Chutzpah with Bridget Bard

You've probably seen Israel's (he/they) Instagram or maybe met him at a rally but at the heart of Israel is a magic we just had to share with you all! Hear his beautiful stories of self discovery, acceptance, and falling in love with his authentic self.

{There will be a break in Chutzpah episodes as I will be on a European adventure, but stay tuned for more to come in August!} We've heard some great stories from life-long friends over the past 2 weeks and I thought I'd wrap up these weeks of friendship with one of my favorite stories from Kelly Boyce. Give your friend a hug today or maybe shoot them a message to remind them that you love them.

Enjoy the mellow vibes of the multitalented, Kara Krikorian (she/her) a musician and master in music education. From Louisville to Vermont to England to Turkey, this is one of our more worldly episode, so buckle up for some travel tips and a good dose of inspiration to get out there and just do it.

Pop some bubbly and light your favorite candle, it's time to talk studying abroad in college, travelling solo as a young woman, and how to always find a wine club near you with the joyous, Kelly Rose Boyce (she/her). She's an actress and pre-school teacher whose energy is invigorating and adorable. Most importantly, she is my best friend and I'm so proud of her. Bask in the light that is, Kelly Rose Boyce.

Tea time! Grab your favorite mug, your best pillow and sip your favorite hot beverage while we learn more about Ariel Clark (she/hers), founder and owner of Sis Got Tea; a woman-owned, black-owned, queer-owned tea business in Louisville. We talk about professionalism and how the ideas behind it are long overdue for an update. We also talk about confidence and how so many people came together to create you, and they certainly didn't work that hard for you to fret about taking a test. Live your life and live it authentically!! And that's the tea for this week! You can follow Ariel @sisgotteaky on Instagram or check out the website at: www.sisgotteaky.com.

Introducing Dr. Abby Glogower (she/her), a woman with bountiful chutzpah and great stories from growing up in an Orthodox neighborhood and school. Our conversation is very Jewish, very fun, and reflects on the narratives that minority groups must build up for their own self-protection. Hang in there for a thought-provoking and beautiful episode. Link to the book featuring Abby's essay: https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/artifacts-of-orthodox-childhoods/

This week, we meet Dr. Shawn Apostel (he/him) professor at Bellarmine University, fearless leader of the TEDx Bellarmine team, and co-host of Dyslexics Untied, a podcast on being dyslexic in the world of academia. We talk about spirituality, career moves, and how comfort isn't always the goal of life, sometimes bologna sandwiches will have to do if you really want to go to Europe next summer. Also stayed tuned to the end of the episode for a sweet story to cheer anyone up.

How do you know when it's time to change your side hustle to your full-time job? A question many people have been asking themselves. Brian Anderson (he/him) tells the story of how his Facebook group of dads grew into a thriving non-profit designed to support dads to be the best fathers they can be in this fast-changing world. Enjoy a great story of taking a chance, building community, and ultimately, just loving family.

Ever hear of donation-based yoga? Basically, it's yoga classes that are open to all with the expectation that you donate what you can to keep it going! Founder of the first donation-based yoga spot in Louisville, Gabriella Gaona (she/her) talks about how her confidence comes from not overthinking it, making dreams a reality by staying intentional and true to herself, and how yoga can be a tool to catch us when life throws us down. Take a few deep breaths and settle in for some good yogi storytelling. Learn more about the upcoming MYPATH Festival here: https://www.mypathfest.com/ Namaste.

[I will be taking the next 2 Fridays off to be with family as my grandmother passed away on May 5th. She was one of my favorite people in the whole world and we all miss her. Please send good thoughts and stick around for more episodes to come later in May!}The question of what do you want to be when you grow up has always been a bit overrated, but this guest takes it to a new level. With 3 Master's degrees and inspiring stories to spare, Angela Miller (she/her) corrects the faulty norm that we need to know exactly what we want to do with our lives at the age of 20. We talk forensics, teaching, and theater. That's right. Buckle up, folks.

Get ready for a conversation on spirituality, mental health, and metaphorical spaghetti. This week we meet Melanie Hughes (she/her), a librarian and archivist with enough adventure and chutzpah to fuel some fantastic stories. We talk about taking chances, sending notes of affirmation and how to forge new paths when our lives are forever changed.

Bet you didn't see this coming! Allow me to introduce the talented, Pip Hines (he/him). He has been playing the organ for most of his life and in this episode we learn all about being a musician, how practice can give us confidence, and how sometimes taking a chance can be the best decision we can make. All the music clips are of Pip playing the organ in St. James church in Louisville, KY. Enjoy!

Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Ramadan, folx! Just a bonus episode about Passover for us all to learn together about this fun, tasty, holiday. Be back next week with another full length episode! Take care of yourselves. Shalom!

Enjoy the feisty stories of Dr. Melanie-Prejean Sullivan (she/her) as she tells tales of being a precocious child who grows up to become an incredible interfaith leader and advocate for social justice in her community. Her stories are thought-provoking, amusing, and the perfect listen for a quiet evening. You can learn more about Melanie (and yourself!) through her new book, An Apartment Next to the Angels, which you can purchase from Amazon or check out her website.

Please rise for the new president of the Black Law Student Association at the Brandeis School of Law, Lauren Neal (she,her)! Buckle up for learning about public interest law, having the audacity to create a minor (while still being a student) and being an advocate for the people that society often leaves behind. She is a powerhouse and school is in session! Better have your notebook ready to learn from the chutzpahrific, Lauren Neal.

{This episode was recorded in February, you did not miss a snowstorm this week ;)} Enjoy a classic story with a classic gentleman, Matthew Schuhmann (he,him), as he recounts his efforts to create one of the most successful fundraising campaigns for the American Cancer Society in the Kentucky region. Currently working at the Home of the Innocents, Matthew is the perfect person to talk to about charitable giving and how donations can empower organizations to create vast and meaningful change in our communities. If you would like to donate to the American Cancer Society or the Home of the Innocents, you can go to cancer.org/donate or homeoftheinnocents.org/donate-now.

Enjoy the deep, lovely voice of my boo, Jacob Schuhmann (he,him), as he discusses developing confidence through adversity, using precedent to benefit his school, and how being in sales demands a level of chutzpah that I can only experience in my nightmares. The originator of our new favorite catch phrase, "put those markers down, folx!" It's time to enjoy some chutzpah.

I've been wanting to explain the wild scenarios at the beginning of every episode but I just needed an extra push to make it into a bonus ep. No one better to push you in the right direction than your little brother though, am I right!? Thanks to him, you will learn about why I said that funny thing about hats in the first episode. There's plenty more where that came from so buckle up, loosen up, and enjoy the first mini-sode of Chutzpah.

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the very first episode of Chutzpah! In this episode, you get to meet, me, Bridget Bard (she/her), the host, producer, editor, and all around boss lady of the Chutzpah podcast. Brace yourself for a conversation on religion, questioning and doubt, community, and finding my place in the world. This is just part of my story, but it is mine. It may not reflect yours, but I hope you can sit back, relax, and enjoy learning about little old me as we endeavour together to find chutzpah in our lives and in others.