Podcasts about rushtok

This week, the internet turned its eyes to an annual 2020s tradition: watching freshman girls rush sororities at big Southern state schools via an endless stream of social videos. What does our obsession with RushTok tell us about the South, the internet, and America? Plus, what's up with the influencer backlash on Nantucket, and why is mahjong so hot right now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennie Nash hosts a #amwriting podcast BookLab with guest Kathleen Barber, author of Truth Be Told and newly released Sisterhood Above All (co-written with Amayah Shaienne), and discusses Barber's range across thrillers and romance, her character-first approach, and how RushTok inspired an authentic sorority-rush thriller featuring Madison, Shay, and Ava as tensions escalate and someone dies. They define RushTok as viral TikTok coverage of University of Alabama sorority recruitment and note its broad international fascination. In the BookLab, they evaluate three first-page submissions by asking “Would we turn the page?” They praise Heather's Trust Me for strong voice, vivid Austin setting, and an intriguing problem hook, with minor notes about genre context. They decline Odeon Omega due to unearned logistics and too much dialogue despite an intriguing title/advert. They find Empty Spaces compellingly written but confusing from too many names and unclear stakes, suggesting more interiority and clarity.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Connect with KathleenVisit Kathleen's website to find her books and more: https://www.kathleenbarber.comTranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash, and you're listening to the #amwriting podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. This is a book lab session where we answer the most important question about your first pages.Would we pick up the book? Would we turn the page? Today, I have a really special guest with me. I have Kathleen Barber here, who is so many things. She's the author of Truth Be Told, which was adapted as a series on Apple TV, Follow Me, Both Things Are True, and just brand new, like it came out four days ago, Sisterhood Above All, with, I'm gonna try her name, Amaya Chen?How do you-Barbara: Yeah. Uh, um, yeah. That's, that's very close. I think it's Amaya Chen.Jennie: Okay. Yeah. Uh, so we're gonna hear about that in a minute. Um, I haven't, I haven't cracked it open yet, but I'm so [00:01:00] excited for it. Um, Kathleen's also an Author Accelerator certified book coach and a former attorney, and she lives in Washington, DC with her family.So welcome, Kathleen.Barbara: Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here.Jennie: So I watched your unboxing the other day. It was so fun, and I didn't realize that we had scheduled this right on top of, like the actual- Oh ... launch of your book.Barbara: No, that, that's okay. It's, it's great. Um, it gives me something to think about that's not just, like, spiraling.Like, is anybody gonna read my book? Is anybody gonna like it? Um, so it gives me something else to focus on.Jennie: Well, it's so interesting you say that because I think of you as this really seasoned pro and, you know, it's been really interesting for me to watch your career because you've written some really different kinds of books.You did a ... Well, your first book was obviously a big thriller and a huge success, and at one point, you pivoted to romance, and now you're doing ... Well, I, I saw that book list [00:02:00] called Sisterhood Above All, a soapy thriller Yes. Yes ... which is such a great description, and you did it with a collaborator. So you just seem interested in story to me.Barbara: I, I am. Yeah. I'm always very ... I always start a story with the characters. Um, and so then their story kind of spirals out from there. Um, yeah, so I, my last book that came out before this one was, was a rom-com. Um, and I was really nervous when I started writing it. I was like, “How am I going to write this when I've been writing suspense and thrillers before?”And it turns out that, like, at the heart of it, stories are stories, and people are people, and, you know, in a romance, happy things happen. In a thriller, bad things happen, but things still happen.Jennie: Amazing. So give us the overview of the brand new book, ‘cause it's, it's really juicy.Barbara: Yeah. Yeah, so I'm really excited about it.Um, Sisterhood Above All is a thriller set during sorority rush, and so it follows three different [00:03:00] women who are involved there. There's Madison, who is the president of what's she perceives as to be the coolest sorority on campus, so she's kind of the gatekeeper, and there's Shay, who is the president of a rival sorority and trying to shake, shake up the Greek institutions, and then there's Ava, who is a potential new member.She's going through rush. She's desperate to join Madison's sorority, um, and she might be a little too desperate. Uh, so you know, it's a thriller. Bad things happen. Somebody dies, um, you know, and things kind of spiral out, spiral out of control.Jennie: But tell us about the collaboration, ‘cause it's- Yeah ... so interesting how that came about and how it went and-Barbara: Yeah.You know, it was, it was a lot of fun. Um, I, like many writers, write alone, and I had never really considered collaborating with anybody before, um, but- But when I was kind of talking about this, I, I'd been pitching my agent a sorority themed thriller for a while. [00:04:00] Um, and at one point when, when Rush Talk was getting really big a couple summers ago, she was like, “This is the moment.This, you should write this book, but I think that in order to make it feel more authentic, we should bring in somebody who's living this in this moment.” Um, so one of her colleagues found Amaya, who, um, was up until very, very recently an active member of a sorority at the University of Alabama, and brought us together.And Amaya and I got along right away, and we both had kind of the same vision for what we wanted the book to be, and so collaborating with her was, was a lot of fun in a way that I had been nervous that it wouldn't be. But it was, it was a really good time, and I'm really, really proud of the book.Jennie: So for those who don't know or weren't following, can you tell us what Rush Talk-Barbara: YeahwasJennie: or isBarbara: or- Yeah ... shall be? Yes, yes, yes. So, um, so if you're gonna join a sorority, um, you go through, you go through recruitment and which is very slangily [00:05:00] called rush. Um, and so on TikTok a few years ago, um, people started sharing about their experiences during sorority rush, but specifically, uh, during sorority rush at the University of Alabama.Um, and it really took on a life of its own, like people were watching it like it was, you know, a television program. Uh, they made a documentary about it, which, you know, I'll, I will let you make your own conclusions about the documentary. Um, but people just got really, really into it, and people... And it was kind of appealing to people who had gone through sorority rush at some point, were thinking about going through a sorority rush, or who were just invested in, you know, watching people have these kind of outlandish experiences and, and share them.So, um, itJennie: was a lot of fun. My understanding was that it got very, very popular in other countries?Barbara: I- it's definitely... [00:06:00] Yeah. You know, um- So sorority, some, some sororities are international. Not, not all of them are. Um, but by and large, when they say international, they mean that there are chapters in Canada, not that, like, there are chapters in, you know, like Europe or, or other countries.And so it just, it's something that is so unique and so, like, uniquely about, like, this type of college experience that I think it's been really interesting to people in lots of different places.Jennie: Yeah, yeah. Fascinating. So obviously the book has been out, like, mere hours here. But, um, how does it feel? Are you, are you- It's excitingyou said you were excited and proud and- SoBarbara: exciting. Yeah. I'm, I'm, I'm really, really proud of the book. I love it. I mean, I know everybody, like, loves their own books, but I do. I truly, like, love this book, and I just really hope that the readers do too.Jennie: You know, it's not true that everybody loves their book.I, I was dying to have somebody on the podcast who will never come on the podcast. But I- Yeah ... I heard a story about somebody who [00:07:00] got a seven-figure deal for a book that they really didn't actually love, and then- Oh, no ... they, they wrote it. It came out, and then when they had to co- come time to do the publicity, they just dreaded it.They, it was like a, just they did it for the money. They got the money, and then didn't, didn't wanna talk about it, like felt sort of ashamed about it. And I was like, “Oh, please, come talk about that.” But of course they, they won't. So...Barbara: That's wild. Isn't that wild? That's wild. Yeah. I just, I just can't even imagine how that would feel.Um, I mean...Jennie: I know. Well, I, uh, the cover of this, um, of this new book, Sisterhood Above All, is- is really cool too. So we will link to it in the show notes, and everyone can go read it and check it out, and, um, Kathleen's other books, I've read them all, and you have such range and, um, like I said, [00:08:00] interesting stories.So with that, let's get to our, our Book Lab entries. We just always wanna start by thanking those who submitted. It's not easy to do this, to put your stuff out there with no context and no ability to talk back or anything and have random s- people on the internet, you know, talk about your stuff. So really appreciate the, the risk-taking of doing that, and we do this in order to help us all get better and, and learn, you know, what works and, and, um, for your own self or your own writing, what, what you want it to be.So what we're gonna do, as always, is I'm gonna read the entry, and then we're gonna ask ourselves, would we turn the page? So, um, the first entry is Fiction and it is, uh, author's name is [00:09:00] Heather and the name of the work is Trust Me. So here we goI can't tell you whether it's the Johnny Cash mural, clusters of candles nestled into every corner of the long stone bar, or the smoky scent of Palo Santo that tucks Austin into my head the first night. Maybe it's the unexpected jazz trio on a Tuesday in a town built for blues, country, and rock, or it could be the two cowboys deep in conversation at a table in the back of the bar.I'll later, I'll later learn that making a hot Austin guy a cowboy because of his hat, faded jeans, and scuffed boots is the same as labing- labeling a frat bro in a hoodie and sweats an athlete. It's just how they dress. I can tell you I like the looks of Austin men a hell of a lot better, especially that wide silver belt buckle that dresses up the whole package in a bow.It's going [00:10:00] on nine PM when I arrive at Whistlers in East Austin, and the bartender hands, hands me a peach-colored mezcal craft cocktail. Fresh juice, pungent herbs, and the smoky sister to tequila are the perfect salve after what's transpired since my flight landed from New York two hours earlier. I follow the snake tattoo on his foreha- forearm as the bartender shakes another cocktail for the couple next to me.Damn, he's hot, too. The crowd starts to pick up, and I signal Snake Tattoo for another before I lose his attention for good. The warm agave liquor spreads through my bones, and I start to relax. Maybe this isn't the disaster I think it is. Maybe I can actually pull it off. I glance around at the mostly twenty and thirty-something crowd angling for spots at the bar.The women wear short dresses and long hair. The men, well, those jeans are something, along with their finely cut biceps and well-placed tattoos. Can't help but glance over at those cowboys again and get a warm smile in [00:11:00] return. Easy, girl. Back to business. I have a problem, and this second mezcal is going to help me solve it.All right. What do you think? What was your first impression?Barbara: I really enjoyed that. I would definitely turn the page there. I, I feel like there was, like, a really strong sense of, sense of place, and I, in particular, I really enjoyed the, the first line, not only because it gives us that sense of place, but it, because it also then tells us something about the narrator and how she perceives the world around her in that first line.Jennie: Yeah, and, and there's a good m- a, a good question at hand here, which is what's she doing here?Barbara: Mm-hmm.Jennie: She's come from New York. We get that. It's a little unclear how, how old she is, ‘cause she's referencing other people's ages, but not her own, so we, we don't really know what's happening or what, what's, what's about.[00:12:00] Um, I mean, I thought the writ-Barbara: Well, IJennie: agree. Yeah. I thought the writing was great. It sort of tripped along-Barbara: Mm ...Jennie: um, nicely. IBarbara: like at the end where... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on you. No,Jennie: no, go. Yeah. I like atBarbara: the end, I like at the end where, um, she says she has a problem, and the second mezcal is gonna help her solve it.I thought that was really interesting, ‘cause I, it piqued my interest, made me wanna know what the problem is, but it's also kind of funny. Like, the mezcal's probably not gonna help you solve your problem, but it's like...Jennie: Yeah. No, it's so true. I was longing for a little bit more of a sense of what's happening here.I mean, this could be any kind of story at this point. It could be she could be a spy. She could be an assassin. She could be trying to get a guy back. Like, we, there's really no sense of what the story's gonna be. I always like that on the first page. What about you?Barbara: Yeah. I, I agree with you. I, it, it could, it could go in any direction.I kind of [00:13:00] sense from the tone that it's, you know, it's going to be something, uh- Well, I guess I don't know. You know, honestly. Now, now that I'm looking at it again and thinking about it, um, you're right, it could be... The, the problem that she has could be a thriller problem, or it could be a romantic problem, since she's kind of made, made comments about the different men.I think that was a hint to me that it might be a romantic problem that she's having, but I actually don't know.Jennie: Yeah. The, the- obviously she's clocking all the hot guys in this bar, which tells us something, either about her or what she's up to. We don't know. Um, but yeah, it's, um, really good detail, like the, you mentioned that first line, and I liked the line about her sh- the self-awareness about, you know, she calls him a cowboy and then she says, you know, sort of like, “Oh, right, that's not really fair.”Mm-hmm. “We don't know.” [00:14:00] You know, that, I thought that was, made me think- Yeah ... this character's gonna know themselves.Barbara: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I agree with that. I, I also really enjoyed the kind of specificity that she uses in the descriptions, like when she talks about, you know, the, the cocktail that she's drinking, and the tattoo on the bartender's arm.Like, I just felt like those details really made the story come alive for me. So that, like, even if I didn't exactly know where we were going, I could, I could picture where we were.Jennie: Yeah. Yeah. That's really well said. Well, we like this. I think I would, I would turn the page.Barbara: I would, I would too, yeah. Mm-hmm.Jennie: We would turn the page. Um, I mean, the only notes I think for me would be, I mean, it's always so tricky, because if we were picking this book up, the title, Trust Me, doesn't really tell us anything, but the cover would.Outro: Mm-hmm.Jennie: The vibe of the cover would. We'd have a little more context for where we were and [00:15:00] what this was about, and that would probably help with the issue that, that I have, which is, well, what kind of book is this?We don't know. Um, and you know, now that I'm thinking of it, we don't even know whe- where we are in time. Um, I'm, I'm assuming modern day, but I don't know why I assumed that. It, maybe it's not. So maybe just a tiny bit more of a sense of- Uh, context for the reader. Mm-hmm. But that's my only note. L- do you have any notes?Barbara: Yeah. You know, I honestly don't think that I, I have any additional notes. I mean, I, I really enjoyed this selection, and I would definitely keep reading here.Jennie: Well, Heather, that's high praise, soBarbara: Yeah, I, I usually have ideas. I usually have notes but I don't.Jennie: Yeah, that's, uh, that's g- a good one for us to start with, and very fun, I hope, for you to hear that from Kathleen.All right, let's [00:16:00] go to our, our next one. This is fiction. It's called Odeon Omega, um, and the author is ... Well, the, the, um, it's coming across as, um, Sound Smith, but who knows what that is? So, um, Odeon Omega, they will know who they are, for sure. All right, here we go. “The grand O-O opening continues all month long at your new entertainment destination, the one and only, first of its kind on this or any other coast, the all-new, all-excitement Odeon Omega.‘Gah!' Emmy shrieked from the bathroom. ‘You can turn the TV volume down now, Seth. We're done.' Seth was still lying in bed, his naked body mostly covered with Emmy's cream-colored, satiny soft sheets. He chuckled while reaching for the remote. ‘I wasn't the one who turned it up.' ‘I know that. I have to [00:17:00] turn the TV way up like that, though.It's the only way to drown out the neighbors. The walls in this place are so damn thin, and they're always banging on them, disturbing me when I'm trying to have sex.' ‘Those b******s,' Seth chuckled. ‘I'm saying, I like ... I'm saying, like, what am I supposed to do? Not f**k? Hey, that is so not an option,' Seth p- Seth pressed the mute button, then went back to lying on his back, his hands behind his head.Another noise startled him, this one coming from Emmy's phone. A toneless version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun blared from Emmy's clutch purse. ‘Turn that off, too,' Emmy shouted from the bathroom. ‘That's my mother's ringtone. I don't feel like talking to her right now.' Seth rolled over to the nightstand and opened her clutch and found the button to silence Emmy's phone.He lingered on the image of Emmy's mother. ‘Wow, Emmy, you and your mom could pass for sisters, easy.' ‘Ew, don't tell me that,' Emmy said. ‘Tell her that, but not me. Bet you're already imagining yourself in a threesome with her and me, [00:18:00] aren't you?' ‘Huh, what's that?' Seth was distracted by Emmy's driver's license in the clutch's interior pocket.He slid it out of the pocket and read what he assumed was Emmy's birth name. ‘Myrtle? What? Your re- your real name is Myrtle?' Emmy stepped out of the bathroom, still naked from their lovemaking, with a sky blue-colored towel clenched between her legs.”That's a vibe.Barbara: It is. It is, yeah. I mean, opening, uh, opening in the aftermath of sex is a, is a bold choice. I'll be honest, I don't feel like I have very much context for what's happening here. Um, it seems like Emmy and Seth don't know each other veryJennie: well. I got that sense, too. I got that sense, too, and that the sex that she has this system for turning up the TV has been for other people.Barbara: Mm-hmm. [00:19:00] Yeah. On, on that note, though, I did kind of have, uh, a fundamental disbelief about the setup that was giving me a stumbling block when I was reading this, just because it didn't seem to make a lot of sense to me that she would turn up the television to distract herself from the neighbors, when I would think that that would be more distracting or, you know, just use music or...And I didn't really understand why she would be explaining it to him after the fact instead of in the moment. Um, that felt like it was perhaps just put there for the reader,Jennie: so that we could be distracted. Yeah, it was a little explainy, a little... Yeah, like a, um, we use that term info dump, and an info dump doesn't have to be a whole scene.It can just be a line like that where I, I didn't buy it either that she would actually say that to him now. Mm-hmm. If... He probably would've said, “Why are you turning the TV on?”Barbara: Right.Jennie: Earlier.Barbara: Yeah. Yeah, [00:20:00] yeah, and it seemed like that would be the conversation that would have before we got to this moment. So that was something that, that I struggled with a bit.Jennie: I also didn't believe, it felt like, uh, unearned that he's pulling this license out of her purse. I could see, I could see that he might have seen something on her phone if he's turning her phone off. But-Barbara: Mm-hmm ...Jennie: to, to actually then see... I kept, like I was trying to think through the logistics. Like, okay, see one of those little slidey things inside a purse, but you can't see- Mmthe driver's license. Like, why would he reach in and pull it out? It felt like the author wanted us to get to this moment where- Mm-hmm ... Seth got this information.Barbara: Mm-hmm. Yeah.Jennie: It, yeah, it felt unearned to me.Barbara: Yeah. I, I agree, especially because it doesn't seem like Seth knows her very well, obviously. Then for him to be [00:21:00] digging around in her clutch purse felt- Untrue to the situation, um, unless something else was going on that we don't hear about.Jennie: Yeah, yeah. Um, this... When I said, like, “Well, this is a vibe,” this character has a, a tone or a style or sense about, like a sort of swagger about- Mm-hmm ... her that interests me. Um, I happen to be in the middle... I'm behind everybody else, but I'm in the middle of reading Yesteryear. Oh. Have you read-Barbara: Oh. Yes, yes.Jennie: Don't tell me what ha- I, I- Don't tell me ...Barbara: I w- I won't. I was also late to it, and everybody was trying to tell me about it, and I was just constantly walking around going, “No spoilers, no spoilers.” Yeah.Jennie: But the, that character has, has such a brashness- Mm-hmm ... of point of view and opinion in both, um, both parts of the story there, and there's something about this character that rem- reminds me of that.[00:22:00] There's like a, I don't know, um, a, just a brashness. S- And I, I've been enjoying that protagonist- Mm-hmm ... the Yesteryear protagonist, just ‘cause it's unusual. I've read a tiny bit, and I know people are saying, “Oh, she is so unlikable,” but there's just something of a character that's so owning their, um-Barbara: Mm-hmmJennie: way, and this woman's ownership of, of her sexuality, I guess, I, I thought was- Hmm ... interesting.Barbara: Yeah. No, I, I, I know what you mean, and I, I, I am intrigued by her as a character because, I mean, again, here she, she seems to have kind of an interesting setup in a, an apartment building that has thin walls, um, has this system of turning up her television, um, but not with Seth before.So, you know, it seems like she's had several partners back to this, this space. Um, but she seems very, very confident and, like you said, kind of swaggery [00:23:00] with him. Um, so yeah, I, I am intrigued to know more about, like, who she is and what makes her that way. Um...Jennie: Yeah. Uh, for me, probably not enough to turn the page.Um-Barbara: Not for, not for me either. I-Jennie: Yeah. And, and I have to say that the thing that intrigues me the most about this whole thing is that the title of this book is Odeon Omega, and that's the random, um- I think that's the random show on TVBarbara: Yeah,Jennie: the- Am I ma- am IBarbara: making that up? No, no, no, that, that, that's the first line.It's, um, it sounds like it's maybe like a commercial. I was kind of envisioning it from the way that it was spelled out as, you know, kind of like, uh, oh, the way that like a, a carnival or like a car salesman is like, “The grand o- o- opening.” Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, that's kind of how I was envisioning it.Um, so I, I didn't, I did enjoy s- seeing that right up front, um, [00:24:00] but I wanted more context to understand what it was, because without that, I, I don't know what that line means. Um-Jennie: And that just the author's choice, like, okay, the TV's on f- for a random reason- Mm-hmm ... or for her systematic sex reason, and, and she's hearing this show opening, and then that's the title of the book.Like, something about this, I, I thought of it as a, yeah, like a carnival or a show or something- Mm-hmm ... a theme park, um, that there's g- that's gonna become central to the story. It's kind of an interesting way of putting that in in, and presumably- Mm ... it will come back, um- Yeah ... in an important way. But I, I was intrigued by that most of all, actually.Barbara: Yeah. No, same, especially because that's the moment that Emmy says, “Turn the volume down.” So I was, uh, so it made it seem, to me at least, that there was something about that particular advertisement that she [00:25:00] was reacting to, and I wanted to know what that was.Jennie: Well, that's a really great point, and I think if we were to give this writer some guidance- Um, it might be to make more of that.Mm. If the character reacts more to that. Like, in, you know, that she can't hear it or that it's upsets her in a particular way, or she gives us some information or context about that so that we, I don't know, I guess we need to be more grounded in, in what's happening.Barbara: Yeah. And I also just feel like that would give us a little bit more s- because it, that's right there in the title, so it's obviously gonna be important to the story.And so like that would give us a little bit of curiosity about what it is and would propel us to try and understand why she's reacting the way that she is. Um-Jennie: Yeah. And just from a technical [00:26:00] standpoint, I'm looking at this entry, it's almost all dialogue.Barbara: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Which I think is hard on a, an opening page.Uh, don't you? I think-Barbara: I, I do. I, I would really have liked to see a little bit more interiority from Emmy here to kind of, I don't know, understand how she feels, not only about that advertisement, but about, about Seth. Like, did she li- does she like Seth, or is he just like a guy, you know? Um, I just wanted to know a little bit more about how she, who I'm presuming is the protagonist, is experiencing this scene.Jennie: Yeah. Um, yeah, there was even a moment when I thought, “Is she selling sex?” Mm-hmm. Is, is that... Is she a sex worker? Um, you know- True ... so too many questions about what's, what's happening here, which I think could be solved by, um, balancing out the dialogue, um, w- with some other information. [00:27:00] Mm-hmm. Um, yeah, I mean, I'm, um, I'm hoping that this character gets a story that we want, we want to read ‘cause I'm intrigued.Barbara: Yeah. Same. Same.Jennie: Yeah. All right. We have one more that we're going to, um, read. Do you wanna read this one? From your little, “Oh, oh, oh,” opening- ... I was like, “Oh, maybe you're a good narrator. I'm not.”Barbara: Sure. Sure. I'll, I'll read it. Um, so this one is called Empty Spaces. Um, it's fiction. I'm not entirely certain who the author is, unless I'm missing that in the spreadsheet.It looks like perhaps it starts with a T. Um, but here, here is the submission. “April 1st, 1995. ‘Please, please, please,' Corey sputtered, gripping the black receiver with both hands while the operator relayed her [00:28:00] request. ‘Person-to-person call for Tess. Will you accept the charges?' ‘No, she's asleep.' Corey knew her mother was at the beige phone on the kitchen wall a thousand miles away.Then her father's voice in the background. ‘Honey, let the girl talk to her dau-...' And dial tone. Corey slammed the receiver back into its cradle. ‘What the f**k?' She missed. Her knuckles scraped the chrome holder, and she unleashed her fury on the edge of the black payphone. ‘F**k, f**k, f*****g f****r.' The rain that had been collecting in the roo- in the rim of the payphone box was shaken loose by her tantrum and cascaded down inside the collar of her flay- flight jacket.Well, Charlie's flight jacket. ‘Skipper,' came Top's quiet baritone from behind her. ‘We're ready to roll.' ‘Thanks, Top.' Corey accepted the styrofoam cup of coffee he handed her, then sloshed her way to the lead truck, Arlo trotting at her heels. She hoisted herself up into the passenger side of the rig. Arlo curled up beside her and dug his head into her lap.Why did her mother have to be such a [00:29:00] little b***h? And on this night. Was it too much to expect her to remember that it was Charlie's birthday? No, Maria remembered. She was the one who kept a file of birthday cards, organized by month and paper clipped to envelopes, neatly stamped and addressed to the recipient.But nobody sends a birthday card to a dead person.” After a few minutes, Top started his status report. “Got word from the 24-hour man. The lot they gave us was too small and underwater. He put up a fuss and got us moved to the football field at the high school.” Corey took a sip. “It'll be nice to have a dry lot.Daisy's got that one nail that looks a little soft.” She fiddled with the radio, settling on a country station, what else was there, and yawned. “Where are we headed tonight?” And that is it.Jennie: Wow, well, author T., uh, Wood, what a treat to have Kathleen Barber read your, read your stuff like that. Gee, you, you sounded amazing.You sounded like you'd written that. That was so cool. Do you- I, uh- ... narrate your own books?Barbara: I, I do not, but I have [00:30:00] small children, and I read aloud every night.Jennie: Do you do the voices?Barbara: Oh, yes, I definitely do the voices.Jennie: Do you do all of them, like, in aBarbara: very- I do all of them.Jennie: You do?Barbara: Yeah, yeah. My, my kids were really into the Wings of Fire series, so I've read all of those books, and there are many, many dragons, and they all have different voices, and if I do not remember the different voice, my children will be like, “Mommy, that's not what Peril sounds like,” and then I'll have to remember and try again,Jennie: so.Take notes? Do you have, do you have a guide? Do you just remember? Um,Barbara: no, I just, I just try and remember.Jennie: Oh,Barbara: my. I should take notes, but I'm not that organized. I just go off.Jennie: That, that's amazing. That's amazing. Um, just while we're talking about it, is there audio already for the new book, for, uh, Sisterhood Above All?Barbara: There, there is. There is, yeah. Um, I recently got, uh, got a peek at it, and I am very, very excited. We have a different [00:31:00] narrator for each of the POV characters, and they are all fantastic. Super excited.Jennie: Amazing. All right, so back to this, back to this work. Um, I thought this was great. Uh, did you, did you, how did you feel reading it?Barbara: I, I, I enjoyed reading it. Um, when, when I was, when I was reading it the first time, I, I found myself getting stopped a few times because I felt like there were a lot of names, and I was confused. Um, you know, it's, it's in- I don't feel like an author needs to spell out for me who every single character is on the first page at all.Um, it just felt like in a small amount of time, there were a lot of names that I felt like I was trying to keep track of, and that was a bit confusing for me. Slowed me down a little bit.Jennie: I agree with that. Actually, the first time that I read it And [00:32:00] admittedly, I was scanning these really fast the first time I read it, but there, there's something to that, how things hit your head.But I thought that, um, I thought Daisy was a horse because I was like the one nail that looks a little soft, like is who, what- Yeah ... where would that matter that we need to be on grass? And, and, and then I was like, “Wait, who even is Daisy?” So I got stuck on that- Yeah ... for sure. And, um, and then the, um, there's a nickname that I think the main...I think Corey, the, the other character calls her Skipper, so I was confused by that. Right. So it, yeah. Yeah. Are those some of the things that you mean?Barbara: Yeah. The, those was... And I was also just a little confused when I first started reading that it starts out with person to person call for Tess, and then we're talking about her mother.And I, I thought at first that her mother was [00:33:00] named Tess, and that, and that the operator was trying to reach her, and that her mother was simply not, simply not wanting to talk even though she was by the phone. But then later on I realized that her mother is actually named Maria, and that Tess must be somebody else.Um, I think Corey's daughter, but I didn't, I didn't catch that on first reading. I had to read it again to be able to understand that.Jennie: Yeah. So there, there is a lot going on for sure. When I said that I thought it was great, I- I'm, I'm hoping that this character's some kind of trucker just because that's cool, and, um, it, it seemed like we have some tension both in whatever's happening around...You know, like, they have a 24-hour man. They're... Uh, so there's something afoot. Like, there's a pr- a project or something afoot that feels like it's not gonna go well or something's gonna [00:34:00] happen there. Um, and I also, you know, now we have the thing with the, well, we learn I think it's the mom. But, um, th- there- Yeahwere enough elements of intrigue, like, what's, what's going on here, what's gonna happen, that I... And I thought it was well-written.Barbara: Yeah. No, and I, one of the things that I really enjoyed was the way, the, the descriptions of what the, what the scenery looks like with the, with like the weather. So like there's, there's the rain, um, there's another line about how when they're like getting into the truck that like the lot is underwater, so I'm kind of like envisioning...I actually don't know what time of day it is, but for some reason I'm envisioning it being a little bit darker, but that might just be because of, of the rain that's happening. Maybe that's what's making me think that it's, it's a little bit darker outside, but I'm like envisioning the, the rain, and they're getting into the rig.But I, I didn't get that she was a truck driver. I, I, I think maybe... But I, but I, [00:35:00] I don't know. I don't know. I thought that maybe she was some sort of- Some sort of, like, news person. But I don't... ‘Cause I don't actually, I don't actually know what a 24-hour man is, so I think that might have... Okay. Yeah. No, I don't know.I was just like... So I, so I didn't know. Um, but I was, I was curious to know... Yeah. I was gonna say, I was curious to know why she was making this call to her mother at this moment, and why she was so desperate for her mother to answer the phone at this moment. Um, so yeah, th- those were, those are questions that I had.Jennie: Usually, back in the day, which this was, um, will you accept the charges was something you did when you had no money.Barbara: Mm-hmm.Jennie: You know, you would call home or wherever and, ‘cause you didn't have money to make a call, so the operator would place the call and ask the [00:36:00] person to accept the charges. Mm-hmm. And normally you would do that with somebody who knows you have, you're having a problem, or, you know.So, like, this is a very particular moment that led me to believe that she didn't, she didn't even have money for a call. So- Mm-hmm ... I don't know why I placed her as a trucker. Like, she climbed into the- Oh, okay ... the rig. She s- she sloshed her way to the lead truck. She's fiddling with the radio station. Like, what, where we headed?Yeah. Like, we're just on a job. I totally made her a truckerBarbara: and I- Yeah. No, no, no. I, well, I think maybe the reason I thought maybe she wasn't was because there were all these other... Because, like, Top is there, and the, it's, it's a lead truck, and she's, she's getting into the passenger side. And there's also a, a, a dog, I assume.I assume Arlo's a dog. I suppose it could be some other sort of animal that's, that's with her, but I, I assume Arlo's a dog. Um- Well,Jennie: so this is actually a really great [00:37:00] conversation for anybody listening, and particularly for this author. You can see that if you confuse your reader They're gonna spend their time with these kinds of questions.Like, is the mother Tess or is it Corey? Is this woman a trucker or not? Is... You know, and those are not the kind of questions you want to be leaving your reader with. Those are-Barbara: Yeah ...Jennie: um, I don't know w- how we would describe them, almost logistics. They're,Barbara: they're more like de- yeah, yeah, exactly. ‘Cause I mean, they're, I, I, I enjoy getting a good question at the start of reading something, you know?Like, you know, I mean, for example, it's, it's really interesting that Corey made what seems to be a collect call, and they didn't just not answer it. They answered it, and then hung up on her, which feels, like, very purposeful. And so, like, I'm very, I'm very curious about that relationship. I'm curious about the fact that, that Charlie is, is dead, um, and [00:38:00] who Charlie is to the, to the narrator.These are things that, like, have piqued my curiosity, and I would like to learn more about, um, would inspire me to read more, to learn more about those things. Uh, but then those other things that we were talking about, like, well, like, who is this? W- what kind of animal is Daisy? Like, what are, where are they actually going?Like, what, what is, what is the goal here? What, what is the deal about the, the lot and the, and the football field? The, w- what are we gonna do here? Those are questions that, that slowed me down, and made me less likely to want to keep reading.Jennie: Yeah. I loved that line, “But nobody sends a birthday card to a dead person.”Barbara: Yeah.Jennie: And I, I'm thinking- Really poignant ... that that's the center of this story, you know, s- who, who was Charlie? I think you said that. Mm-hmm. Was-Barbara: Mm-hmm.Jennie: And ‘cause she's got the jacket.Barbara: Yeah.Jennie: She's got Charlie's jacket, so- That, that'sBarbara: true, and sh- and she's wearing it, I think. [00:39:00]Jennie: Yeah, and, and so- I mean, I suppose Charlie could be a child if this person is older.Barbara: Yeah.Jennie: Like, you know, um, but y- I ... So I had this weird reaction to this, which is I thought it was fun, and maybe that was you reading it. I thought, I thought the writing was great, but I wouldn't turn the page. I'd be frustrated. You know, if, if there was another book or another story that was, um, didn't make me work so hard- Mmto figure out where I was or what was happening, I would choose that over this. So it's a weird combination for me of great job, but it's a no for me.Barbara: Yeah,Jennie: that- What about you?Barbara: That's, that's how I felt. There, there were a lot of elements here that I think are, that are intriguing and that if presented slightly differently would make me want to turn the page.But as, as it is right now, I, I would not. [00:40:00]Jennie: I agree with that. I think it feels close. Mm-hmm. Um, so how could we give this person some direction for, um- Yeah ... well, you talked about all the names, and I don't think the solution is ID all these names.Barbara: Right.Jennie: Mm-hmm. That's gonna be clunky. Or ID all these people. Um-Barbara: Yeah.I, I think for, for me personally, what I think would help was if we were to get a bit more of a peek inside the nar- inside Corey's head, so we could understand from her perspective why it's important that she's making this call, like, what the goal is with the truck. Um, if we just saw it a little bit more from her view and got to know a little bit more of the information that she already holds in her head, I think that would go a long way to making the story feel more accessible to the reader.Jennie: That's really well said, and [00:41:00] hopefully that helps the writer for your next pass to, to think about. But I- there's something, there's something good I think here going on. Mm-hmm. And, uh, I have the same, um, comment that I had earlier. I, I wanna know what kind of story I'm in, and I'm s- and I'm not sure. We were talking about sorting out these relationships and what's happening with the field and the truck and then the weather and all that, but again, is thisThere's no sense of what kind of story this is going to be. And, um, I, I always want a little more. And, and the title is Empty Spaces, which doesn't help, um- Yeah ... point us to that. I hear that. So just a little more, um, of a sense of what world are we? What, what problem do we have? What world are we in? Um, you know, and even just that last bit where the character turns the radio station on and yawns, “Where are we headed [00:42:00] tonight?”It- there's, there's not an urgency of It's, s- nobody's running from anything. There's no- Right ... threat, uh,except for the mom who won't answer the call.Barbara: Yeah, yeah.Jennie: Yeah. Um, so a little, a little more of a sense of what's at stake. Um, I know, we always are asking so much on a first page, but- I know ...Barbara: uh. I know, but e- you know, it's, there are so many things to read, you know, from, like agents, editors, readers, all have so many things to choose from, and so it's just so important to nail that first page, you know?Jennie: How many times do you rewrite your first pages?Barbara: Oh my gosh, so many times. So many times. Yeah. Yeah, well, um, ‘cause usually I write the first page, and then I write the rest of the book, and then I'm like, “Oh, like, the rest of the book does something different. I need to go back and, like, make this first page...”Also, I do, I often do the thing that I think a lot of writers do, which is, [00:43:00] once you've written a little bit further, you realize that, like, you've started at the wrong spot. Um, I mean, the, one of, one of the things that helps me when I, when I think to do it is to use one of the exercises that's in, that's in your work, where you, where you start what, you, you write the beginning and the ending before you even start anything.Um, and I, I, when I remember to do that the right way, that really, definitely helps me. Um, but I don't always remember to do that, and so I have, like, partway in, and then I'm like, “Wait, no, the first page.” So,Jennie: it's- Well, that, yeah, that's a, um, a step in the blueprint for a book book. Um, it's a good one, for sure.Uh, well, thank you so much for joining me for, for this, Kathleen, and congratulations on the new book. Um, for everyone listening, go check out, you can find everything at KathleenBarber.com. And, um, you can find Sisterhood Above All, which is brand new and just out and sounds like so much [00:44:00] fun. I, it's on my TBR, TBR.Yay. I just can't read, I just can't read thrillers at night. I get too scared. So,Barbara: um-Jennie: That'sBarbara: fair. That's fair ...Jennie: I, I have to wait till I'm, like, on a plane or, um, you know, somewhere where I'm reading during the day. Yeah. Is this one, is this one l- scary scary?Barbara: I mean, it's, it's not, like, scary scary. It's, it's not, like, uh- It's, it's not like there's someone who's out there to kill you for reasons that you cannot control.You know what I mean? Like, it's like- Yeah, yeah ... it would be scary to the people inside the book, but it should not be scary to you. ButJennie: I understand how- Well, we don't need to reas- We don't need to reassure me because people love these, love these- Yeah ... and, uh, what a fun, fun setting and setup for- Thank youa thriller. It's, it's exciting. Thanks. So can't wait to see how, how the world receives it. And- Mm ... um, I always hate to say this to somebody whose book just came out, but can't wait to see what you do next. [00:45:00]Barbara: Don't worry, I'm already writingJennie: stuff. Oh, yeah. Do you, ooh, do you wanna, do you wanna tell or no?Barbara: I, I do not, just ‘cause I get really superstitious about it, but, um, but I have something that I'm working on that I'm excited about, so you know, we'll see how it goes.Jennie: I love it. Well, thank you for joining us for Book Life, Jennifer.Barbara: Thanks for having me. That was a lot of fun.Jennie: For our listeners, let's get back to work and finish what matters most.Outro: The hashtag amwriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their [00:46:00] work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Justin and Dan talk Byrum Brown, big sophomores, Jacob Strand, safety depth, special teams — plus baby names and buffet restaurants. Topics for this episode include:* another (?) exciting August* Over/Under makes a comeback* Malik Autry as a monster heel in NJPW* sorting out the secondary* it's the Return of the Mack* pivoting to video* Rushtok dances * why “Hudson” is a more popular baby name than “Zito” or “Mulder”* hot buffet takesYou can cast your votes for this year's Grubserver Awards by using the button below or clicking this link.If you're receiving this free podcast episode and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, subscribe using the button below or clicking this link.Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

If you're obsessed with RushTok and everything that comes with sorority life and Greek culture, then Sisterhood Above All is a must-read.I absolutely loved chatting with Kathleen Barber last year, so I knew I wanted to have her back to celebrate this book, this time alongside her co-author and RushTok star Amayah Shaienne. And let me tell you, we had the best time!Since both Kathleen and Amayah were part of Greek life, we dove into all things sororities and how the experience has evolved in the age of social media, the lifelong bonds of sisterhood, the realities behind RushTok and how the two of them came together to write such a compelling mystery.This was a one-sitting read for me. I couldn't put it down! It had all the addictive twists of a great campus thriller, but what it really reminded me of were those unforgettable '90s Movies of the Week. If you know, you know.

You may have heard that today kicks off the Year of the Fire Horse, it's Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and that Lana Del Rey just dropped a brand new single, “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter,” which she wrote with her husband, Louisiana airboat tour guide Jeremy Dufrene. These things are unrelated to each other, but all play nicely into this week's pod theme. I am joined by Amanda Mull, senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, to discuss why Southern aesthetics have become so pervasive in fashion and culture over the last several years, from pop music to TV to TikTok. Tune in for Amanda's expert contextualization from growing up in Georgia (Go Dawgs!), as well as her thoughts on Bass Pro Shops gear and Realtree camo making their way to the runways a decade ago; the explosion of cowboy-inspired looks in the wake of the Eras Tour and Cowboy Carter; Southern sorority girl style spreading to a worldwide audience via #RushTok, and Alix Earle starting her career doing GRWM videos from the University of Miami campus; the influx of influencers (Brianna LaPaglia, Paige Lorenze, Campbell Puckett, etc.) using regional aesthetics in their content; Lana Del Rey, Ethel Cain, and why white Southern femininity is a rich text for the fashion industry to pull inspiration from; microdosing MAGA culture via popular series like “Landman,” “Hunting Wives,” and “Southern Charm;” why fashion is so obsessed with horse girls, and much more. Yee-haw!This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Mesh provides his One Battle After Another review and Paul recaps the initial signups for ESPN Unlimited and Fox One. Next, they discuss Marvel's Wolverine, a PlayStation 5 game from Insomniac Studios that is scheduled for a Fall 2026 release, whose cinema-quality teaser trailer was dropped last week. Finally, Paul and Mesh debate RushTok, the phenomenon that has transformed Greek life at universities, created several viral stars and allowed brands to create authentic campaigns targeted to a younger audience, but is it all good? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kat & Carol discuss sorority rush at the University of Alabama circa 2013 and their personal experience of going through the grueling process. They also talk about the "desegregation" that happened while they were there. They also discuss RushTok and speculate on how social media has changed the game when it comes to sorority recruitment.Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/prettymuchfinepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@prettymuchfinepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@prettymuchfine2194⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prettymuchfine.com/

On this week's episode Melanie and I recap our (very brief) time together in Nashville, we talk about all the reading I've done over the past week (it's obnoxious, really), and we discuss a couple of takeaways from the most recent round of RushTok (all the balloons at the University of Arkansas really made an impression on us).  We also break down my first attempt at playing mahjong, and it's my turn for Five Favorites. Enjoy, y'all! - Join Us on Patreon - Our Amazon Shop - San Antonio Live Show (10/23/25) tickets are on sale now! Show Notes: - Caroline's new book, The Lion & the Bear, out October 14th - The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville - Drusie & Darr - restrooms at The Hermitage - Ladybird Taco - New Heights episode with Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift and sourdough - Taylor Swift and Slim Aarons - Bamboozled on Friends - Lilo's Salad (this is the salad that Melanie and I love) - Any Given Saturday on Netflix - e newton jewelry - Tri Delt Bid Day baloons at University of Arkansas - Culpability by Bruce Holsinger - These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (fairly spicy in the event that you try to avoid spicy) - Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood (also fairly spicy with a really fun premise) - The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (NOT The Journeyman - I got the title wrong on the episode) - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - Taryn Delanie Smith / The Unlikely Countrywoman on YouTube - Bare Home comforter set - By Anthropologie Hardware Side-Slit midi skirt - Mateo's Cantina Salsa - Just in Time cast recording - We the Free Garden Painters pullover Sponsors: - Maya Chia - use code BIGBOO at checkout to save 15% - AG1 - use this link to get a free $76 welcome kit when you subscribe - Thrive Causemetics - use this link for 20% off your first order - Helix - use this link through September 8th to get 27% off

Almost half of American's have lied about their age! Anna had an incident where her friend lied about her age for years and Raven wonders why! Are you up to date on this week's biggest news story? Anna and Raven will get you caught up on the trending news including Kendall Jenner's Tequila Company's Free The Nip campaign! It's National Radio Day! Anna gives the history of how radio broadcasting began but she and Raven talk about why radio hosts and DJs have fake names! Anna's going to change her name! The Netflix Documentary about ‘The Biggest Loser' and while Jillian Michaels is excluded from the film, she is planning to sue!  Anna and Raven talk about the crazy diets that are out there and how nuts they are! You may have heard of RushTok, Bama Rush, or Kylan Darnell! Kylan has become the face of The University of Alabama's sorority recruitment! Anna explains who she is and why she has become so famous through RushTok! Anna calls a few of her sorority sisters to talk about their time together in the Panhellenic community! Yesterday Anna challenged Raven to buy tampons, but he had to record the whole thing, and he couldn't use self-checkout! Find out how it went! There is a viral video of a first-grade teacher teaching her students where others should not touch! Anna made her own song for all the moms out there! John and Sara's daughter keeps talking about how she is going to rush and wants to join a sorority. Mom doesn't understand why and wants to threaten to pull funding if she does. She should be focused on her studies as a freshman and not on a sorority, she doesn't need to buy her friends. Dad says that this is one of the decisions she must make on her own and who knows? Maybe it'll be a great thing for her, just because they were not into Greek life when they were in school doesn't mean she won't be. Steve has a chance to win $4300! All he has to do is answer more pop culture questions than Raven in Can't Beat Raven!

Episode 650: Neal and Toby recap the labor dispute within Air Canada where its workers are defying a government order to return to work. Then, Americans are stuck where they are, literally, as mobility has dipped to its lowest rate. Also, Six Flags is having a roller coaster of a Summer as it sees its attendance drop amid mechanical issues. Meanwhile, #RushTok expands its reach and Warren Buffett's stake in UnitedHealth gives it a jolt in its shares. Finally, what you need to know in the week ahead!  00:00 - Check out our new show Brew Markets! 2:45 - Air Canada labor dispute 8:00 - US economy stuck in a rut 11:00 - Six Flags red flags 17:00 - Rushtok goes global 20:30 - Buffett Bump 23:45 - Week Ahead LinkedIn will even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign so you can try it yourself. Check out LinkedIn.com/mbd for more. Check out Brew Markets here: swap.fm/l/9Qk4z73Z2nEwFiCB4qee   Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Submit your MBD Password Answer here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Yzrl1BJY2FAFwXBYtb0CEp8XQB2Y6mLdHkbq9Kb2Sz8/viewform?edit_requested=true Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start off today learning about the latest craze of adult pacifiers, Trey's shower habits, little people doing big things, Sorority Tok,  and Dan and Trey geek out over Marvel and the crap that is the Fantastic Four.  Dan also shares his heartbreak about why he couldn't be Wonder Woman.  The Treehouse is a daily DFW based comedy podcast and radio show. Leave your worries outside and join Dan O'Malley, Trey Trenholm, Raj Sharma, and their guests for laughs about current events, stupid news, and the comedy that is their lives. If it's stupid, it's in here.The Treehouse WebsiteGet MORE from the Treehouse Show on PatreonGet a FREE roof inspection from the best company in DFW:Cook DFW Roofing & Restoration CLICK HERE TO DONATE:The RMS Treehouse Listeners FoundationLINKS:What Are China's Adult Pacifiers? Exploring Its Serious Health Concerns | OnlyMyHealth4-ft OnlyFans star earns $100K/mo— after ditching $30K/yr dead-end jobInside the wild, pricey world of sorority #RushTok

A closer look at the pop culture phenomenon of college sorority rushing and the elaborate videos taking over social media. Also, NBC's Vicky Nguyen explores the costs and challenges of making clothes in the U.S. Plus, the TODAY team tries the newest food trend — pickles — showing up in everything from pizza to ice cream. And, our Shop TODAY team shares a few top-notch products to help ease back into fall routines as summer winds down.

On this Episode of No Brains No Headache Podcast the guys are in studio to discuss:Speedway ClassicAmy BradleyFetchie Foundation Golf TournamentRidiculous Facebook post of the weekLittle League World SeriesRushtok is backFlying PrivateRodeo wrecksKind RebrandCome see us at the Belle Mehus Auditorium for a stand up comedy show featuring John Kennedy, Davis Standal and Sampson Hurley! Tickets: https://www.bismarckeventcenter.com/events/2025/no-brains-no-headache-podcastThank you for listening!Follow No Brains No Headache on social media and make sure to follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts. Subscribe + rate + review.Spotify. Follow along.iHeartRadio. Or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.New episode every Tuesday!Twitter. https://twitter.com/nbnhpodcastInstagram. https://www.instagram.com/nobrains_noheadache/Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbnhpodcastYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQbXoHzYhhDigOaNXVYdK3gTik Tok. @NBNHPodcast

The highly anticipated new unscripted series A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! pulls back the curtain on one of the most competitive and increasingly viral events in the life of a college-bound girl: Sorority Rush. But behind almost every perfectly curated outfit and resume is a mom who has her own reasons for wanting her daughter to receive a bid.Each hour-long episode follows two mother-daughter duos as they navigate the emotionally charged path towards their goal sorority. Bringing guidance, glam and a lot of honesty to the journey are two breakout names from the world of Rush: New York Times profiled consultant Bill Alverson and The Queen of #RushTok, Brandis Bradley. With their expertise, they help these families prepare their daughters to make a lasting impression to land a spot in their top-tier house. These moms, daughters and even grandmothers and siblings will do anything it takes to help get them accepted into their legacy sororities, making them sisters in every sense. A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! goes beyond the filters and fanfare to reveal the love, legacy and ambition that drives these women to do whatever it takes for that coveted spot.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

The highly anticipated new unscripted series A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! pulls back the curtain on one of the most competitive and increasingly viral events in the life of a college-bound girl: Sorority Rush. But behind almost every perfectly curated outfit and resume is a mom who has her own reasons for wanting her daughter to receive a bid.Each hour-long episode follows two mother-daughter duos as they navigate the emotionally charged path towards their goal sorority. Bringing guidance, glam and a lot of honesty to the journey are two breakout names from the world of Rush: New York Times profiled consultant Bill Alverson and The Queen of #RushTok, Brandis Bradley. With their expertise, they help these families prepare their daughters to make a lasting impression to land a spot in their top-tier house. These moms, daughters and even grandmothers and siblings will do anything it takes to help get them accepted into their legacy sororities, making them sisters in every sense. A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! goes beyond the filters and fanfare to reveal the love, legacy and ambition that drives these women to do whatever it takes for that coveted spot.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Come virtually kiss us in the YouTube chat. TMA Exclusive: sources say Gabe will be taking calls on the post-game show. James Carlton is a calming essence. Congrats to Mark Hannah. Hot Balm. College Football is back. FSU and Georgia Tech. Nick Saban's hair. Don't say Rutgas, and don't say Ballgum. Audio of Drink on Week 1 expectations. Redbirds grab 2 of 3 from the Twins. Mike Shildt coming to town. Will he get a standing ovation? NL Wild Card picture. Doug doesn't know about Avenue of the Saints. Pfffttt. Negotiating with the talent for the IQ Test. RushTok. Who doesn't like cookies? Pork steaks and milk. You ever had a dilly bar? Indoctrinating the youngs into the world of steak fries. Oldest restaurants in St. Louis. Ruining front butts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Come virtually kiss us in the YouTube chat. TMA Exclusive: sources say Gabe will be taking calls on the post-game show. James Carlton is a calming essence. Congrats to Mark Hannah. Hot Balm. College Football is back. FSU and Georgia Tech. Nick Saban's hair. Don't say Rutgas, and don't say Ballgum. Audio of Drink on Week 1 expectations. Redbirds grab 2 of 3 from the Twins. Mike Shildt coming to town. Will he get a standing ovation? NL Wild Card picture. Doug doesn't know about Avenue of the Saints. Pfffttt. Negotiating with the talent for the IQ Test. RushTok. Who doesn't like cookies? Pork steaks and milk. You ever had a dilly bar? Indoctrinating the youngs into the world of steak fries. Oldest restaurants in St. Louis. Ruining front butts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As parents, educators, and caregivers, it's hard to keep up with the ever-changing trends and challenges that teenagers face. In episode 128, we explain some of the most prevalent teen trends, from “Girl Math” to the “Spicy Chip Challenge” to “RushTok”. We'll also discuss the critical issue of teenagers' body image and offer actionable advice on how to promote healthy self-esteem in teens. . . In this episode, we mentioned the following resources: - TikTok: Girl Math | RushTok - ZM Online: CEOs of Girl Math - NBCDFW: Teen's death leads to outpouring of concern over spicy chip challenge as sales are halted - LATimes: RushTok - HBO Max: Bama Rush - FamilyDoctor.org: Body Image (Children & Teens) - Teen Life Podcast: Eating Disorders | Overeating Disorders | Social Media . . Visit our website: www.teenlifepodcast.com Subscribe to get the episodes in your inbox: www.teenlife.ngo/subscribe Watch the podcast on ⁠YouTube⁠! Follow Us: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter . . Podcast Music by: Luke Cabrera & Tobin Hodges Hosted by: Karlie Duke, Caleb Hatchett & Tobin Hodges Produced by: Karlie Duke & Kelly Fann --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teenlifepodcast/support

At the University of Alabama, rushing for a sorority has become a cottage industry, thanks to social media. Centering on "blindingly White" college students and their influencer aspirations. "RushTok" is now a cultural phenomenon, complete with management deals, style consultants, and a massive audience of Internet onlookers who are seriously invested in whether these girls get into the house of their choice. In a way, it has become an influencer-led "reality show," distributed across the Internet, where audience perception (rather than a TV producer) decides the heroes and villains. Bama Rush fans even refer to the content as "seasons." Alli and Lindsey talk with journalist Fortesa Latifi, who covered the phenomenon for Teen Vogue. She discusses why the trend has enraptured millions, and the problematic institutions it unwittingly perpetuates. She also explains why interviewing some of the Internet's favorite rushers lead to an unhinged backlash from the fandom. Read Fortesa's piece here: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bama-rush-tiktok-is-getting-more-relatable Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1P Join the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1p Join the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/ Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.com Call the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok —  a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting).   This week we speak to writer, journalist, and former sorority sister Anne Helen Petersen, who  has been documenting the phenomenon. Why are the videos dominating our feeds? And what does RushTok's popularity say about its stars... and its biggest stans?  Anne Helen Petersen is a writer and journalist whose writing has appeared in BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vox, The Atlantic, and more. Her books include Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home and Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She writes a Substack newsletter called Culture Study.   To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok — a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting).   This week we speak to writer, journalist, and former sorority sister Anne Helen Petersen, who has been documenting the phenomenon. Why are the videos dominating our feeds? And what does RushTok's popularity say about its stars... and its biggest stans?  Anne Helen Petersen is a writer and journalist whose writing has appeared in BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vox, The Atlantic, and more. Her books include Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home and Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She writes a Substack newsletter called Culture Study.    To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FOG is clearing and your football stepdads are back. We know we could never replace your real dads, but maybe we could have a game of catch or something. Brian Oliu and John Hammontree are here to chat about Alabama's win over MTSU, to preview the Texas game, and to catch you up on their own personal offseason. Plus a few rants about RushTok and a very stupid segment from John comparing SEC teams to Jimmy Buffett songs.Roll tide tonight!

“Parents Hire $4,000 Sorority Consultants to Help Daughters Dress and Impress During Rush” read the Wall Street Journal headline that nearly made my neck snap. As a middle-aged man whose kids aren't quite college age, I was unaware of the #RushTok phenomenon on TikTok or the Bama Rush documentary that sparked a massive fascination with the sorority rush process at the University of Alabama. Trisha Addicks is the very rush consultant referenced in that WSJ article and featured in Bama Rush. She also happens to be my neighbor, so I invited her to come over and talk about how the whole process works. I had so many questions: Who are these families shelling out $4k for rush help? Why do they do it? How does one become a rush consultant? What's the reason so many young women want to join sororities anyway? And how do you teach them the secret language including terms like PNMs, OOTD, the 5 B's, and The Machine? The conversation really put the whole thing into perspective. In a world of private trainers, coaches, and tutors, a sorority consultant is just one more third party a family can hire to help their kid navigate life. And after you hear all she does for her clients, $4k might sound like a bargain. Trisha's work and her company, It's All Greek to Me have been featured in the New York Times, the NY Post, CNN.com, NewsNation, UK Daily Mail, and many more. Follow her on Instagram here.  ⭐ Rate and Review Crazy Money here. (Seriously, do it!)⭐  ✍️ Get Paul's writing to your Inbox here. (Seriously, do this also!) ✍️ #BamaRush #rushtok #sorority #sororityconsultant 

Big news in the 2 Old 4 TikTok world! At the top of the episode Dena and Catalina discuss how they will now be releasing WEEKLY episodes. That's right, they're finally bringing you all the latest trends and commentary at the pace the algorithm demands (or something more like it). For topics first up is Rushtok, which just wrapped up, including videos by @bamarushtok1 and some of this “season's” most well-known characters; @on_thedaily_with_morgan and  @bellagracegates. Catalina's algorithm knows she refuses to learn the NATO phonetic alphabet, like @nicollevieira04, and Dena discusses the one-day-that-changed-your-life-forever trend. The content creator of the week is @amandashultz_ and the ladies also highlight @robhomecook for a very accurate ranking of tinned fish options. Lots of learning on TikTok this week: Catalina shares @somm_vivant's discussion of universal wine glasses and Dena discusses The Happy Urbanist's explanation of guardrails and the ensuing parody by @ethangarz. To close, the girls discuss the concept of going to the club in the morning as introduced by @marthagraeff, wife of a DJ. Check out all the videos we mention and more on our blog (2old4tiktok.com), Instagram (@2old4tiktokpod), and TikTok (@2old4tiktok_podcast). 

This week on Pop Culture Mondays on Thursdays, Brooke takes a break from packing for her first trip to Israel to discuss the range of happenings consuming our attention this week. From the devastation of the fires on Maui — and some people's questionable reactions to this tragedy — to the interest, excitement and amusement of RUSHTOK. Especially Alabama. And of course, there's a few indictments everyone is talking about. What a mess.    Pop Culture Mondays Newsletter:  https://medium.com/popculturemondays  Brooke's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooke/  Brooke's Twitter: https://twitter.com/brooke   Brooke's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brookehammerling   Potato's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potato/    Idaho's Teacher of the Year https://www.them.us/story/idaho-teacher-of-the-year-flees-rightwing-attacks/amp   Maui Fire Charities https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong https://mauifoodbank.org/donate/ https://pshf.org/donations-page/ https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/donate-olx/ https://donate.wck.org/give/508200/#!/donation/checkout

This week, I am joined by my RushTok collaborator Lydia Getachew and we dive into last week's wildfire drama: the Arielle Charnas, aka Something Navy, scandal. We dig deep into the juice, ponder why it is that we are so invested in influencer culture, why it is easy to believe "reliable sources" when it come to NYC gossip, we debate whether or not influencers are public figures, and discuss what I believe to be an almost right of passage of being a 20-something in NYC: working for "start ups" run by founders living large and paying zero. 

If you've been on TikTok within the last year and a half, you've problably come across the various videos of girls who are going through their sorority recruitment process. In the videos, the young ladies share what their wearing and most likely it was Kendra Scott jewelry of some sort. In this episode, we hear from Amy Young, VP of Brand Marketing at Kendra Scott. Young shares how the brand reacting to the popular videos, generating UGC and marketing towards its younger audience.Share your thoughts with me at @colmeetsworld.Subscribe to Young Influentials on your favorite podcast platform!You can listen and subscribe to all of Adweek's podcasts by visiting adweek.com/podcasts.Stay updated on all things Adweek Podcast Network by following us on Twitter: @adweekpodcasts.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at podcast@adweek.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's that sneaking up behind you, lurking in the dark?? It's not monsters, ghouls, or goblins, it's the horrific hookup stories of the past! First up, the crew regale a horrific TikTok-provided scenario involving shrinkage, feces, a dog, and parents. This leads to a brainstorm on what to do in the dreaded moment when somebody walks in on you gettin' to the business. Does the identity of the culprit make all the difference? (Spoiler alert- OF COURSE). Should you ‘fess up? Play dead? Pull out the trusty book of excuses? Lume tells his own story of a similar situation in which it seems his plans went a little awry. As a great philosopher/CEO once said, "Nobody likes the dreaded bloodbath scenario". Kristen breaks down her personal do's and don'ts when it comes to risk, disclosure, and getting over the embarrassment of this common, yet less than ideal situation, in the funniest way possible. Clearly the Quaranteam grew up different as they share their history of sneaking into a hook ups place who lives with the ‘rents. Shoutout MinneSNOWta, ALWAYS making things more difficult. Lastly, If your significant other was asked who their hall pass was and they responded "My ex", is that a dealbreaker or just a heartbreaker? QQH (39:30): First, a "Watcha Watching" as Kristen breaks down the new Neil Patrick Harris show on Netflix called "Uncoupled". Then some breaking news from Lume regarding one of the Quaranteam's favorite drinks. Is washing your FEET in an airport bathroom as crazy as it sounds? Then the rabbit hole that is "RushTok" is revealed in the only way the crew knows how, with a lot of laughs.

The first time a girl reads smut written by a man is special for her, so welcome to Sav's first. Brutal King by Jagger Cole is the third book in the Savage Heirs series, but number one in Emily's heart. Follow Lukas and Lizbet's story of twists, turns and twins. If you offered us a million dollars to guess where this book was headed, we can promise you we would not be millionaires. The suspense and spice make this a winner in our eyes, and we hope you loved Brutal King! Join us next week as we get in on the #RushTok fun and read Rush by Kandi Steiner. As always, follow along with us on Instagram and TikTok @spicerackpod.

In the final episode of season 2, Bailey & Ashley discuss RushTok, Premenstrual Syndrome, Post Menstrual Syndrome, & PMDD. Bailey realizes that hormones may be quite the balancing act and Ashley refuses to download TikTok or name her child. For any further questions while Bailey & Ashley take their break, please contact them on instagram.

This week, I am joined by my real life friend Lydia Getachew, a social media savant and the Director of Business Development at GIPHY. We chat about our mutual obsession: Bama rushtok. After explaining what draws us to TikTok's display of the sorority recruitment process at the University of Alabama, we move on to compare and contrast our own Greek comedies (and tragedies) as one time sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Chi Omega. 

Sarah and Aleena discuss their feelings about Kim and Pete's breakup, dive into popular "articles" about RushTok, and finally get to do trivia. 

One of us is stir crazy from quarantining, the other one's coming in hot with a bad attitude so buckle up. We talk about some things we desperately wish people would stop asking about, MORE changes to Instagram and the dopamine fix that is RushTok. Was Will Smith's apology real? Will Shakira go to Prison? Who's picking the AIA Award nominees? So many questions.  ————————————————

MB & Nat sit down with Emma McGowin aka Dollypartonwannabe02 who blew up on Rushtok to discuss all things social media, tiktok, fashion, being a college freshman at a huge University, joining one of the largest sororities in the U.S. and so much more! Listen to learn so much about this fun gal!

The trend has taken over TikTok and Lizzo joined in with her #RushTok this morning with Sarah Pepper and Jessie Watt on The Morning Mix.

When I say it's been an absolutely wild two weeks, that is not an understatement. What started as trying to get in on the fun OOTD videos on TikTok from the girls rushing at Alabama, turned into a near Dateline style of info being thrown my way with a series of videos going semi-viral one after the other. Rush coaches, dorm decorators, attending the “right” summer camps - the whole world of sorority rushing in the South was exposed and it's time to dive in deep and find out just how poor the rest of us are! Honestly, how'd we go from television shows like Felicity with dorm fridge drawings to actual cabinets being specifically made (at the tune of anywhere from $900-$1400) *just* to hide the fridges?! It's wild, but also fun, and also crazy, and then there's just some downright weird things happening in Texas specifically. Are you ready? Let's go! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Alex and Jeremy attempt to understand sorority life via an app they're still coming to grips with

Emojis ,#Rushtok, Gen Z Evangelism, Afghanistan | Free Culture Translator newsletter: axis.org/ct | Slang of the Week survey: bit.ly/3jEqt6V

We're back with a panel! This week, we talk COVID, Jeopardy!, and #RushTok with WBEZ daily newsletter writer Hunter Clauss and New York Times TV critic Margaret Lyons. Then, Eve Ewing tells us about 'Maya and the Robot,' her lovely new book for middle grade readers.

Marcella and Niccole are back in California! This week they gush over 90's-hottie Brendan Fraser and Marcella emphasizes the importance of giving people their flowers. Then, Niccole offers a #RushTok recap -- all before they both deep-dive into the best "My Fall Plans / Delta Variant" tweets of the week.----Follow Marcella and Niccole!Twitter & IG: @marcellacomedy & @niccolethurman-----Photography by Kim NewmoneyHead Inflation by Manuel AbadySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hellooooooo witches! Wowie this week goes a little differently. First Jessie Nails of course has to talk about her childhood anxiety and why she had to have an inhaler for her nervous cough. But then she dives head first into her first love, TLC. Doesn't everyone binge 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After in 4 days? If you didn't know, those episodes are about 90 minutes long. Welcome to Plathville is back! This show is amazing and the Plaths are nothing short of fascinating. Aside from the show, we dive into #rushtok. If you were on Tiktok this past weekend you were on Rushtok. Well we talk about what that means and the juicy drama behind it.  Oh! and we cannot forget about the Jaclyn Hill rant. Lastly, we chat about BONES. Yes, bones! Just like crystals, we can use animal bones to harvest to energy of their beautiful spirits. I promise that its not scary!Thank you for joining this pop culture coven! Please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts!Social:Instagram: Realitywitch_TikTok: Jessie_NailsTwitter: Jessie__Nailsrealitywitchpod@gmail.comTime Stamps:IntroNews- Rushtok 12:58- RHOSLC Trailer 19:06- Mama June 23:40- RHOD 24:37- Travis Barker Flies 25:56- Juliet and Sam Siesta Key 27:11- Jaclyn Hill 28:49Shows- 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After 40:09- Welcome to Plathville 43:33Witchy Shit 1:09:17WOW 1:20:42

This week Jamie talks to Paige Skinner, Buzzfeed Breaking News Reporter on all things #RushTok!  Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you already know all about TikTok's latest trend, Alabama ("Bama") sorority rush TikTok content.   They start by talking about exactly why rush TikTok was even a thing, Paige's experience being in a Texas sorority, sorority life in general and why it's so fascinating.  They then get into the stars of RushTok and why it's suspicious that Makayla, one of the few non-white PCMs (potential new members) was cut from every house after a "scandalous" video of her emerged.  We also go into southern sorority fashion and all of their #OOTDs, racism in sororities, rushing in the North versus the South, hazing, the RushTok conspiracy theories and more. If you were glued to your phone as much as we were, this episode is for you!  P.S. Jamie is on TikTok and thirsty AF to grow her follower count, lol. Follow along @itsJamieStone for beauty, millennial, and cat mom content. Follow along on IG: @itsJamieStone and @ALittleTooMuchPodcast Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe xoxo

This week we are diving into the hole that is RushTok (#JusticeforMakayla), all things female empowerment, and what's in store for the future of the podcast! Please feel free to give us a 5 star review at the link below! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ok-stop-wine-ing/id1525374837 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/carly-weinstein/support

Episode 19 So Random with Court and Kelly is back this week after a ~much needed~ week off. 6:00 Kelly dives into life updates, cries on the podcast for the first time and what it meant living alone for the first time. 16:00 Courtney gives the 101 on wtf is #RushTok and how she became an accidental commenter on this cultural phenomenon. 26:00 The gals talk about their theories on the newest addition to RHOD (before it was announced it may be cancelled), The Shah-mazing RHOSLC Season 2 trailer and how Bravo gets them through the tough times. To connect with us click Here To keep up with the podcast click HERE Read more on Mimosas and Manhattan HERE

Ryan Reynolds is making sure Blake Lively gets the credit she deserves for "Free Guy." Tennis star Naomi Osaka was brought to tears at a press conference. AND if you're oddly fascinated by #RushTok (and have no idea why), you're not alone. BuzzFeed's Paige Skinner joins us to explain TikTok's new obsession with Alabama's sorority recruitment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Raise your hand if you too are completely enamored, horrified, and can't get enough of #BamaRush TikTok? We'll leave the analysis of The Machine, The Pants Store, and blacklisting to the experts, but what about what happens after all the PNM's have their bids and true chapter life comes in? This week we're catching up with our friend Megan to give you all some insight into what life is like after bid day. From entering chapter as a legacy, to finding a big sis and family line in chapter, to holding executive positions, we're breaking down how to get the most out of your Greek life experience. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

This week I'm all in on the drama that is Alabama Rush Tiktok (#JusticeforMakayla), a missing woman story for the ages, plus recaps of Married at First Sight and Love after Lockup!   Feel free to give me a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts if you can! Follow me on social media, Patreon and more here!