On the Table with Ashley

Dinner parties are on the table! On the third episode of our Food & Connection series, we are joined by Katy Syme. After spending more than 13 years working in fashion, Katy traveled extensively and explored countless cuisines, deepening her love of food, hospitality, and bringing people together. In 2023, she founded Symeski Made Dinner, a supper club created to connect strangers over family-...

Today, we have an abbreviated bonus re-release of our episode with Dr. Hoby Wedler. On the table today we have a conversation at the intersection of organic chemistry, design excellence, food and the curious joys and complexities of moving through the world as a non-sighted person. Dr. Hoby Wedler received his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 2016 from UC Davis and has since started many businesses, in...

Preserving the Family Meal is on the Table Today! On the second episode of our Food and Connection Series , we are joined by Dr. Ken Albala. Ken Albala is a Tully Knoles Endowed Professor of History at the University of the Pacific, where he received the Distinguished Faculty Award for 2023. He has published 29 books on food including academic monographs, single subject food histories, cookbooks,...

Smell is on the table today! For the inaugural episode of our Food and Connection series, we are joined by Rachel Herz, Ph. D.  Rachel Herz, Ph. D. is a neuroscientist and world leading expert on the psychological science of smell. She has been conducting research on the senses of smell and taste, emotion, motivated behavior and cognition since 1990. Dr. Herz. has been on the faculty at Brown Univ...

Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode with Ann Martin and Emily Schum Terry of Get Organized. In this episode we’re joined by Ann Martin and Emily Schum Terry of lifestyle organization service “Get Organized”. Ann and Emily work with clients to evaluate, simplify and develop sustainable organizing solutions for their lives and homes. Whether it be preparing a home for the...

Chevra Kadisha is On the Table Today.  For the final episode of our Death Rituals series, we’re joined by death educator Gail Rubin. Gail Rubin is an American author, speaker, and Certified Thanatologist known for helping people have more open, less intimidating conversations about death and end-of-life planning. Often called “The Doyenne of Death,” she uses humor, films, and practical tools to ma...

For the sixth episode of our death rituals series, we are joined by Todd Harra. Todd is the co-author of the Amazon bestselling books Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt and Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid , as well as the Clip Undertaker Mystery Series. More recently, he authored the funeral history book Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral . Todd works f...

Death Technology is on the table today! For the fifth episode in our Death Rituals series, we are joined by John Troyer. John Troyer is a leading scholar in the field of death studies and a former director of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. Growing up in a family funeral business, his work explores how technology, culture, and policy shape the ways societies understand...

Memorial Ink is on the table today!  In this episode of our Death Rituals series, Ashley speaks with tattoo artist Paul Cutler, founder of Bubblegum Ink Tattoo Shop, about the deeply personal process of creating ashes-infused tattoos. Bubblegum Ink is a tattoo studio in Cheshire, UK, specializing in deeply personal memorial tattoos, including ashes‑infused tattoos that incorporate cremated remains...

Olvera Street is on the Table Today! Today we are joined by Christina Mariscal Pasten. As the daughter of merchants herself, Christina is a founding board member of The Olvera Street Merchants Association. Olvera Street is a historical street in Los Angeles, which served as the center of Spanish and Mexican life in the early 1900s. The merchants on Olvera Street have been celebrating Dia De Los Mu...

Secular Funerals are on the table today! For the third episode of our Death Rituals Series, we are joined by Blake Hutchings. Blake Hutchings is a Humanist Celebrant accredited by Humanists UK. He creates non-religious ceremonies for weddings, funerals, and naming days, working closely with individuals and families to ensure each ceremony reflects their values, stories, and relationships. Outside...

Journeying through death and grief is on the table today! In part 2 of this 2 part conversation, we are once again joined by Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez. Genevieve is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning into the funeral profession. She’s now the President and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. Genevi...

Death rituals around the world are on the table today! In the first episode of our Death Rituals series, we are joined by Genevieve Keeney Vasquez for a conversation about death rituals, cultural practices, and the power of honoring the dead with intention. Genevieve Keeney Vazquez is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning...

Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode with Palliative care doctor, Dr. Alex Gamble. Dr. Gamble graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 2010, completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2015, and pursued his fellowship at the University of Kansas in 2016. He specializes in improving the quality of life for patients nearing th...

Nutrition is on the table today! For the final episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Nutritionist Joan Salge Blake. Dr. Salge Blake is a Clinical Professor and Dietetic Internship Director at Boston University (BU) and was awarded the prestigious Whitney Powers Excellence in Teaching Award from the University. Currently, Joan is a nutrition blogger for US News & World Report’s Eat +...

In the seventh episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Autumn Bear and Dr. Kelly Woodward. Autumn Bear is the founder of the Autumn Bear Wellness Collective , a space where modern medicine meets ancient healing. Trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Autumn blends traditional medicine and spirituality to guide people toward deeper wellness and self-connection. Autumn holds a Master...

Send us a text Sleep and Simple Movement is on the Table today!  In the sixth episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Autumn Bear and Dr. Kelly Woodward.  Autumn Bear is the founder of the Autumn Bear Wellness Collective , a space where modern medicine meets ancient healing. Trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Autumn blends traditional medicine and spirituality to guide people to...

Send us a text Wellness for Midlife Women is on the table today! For the fifth episode of our Wellness Series, we are joined by Linsly Donnelly. Linsly Donnelly is a Mindset and Longevity Coach, Board Executive, and Motivational Speaker. As a strategy consultant turned entrepreneur turned “citizen scientist”, she became inspired to partner with midlife women with a simple goal: Help midlife women...

Send us a text Holistic Psychology is on the table today! In the fourth episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Psychiatrist, Dr. Rinat Tal. Dr. Tal’s connection to mental health began in childhood, shaped by her ancestors’ experiences as Holocaust survivors. Growing up in this environment fueled her desire to understand both herself and those around her on a deeper level. Dr. Tal’s work...

Send us a text Natural fertility is on the table today!  In episode 3 of our wellness series, we are joined by Natalie Crawford, MD. Dr. Natalie Crawford is a double board-certified fertility specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility. She is the co-founder of Fora Fertility in Austin and Pinnacle, a leadership community for women in medicine. Dr. Cr...

Send us a text Strengthening the mind and body is on the table today! In the second episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Cara Baxter, P.T. Cara is the owner of Motion Physical Therapy in Park City, Utah, and the former head physical therapist for the 2018 Olympic Freeski Halfpipe Team. She has worked with rehabbing athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, United States Figure Skating, and Unit...

Send us a text Breathwork as Medicine is on the table today! In the inaugural episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Dr. Amit Anand, a distinguished Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine physician based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 27 years of experience in his field, Dr. Anand integrates traditional medical practices with ancient yogic breathing techniques to promote holis...

Send us a text Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode on clean living with Dana Grinnell on the table. You can listen to the full episode here. Dana Grinnell is the founder of Free Living Co, an educational platform and shop dedicated to helping people lead healthier lifestyles by providing accessible strategies and products for replacing harmful chemicals in homes across t...

Send us a text Reading Overseas is on the table today! In the final episode of our Book Club mini-series, we’re joined by voracious reader and book club veteran Linda Buday. Linda shares what it was like to be part of a book club while living in Switzerland, an experience that deepened her commitment not only to reading but also to community. She walks us through her long lineage of book clubs, st...

Send us a text A lifetime of reading is on the table today!  In episode 2 of our book club mini-series, Ashley sits down with Nan Williamson - a lifelong reader and book club veteran who has co-founded two long-running book clubs over the years. Nan opens up about her journey from a child with undiagnosed ADHD and difficulty focusing to a voracious reader and community-builder through books. Toget...