Right in Front of My Face

For Pride Month, I am re-releasing the very first episode of Right in Front of My Face. The conversation that started it all, and the reason this podcast exists. I sat down with my cousin, Joe, to talk about what it was like growing up gay in conservative Spokane, Washington in the 1990s, at a time when being part of the LGBTQ community simply wasn't visible or accepted. Joe shares his personal co...

What if everything you thought you knew about the Menendez brothers was only half the story? In this season 5 finale, I sit down with one of my oldest friends, yoga instructor and advocate Anamaria Baralt, who also happens to be the first cousin of Eric and Lyle Menendez. Twenty-five years ago, Anamaria quietly told me who her cousins were and asked me to keep it to myself. Today, she is standing...

Seattle spends more than  $1.2 billion each year on public education, nearly the same as running the entire city. So why do so few people know where that money goes, or who's actually in charge of it?   In this episode of  Right in Front of My Face , I sit down with Vivian Song, candidate for Seattle School Board District 5, to talk about how local politics directly shape our schools, and why most...

This episode is a little different — and honestly, one of the most meaningful conversations I've had on the podcast. It all started when someone threw a rock through the window of my husband's pediatric dental office in Green Lake. That incident led me down an unexpected path of navigating city programs, talking to local leaders, and eventually, sitting across from Sara Nelson, President of the Se...

Sometimes the most heartbreaking moment of your life became your most beautiful lesson. In this episode, I sit down with fashion publicist, writer, and mom Sydney Mintle to talk about love, loss, and what it means to face death with presence and peace. Sydney's husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with glioblastoma—an aggressive form of brain cancer—and within just over a year, he passed away. But this is...

What happens when you spend your whole life performing at the highest level, only to realize, in midlife, that you've been quietly carrying a mental health condition that almost no one talks about? In this episode, I am joined by Jud Heugel: pediatrician, health tech CMO, father, ultra-endurance athlete, and now—mental health advocate. After years of living in silence, Jud opens up about his journ...

What if artificial intelligence is not just the next innovation—but the final one? If you've felt overwhelmed, under-informed, or just plain scared about AI and what it means for your future and your children's—this is the episode you need to hear.   In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with author Martha Brockenbrough to explore the real impact AI is already having on our lives—and the terrify...

We're three episodes into this season, and I'm so excited to bring you this conversation with my friend Cara Rosellini—standup comedian, writer, actress, mom, and just an overall phenomenal human. This episode is a bit of a departure—it's less of an interview and more of a candid chat between two women trying to figure out what it means to show up, be vulnerable, and create something new in middle...

How do we truly understand power? And what happens when we reframe the way we give—and take—permission in our lives?   In this episode, I sit down with Maria Witkop, a former FBI agent, author of  Reach: Rewriting the Story of Power , and a woman with an incredible story of resilience, intuition, and human connection.   I have to admit, I was more intimidated by this interview than any I've done b...

OK everyone, as my favorite podcaster Danny Pelligrino says, pull over if you're driving. This episode is one of my absolute favorites because we're talking about something that seems to be of interest to a lot of middle aged people - how do I look my absolute best? With such an overwhelming amount of options on every spa menu, I figured more people than just me might want to know the details of e...

Welcome to Season 5 of Right in Front of My Face!  It's been a long time coming, but here I am, back in action with my latest fascination and topic - middle age.  This new season is all about my coming to terms with being closer to 50 than 40, and asking the questions that we all seem to have as we cruise - or crash - directly into the middle of our lives.  This season starts with Dr. Katie Dinell...

In the nation's biggest Covid pivot, Roe V. Wade was overturned on June 24th and I knew that I wanted to address it as the last episode of season 4.  Kia Guarino, Executive Director of Pro-Choice Washington, the only agency in WA State whose sole focus is on "political and legislative adovcacy for reproductive freedom in WA State," sits down with me to discuss how this happened and what we can do...

Today we're talking about the most personal of Covid pivots.  My podcast sponsor Cassie Walker-Johnson is with me today to discuss her covid pivot of a breast cancer diagnoses.   Cassie is my friend.  She is a successful real estate agent, she's a mom, a wife, an incredible connector and networker and in December of 2020 she got a call that 1 in 7 women will get - the call from the doctor telling...

Today, we're talking about a Covid pivot I've seen lately - divorce.  Strange that being locked in a house with your partner would make you questions your life's choices... Because I'm hearing anecdotal evidence about more people splitting this year than in the past, I decided to do some research on whether or not what I was hearing on the street was actually true.  Turns out, it might be.  Rather...

Erin Quick is the CEO and Co-Founder of PairTree, a company that is modernizing the adoption process.  Erin is a powerhouse - she's founded three successful startups, she's a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 under 40, she's a marketer and branding professional, and maybe most importantly, Erin is also a mother.   When Erin's fertility path led to adoption, she, as a marketer and brander, began aski...

The last two years have me wondering "why on Earth would anyone rational go into politics?"  The political landscape seems toxic at the moment and because we need rational, intelligent people to run, I think a lot of us wonder who in their right mind would do it?   Dr. Lelach Rave reached out a couple of. months ago because she decided to leave a successful Pediatric medical practice to run for an...

Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant and I had one of the most thought-provoking conversations to date on the podcast this week.  If you are someone who has concerns and questions about whether or not to toss your child into the world of social media, don't move.  You need to hear this. Find Emily Cherkin on her website On her YouTube Channel And on her Instagram Thank you to my sponsors Johns...

Founder and Owner of The Pilates Hub, Nathalia Gorosh, sits down with me to discuss how her new business came to be.  It's a conversation about partnership, trust, and learning to listen to your own instincts.  She shares her story and includes tips on how to be a smarter business owner, and why knowing and trusting your vision is the key to success.

Keeping in theme with Covid pivots, Erin Skipley, founder of Contour + Ink and LA Makeup artist shares her story of manifesting her dream studio in Beverly Hills and keeping it alive during 2020.  She changed course and is now a top instructor in her field of restorative beauty.   Erin is a hustler - it's not that she doesn't have imposter syndrome, it's just that she's learned to work through it....

Dr. Rao is so much more than just a physician.  He's a visionary.  I've heard him described by his peers as a "legend."  A "Genius." and "the coolest person ever."  True story - these are words used by doctors, his peers and his patients.  He's made a career choice reflective of his own values, and continued learning in his own right with his newest venture into the world of handcrafted footwear t...

Kristi Lord and Lindsay Droz, co-founders of L'Avant Collective sit down with me to discuss their posh plant-based cleaning product company, share their philosophy and mindset, and reveal their secret to keeping resilience through Covid.   RIFOMF listeners get a 20% discount code - 1st ever!!  Go to www.lavantcollective.com use code RIF20 to score yourself some of Gwynneth Paltrow's favorite clean...

  It's been a long ride for season 3, people.  This is actually going to be my last podcast for this season and I want to go end on this episode specifically because of the topic.  Burnout.   This is a personal episode for me because I'm processing my own burnout at the moment.  In September, when my kids went back to school, I suddenly had some silence and space to realize how much emotion I've b...

Today's topic deals with the one thing that has been literally in front of my face non-stop for the last 18 months.  My children.  Dr. Kate Monahan Phd, CFLE is a Developmental Psychologist and an expert in childhood development.  Her company Parent With Science is dedicated to helping parents through their journey with advice based in science, not trends or Google. Her instagram @parentwithscienc...

  Todays topic is a broadstrokes lesson on Indigenous Human Rights with activist and attorney, Gabe Galanda.  There was a story on the news last week that followed the re-naming of the Indiana pro baseball team from the Chiefs to the Guardians - and now that I have this conversation under my belt, I understand the importance of it in an entirely new way and I hope you will too.  If you walked by G...

Ryan Oftebro and I recorded this episode a little over a month ago - I'd wanted to interview Ryan over a year ago about this topic because Ryan is Principal and CEO of Kelly-Ross Pharmacy group here in Seattle.  Kelly-Ross remains one of the few independently owned pharmacies in our area and Ryan, as the incoming president of the WA State Pharmacy association, has some unique visibility into the n...