From the Kitchen Table

🎙️ Today’s Conversation On the fifth anniversary of January 6th, I reflect on where I was that day, what it felt like to witness an attempted overthrow of the U.S. government in real time, and how naïve I was to think things couldn’t get worse. Spoiler alert: it can and it will, specifically the U.S. military escalation in Venezuela, the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and why oil (not drugs) is the re...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation To open 2026, I step back from the headlines and into something more personal. After multiple false starts recording this episode, I landed on the three internal priorities I want to center this year: letting go, being accountable, and asking for help—and how each one is reshaping the way I move through my work, relationships, and community. 🧭 The Three Priorities I’m Carr...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation IS THIS REAL LIFE?!?! As a Purdue fan, it pains me to say that Indiana sports history was made last night, but not by my Boilers. The Indiana Hoosiers checks notes football team(?!) dominated the Crimson Tide of Alabama 38–3 in the Rose Bowl, moving one step closer to a national championship. What does it mean!? I get into it. I also wrap up part four of my conversation wit...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YA! It’s the first Morning Show of 2026, and I have way too much to say already about a thing I’m trying to do more of (spoiler alert: it’s asking for help). It’s also Part Three of my conversation with IPS parent, educator, and ILEA Parent Advocate Tina Ahlgren . Today we’re focusing on how messaging around public education, charter schools, and “the data...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation IT’S NEW YEARS EVE!! I continue our week-long breakdown of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) and its final recommendations to the Indiana Statehouse. Today’s focus centers on why IPS Educator, Parent, and appointed ILEA Parent Advocate Tina Ahlgren cast the lone “no” vote and why that public dissent mattered. We dig into power, governance, representation, and...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation DID I NOT TELL YOU FRIDAY?! 😅 All this week we’ll be covering the fallout from the final Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) meeting. Today’s episode features the first part of my conversation with IPS parent, educator, friend, and ILEA Parent Advocate Tina Ahlgren, focusing on what the ILEA is, how it was formed, and how its rushed timeline shaped the recommendat...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I sit down at the table with Indiana State Representative Mitch Gore for a wide-ranging conversation about what government is supposed to be—and what happens when it loses touch with the people it serves. We talk about Mitch’s path from running a family bar to flipping one of Indiana’s most competitive districts, why listening to constituents still matters, and how recent r...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I couldn’t help but react to two stories that happened this week: South Korea’s announcement that it plans to end international adoption, and a viral holiday post from Indiana State Senator Chris Garten that says more about our political moment than it probably intended to. Featuring reflections on the power and importance of adoptee voices, the necessity of political accou...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation Three weeks?! Somehow, we returned to right here. And today, I’m revisiting my conversation with Sarah Silcox, specifically thinking through how AI, creativity, and the idea of a “frictionless” life shape culture and creative work. I”m also digging into Indiana being named the Washington Post ’s inaugural “State of the Year” for rejecting mid-decade redistricting, questioni...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I sit down with Sarah Silcox to talk about creativity, identity, and the whether or not artificial intelligence is taking over our lives. We cover a lot: from tea rituals and British TV to event-building, entrepreneurship, AI ethics, attention spans, and what it means to resist optimization culture while still trying to live a full, intentional life. 📚 Sarah’s Book Recomen...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation Today I’m joined by FTKT Morning Show correspondent Michael “Jerry” Zarick for a first-person follow-up on the final Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) meeting and its controversial recommendations for the future of public education in Indianapolis. We unpack what happened inside the room, how public comment was handled, what the proposed governance changes could...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation A sleeping toddler means a whispering podcaster (aka sorry for whispering lol). I drop some more thoughts on the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s (ILEA) ahead of their final vote and what its recommendations could mean for the future of Indianapolis Public Schools as they head to the Statehouse (spoiler alert: they voted 8-1 in favor against among other things, a dem...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation Today is all about one thing: the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) and its final meeting taking place tonight . I break down what the ILEA is, why it was created, and how its recommendations could fundamentally reshape public education in Indianapolis—and across Indiana—for years to come. 📍 What’s Happening Tonight (December 17) * Location: City-County Building...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I spend this morning reflecting on why this week’s episode ( 007 with Stretch Thalley !) felt like the kind of conversation I’m always chasing and what it means when dialogue feels honest instead of performative. I also discuss what our collective reactions to Indiana’s redistricting fight and the recent spate of gun violence reveal about power, responsibility, and who we’r...

🕯️ This Week’s Conversation: What makes someone a "good friend?" I sit down with Stretch Thalley for an honest (and often hilarious) conversation about friendship, authenticity, and what it really means to show up for people. Starting with everyday rituals and winding through community, growth, legacy, and listening, the episode centers on one core question: What actually makes someone a good frie...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation HEY D.C., TAKE A HIKE! It’s a glorious Friday and this morning I’m breaking down my state’s STUNNING mid-cycle redistricting defeat in the Senate — a 31–19 vote rejecting the proposed maps . I get into a few different things: the emotional release of the decision, some key moments from the testimony I saw, the online reaction from Hoosiers on Threads, and what this means he...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I break down a disturbing Indianapolis story: nearly 40 immigrants were denied the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony —despite completing every step of the process—reflecting a broader pattern of federal immigration intimidation and policy shifts targeting specific countries. I talk about what this means for immigrant communities here in Indiana, the risks faci...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation Today I dig deeper into two ongoing political stories in Indiana: the mid-cycle effort by Indiana Republicans to redraw the state’s congressional maps in a way that would dismantle the two remaining Democratic-held districts, and the quiet settlement of a lawsuit brought by Indiana officials seeking to verify the citizenship status of more than 600,000 Hoosier voters. I wal...

🎙️ Today’s Conversation I kick off the first full week of daily episodes with two big Indiana stories: IU’s historic Big Ten Championship win over Ohio State and the ongoing effort by Indiana Republicans to redraw congressional maps mid-cycle. I reflect on the stakes of IU winning a football national championship before Purdue wins one in basketball, as well as the political stakes of redistrictin...

Patrick sits down with Baby Ebony for a conversation that moves from coconut water and hydration to vulnerability, creativity, healing, and the evolution of Indianapolis music. They talk about artistic process, rebuilding after an Achilles injury, and what it means to create a community built on honesty, care, and raw expression. Check out Baby Ebony 🌸 Mentioned in this Episode Jean Dawson - Glim...

🕯️ This Week’s Conversation: Mid-Cycle Map Rigging with Sen. Andrea Hunley In this urgent conversation, Indiana State Senator Andrea Hunley breaks down the push to redraw Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle . We unpack what triggered this attempt, why it has more to do with DC politics than Hoosier interests, how gerrymandering works in practice, and what constituents can do right now to protec...

Out of the many revelations in the recently released report on Human Rights Violations in International Adoption from the Republic of Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, there’s been one I’ve allotted multiple sessions of reflection. Specifically this passage: Last week’s question of the week was: what is something you’ve lost through adoption ? One of the things I talked about in this ep...

In this episode, I sit down with community advocate and cyclist Jake Budler to dig into the growing pedestrian safety crisis in Indianapolis—starting with the fatality at College & Mass and expanding to the larger systemic issues impacting walkers, bikers, and neighbors across the city. We talk about the city’s limited response, why a grassroots coalition is organizing a Safe Streets protest on No...

Patrick sits down in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Alexandra Mann , founder of the Adoptee Film Festival , to talk about her journey from Hong Kong to Vancouver to New York—and how a letter from her birth mother inspired her to create a space for adoptees to see themselves represented on screen. Together, they discuss identity, ambition, community, and how turning pain into purpose can light the way f...