The Sweet Tea Series

In this eye-opening episode of the Sweet Tea Series, host Ariana Guajardo sits down with Texas State Representative Hillary Hickland to spill the tea on the wild stories coming out of public schools. From hidden gender transitions to explicit materials in libraries, Representative Hickland shares her journey from concerned mom to legislator, fighting for transparency and family values. Learn about her bills tackling school safety, child protection, and parental rights—plus, how you can get involved! Don't miss this powerful conversation about protecting kids in today's hyper-sexualized culture.

Join Ariana Guajardo on The Sweet Tea Series as we dive into the hottest topic buzzing online: the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement! In this episode, we're spilling the sweet tea with two incredible women—Jess Brasington, founder of Mama Bears Rising, and Brigid Rasmussen, former Team Kennedy Chief of Staff and COO of MAHA Action. From transparency in food labels to banning artificial dyes in school lunches, we're unpacking how MAHA is reshaping health, politics, and pop culture across America.Discover how this cross-partisan movement, sparked by Bobby Kennedy and President Trump, is empowering moms, college students, and influencers to demand healthier living. We'll explore Texas-led initiatives, the rise of women's health awareness, and practical ways people are get involved.Guests:Jess Brasington: @MamaBearsRising | mamabearsrising.comBrigid Rasmussen: mahaction.com

Vanessa Sivadge was fired from Texas Children's Hospital after she blew the whistle on their secret gender procedures for minors—violating both her Christian beliefs and Texas law. Now, she's fighting back with Protecting Texas Children, an organization dedicated to safeguarding kids from harmful medical interventions.In this episode of The Sweet Tea Series Ariana Guajardo sits down with Vanessa who shares her story, the shocking details of what she witnessed, and what every parent needs to know.

Right On Crime's Rachel Wright breaks down criminal justice and talks motherhood, work-life balance, Legally Blonde, and mens rea reform. 

How do we bring faith, history, and tradition back to the heart of our communities? In this episode, host Ariana sits down with Andrea Justus, a school board member in Wimberley, Texas, and the community coordinator for Restoring Faith in America.Andrea shares how this movement is working to restore faith in communities across the country, bring history and tradition back to the public square, and build a network of FaithBlazers—leaders dedicated to fostering a new generation of informed and engaged citizens.Socials & Podcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/sweetteaseries

Representative Caroline Fairly, the youngest Republican woman and first gen z representative in the Texas House, joins Ariana to chat about what it's like to be the youngest representative, cell phones in schools, water policy, and the It Ends With Us controversy.Explore the podcast

2024 was a LONG YEAR, and we go over EVERYTHING - trends, movies, drama, politics, and more!

All we want for Christmas is reliable energy

The tea has been PIPING HOT. Ariana is joined by McKenzie DiLullo, senior editor of The Texan. They talk about the Zach Bryan drama, how Trump will influence Texas, and McKenzie's career journey.

DEI is burning through our colleges - sometimes, literally. Today, Ariana chats with Kate Bierly, a college volleyball player and alumnus of the "wokest" university in America, about men in women's sports, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and courses, the idea of "intersectionality," and more!

Is the Bible back in schools? To answer that question, Ari is joined by experienced Texas teacher, Courtney Bagley, to talk homecoming, Texas' new curriculum, and what "cultural context" means for Texas school kids. Hint--it means they'll be able to understand common sayings, phrases, and the American ideals. 

Aliyah Formont joins Ariana Guajardo to chat TikTok cruise drama and drop new information on Texas' emerging water crisis - things are about to get real dry, real quick if we don't act!

Join Ari as she chats with Sherry Sylvester, an award-winning journalist and political insider on all things Texas, as they break down women's voting trends in 2024, feminism and femininity in the modern world, and what the future looks like for women in politics. 

Tired of trying? Be brat. Join Ari and America to dissect "brat summer," whether it's healthy for our self-image, and what might be the antidote to the self-aggrandizing brat culture: homeschooling. America also talks about what it was like to be one of six homeschooled kids, classical education, and her mother's unconventionally strong example. 

The Ballerina Farm drama has the internet going CRAZY, and the olympics aren't any different. Ariana sits down with Grace and Ella Grace to spill the sweet tea and discuss what it all means - especially in light of Title IX reform.Instagram: @spillingsweettea

Ariana Guajardo is joined by  Kristen Eichamer from the Problematic Women Podcast. They discuss discuss the threat to kids' online safety - especially in light of Kris Tyson's behavior. They also talk about how Americans can support their Olympic athletes without accepting the attack on Christianity.

This week, Taylor traveled to Washington, D.C. to sit down with Kelsey Good, Digital Director at The Strategy Group Company, and talk about life in our nation's capital, her experiences working on political campaigns, how politicians use social media and storytelling to engage with people, and how being a mom has impacted her view of politics.

Happy Mother's Day! Powerhouse Mom and TPPF's Next Generation Texas Campaign Director, Mandy Drogin, is back! She sat down with Ariana to share stories of moms in Texas who are fighting for school choice, the parenting challenges facing moms today, and how her mom has inspired her.

Calling all foreign policy girls: this one's for you! Taylor sat down with Alexandria Paolozzi, Director of Government Affairs for Christians United For Israel Action Fund, to discuss the current conflict in the Middle East, the rise of anti-Semitic protests around the world and on college campuses, the history behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the United States' relationship with Israel.

Jordan Leighty is back on The Sweet Tea Series! This week, she sits down with Ariana to talk about her internship at TPPF, why Gen Z is choosing not to attend college, how college doesn't necessarily prepare students for the workforce. Plus, get the tea on the ongoing fight against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at UT Austin, the problems with DEI initiatives on colleges campuses, and the advice Jordan would give younger self before attending college!

Taylor sits down with Bunni Pounds, author and President of Christians Engaged, to discuss her brand new book, Jesus and Politics, why getting involved with politics matters for Christians, and her journey and experiences in the political arena. Plus, they touch on the new Beyoncé album, Cowboy Carter, and bringing people to God in modern America. 

At the 2024 Texas Policy Summit, Ariana sat down with Jacki Deason, host of The Jacki Daily Show to unpack her career on Capitol Hill, her work on energy policy, including as a senior fellow for TPPF's Life:Powered energy initiative, the importance of energy security, how women can get involved with energy policy, and her advice to women who want to attend law school. 

Ariana sits down with Marie Marcalus, Director for Research and Publications for TPPF, to discuss her work at the Foundation and unpack the movie Cabrini. They also discuss how Marie's family immigrated to the U.S. during the same era as the film, tensions between charity and government, and how TPPF is working on foster care reforms.

Ariana is joined by Grace McCreary, Donor Relations Associate at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to discuss Grace's crazy DEI stories at UT Austin, why we love reality dating shows like the Bachelor and Love is Blind, and how God has been at work guiding her career.

Ariana is joined by Joshua Treviño, Chief of Intelligence and Research at TPPF, to talk all about his recent trip to Mexico, the Texas-Mexico relationship, and the ongoing political corruption in Mexico. Plus, they discuss the Super Bowl, reactions to Usher's halftime show performance, and the theory that Taylor Swift is really a psyop.

This week, Caroline Welton, Campaign Director for Center on Health and Families, sits down with Ariana to discuss how she is affecting change through policy, the importance of civic education, and  the role and purpose of government.

New Texan Laura Carr joins Taylor to discuss her experience growing up in the United Kingdom, how she moved to the United States, and her thoughts on the finale of The Crown and the British Royal Family. Plus they chat about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Laura's work in the AI space.

This week, Ariana sits down with seventh generation Texan, mom, and warrior for liberty, Jessie Ramirez! They dive into Jessie's work as chair of the San Antonio Liberty Leadership Council (LLC), how she prioritizes her family while working as a real estate agent, the current housing market, and her experience on the Library Board in Kyle, TX.

Taylor talks with Ciara Hall, Chief of Staff for Texas State Representative Ellen Troxclair, to discuss what it's like to work for the Texas State Legislature and her background in agriculture. Plus, Taylor and Ciara discuss the Hunger Games and their thoughts on Hollywood's portrayal of female leads.

Ariana sits down with Carine Martinez, campaign director of TPPF's Secure & Sovereign Frontier, to discuss fighting for Texas' border security and the realities of the border crisis and U.S. immigration policy. Plus, they discuss how Carine moved from Paris to the United States and is now a proud American! 

Ariana, Britt, and Taylor sit down to recap the major pop culture news of 2023, how 2023 was the Year of the Girl, how the left has taken their policies to the extreme, and predictions for the new year!

Merry Christmas y'all! Ariana, Britt, and Taylor all sit down and chat about their families' Christmas traditions, favorite Christmas movies, Christmas hot takes, and how inflation is affecting the holiday season.

Taylor sits down with Nikki Pressley, Chief of Staff and Texas State Director for TPPF's Right On Crime, to talk about her path into the policy world, which Kardashian she identifies most with, Kim Kardashian's advocacy for Alice Johnson and criminal justice, and bail reform in Texas.

This week, Alicia Galvan Lopez joins Taylor in studio all the way from Mexico for a riveting discussion on her work as a woman in politics and the state of politics, corruption, and the impact of the cartels in Mexico.

Taylor sits down with Mandy Drogin, Campaign Director for Next Generation Texas, to discuss how she is fighting to save the education system, empower parents, and give future generations of children in Texas the opportunity to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Taylor is back! This week, Ariana asks Taylor about her wedding and honeymoon in Europe. Plus, they discuss Taylor's firsthand experience with socialized healthcare in Italy and all things Paris.

Ariana is joined by Jordan Leighty, a student at the University of Texas at Austin and co-chair of the Young Conservatives of Texas, to discuss her experiences and the hardships she has faced as a conservative on a college campus.

Ariana is joined by Rebecca Weaver from Texas Right to Life to talk about Rebecca's journey into politics and policy as a young conservative woman. Plus, Ariana and Rebecca talk about their favorite reality TV dating shows.

Attorney and Star Wars fan Chance Weldon joins Ariana Silva to talk about the new Star Wars TV Series, Ahsoka. They also discuss the harmful impact of woke TV shows and movies.

Selene Rodriguez joins Britt Allen to talk about the humanitarian crisis on the southern sorder. Selene is currently the Assistant Director of Federal Affairs, States Trust. She was raised in Del Rio and has witnessed the collapse of true border security.Prior to her work at TPPF,  she served in the Marine Corps as an Intelligence Specialist.The ladies also talk about the TV Show Yellowstone and what it means to be a Texan.

The gals of sweet tea sit down with Education Coordinator for Life:Powered, Courtnie Bagley, to break down the state education, the truth about climate alarmism, and balancing career with motherhood. 

Border expert Melissa Ford joins the ladies to talk about her life in Bolivia and what inspires her work in border policy.

Sherry Sylvester is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Her career has spanned across multiple states, positions, and even parties. On this episode, Taylor and Sherry talk about the evolution of women in politics and why Sherry chose to leave the left and embrace Texas conservatism.

TPPF's Erin Valdez joins the girls to talk about issues in higher education. They spill the tea on admission scandals, affirmative action, and the "college for all" culture. 

Conservatives often have a "tough on crime" attitude. But is being tough on crime the same as being SMART on Crime? Julie Warren unpacks this issue... and shares some thoughts on Taylor Swift.  Check out Right on Crime: https://rightoncrime.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spillingsweettea/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sweettea_tx

On this episode, Taylor and Ariana are sitting down with the Digital Marketing Manager for Right On Crime, Britt Allen, to talk through all things criminal justice policy, marketing trends, and of course... the Barbie movie!

On the first episode of The Sweet Tea Series, we're meeting the girls behind the tea cups, our hosts Taylor Dawson and Ariana Silva! Music License: MB01UKZEDGIVUVP