Super Normal

Many folks deal with anxiety, which can be debilitating at times. But what happens when we let our anxiety become our inspiration? If you deal with anxiety, you know that once you find something that works to help your anxiety, that becomes a life saver and you use it all the time. Be it napping, chocolate, […]

Have you ever wanted to travel the world, get your PHD, and start your own business, but were fairly sure you couldn’t even possibly accomplish that? Well this week’s guest did all that and more. In today’s episode you’re going to meet Kiona. A PhD with more degrees than I can remember who started her […]

I started these Entrepreneur Spotlights for someone exactly like Katey Dnistrian–a little shy, a lot of talented, and far too humble to ever request coming on the show. Plus, I fully believe in supporting artists while they are alive. Katey’s work is centered around embroidery, a fairly difficult past time she’s now turned into a side […]

Every episode is education in its own way, but it’s extremely important to take the opportunity to get educated by an actual educator when that opportunity presents itself. Queer, Gay, LGBT, LGBTQIA+, LGBTQQIAAP. The name for the community has evolved over time and so have we. And the perception of the queer community has evolved […]

Content warning, this episode discusses suicide and the mental health of someone who has passed. But this story contains strength and beauty, and the many ways in which this man will live on for years to come. What does it take to create change? I think of this a lot as many of the people […]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is many things: a Bronxite, Latinx, a woman, but what matters the most to me is she acts like a human being. Super Normal isn’t a political show, despite many of the episodes containing politically active guests and topics under attack by the current administration. Super Normal was designed to highlight the humanity […]

Many of us are on a journey to better ourselves and the world. Some of us consider ourselves activists. Some of us participate in political discourse because our identity requires us to. But while we acknowledge that there is necessity for improvement and room to grow, why are we unable to accept some growth ourselves? […]

Sometimes you need to reinvent yourself, which is why we took a month hiatus. BTW I missed you, thank you for being so patient. Other times you know exactly what you need, and you’re just begging for the universe to give it to you. This episode is mostly me obsessing over the art of our […]

This episode was edited and put together by Paul Stennett and Amazing Gains Productions.

Sometimes you meet people because you’re trying to. You might feel the urge to expand your circle, network, or mingle a little. But sometimes you just meet people because you’re supposed to. Bex and I met out of serendipity. We both arrived early to an event and bonded over how the white women running the […]

This episode is a recording from the Super Normal Panel at the Fox & Jane workshop on Grand Street. We have 4 panelists and a lovely introductory poetry reading by a special guest so sit back, relax, and take off your bra.   Follow Sam Sedlack Twitter @SmokedSamman Instagram @SmokedSamman SuperNormalPodcast.com Follow Sammi Chichester Twitter @SammiChichester […]

For some of us our sexual identity is apparent from birth, for others, experimentation, conversation, infatuation, and love can change your orientation at any moment. Sometimes even when you least expect it. During this pride season, it’s important to highlight the experiences of all folks who identify as queer. Those who are or were ever […]

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” is a corny ass saying, but I’ll be damned if that bitch ain’t the truth. We’ve all thought about ways things could be improved, made up inventions of how a bra could be more comfortable, or a better way to get off of a fucking airplane, […]

Bad pun for a title aside, I am so excited to bring you this episode. Womxn do some pretty great shit, but when womxn find themselves in a place of power and use that power to not only support other womxn, but support other marginalized communities, it’s like this beautiful little sweet spot of love and […]

After a lovely phone call with these two beautiful Canadian souls (one that accidentally cost me $30 in long distance charges) I learned more about the ways we can assist our family and friends with Dementia. So many of us are afraid of aging. You can see it in our anti aging creams, sayings like […]

Some of us have mothers who taught us all there is to know about the world. Other people have the internet. Dealing with your mental health, invisible illnesses, chronic pain, navigating your sexuality, trying to build a career, and still be present in your friendships and relationships can be quite exhausting. For me this manifested […]

What’s a white girl to do to atone for the sins of her middle school self trying to find her place in the world? Make a podcast about it. Yes, even I am guilty of cultural appropriation and I am not proud of it. I’m saying this now. At no point in this episode am […]

Climate Change is happening every day. As we inch closer to our planet’s inevitable death, how can we reverse our acceleration of it? Yesterday was Earth Day and it’s important time of the year for that one girl from high school to remind you that she composts and you don’t. But as your feed gets […]

Cool art, checking your privilege, and AN INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY! Are you a white woman? Are you constantly filled with white guilt? Don’t know how to make your vacations benefit local communities instead of filling my newsfeed with your white savior Instagram pictures? Then you’re in the right place… Being white is an awkward topic these […]

We are all struggling in our own ways. Everyone is fighting for survival, fighting to find their identity, or fighting through traumas… past and present. And as today’s guest says, “We’re all living the same shit in different shoes.” But we must acknowledge that certain groups of us deal with life from an even more […]

PTSD, post-traumatic growth, and a weekend of panic attacks. Happy Monday! I’m back from my break last week and we’re kicking off the return with a doozy of an episode. Today’s episode hits very close to home.  I speak with Ken Falke is the CEO and Founder of Boulder Crest [nation’s first privately funded 501(c)(3) mental health […]

Growing up in the 90’s, I was no stranger to Weight Watchers. Every generation has their iteration of diet fads, but I distinctly recall the first time my mother took me to a meeting. I could palpably feel the shame on these women’s faces when they had to admit they did not lose anything, or […]

This week’s episode features bodybuilder Meaghan Wamboldt.  After recovering from an eating disorder, she has fought her way back to health and into her passion. Overcoming her addiction was not her only battle. Meaghan’s family and team of health care professionals took some convincing to allow her to compete in bodybuilding shows. With a lot […]

This Entrepreneur Spotlight features the lovely Elena Duque of @BodyBriteBayside. Not only is she raising two kids, but she’s running her own business and a blog! Elena runs BodyBrite Bayside with her mother by day and @FBombBeautyMom by night, all while creating a small skincare line and being featured on local news. Elena has pursed several different careers, but […]

HAPPY 30TH EPISODE BITCHES! Today’s episode features Janelle Bentley of “We Brunch Podcast,” which I am going to be on! Janelle is a phenomenal young woman, genuinely hilarious, and so fun to talk to. We chat about brunch (obvs), New York City’s gentrification, and becoming a vegan out of spite. I hope you enjoy this light […]

My favorite comment that’s been made about the podcast so far was that people love to have a place to come to every week to hear about new awesome small businesses and kick ass entrepreneurs. While I’m glad they enjoy those who I am highlighting, I hope this episode provides some insight into how to […]

When you’re an artist, people often assume your work fully represents you.  For some it may, but for many professionals who follow the market or do commissioned pieces to make a living, that’s not always the case.  There is a small intersection between making money and doing what you love.  Many people around the world spend […]

Sam gets her tarot cards read by @TheMexicanWitch ! Subscribe for more bonus content. Follow @TheMexicanWitch on Instagram to contact her for a reading. Follow us on Instagram @SuperNormalPodcast and subscribe on iTunes and all of your podcast listening apps! To support Super Normal, visit us on Patreon. To purchase a Super Normal shirt and donate to The Trevor Project, visit Queer & […]

White people have a tendency to appropriate cultures, whether they admit it or not. But sometimes the appropriation of a culture can accidentally lead to an acceptance of something that was formerly dangerous to its native people to practice. The world is full of skeptics as well as people who take advantage of the intangible, […]

There’s a lot of buzz around the idea of being a blogger these days. Whether you’re a stay at home mom in Utah or a hipster soap-carver in Brooklyn, it seems, with the right filter and following, you can find your audience. But how many of them, on a day-to-day basis, actually live this life? […]

The human body has so many intricacies. Our highway of veins and capillaries, the hundreds of bones that hold us up. But one of the most intricate things about the parts of the human body is the arbitrary meaning society has put on those parts. Being a feminist these days can get you a lot […]

Defect, contamination, epidemic, attack, breakdown. These are the synonyms for the word disease. All words with negative connotations, and for a good reason. Many diseases are life threatening and change the make-up of your body. But a disease can change you in good ways as well. No one wants to be diagnosed with an illness, […]

In this episode, I sit down with author Brianna Wiest to discuss her career and new book Salt Water. For a full list of Brianna’s work, head to her website. Follow Brianna by following: @BriannaWiest on Twitter @briannawiestauthor on Facebook @BriannaWiest on Instagram Thought Catalog Amazon To purchase a Super Normal shirt and donate to The Trevor Project, […]

In every relationship, we are faced with compromises.  But when those compromises require us to reevaluate our morals, it’s a monumental restructuring of who we are. We have previously discussed the idea of inter-community change and how that benefits interactions with others, such as in Episode 1 when Chris spoke about eradicating the promotion of […]

Many think of the New Year as a fresh start and it’s not unlike the fresh start that immigrants seek when they arrive to America. I hope that the me too movement continues into 2018. To discuss the exploitation of women with recognizable names is a great start in acknowledging the abuse of power in […]

In the current political climate, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and feel helpless, but there are things you as an individual can do for our country. Call your representative, vote in your local elections, and take the time to check the sources of the information you are sharing. Or if you want to […]

Our perceptions can prohibit us from truly getting to know someone. Especially when that person is growing and changing to become the better version of themselves. We’ve discussed in previous episodes the toxicity of someone’s presence on Social Media, but this overlaps into real life as well. How many times have we established a concrete […]

Imagine a world where the information that shaped our existence, the ways in which we defined ourselves, were told to us by a small group we put our trust in. A time where we based our collective identity as a people on the stories others told us. Decisions were passed down from generation to generation, […]

Podcasts were around long before the time of Serial and the NPR shows we all enjoy. In fact, NPR was known for mocking it’s few members in the early 2000’s who had taken up podcasting before the term even stuck. They are great, you can listen to them on your commute, on the elliptical, or […]

How is being a sex worker comparable to my career? Robyn Sparkles is a sex positive porn actor and sex worker. As a non-binary femme, self love and self care are a vital part of their everyday routine. Through trauma informed sex work, Robyn creates a place for folx to come together (and cum together) in […]

We the people, sit and bicker, agree to disagree, categorize ourselves and others in hopes of protecting what is ours. We the people partake in activities associated with the governance of our countries, our states, and our cities. We the people participate in debates and conflicts within our parties and without. But I don’t believe […]

We always try to teach children that honesty is the best policy, that we should treat others how we want to be treated, and if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. But for some reason, when we become adults those ideals are politicized. It’s cooler to shit talk […]

When people are constantly trying to size you up and figure out what you are, it can cause you to question your identity. Being mixed or biracial can be a beautiful thing, filled with many cultures coming together to create a lively and exciting home life. But it can also lead to constant explanation, mitigation, […]

In the search for topics and people to speak with on the show, I keep a running list of things I may do for future episodes. When Cali reached out to me, it took me by surprise how many topics we could cover. She’s in an interracial marriage, Lakota, adopted, the list goes on (and […]

Abuse comes in many forms, it can be physical, emotional, or even psychological. These types of abuse can leave long lasting scars on our personal development and ability to foster healthy relationships in the future. One thing that is common among those who have suffered at the hands of an abuser, is they believe they […]

Keeping your mental health in check is absolutely necessary for everyone, but when you’re entering a new stage of your life, it is especially important to pay attention to what your feeling. Postpartum Depression can often get swept under the rug as hormonal imbalances, the “baby blues,” or “baby fog.” It can be overlooked by […]

The conversation about mental illness is not where it should be yet in this country, but it is building and people are being encouraged to discuss their mental health openly. What isn’t always talked about is what it’s like to live with people who have mental illnesses. In this episode I talked to Abby, a […]

The idea of following your dreams is a less than amusing timeline involving societies idea of what’s good for you.  Remembering those cards our teachers held up as children describing what a doctor looked like, a policeman, a firefighter, I’m sure we all have the same image in our head. Breaking away from these stereotypes can […]

While BOPO is a rapidly growing movement on social media, something important to keep in mind is that your body is connected to your health. In this episode we speak to Emi and Charles, both body positivity activists who have struggled with body dysmorphia for most of their lives. When we attempt to change our […]

With the continuous increase of people trying to become Instagram famous, this episode discusses the pitfalls of being a public figure on social media.

The term disabilities carries negative connotations, but in this weeks episode Mark and Zach share the positive things that come along with their physical and neurological differences like love and art.