Cocktails & Conversation

It's always a pleasure to meet new friends. When I heard about Orlando's first spirit-free speakeasy and tasting lounge, I wanted to invite Kevin Zepf of The Bandbox over to learn more! I love that so many bars and restaurants are offering a variety of Zero Proof Cocktails. Not only are more folks going sans alcohol, it's nice to have the option if you want to have night off of booze. Kevin walks me through his new tasting lounge that opens on June 25th, what he did as a Marine Musician and how exploring his own city is his favorite way to spend a day! Plus there is a zero proof cocktail recipe in there incase you want a booze free drank. ENJOY!

If you know me at all, you know I love a good dance party. These two young ladies stumbled into some massive success about a year ago, with meeting the need for raging Taylor Swift dance parties. What started in Orlando has swift(ly), you're welcome, grown to dancing across the USA! I chat with Courtney and Caitie about how they started Le Petite Feté, what in the world a Margarita Rash is, and how they are the exact same Enneagram numbers! Join us for some day drinking w my favorite Monkey 47 Dry Gin cocktails, that are literally perfect for a Hot-Hot Summer. ENJOY Darlings!

I ♥️ love meeting new friends and Jen Knopf was no exception! Life would be the most challenging without the capacity to read properly. Reading a recipe, holding down a job, reading street signs, all nearly impossible without understanding how all of the letters come together to make sense. Listen in as Jen shares her story on how she started her initiative, The Reed Charitable Foundation, to come alongside kids that need help in the reading department to get the assistance they need! We do some early afternoon drinking with Tito's Vodka and some local (read: delicious) Limoncello, as well! ENJOY Darlings!

So much incredible work has come out of Orlando. Wouldn't you agree? Sitting down with John Rivers was no exception. He is a bit of a (self proclaimed) perfectionist, which works out for us, since his brisket he perfected for 18 years. Plus, that sauce. (Insert a drooling emoji.) We chat his journey from having to figure out how to make life work at a very early age, to being able to take care of over a million people during a pretty challenging time. Plus, we get the scoop on all that is coming up with 4Roots Farm Campus! I did some day drinking by myself this time, so I made my favorite cocktail, a Blackberry Whiskey Sour with Woodford Reserve. Hope you will make this drink as you listen in. I can personally guarantee you will enjoy both!

Who likes to party? Whether that is your thing or not, it's definitely a part of the downtown Orlando scene, which adds a lot to the flavor of Orlando! Dominique held Orlando's first ever Nighttime Manager position, and honestly it's one of very few in the country! She has loads of stories to tell including how she moved to and lived in NYC at 16, working with her brothers in the ever growing cannabis industry and why she started the Orlando Hospitality Alliance. Plus, I may have made up a new favorite Monkey 47 Gin cocktail called “Thyme's Up.” You will have to listen in to get the recipe! Cheers.

If there's something I really love, it's meeting new people – well, most of them. If you are a new dentist, no thank you, but it was so delightful to meet and interview the new(ish) Mayor of Winter Park, a small-town gem, north of Orlando! Phil finished a couple successful careers, retired, and then decided it would a good idea to run for Mayor. He has incredible current and long-term plans for Winter Park! For the first time ever, I let my Guest bring the drink. Instead of a cocktail, we went straight for the hard stuff and sampled a midday tasting of Scotch! Enjoy these endless stories and hope you will sip on something delicious while you listen in!

Spending time with Teryn Tucker is truly one of the greatest delights one can enjoy in this life. Teryn has been my long-time hair stylist and keeps me in the beautiful blonde. Her story is so incredible, from her living in NYC on her own for a bit when she was 16, to intentionally losing her southern Georgia accent, to doing hair for Bella Hadid at NYFW. She is a true legend around this town. I made a perfect dusty rose colored cocktail called "Elk's Own" and it did not disappoint and neither will this episode! ENJOY!

During this Holiday Season, I wanted to chat with some of the most giving folks I know! Jim and Beth Hobart have been such active members of the Orlando scene. Beth has a wildly successful Real Estate business and Jim has too many projects to list here, but he has a long-standing photography business, MacBeth Studio. It's hard to go out around town and not run into one of them. We get a sneak peek inside how they met, fell in love (after many years), and have had a successful 16 year marriage! Plus, we chat about how they love to give back to the Orlando community. I made them Hibiscus Lemon Gin and Tonics with my favorite Monkey 47 Gin. This is the LAST podcast of the year. Hope you ENJOY!

What a pleasure to have such a deep and vast community in Central FL. DJ Nigel John, aka Kurt Rambus, just makes Orlando better. If you've gotten out in the last couple of years, chances are you have witnessed the magic that Nigel brings to events. His story is forever fascinating. We chat about his first vinyl purchases, listening to KISS with his mother, and his alter ego Kurt Rambus. I made him a fall rum cocktail that you really should try. ENJOY this one!

What's better than making new friends? Not much. It was a pleasure to meet a kindred spirit in Heather LaVine. I went from knowing a bit of Heather's story, to knowing her journey quite well. There's never a straight cut path in life and Heather's story reflects that well. From the baseball through-line, to discovering the joy of a well-designed wine bar, to her starting the ever lovely Golden Hour Wine, right here in Baldwin Park, getting a front row seat to her story was thrilling! I made her a Classic Negroni with my favorite Monkey 47 Gin. I think you will most definitely ENJOY this one!

We can't believe it either! It's been 50 episodes of the Cocktails and Conversation Podcast. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I invited long-time Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer to join me on the podcast. I brought my little recording set up to City Hall and asked the Mayor some hard hitting questions. Kidding. But, I did get to find out how his first job helped him in his current job, what his real name is, and how he feels rested and renewed! Also spoiler alert, the Mayor's go-to drink is so simple. You can make it in about 3 seconds flat: Tito's Handmade Vodka, Club Soda, and Lime! Enjoy!

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it's been one hell of a Global Pandemic. This past year has been a myriad of things ... Ups / Downs and everything in between. I invited my incredibly wise friend, Aaron Moore, over to chat about how this Pandemic has had an effect on our bodies and our Mental Health. I don't know about you, but I have been really feeling it. Plus, I wanted him to speak about how getting into our bodies affects our brains. Aaron is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor at his practice, Solace Counseling. Aaron sips on a real simple and refreshing Tito's Handmade Vodka cocktail and things get real DEEP! I hope you don't sleep on this episode. ENJOY!

When you sit down with Tony Adams to hear all his stories, you better have time on your hands and a good amount of Whiskey. Lucky for me, I had both! I'm always so proud of the Orlando folks that, sadly, move away from Orlando, but create incredible careers and magical things around the country and the world! Tony is no exception. He shares how he knew he wanted to be a Chef since he was 14, how he has created the MOST DELICIOUS pasta company out of a Global Pandemic, Mill Valley Pasta Co., and how learning about the Enneagram just might be unlocking some things for him! Hope you make a couple of these delish Whiskey Sours and settle in for a wild ride!

Summer on Summer! So thankful to visit my friend Summer Singletary in San Francisco. She spent several years in Orlando learning how plants heal us and then gained experience worldwide. She helped to Co-Found The Kosmic Kitchen and has now moved onto her own ventures of Marketing for unconventional brands Warmly Summer and an Herbal Business Conference Emblossom Herbal. We chat her journey with herbs, her journey to SF, and her brand new journey with the Enneagram. Plus a delish and healthy-ish Tito's Handmade Vodka Cocktail. Please do ENJOY!

Spending time with adventuring friends is quite life giving. So glad I got to share some space with Chelsea Steele. A pioneering young woman from Orlando who has made her way to Los Angeles. She has already started and sold a mini-cultural phenomenon, has a couple songs out, and is now shopping her screenplay around the LA town. I'm tired just thinking of doing all those things. We shared one of my favorite (and hopefully yours, too) Tito's Handmade Vodka Cocktails. Get the recipe and all Chelsea's wild stories in this episode. ENJOY!

First podcast on the road! So fun to check in with my filmmaker friend, Jon Strong. We chatted moving to Los Angeles from Orlando with his family, in the middle of a pandemic. Jon talks and talks and we are here for it. ; ) We chat his growing up in Orlando, how his family of origin influenced him as a dad, and his plans for living in Los Angeles! I made him one of my new favorite drinks, a Jungle Bird, made with Treaty Oak Rum, which I dare say, is the king of all Tiki drinks. You can decide for yourself, as I have included the recipe! ENJOY.

It's no secret that I could talk about International travel all day and/or International food! So it was such a pleasure to chat with Katerina about her life that may or may not resemble “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” She and her husband opened Taverna Opa, Tapa Toro and have a new Mexican concept in the works! Plus, she is headed to Greece in short order for her family Holiday (pack me in your suitcase please!). We got to sip on some tropical Tito's Handmade Vodka drinks and chat all things entrepreneurship. We would love for you to listen in!

Well, we all gotta eat. And one of the best places to eat around town is Pig Floyd’s. I have to say we are more than blessed when it comes to incredible food and drink in Orlando! My friend Thomas Ward who created Pig Floyd’s came by for a chat and drink and shared some fantastic stories! We chat learning how to create delicious burgers by watching YouTube, going broke a couple times in adulthood, and his latest venue that includes PIIIIIIIZZZZZZZAAAAAA, which I am not mad about. Join us as we do some day drinking: Boulevardiers with Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Bourbon!

Well Cheers to new friends! It was so fun to invite someone NEW over into my home and on the podcast this time around. So fun to chat the Enneagram in depth and get to know an incredible story of courage and new adventures! We got to sip on some tropical Tito’s Vodka drinks, that I named after my new friend, and share in the wonder that is all the wonderful folks that live in Orlando! I know you will enjoy this one!

You don’t know Orlando if you don’t know Corinne Gammichia. She is the mastermind behind Alchemy Hair Salon. I would dare to say, Orlando’s most creative salon! These stories are PURE GOLD. She shares dropping out of High School, why she still doesn’t have a full kitchen, and her road to being an adoptive mom to her incredible son, Seger! We may or may not have had Pineapple and Mango Waterloo Gin & Tonics at a morning hour, but I will say it was VERY worth it! DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS EPISODE.

Oh Man. Just such a delight to spend time with Kim Devitt! Kim was the second employee with Corkcicle. So it’s safe to say, she’s almost been there from the very beginning! And what a journey it has been! Kim started in Marketing for many years and has done a fantastic job transitioning to an Account Manager, as per the Covid transition that we are all in! We chat how she came to be interested in Marketing, her cross country road trip, how the knowing your Enneagram impacts so many areas of life, and how she built an expansive following for an incredible global, yet local, drink-ware brand! Plus, we sip some delish Strawberry Waterloo Gin & Tonics out of some gorgeous new Corkcicles! DUH. You won’t regret listening in!

Super inspired is how I feel when I hear what Sorcha is up to! Her story is super fascinating and is so relatable! Isn’t that the way of life sometimes? It’s not always a clear cut path. Some people have a clear cut path and others of us have a journey to find our way, but eventually we get there! Sorcha is bringing some incredible things to Orlando in the art world for people of color. It’s pretty exciting. As are these Waterloo Antique Gin Negronis! Hope you will enjoy this convo as much as we did.

So sweet to spend time with a sweet friend, who happens to have lived a few lifetimes already … at the age of 26! Casey graduated in the top handful of students (out of over 60,000) at UCF a few years ago. Since then, she has gone on to work with tech companies and start-ups and is now building community at Credo Conduit. Listen in as we chat about the things that really affect us from our childhood. Thankfully, we had some Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails, a twist on a favorite Black Orchids, to sip on!

What a treat to hear Tracy’s story! She arrived on the scene about 4 years ago to open the beautifully curated New General Store, but she has a pretty incredible story before she landed here with us in the Orlando area! Tracy has such a giving Spirit, as well as, an amazing example of a BadA** Woman Business Owner! We sipped on some lovely Blueberry Bourbony Drinks and I learned so much. I know you will too!

When one of the most interesting folks in Orlando comes over for a drink and a chat, it makes for a good day! I’ve known Kyle Steele for many years now. It’s so encouraging to see people along side you working hard to bring good things to fruition. Kyle has started many things over the years. He is currently working in some really interesting areas of Racial Reconciliation. We sip on some fancy Tito’s Handmade Vodka “French Martinis” and get to chat about his incredible life story. Plus we learn we grew up in almost the same area in Virginia! Crazy world out there!

Happy New Year Darlings! So glad to finally get a NEW podcast out. So excited that it’s with one of my bestest friends. Kate and I have known one another for 15 years. We have seen each other through a lot of our adult lives. We switched up the convo a little for this interview. We chat all the British Crime shows that we have watched….we forgot Killing Eve (one of the best!) And we take a deep dive into Meyers-Briggs vs the Enneagram. I got to sip on a fruity Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktail and it started off the podcast/year real nice. This is one you don’t want to miss!

I mean REALLY. I could gush on Orlando all day. One thing that I treasure the most is the fascinating people that make up this City! Joseph Hayes easily makes that list for me! He is a man about town, writer of plays and writer of beautiful words about my favorite subjects: Food & Beverages! Plus he has a whole history of his many careers and how he landed in Orlando! We sip some super delish Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Bourbon with Orange Liqueur and really enjoyed the moment. Hope you will too!

What would Orlando town be without some of the best eats in the area? The Good Salt Restaurant Group folks are some good folks. No surprise there. Listen in as we hear about how Jason & Sue met, got their start and never dreamed they would be opening their fourth restaurant in a Global Pandemic! It was SO fun to interview my first couple. Listen in to see why!

Terry Olson is most definitely one of a kind. So glad he brought his one of a kind self over for a cocktail and a chat! Terry has long been an institution around Orlando. He helped to start SAK Comedy Clue and not long after started Fringe Festival in Orlando. He now calls himself the Chief Arts Instigator in Orange County and helps to support so much of the Arts we have available to us! I made him a Waterloo Gin No.9 "Fine & Dandy" Cocktail and we talk about it ALL!

Talking with Shea Glenny makes you feel like you can get through and do anything you want! She has been in Orlando so long it feels like she has always been here. Shea has created space for women entrepreneurs and provided support for those less business savvy. (Me: slowly raises her hand.) She also has created many resources for businesses to incorporate Empathy as business corporate culture, which, always, in turn actually boosts the bottom line. As Fall approaches we sipped on Treaty Oak Whisky Sours and chat about how putting love first, really actually, changes things.

There are so many aspects of what makes a community great. Unique people and events is just one of the contributing factors. We are celebrating 10 years of Pecha Kucha in Orlando, thanks to my friend Eddie Selover! If you haven't experienced this, I really hope you get a chance to, in real life, once we are doing that again! I got to chat with Eddie about his Journey to Orlando, what it was like being blocks away from the Twin Towers as they fell and how he fell in love with helping people share their stories. Plus we sipped some delicious Mango Tito's Handmade Vodka Cocktails, because why not?

Stories on Stories on Stories with my long time friend Bonnie Barton Lewis! We could have talked all day, but we narrowed down to 2+ hours. There is too much to share. Bonnie's time spent in Oscar de la Renta's personal home, to being a part of Ralph Lauren's extended photo shoot family while traveling the globe, to being in Gwyneth Paltrow's personal home. Plus how she has helped pull off 36,000 masks being made in the last six months! All while sharing a Tito's Handmade Vodka "Violette Squeeze." The perfect thing to drink as the summer is coming to a close. Well official summer, we all know we still have three months of summer ahead of us! You will NOT want to miss this episode!

When a friend that you admire a lot comes over to share her life story, you really listen in. Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with my friend Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs about so many things! I learned so much about her life that I previously didn’t know! She almost got lost her life in a car accident, had a real culture shock when she started the New Image Youth Center and what it was like for her growing up in a white world. We sipped on some super summery Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails and could have chatted forever. Hope you ENJOY this episode!

Time spent with Kelly Romano is always time well spent! Seeing her work ethic is really always an inspiration. Spoiler Alert: Kelly is an 8 on the Enneagram, the same as me. We had a REALLY great time chatting about what it is like to live inside the skin of a female 8. Fun Stuff! Plus I made Kelly my favorite cocktail of the moment: a Novella made with Waterloo Gin No. 9. ENJOY Kelly’s laughter to the fullest. You’re Welcome!

Listen in as I chat with Walter Phuego, Owner of Studio 17 Creative. We sip on some Tito's Handmade Vodka Summer Sips and chat about what Black Lives Matter means to him, ways you can engage with BLM, his growing up in Orlando and how I may have convinced him of the merits of the Enneagram. This episode is FIRE. You do not want to miss it!

When I hear of all the things Benoit has going on, I am simultaneously in awe and exhausted! If you have ever had the pleasure to take an Artistic performance at Timucua, you have Benoit to thank for it! As the conductor for Cirque du Soleil for nearly 20 years, Benoit is no stranger to bringing the Arts to life. I was so glad to be able to sit down and chat the Timucua Arts Foundation, his growing up in Canada and his love of many different types of bread. Things like Timucua are one of the things I love about Orlando. I hope you ENJOY learning about all the things Benoit is up to! Plus there is a Tito’s Handmade Vodka recipe is the so fit for SUMMER!!

In a not so recent time, when humans were gathering in person, you could find me drinking a Tito’s Handmade Vodka adult Shirley Temple for one, while I got to chat with my friend Ryan Adams, the local one. Ryan cares for the community at City Beautiful Church. We get to talk moving to America, his home bartending situation and my favorite subject: THE ENNEAGRAM. Ryan has a deep knowledge of this particular subject and he has offered several Workshops through the years to help people understand this tool and themselves better. Hope you will ENJOY!

What an immense pleasure to have such an immensely talented friend, Shawn Welcome over to chat! Shawn created DiVerse Word, which is Orlando’s longest running Open Mic night at Dandelion Cafe. It’s an Orlando institution and not to be missed. Shawn has quite the story to share and we did it which sharing a Tito’s Handmade Vodka Cocktails and some laughs. So please do ENJOY!

When you have been waiting patiently since you started this Podcast to have your Gal Pal Ashley Dishman over for a drink and a chat! Ashley is behind some of the most iconic gathering places / bars that Orlando has known in the most recent years. Not that it would be fancy enough for her establishments, but we sipped on Rosewater Thyme Tito’s Handmade Vodka Cocktails and talked about changing the trajectory of life, starting over and her favorite cocktail at her favorite bar. Enjoy this episode with this lovely lady!

I’m the luckiest girl to have a friend in Brendan O’Connor! He is a whirlwind of FUN and creativity. Our friendship has spanned almost a decade and we have been able to work together on a myriad of things over the years. So day drinking with this cute guy was a total dream. Listen in as we sip on my go to drink: a Woodford Reserve Whisky Sour and chat all of his world travels (as a TEEN,) his days of sleeping under a canoe and how he came to love Orlando!

When you get 8s together, it gets pretty interesting! This podcast was no exception. Getting to chat with my friend Benjamin Collins of Laughing Samurai was as intriguing as that name sounds! Making my favorite cocktail, a Whisky Sour with Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whisky doesn’t hurt either. Join us as we chat the impact of growing up as an 8, starting something from nothing and real world education!

Well you never know what you are going to get when you sit down with a Guest. Spending time w John Rife did not disappoint! With having a vision for community and healthy eating, among the loads of other business developments he has been lucky enough to be a part of John envisioned and brought East End Market to life. It was a real pleasure to sip on Tito’s Handmade Vodka Summery Drinks, while in the midst of a Florida “Winter!” Hope you enjoy this incredible Story!

When don’t I want to have Major over? It doesn’t happen as much as I would like to, but when it does happen, it’s pretty wonderful! I sipped on some New Moon Market Juice, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Tonic. Major just had juice, per usual. ; ) We got to talk about how her childhood shaped who she grew up into and all the millions of things she has going on. It will make you want to take a nap just talking about it. You will enjoy hearing from this accomplished young lady!

When it’s the Holidays and you get to sip on Tito’s Handmade Vodka & New Ground Chai Lattes and chat with a long time dear friend, Jessica Bott about the meaningful things. It’s kinda magic. There is nothing like a steady friend. Jessica has been that for me over many years. There is a beauty to listening to wisdom, having been through some tough moments and coming out the other side with clarified vision and knowing how to dial in your purpose. Hope you enjoy these conversations as much as I have been! What a better way to start out the New Year!

When I think of fearless leaders in Orlando, I often think of Kelly Cohen. While Orlando wasn’t in the plans as a long term stay, it became the place she wanted to invest in! And I feel we are all better for it. Listen is as we drink Cinnamon Vanilla Glenlivet Whisky Sours, on how she was instrumental in bringing the Orlando City Soccer Club to Orlando and keeping our favorite Mayor Buddy Dyer in office!

We get one shot at this life. So we should make the most of it right!? Well that’s the MO of our Guest Nathan Clark. Nathan, along with his wife Jenn, started Wondermade about 7 years ago, which has had explosive success! We chat how he enjoys managing 6 children, a thriving business and ANOTHER full time job! Plus we sip on Italian Lemon Malfy Gin & Tonics and dig into the benefits of the Enneagram!

When you think of a life or health coach, you might not know what exactly to think. My Guest this week is Christen Rodgers who has quite an incredible story of her Journey to health, including losing over 100 pounds. She has also helped over 450 people reach their health goals as well! This take such patience and care, that I’m consistently blown away. We get to sip on my new FAV cocktail the Black Orchid made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka and chat all the things, including what her true Enneagram really number is. Enjoy!

We you get to have a Dearest Friend on and chat your Favorite subject, it equals a GREAT day. We chat ENNEAGRAM with a local expert. Stephan Monteserin is a LMHC who practices out of Solace Counseling. We dig in so deep with this episode that we are almost in China. Stephan walks us through the multifaceted world of the Enneagram and how this can help us get in touch with our truest self!I sipped on my favorite cocktail (a Whisky Sour - w Cucumber and a 15 Year Glenlivet ) with a favorite friend. Listen in and let us know what number you are in the comments!

When you think of that friend that lights up the room with just their laugh, that’s when I think of my pal Ansley. Founder and Owner of Dora Mae Jewelry. We weren’t ashamed to do some morning drinking, a Bootsy Collins to be exact - Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Lillet Rogue, Lemon Juice and Simple Syrup. SUH Simple. We chat the ups and downs and sideways of life. As a fellow female Business Owner, it’s always a delight to share in the Joy and Struggles that that entails. Cannot wait for you to listen in to almost an hour of non-stop laughter!

When you think of places where people ACTUALLY like their jobs / bosses, not a whole lot of places/people come to mind. When I think of Hawkers Asian Street Fare, now an Orlando institution, I think that’s one of those places. I was honored to sit down and chat w one of Hawkers Asian Street Fare’s Founding Partners and now CEO, Kaleb Harrell about the twists and turns it took to grow Hawkers into a healthy and GROWING business. Plus sipping on Plymouth Sloe Gin and Limoncello didn’t hurt either. Hope you ENJOY!

Most Bloggers have come to prominence in the past couple of years and usually last a couple of years. What I love about this week’s Cocktails and Conversation Guest, Kristen Manieri, is her dedication to pumping out quality content over the past 14 YEARS! That’s pretty impressive, as is her story of how she started Orlando Date Night Guide. If you are in a relationship, this site is a no brainer. Basically you will NEVER run out of Date Night ideas. So join us at as we sip on some delish Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails for the eternal Summer we have in Florida.