowhood and terminal cancer, Brooke shared words I revisit whenever I need a little perspective and a few hours with a friend. Today Brooke's sister, Liz, finishes her story with an update on the grieving, he...

Brooke Turner's story may be But Not All At Once 's most downloaded episode ever - and for good reason. Describing herself as a "student of hope" despite young, unexpected widowhood and a terminal cancer diagnosis, Brooke chose her words carefully and meant every one of them. It's a conversation I revisit when I need a few hours with a friend, and one of the great privileg...

Amber Michels, founder of The Peace of Mind Project and the forthcoming Lighthouse Effect, joins But Not All At Once to talk about women and work. Things you'll hear us touch on: -What is the Great Resignation, and why is it happening now? -"It isn't that complicated." Treating employees like humans, not machines, changes everything. -There's no such thing as a non-working...

In genuine irony, this episode was delayed a week after things did not in fact get easier. With both a new puppy and a new business , things felt flat-out wild. But we're back, and I'm reminding us all of what gets easier over time , just in case it's hard to imagine from deep in the trenches. If you saw my list on Instagram , you'll have a preview of what I mean. Parts of life...

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and today But Not All At Once dives into the story of Katie Alice Walker and her beautiful third baby, Jayne. Katie Alice walks us through the shock and grief of an unexpected diagnosis and the joy of meeting a child whose name has been spoken by an entire community in prayer. There's beauty to be found even in the uncertain, unforeseen and just plain...

Meredith Puckett joins But Not All At Once to answer listener questions about grief, loss, and the seemingly easy task of "feeling your feelings." It's everyone's go-to advice for women facing divorce, life change, loss, or parenting in a pandemic, but how exactly how do we do it? (For reference and as a caution for anyone who may need it, this episode includes general themes o...

September 27th is a day Anne's body remembers each year, even if her brain doesn't quite catch up to it. This bonus episode dives into grief, miscarriage, trauma, guilt when you don't feel grateful "enough," and why you don't have to be useful to be worthy. You can read more of these words at Anne's blog , from a previous lifetime, on the subject .  Thanks for be...

Mamie Morgan is a poet, educator and entrepreneur with an eye for design and a passion for accepting people as they are. Today she talks to But Not All At Once about finding grown-up love; the beauty of blooming late; grieving a parent; and building a life more beautiful (but quite different) than you imagined. You can read Mamie's poetry at mamiemorgan.com and visit Opal Bride in West Greenv...

Today's episode is a smorgasbord of topics requested by our little Instagram community . First up, the Murdaugh (pronounced "Murdock") murders right here in South Carolina. This is a tragic, complicated, ready-for-Netflix story. I recommend you dive into Mandy Matney's podcast to catch up on years of Lowcountry legal entanglements, unfortunate deaths and mysterious happenings....

Shakespeare wrote that "the course of true love never did run smooth." While they could apply to any facet of life, these words may encapsulate best the exhaustion and adventure of parenting. That's certainly the case for Tinsley Maness and her son, Hart . What started smoothly when her second child was born soon changed course, planting a desire to advocate not only for him, but al...

Sarah Shell spent three years in law school, passed the bar and began a promising legal career in a Savannah office with a river view. Something was missing, though... Today Sarah and I walk through her "non-linear" path to owning a floral design studio whose first dedicated space opened just before Covid hit. We talk about finding your path, starting over, and letting others take a chan...

When I came across Laura's TikTok content earlier this month, I knew she'd make the perfect podcast guest. As @thatdarnchat on social media, she puts words to the epidemic of exhaustion I've seen in friends and strangers alike over the years. You see it too: wives, mothers, and working women crumbling under the weight of invisible labor, unrealistic expectations, and unspoken hopes...

Suzy Dover spends her days guiding elementary schoolers through the ins and outs of technology, then comes home to do the same with her own children. One question the instructional technology coach answers more than any other is, "How do I keep my kids safe online?" In today's episode, we answer just that - and it starts at a far more foundational level than parental controls or sec...

One night can change everything. Abby Banks , this week's guest, put her healthy infant son to sleep, but the next morning, he was paralyzed. Without warning, a rare autoimmune disease attacked his spinal cord; there was no cure or road map for healing from his diagnosis, transverse myelitis, short of a miracle. Abby walks us through the life she envisioned for Wyatt, and the one her son has...