Thought Sauce Podcast

We're baaack! As a holiday gift to our listeners, we decided to  (finally) release a new episode. You'll get an update on the podcast, what we've been up to this year, our highs and lows from 2020, and what we are looking forward to most in the New Year. Although I don't think this past year went as anyone expected, you'll hear how we've made the most of it and all the GOOD that actually came out of this challenging year. Happy Holidays!! -Meg & Brea

Laura Ritchie, a luxury event designer in the Washington D.C. area, takes us on her journey from working in fashion and catering to owning her company, Grit & Grace, Inc., for the last ten years. She captures her clients true individuality and brings it alive through experiences by  designing and producing unbelievable weddings and events that have been featured on the pages and sites of Martha Stewart Weddings and Harper’s Bazaar to name a few. She also reveals the biggest mistakes brides make when planning their weddings, what her very first question is, and the process she goes through with clients from the initial inquiry to final event. Laura also gives us insight to the DC wedding industry and the supportive community they have created. You can find Laura online at http://gritandgraceinc.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gritandgraceinc/.

Tayo Adeyiga is a full-time Intellectual Property Lawyer specializing in trademarks. She tells us about her journey from starting as a criminal prosecutor in Houston, Texas, where the environment was high-stress, to where she is now in a more laid-back area of law — trademarks in Washington DC.  For anyone looking to file for a trademark — listen up! Tayo shares the top three mistakes people make when they file for a trademark. In addition to law, Tayo is passionate about clean beauty and luxury fashion. She saw a huge hole in the market for clean beauty on her skin color which inspired her to start her YouTube channel. Follow Tayo on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb7WqEym_LZpwUn021JItKA and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tayo.adeyiga/

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Meg and Brea share lots of details about their marriages. They both talk about whether or not they regret getting married so young and what it was like transitioning to married life straight out of college. They openly discuss what’s been important to keeping their marriages alive, communication styles, dealing with conflict, forgiveness and more! Relationships are not easy, and they share what they’ve learned over the past 15+ years and how marriage counseling has helped along the way.

Orie Agbaji was a bit of a local high school celebrity, being awarded the best high school volleyball player in Kansas City and a 2016 Under Armour First Team All-American. After high school she went off to attend the best volleyball college in the country, the University of Texas. While there, things didn’t quite go as she expected. Orie shares with us the difference between high school and college sports, how she overcame adversity, and how her faith played a big part in her growing through a tough experience. As the child of two college basketball players, Orie shares what her parents did to foster her and her brother’s love for sports. (Her brother, Ochai Agbaji, is currently a starting guard for the Kansas Jayhawks). You may be surprised to know that she loved to dance as a kid and didn’t start playing volleyball until 7th grade. We talk about how crazy people are about youth sports, and how doing too much too soon can take the fun out of it. If you have kids in youth sports or activities, listen up! Orie is a college senior, so it was also interesting to hear the perspective of someone just leaving school and starting her career. Orie shares what’s up next for her, why she wants to work in social media management and gives some parting words of advice for anyone heading off to play college sports. You can find Orie on Instagram at: @originallyorie

In this episode, Meg and Brea talk about what they do to stay productive and make the most of their time, in an effort to reach their goals. They talk about the importance of sleep and setting yourself up for success each day. They both agree that you are in control of how you spend your time, and you have to decide to make choices that will lead toward productivity and ultimately achieving your goals. As entrepreneurs with flexible schedules, they have to be intentional about staying on task and have, consequently, learned how to maximize their productivity. Meg shares a bunch of great resources for learning more about productivity. Productivity & Organization Books Meg Recommends: The Rhythm of Life Essentialism Rework The ONE Thing The Obstacle is the Way The Creative Habit Thrive The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck The Power of Habit Manage Your Day-To-Day Do The Work Choose Yourself The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Organizing for the Creative Person   Haven't read but heard good things:   Deep Work Atomic Habits Indistractable Stillness Is the Key  

Andrea Larson, also known as @lifelovelarson, is a Kansas City based blogger, trendsetter, mom and organizer/purger. She gives us her perspective as a stay-at-home mom, and how she survived those years with two young kids at home with her. She talks about the importance of travel with her kids and having the kind of relationship where they will talk to her. We talk all things organization for the New Year, as well as her process for purging. She also shares how she manages her kids’ stuff and has taught them how to purge themselves. We discuss the Marie Kondo method for organizing and how it really works to clear everything out. You’ll get lots of practical advice on how to start getting your whole house organized. Of course we also talked plants! I picked her brain on what types of plants are best for beginnings, how to keep succulents alive, repotting plants and propagation. While I was at her house recording, I witnessed several of her little propagators in process! We literally laughed our way through the entire episode. Enjoy!

We are both super intentional about setting goals and formatting a plan to make those goals come to fruition. The New Year seemed like a perfect opportunity to share our goal-setting processes with you! Without knowing it, we both have a very similar way to develop our goals. We review the past year and how setting goals impacted our progress in 2019. We also dish on the intentions we’ve set for ourselves moving into 2020. This episode will leave you with a jumping off point to accomplishing anything in the New Year. Find Meg's planning sheets here: http://shop.megbiram.com/

Landon Patterson gives us a very real account of what it was like growing up and not quite fitting within society's labels. She shares how she was different from other kids and what it was like navigating middle and high school while transitioning from teenage boy to teenage girl. After winning homecoming queen her senior year of high school, Landon was thrust into the public spotlight and became an advocate for the trans community. She tells us what it was like having the Westboro Baptist Church protestors come to her school because of her notoriety, and how she received the support of her coaches and cheerleading squad during this time. Landon tells it like it is, and was so open and honest with us on the mistakes people make with respect to her community, usually out of ignorance. She stresses the importance of using the correct pronouns and not asking inappropriate questions. We also touch on how she started her showgirl career at Hamburger Mary’s and what it’s like dating as a trans woman. Landon is so genuine, good-hearted and hilarious. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Meg and Brea share their favorite things for the month of December. They talk all things warm and cozy and get into a funny disagreement about Uggs. Brea shares a couple of things on her Christmas wish list, and both Meg and Brea share some great gift ideas for the holidays.

In this episode, Brea interviews Meg about what it was like leaving Hallmark to venture out on her own. Even though she lived it, it’s different hearing it through the ears of an entrepreneur herself now. Meg shares about how she knew she needed to leave her job, the struggles of being on her own in a city where she knew almost no one, and also how she survived. We also discuss all the “pivots” or transitions Meg has made in her career to continue to be successful. The life of an entrepreneur is definitely not boring! You won’t want to miss Meg’s inspirational story, which many of her followers may not know. It’s a great episode for anyone thinking of starting their own business or making a work transition of their own.

Kilee Nickels, founder and CEO of Nickel & Suede, instagrammer/blogger at @onelittlemomma, podcaster at @kileenickelspodcast, wife, and mom of five boys, shares her journey to get to where she is today. We learn about what Kilee was like as a kid, her college experience, and getting married and having kids at a young age. She opens up about her eating disorder and how she worked through it with counseling. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we loved hearing about how she came up with the concept for Nickel & Suede and how her husband, Soren, has been key to taking her ideas to the next level and pushing her outside her comfort zone. Kilee is super honest about how hard it is to work with your spouse! She shares how she got into blogging and what has resonated with her audience. We get into work-life balance and the struggles that go with running a company while raising kids. She also gives us a peek into what’s next for her and Nickel & Suede.  Shop her famous tear-drop earrings at Nickel & Suede.  Kilee’s blog: One Little Momma Kilee’s podcast: With Kilee Nickels Follow her on Instagram: @onelittlemomma

Meg & Brea are back to share their current obsessions for the month of November! From restaurants to gift ideas to apps, there is a great mix of everything in this month’s favorites. Be sure to listen to catch them all, and below are links to make them easy to find: Grateful kitchen Corkcicle Coffee Mug Meg’s Ornaments Beam Smartphone Vent Mount ASOS Meg’s beaded dress Evereve Mittens CoverGirl Exhibitionist Mascara Yellowstone Art Attack Podcast Nike Run Club App

Dave Hemingway-Turner, formerly of DC and now a KC resident, tells us all about his job as a librarian and how it’s is actually more exciting that you would think. He opens up about his sexuality and what it was like coming out to his family in his 30s. He shares the sweet story of how he met his husband, Chris, and all the details on their adoption journey. He also gives us an honest look at what it’s like for two men to be raising a daughter and why he feels it’s so important for her to see the world. He lets us in on what he’s reading, as well as his favorite spots to eat in DC.

Kansas City native and co-owner of 200 Main Vintage, Tobe Reed, reminisces on her days working at Hallmark with Meg, where Tobe worked in the lettering department and ran/founded Hallmark’s blog. We get the inside scoop on what it’s like to work at Hallmark. Tobe shares how her grandmother’s death helped her realize it was time for her to leave her corporate job for a slower, more family-centered way of life. Since leaving Hallmark, she’s had more time and energy for her business, and consequently, the business has grown with her extra attention. You can find 200 Main Vintage on One Kings Lane, Chairish, and locally in Kansas City at Golden & Pine.

Kansas City-based elementary school principals and friends, Christy Lamb and Karen Hile, share a behind-the-scenes look at education from the perspective of an administrator. These women are passionate about education and making the world a better place!  We talk about burnout in education, balancing family life with the inflexible schedule of an educator, how parents can do a better job of supporting their teachers and administrators and even discipline.  They also share some educational trends, as well as their opinions on iPads in the classroom. Follow them to join their supportive community and to stay up-to-date on upcoming events.  Favorite teacher style IG accounts: @schoolinstyle; @toocoolformiddleschool.  Books: White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism; Between the World and Me; Rabbit. Podcasts: As Seen on Radio; Rise Podcast; The Jennifer Allwood Show. Website: https://www.themodernprincipal.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/themodernprincipal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themodernprincipal/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ModernPrincipal

Pastry Chef, Tiffany MacIssac, takes us through how she grew up in Hawaii, moved to NYC for theatre but fell in love with cooking and enrolled in culinary school 3 weeks after she arrived. She shares the crazy story about how she and her husband moved to DC from NYC and how she opened her own bakery.  She talks about finding balance between what you want to make and what your customers want, the custom cake industry and process with clients who want something they’ve seen on Pinterest, and how they often undercharge for how much time they put into their cakes. We get the full story on the Military Ball cake, also known as the “Trump cake”, and how it blew up out of context in the media, how she handled it and what it did for her outlook on business. “Standing by your morals doesn’t only count when it works in your favor, you have to stand by them even when it’s not in your favor.” “We would never turn anyone away for any reason.” She also lets us in on the food scene and chef culture in DC and some of her favorite spots to eat around town.

Meg & Brea chat with college friend, Jessica Furst Johnson, a successful election law attorney, who also just happens to be dubbed an “election expert.” Jessica shares her path to her very successful career and the surprising way she landed her first big job. We talk politics respectfully and discuss why understanding the other side is so important. “It is critical to know what they [people in voting districts] think, and I don’t think you can better your understanding of an issue unless you are asking questions and conversing about it.” She answers the question: “What do people get wrong about Republicans?” She gets into misconceptions about the party and how Republicans really feel about education.  Later we talk about what it’s like to be a working mom, who really loves to work. Jessica explains why she got hate from moms on Twitter and how she doesn’t regret the decision to take the biggest opportunity in her career. We end on a lighter note of fashion in DC, running marathons and some great advice.

Meg and Brea chat about competition and comparison in life, business, and online. They discuss being driven and striving for excellence but not being competitive about it. Focus on your own passion and your own goals and only let other’s successes inspire you to work harder and do your best. They get into about healthy competition when it comes to fun and games.  “It’s more about the experience, than it is about winning.” — Meg They talk about how you are in control of your mindset and that you can change it. Meg shares how she regularly does this in her car. Simply changing your mindset and your own self talk can change how you feel about something. Meg & Brea have an honest discussion about how being secure and happy with yourself and your own efforts toward your goals, makes it easier to be genuinely happy for others, cheer them on and even help others out.  “I’m doing my best, and I’m secure in that, so I can be genuinely happy for someone else and not feel that competitive comparison thing.” — Brea They also get into distraction and focus and how by changing that alone, especially in the age of constant devices and social media, you can get more done on your own projects. “All that time you’re spending thinking about other people, what if you spent it on yourself?” — Meg

Meg, Brea, and Arienne begin the episode bonding over Notre Dame where Arienne is an alum and is very involved at the University. Let’s just say, Starter jackets were discussed. We chat parenting and how when we all grew up there was an expectation of behavior.  Arienne talks about how she sometimes knows things are going to happen. There’s a lot of Book Club talk and why we all think everyone needs to be in one. We mention the book A House in the Sky, A Little Life, how Meg is “dark”, and how our book club loves true crime. Arienne dishes on one of her most memorable experiences at the White House correspondence dinner with David Arquette, and how the dinner and parties actually work. Meg talks about her own brush with a famous band on her bachelorette party. We talk about journalism and Arienne’s passion for it. We go into Arienne’s journalism career, PR career, how clients should work with PR companies, and how Arienne got her gig teaching at American University and Georgetown. College students listen up! Arienne gives some great advice on how to make the most of your college experience and get amazing opportunities. Make sure to listen to the end. We deep dive into race in America, white privilege, intersectional feminism, white guilt, and Arienne gives some amazing advice to how to learn and understand the world as it really is.  There are gems of knowledge all over this episode. And a little Meghan Markle chat to top it off. Find Arienne at Moki Media.

In this episode Meg & Brea do their first OBSESSIONS episode, where they talk about all the things they are obsessed with right now. Listen to the episode to hear each obsession, but here are some links mentioned in the episode: Meg’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Hack Swings Diplomat Twice Toothpaste Scout & Cellar — Clean wine that both Meg & Brea are obsessed with. Madewell’s denim recycling program. Workable Wealth Podcast Rich Bitch, by Nicole Lapin You Are a Badass at Making Money, by Jen Sincero Potomac Candle Pumpkin Soufflé Candle Pumpkin Bourbon Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Tumeric Face Oil Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil Sunday Riley ICE Cermide Moisturizing Cream Google Keep App Picniic app Slipjack Tuna & Simple Mills Crackers Cult Gaia Cam Boots AllSaints Estella jacket

Here at TSP we like to go deep quick, and that’s exactly what we did with influencer Dani Sauter. Dani’s lady boss mom was an amazing role model. A Puerto Rican woman paving her way in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA, starting her own newspaper and managing it all with Dani in tow. When Dani was 13 her mom found a lump in her neck, and Dani graciously goes into all the details, her feelings about the situation, and what she learned from her mother’s passing in the episode. See the post where she recreates photos of her mom on her site here.   On that topic we chat about death and mortality in general, but then lighten the mood learning more about how Dani juggles a full-time IT consulting job with her influencing and blogging work.    Dani tells all about how she creates her amazing editorial photos and why she thinks her Instagram account grew so quickly, and gives us the deets on her time at Coco Rocha’s modeling camp.   We chat body positivity, inclusive sizing, and why none of us like the phrases “plus size” or “extended sizes”.    Plus, Meg goes on a mini rant about Instagram and why people should stop complaining about the algorithm.   Shop Dani’s favorite inclusive sizing brands:   Elloquii Modcloth 11 Honore ASOS Veronica Beard Tanya Taylor  Nordstrom Loft   Find Dani Sauter on Instagram @blonde_inthedistrict and on her website Blonde in the District.

In this conversation between just the two of them, Meg and Brea share their point of view on something they feel they’re both pretty good at: making and keeping friends. Meg shares what it was like trying to meet new people when she moved to D.C. It’s actually not that different from Brea’s experience connecting with other moms in her kids’ classes. You just have to put yourself out there! They touch on vulnerability, anxiety, forgiveness, and discuss why maintaining friendships can be hard for some and what has led to the success of their long-term friendship. This episode is going to make you want to call your BFF and meet up for a glass of wine!

In this episode of the Thought Sauce Podcast, we chat with Dr. Megan Brown, co-founder of Mind that Mat, the successful Pilates and yoga studio in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.    Dr. Brown shares about moving from place to place as a child, her struggles after college, her mission to make everyone feel like they belong, running a business, how she pushes herself physically, and even touches on intermittent fasting.   Dr. Megan Brown is also an experienced Physical Therapist with a focus on Pilates for rehabilitation, and an Adjunct Faculty Member at Marymount University’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy Program. She is also a wife and mom of two boys.    After hearing from Megan Brown, you will understand why Meg Biram is completely obsessed with her. She is all sorts of #goals!   Follow Dr. Megan Brown on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmeganbrown/ and her website at https://www.drmeganbrownpt.com/.

In this teaser episode, you’ll get to know a little more about the Thought Sauce Podcast hosts, Meg & Brea, and they’ll be sharing some additional info on the release of future episodes. Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at @thoughtsaucepodcast, as well as Meg at @megbiram and Brea at @overanalyzedthat.