Podcasts about wine witch

What makes wine worth waiting for? How much wine is produced in Greece? What would surprise you about the wines of Greece. In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Konstantinos Lazarakis, author of the new book The Wines of Greece. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Giveaway Two of you are going to win a copy of his terrific book, The Wines of Greece. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!   Highlights How did Konstantinos find his first passion for heavy metal music? Do fine wine and heavy metal have anything in common? What memorable moment happened to Konstantinos while delivering a presentation to wine buyers in Russia? How did Dominus wine end up making an in-flight splash for Konstantinos? What sparked Konstantinos' initial passion for Greek wine? Why did Konstantinos want to become a Master of Wine when no others were in Greece? Where can you find Greece on the map and what are the key geographic features? How much wine does Greece produce annually? What unexpected insight did Konstantinos discover while writing his book on Greek wines? What might surprise you about the dynamic nature of Greek wines and winemaking? What does it mean for Greece to have a large number of endemic grape varieties?   Key Takeaways As Konstantinos observes, when you're a fan of Barolo, or since we're talking about wines of Greece in here, Xinomavro, then these wines are not immediately appealing but hugely rewarding once you pay attention to them and calibrate your idea about what wine can be. Looking beyond the instant is rewarding. Konstantinos says that many people, even wine professionals, have widely different expectations of what Greek wine is. Some are surprised that Greece is producing any wine at all and others believe that Greek wine is a commodity produced in bulk. But the Bordeaux region of France produces twice the wine that the entire country of Greece produces. Konstantinos explains that the great thing about Greek wine is that we have no idea what Greek wine is all about. New grape varieties and regions emerge regularly. For example, Malagousia is a grape variety produced by about 200 vineyards. It is extremely forthcoming yet very complex and intense. On the nose, it can range from Muscatine to minty to tropically. On the palate, it's quite round, even creamy, without the need of extended lees contact or oak, but still, it has amazing freshness. One of the most important Greek grape varieties has been around for only 30, 40, years. That's bound to happen again and again. In Italy, almost every area that can make wine does or is verified. They have all their grape varieties identified.   About Konstantinos Lazarakis MW Konstantinos Lazarakis MW is the first person in Greece to have passed the notoriously difficult Master of Wine exams. He is the author of Wines of Greece, published by Academie du Vin. As well, he serves as the President of Wines & Spirits Professional Center, General Manager of Aiolos Wines and CEO of Wine Wonders.   Bonus Interview – Matt Cauz Highlights Which wine should you pair with artichokes? What inspired me to write Wine Witch on Fire? How did the events of 2012 kick off my no good, terrible, very bad, vintage, personally and professionally? Have there been any lasting effects from these traumatic events? How has the Canadian wine industry evolved over the past 20 years? What are my thoughts on the current state of the wine review industry?       To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/322.

It's Monday, Let's raise a glass to the beginning of another week. It's time to unscrew, uncork or saber a bottle and let's begin Exploring the Wine Glass!  Today, I'm thrilled to welcome a very special guest: Natalie MacLean. Natalie is not only a wine educator and critic but also the author of three fantastic books about wine. Her latest, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, is a deeply personal and powerful memoir about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to speak your truth in the world of wine and beyond. In this episode, we'll dive into Natalie's journey, the themes of her book, and the challenges of navigating a competitive industry while staying true to yourself. Plus, we'll talk about how her experiences have shaped her perspective on wine, life, and everything in between. While you are listening, it would be greatly appreciated if you could take one minute to subscribe, rate and review. It takes only a few seconds of your time but means so much to the show.  Also, please be sure to check the box for automatic downloads so that new episodes of Exploring the Wine Glass show up in your “next up feed.” The next best way to support Exploring the Wine Glass is to tell your friends. If you enjoy the podcast, your wine loving friends will too. Follow me on all the socials and finally, don't forget to head to the website, Exploring the Wine Glass.com to read the blog, and sign up for the newsletter to keep up with all the happenings.  Slainte!    Find out more about Natalie MacLean here Music: WINE by Kēvens Official Video Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Twitter! Subscribe to my YouTube channel SIGN UP FOR EXPLORING THE WINE GLASS NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES STITCHER | iTUNES | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | PODBEAN | AUDIBLE | BOOMPLAY Even ask your smart speaker to play Exploring the Wine Glass GIVE US A RATING AND REVIEW Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at exploringthewineglass@gmail.com. Please support our sponsors Dracaena Wines - Our Wines + Your Moments + Great Memories Use code 'Explore' at checkout to receive 10% off your first order GET SPECIAL OFFERS FOR DRACAENA WINES

If you're a radio fan you may know Janey Lee Grace's name, and you'll definitely know her voice, and in this episode Janey takes me on her fascinating journey, from aspiring pop star to a renowned radio personality. Discussing her time as a backing singer for Wham!, her brief pop fame with St. Etienne, and her transition into radio we also talk Janey's passion for natural health, her journey to sobriety, and her latest book. Janey offers insights on the importance of self-love, the power of setting intentions, and finding joy in everyday life.    Find Janey on Instagram here  Don't forget to join the conversation with me on Instagram here    --------   This episode is sponsored by brilliant small brand The Stationer, so if you're looking for stocking fillers in this run up to Christmas, look no further! The Stationer is an online stationery shop with a fully curated selection by founder and stationery obsessive Tessa. Tessa sources the very best in planners, notebooks, fountain pens, pencils, washi tape, sticky notes, stickers - and other desktop items, from all over the world with a brilliantly unique selection you won't find just anywhere. If you're looking for the hard work to be done for you Tessa sells bundles at a discounted rate. A Basics Kit, a Starter Kit featuring her best sellers, and a Study Kit – perfect for starting a new term or a new chapter! You can get 10% off full price products with the code: WOMENSBUSINESS and I urge you to have a look at her awesome selection and support this wonderful small business. Shop now!   -----------   Episode Highlights    00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 01:28 Meet Janie Lee Grace: From Pop Star Dreams to Radio Fame 02:31 Janie's Early Career and First Breaks 09:07 Touring with Wham! and the Music Industry 14:17 Transition to Radio and Personal Life 27:39 The Magic of Steve: A Perfectionist in Radio 29:30 Imperfectly Natural Woman: The Birth of a Book 33:26 Holistic Living: Balancing Woo Woo and Real Life 38:23 The Alcohol-Free Journey: Breaking Free from the Wine Witch 45:27 Parenting and Alcohol: Shifting Perspectives 48:06 Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Reflections

The full title of Natalie Maclean's  memoir is  Wine Witch on Fire Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation and Drinking Too Much.   For all of you who bought and read Natalie's  book Red, White and  Drunk All Over and listened to her podcast Unreserved Wine Talk, this memoir is a completely different read. She discovers her husband of many years is leaving the relationship and at the same time, her wine rivals decide to tell the wine world that she's not nearly as accomplished as we think. Despite multiple awards for her writing and knowledge, Natalie has to rebuild her career, fight for her son and find an elusive second chance in a business that rarely gives you any. All of this drama is played out in a wine world where many women are taken for granted and rarely given credit for their skills. Yup - Wine Witch is a thriller. And it's funny, just in time for Christmas.   You can get Natalie MacLean's new memoir Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much in paperback, ebook or audiobook from these retailers. She hosts the podcast, Unreserved Wine Talk, and offers popular online wine and food pairing classes at www.nataliemaclean.com.

Wine Witch on Fire – The Natalie MacLean Memoir.     THE SHOW  “Natalie MacLean had it all – an accomplished husband, a high-profile wine writing career and an email signature of “Chief of Wine Happiness.”  But her life fell apart when her husband departed, she started to drink too much and a social media mob came...

Summer rewind: What role do communicators play in motivating change? Specifically, how can they move their audiences to take action against climate change? In thinkenergy episode 122, we delve into the world of climate communication with Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re.Climate. Explore the driving forces, opportunities, and challenges of inspiring climate action—from bridging research to practise to empowering change. Listen in for an insightful conversation on shaping a sustainable future. Related links Amber Bennet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abennettyyc/  Re.Climate: https://reclimate.ca/  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-8b612114/ To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the Tweets at https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod Transcript Trevor Freemon Everyone, well, it's officially summer. And it's been about four months since I took over the mic as the host of the think energy podcast, which is kind of hard to believe. It's been really fun having great conversations with great people in the energy sector. I now mostly know my way around the recording equipments and the software, and really feel like we're kind of just getting started and looking forward to where we go from here. That said, the think energy team is taking a break to recharge over the next few months, but also to plan our content for the fall. So stay tuned for some great episodes in the fall. Not to worry though, we still have our summer rewind to keep you engaged. This is where we pick out some of the great past episodes that we've done and repost them. So whether you're lucky enough to be sitting on a dock or going on a road trip, or if you're just keeping up with your commute through the summer, it's a great time to revisit our past content. You will hear past episodes from my predecessor and the host chair Dan second, as well as a couple of mine from the past few months. And you're welcome to check out your own favorite past episodes as well, wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you have an amazing summer and we'll be back with new content in September. And until then, happy listening.   Dan Seguin  00:06 This is ThinkEnergy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders, and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin, as I explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry. Hey, everyone, welcome back. Did you scroll through the news this morning? How many of those articles that you skim covered a topic related to climate change? I guess it was probably a few. It seems. Every couple of weeks there's a new story dominating the headlines about forest fires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and more, both here in Canada and abroad. We are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change and As consumers, we are receiving information about it. Everywhere we look. Have you ever thought about how you are being communicated to? How is climate change presented? What wording was used? And why? And are their calls to action? How does it make you feel? think not only about news articles you read, but also about documentaries, podcasts, Hollywood movies, right down to your everyday life. Think about the newsletter you receive from your municipality. The assembly instruction on the last piece of furniture you purchase, or this section on your favorite clothing brand, website about their sustainable practice, communications surrounding climate change are pretty much everywhere and the need to be. In June of 2021, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian net zero emission Accountability Act, which puts into legislation Canada's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Different companies across the country are making their commitment, much like we did in 2022, when we committed to leading the way to a Smart Energy Future by becoming net zero by 2030. The push on to stop the damaging pollution emitted into the environment on a daily basis, namely caused by burning fossil fuels. Scientists are urging that this is crunch time. So if you haven't already, now is the time to hone in on how and what you are communicating to your customers. So here is today's big question. What role do communicators play in motivating change within their audiences to take action against climate change? Our guest today is Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re Climate, Canada's first climate communications and Engagement Center. This new organization launched in 2022 brings together Canada's leading climate communication academics and practitioners, and aims to help communicators create strategies that inspire the public to support climate action. Amber is one of Canada's top climate communication strategists and capacity builder who works with groups across the country bridging gaps between research and practice. She led the groundbreaking Alberta narrative project and supported much of the foundational work to pilot and build reclaim it. Amber, thank you for joining us today. Amber Bennett  03:54 Thank you for having me. Dan Seguin  03:56 Amber, maybe you can start by telling us a bit about yourself and Re Climate How did you get into climate communications? How did Re Climate come to be and what does it aim to achieve? Amber Bennett  04:09 Okay, I'll try to hold all of those questions at once. Well, I am based in Calgary, Alberta, which may seem like an unlikely place for some for the executive director of a Canadian organization or Canadian center focused on climate communications and engagement at Carleton University. But that's where I live with my family. And what to say? Yeah, I mean, I think I've been circling around climate communications for a very, very long time. You know, the the mind has a funny way of making sense of things in retrospect, but I started with a Bachelor of Science and then I moved on to a public relations degree and then I worked with the mayor of Calgary on the one of the I forget which numbered cop, but it was a Copenhagen. And I think that was really the first time I began to think about what, what is climate change and had a certain kind of exposure to the, to the, you know what the challenge was and what not. And when I saw I kind of went on, and I did a master's degree. And it was when I had needed to choose a topic for my master's degree when there was the catastrophic flooding here in Calgary. And there is this, like, amazing paradox where the, you know, Calgary Stampede, which is the epitome, I would say, of the, you know, kind of old boys club. And when that happened, when the floods happened, their motto was come hell or high water come hell or high water, they were going to, you know, produce the show. And at the same time, one of the readings I was doing as a part of my master's program was also titled come hell or high water. And it was really about the science of climate change, and why it is making it so difficult. Why is it so difficult for humans to kind of wrap our heads around it. So fast forward, I completed a master's, and then did a series of really interesting projects. I did some work with a group out of the UK called Climate outreach, which is focused on climate communications and engagement as well. And then started working with a group of people here in Canada to set up a similar center or similar organization that would focus on supporting climate communicators, helping to kind of bring together the research that was happening, as well as the practice. And so that's really why Re Climate it is set up to do, we're really dedicated towards advancing the practice of climate communications and engagement through research, training, offering resources, pulling resources together, strategy, and developing strategy with other types of practitioners, as well as convening networks of both scholars, as well as those people who are kind of out there in the real world doing campaigning and advocacy work and trying to, you know, communicate with citizens and whatnot. So, that's kind of where we're at. Dan Seguin  07:34 Now, Amber, it sounds like Re Climate, is a very diversified organization that brings together experts in social science, Public Affairs, and science. What kind of professionals work together in this environment? And what does it each bring to the table? Amber Bennett  07:55 Love this question. So Re Climate brings together I think I've said it research and practice. And so you have those practitioners who may be doing public engagement campaigns, they may be working for utilities, they may be working in local governments or other kinds of government, they might also be working in advocacy organizations. And so they often don't have the time, or I would argue the luxury of going into, you know, latest academic journals, or even, you know, kind of other thought leaders who are publishing in the field. Why? Because they're busy, they're doing the work. And so, you know, that kind of takes a lot of time to kind of go in and look at the research, track it down, make sense of it? They're also, I would argue, very few who have the time to do an evaluation, like after they've done something, what did we learn from it? You know, What, did we make a difference? You know, what kind of impact are we having, and similarly, just getting together with other folks, right, and talking about it and sharing what they're learning. So that's kind of on the practitioner's side. And so, you know, when we say we bring or convene networks of people together, we're really trying to do that, you know, we're trying to provide resources, synthesize, you know, research, both, perhaps, you know, it's public polling, or maybe it's social science, you know, what's happening in in, that's relevant, but also bringing people together to share with each other and learn with each other. So that's kind of that practitioner side. And, you know, there's also, I would say, sometimes a culture where people feel like they're competing with each other, you know, certainly within the charitable sector. So kind of, I think, for those folks who are coming in, who are kind of in the field, having that support and someone who's doing In the work on their behalf to kind of make sense of synthesize, pull it in together like yours, your five tips here, the things you need to do. That's extremely helpful. And then on the flip side, I think for researchers, you know, they're, they're kind of passionate, there's a reason why they're there thinking or trying to understand, you know, how to better engage people, or what's the right framing, or what are the values or whatever it is, because they're passionate about it. So by being able to kind of bridge from the practitioner world into a more academic or into a research field, we're able to just give people real world challenges. It's like, here's why practitioners are actually struggling with, you're an expert in this, please talk to us about it, or please, you know, this is the kind of information that they need. So, you know, kind of the practitioners, I would say, Bring the complexity of the real world, right, that we're dealing with real people, resource constraints, you know, various kinds of issues and whatnot, whereas researchers bring the kind of precision of being able to look at something with a whole body of understanding behind them to be able to kind of see, well, here's what may be operating within this situation, here's what we know about it. And here are some other kinds of interventions or approaches that we might be able to take. I don't know if that exactly answers your question. Maybe the scientists part, I would say they bring the public trust. Right. So whenever we're polling, you know, consistently, scientists come up on top as having high levels of public trust on climate and energy transition. And so I think that they bring that kind of authenticity. And, you know, they're not there, they're often unpolitical, right? They're not seem to be benefiting, you know, personally from talking about it. So they're really effective messengers. Dan Seguin  11:57 Wondering if you can share some insight into what the average Canadian's knowledge on climate change is? How much do they know about the main causes and the path forward? Amber Bennett  12:14 Well, I would say that Canadians probably know a lot about climate change. But what we measure, it's a little bit different. So when, and I would encourage folks to take a look at some of the reports that we have published on ReClimate.ca The one that I'm, you know, I kind of go back to was published this year, or maybe it was last year. But within these reports, we basically look across 65, or more, either private or publicly available surveys, or public polls or whatnot, and we kind of do it a roll up of okay, so it's not just one survey that has said, this is multiple surveys that are showing kind of trends and themes in in where the Canadian beliefs or attitudes or or mindsets are. So when you do that, and when we looked across, you know, 65, or so what you can see is, is that, even though you have the majority of Canadians that would say yes, climate change is real, and it is happening, almost half of them attribute both natural and manmade causes, you know, attribute the cause of climate change due to natural causes as well as as manmade. And so why is that important, is because when we get into the conversations around solutions, then without the kind of foundational understanding that burning fossil fuels creates pollution, which creates a heat trapping blanket, which is heating our planet, and causing all of these extreme weather events and natural disasters that we're seeing. Without that kind of clear understanding that burning fossil fuels is the cause of climate change. And when you get into the solutions, and what people actually have to do about it, the conversations a bit more, there's a lot of confusion, or there's a lot of room for confusion, which is kind of what we're seeing and I can talk a little bit more about that. So you know, I spend a lot of time in focus groups, and this kind of conversation comes up. So when we talk about solutions in the path forward, you talk about climate change, and you start to have discussions around what you are doing, you know, recycling will often come up, plastics will often come up. There's a whole kind of suite of things that people are doing, but very few people are able to name a particular policy or real intervention that you know, that will address some of the root causes. And we people on this podcast may not be like, Hey, why really. But you know, there are a lot of different people and for many climate change, even though they may be living within the impacts are the, you know, experiencing in their daily lives, they have many other kinds of concerns and priorities that are happening at the same time. So what I would say is that Canadians believe that climate change is happening, there is at least half that are uncertain, or would attribute it to both natural causes, and manmade causes. This kind of understanding of burning fossil fuels, the trapping blanket, you know, that's not well understood by many. And so they're kind of subsequently stopping burning fossil fuels, as a path forward isn't clear, as it could be, or, or should be at this point in time. And maybe the other thing I if you, if you'll let me, the other thing I would say is, is that, you know, Canadians consistently report, when you ask them very high levels of concern about climate change, right? Most people can see forest fires, you know, that's how we are making sense of what climate changes. It is through these kinds of experiences, either directly, or our experiences of seeing, you know, extreme weather and natural disasters. So people are expressing very high levels of concern. But if you ask, unprompted, what are you know, what are the issues that you're most concerned about? It often will address climate change as mentioned Much, much farther down on the list. Right. So, affordability and access to health care, cost of living, housing, there are many other issues that people are faced with and dealing with in their day to day lives. Dan Seguin  17:18 Okay, see the term movable middle mentioned in reports and on the reclaimed site, what is the movable middle? And why is it so important? Amber Bennett  17:34 Great question. And I feel compelled to say that I think that term movable metal is used differently by different people. I think within the context of, you know, the work that we do, it kind of comes out of, you know, some of the themes that I was talking about in the last in in the last question or last answer. It's this idea that, you know, people are kind of undecided. Or they're conflicted about an issue. So they could move either one way or the other, but they're not at the moment. oppositional? Right. So if you think about, you know, a broader population, there is a segment, you know, of Canadians, whose identities are really built around the idea that they don't believe in climate change. They're not going to support, you know, climate action and whatnot. There's also on the other side, a whole group of Canadians whose identity is built around me. I'm a climate activist, and I'm a climate advocate. And you know, and I'm an environmentalist, and so they're on the other side, but most of us just kind of live in the middle. Some are more well informed than others. But for the most part, people are concerned, right in the middle. They have they, you know, when they ask, yes, we want the government to act, we are highly supportive of it. But when it comes down to it, it's this tension around the fact that because they may not be well informed, or not thinking about this, they have many competing priorities. You're kind of undecided, or sometimes they're just conflicted about an issue. Right? Because on the one hand, as an example, yeah, I think we absolutely need renewable energy. We need lots of, you know, solar panels, I just don't want them in my house, or we need lots of, you know, solar, renewable solar farms. I just don't want them all over the landscape that I cherish from my childhood. So there are many things that you know are underneath that are operating underneath for people that kind of create some conflict for them. So people, when we talk About the movable metal, really, I think what's important is to acknowledge that most people are concerned. They want when they support action, but they're undecided, potentially about one particular aspect or issue of it. Or there's some other kind of thing that's happening for them that's creating a conflict. Or they're kind of uninformed. So, you know, I think that you know, why an example? Or rather, I'll back up that uninformed piece is particularly important right now, as we see more and more kinds of organized misinformation and disinformation. Right. So as an example, when I'm in focus groups, I can predict with very, you know, a lot of certainty, what are some of the kinds of key narratives that are coming to the surface where people are kind of undecided? One of them might be, well, EV batteries are actually worse, you know, for the environment than, you know, driving a car, or there's no way that we're going to be able to electrify everything the grids can't support. Or it may be that solar panels actually create more emissions when you produce them than they save in their lifetime. So these kinds of things that are very dominant are kind of recurring pieces of information. And when people who are not thinking about this a lot or deeply, as much as maybe you were, I are people who are listening to this. So when people encounter these, this kind of information or confusion about what are the actual solutions? They really don't know what to think. Right? So like a third of us sit within that category, right? If I actually don't know how to make sense of the information that I'm hearing, right, and I don't trust so much of it. Because I know that, you know, I know about misinformation, I know that I shouldn't be, you know, you know, trusting everything that I hear, etc. So that's kind of the deal with the movable middle, right? So they believe climate change is real and not climate deniers. They just may be conflicted or undecided, or just not, you know, as informed because they're not thinking about it on a daily basis. Dan Seguin  22:32 Now Amber, why is it important for the average communicator, like those in the energy sector, for example, to better understand the strategy behind climate change communications? Amber Bennett  22:45 Yeah, um, I think because climate change is a super wicked problem, and is really complicated. And maybe me rambling on for the past 20 minutes might give folks a sense of the things that, you know, we were trying to think about and grapple with all at the same time. And so I would say that, in other cases, although arguably, I would argue that information, probably doesn't work it in on any issue. But what we do know, is just giving people information, they're not, you know, people can't reason their way into kind of behavior change. So, you know, we live within systems. You know, we live within communities where, you know, we're surrounded by friends and family, we see ourselves as kind of certain types of people. There are all of these kinds of social needs and emotional needs that humans bring to the table, that climate change communications, and I would argue, probably any good communications needs to attend to. So this sense of belonging, right, so I belong to a community. Other people like me think and act this way, or I expect other people like me to think and act this way. Being able to understand even what the problem is can kind of create shared understanding so that people who are making decisions aren't making decisions that don't consider you that kind of shared understanding peace. People need a sense of efficacy, control in their lives, they need some agency, they just don't need someone making all these decisions on their behalf without any involvement. You know, people want to be good people. And to be able to ask questions and to challenge things that are going to impact their lives without being dismissed as a climate denier or shamed or whatnot. And people trust others for different reasons, right. So scientists are highly tuned lasts. politicians aren't big corporations aren't, right. But the ones who are often leading this conversation in public are big corporations and politicians. So all of those are the things that we need to attend to when we think about, you know, climate communications, and because it's such a complicated problem, and extends to so many aspects of our life. And to be fair, there's a lot of organized opposition and strategies to create polarization to create misinformation. There's a lot happening all at the same time. Dan Seguin  25:43 Okay, let me ask you this, what effect does it have to all be on the same page? Amber Bennett  25:51 I often give the analogy of an orchestra, right, where we all have the same song sheet, but we're all playing different instruments. And part of that is, you know, there is a role for the government in setting regulation. And there's a role for activists and advocates to be, you know, opening up new possibilities, holding governments and corporations to account. But actually, we also need businesses to be building out the products and the services and the and the things that we'll be using in our lives. And you need all of these different actors operating all at the same time. And, you know, to live, I guess, within an ecosystem, so I'm very skeptical of how one message is the efficacy of one message, I think that really what is helpful is if people are exposed to and have the ability to make meaning out of climate change, and out of energy transition through many different parts of their lives, and they actually have many different avenues to talk about it and to create, you know, a shared understanding of what they want for their future, or where we're going. Dan Seguin  27:23 Let's move to electrification, and renewable energy. Cool? These are important pieces of the world's response to climate change. For those in the energy sector who have a direct relationship with electricity consumers, is there a certain messaging that we should be sharing with our audiences? Amber Bennett  27:47 Such a great question. I might change, I might have a different thought while I'm making a cup of tea, you know, in a couple of hours from now. But I think that there is a very, goes back to the question that we talked about with literacy. And also goes back to some of the things I mentioned around people needing to have a sense of control in their lives. Right. So what we know from the research is that people's motivation to do something as a whole has a lot less to do with their perception of risk than it does there because their perception of their ability to act, and that that action will make a difference. What people really, I would say, based on all the things that I look at and read and whatnot, want is a place to act that makes sense. And that is relevant to their lives. So I think for folks who work in electrification, work in renewable energy, a part of what we need right now is both to fill in all of the pixels around, like, where are we going? What is this going to look like in my daily life? What are the things that make sense for me to do right now? And how are the things that I'm doing making a difference within, you know, the broader community that I know and love and want to make sure it's safe and prosperous? And all of those things? So I think what we're, what we need, in part, are those people who are responsible for infrastructure, for services, for that kind of daily life to start filling in the pixels of what is this going to mean? Because people get a little stuck on, like, blind faith. We're just going to hand it over and other people make decisions. People want to have a conversation. They want to have a space where they can kind of create a shared understanding, right, like a public imagination of like, where are we going? And what's it going to be like when we get there? And what is it going to need in my daily life? And so I think that there's that part, like, what is this going to look like? And then I think the other part is, what are you asking me to do? And how is it gonna make a difference? For me and for my community, Canadians are very generous, right? They're willing to do stuff, even if it doesn't benefit them, if they really believe that it'll, you know, benefit the broader community or collective good, they'll step up. But I would argue that we haven't done a really good job of giving people tangible, practical, relevant things that do make a difference. Neither have we done a great job of filling out the vision of what this is gonna look like, right? It's kind of a little bit like a cliff at the moment, right? We're all going to transition to renewables. And we haven't filled in, what is that actually going to look like? Right? Am I going to have a gas station at the end of my street? I don't know. What is it going to look like? That's what I would say is storytelling, right? What's the story of what this is? How is this going to happen? And what it will look like when we get there. Dan Seguin  31:27 Okay, Amber. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Hydro Ottawa has committed to being net zero by 2030. Does this kind of messaging resonate with the general public? Are there best practices in how to communicate this type of message in order to influence and maybe even promote change in our community? Amber Bennett  31:51 Well, I would say if we kind of got back to, you know, when we think about Canadians, right, so I think that you've got a little section of folks who sit on one end, who net zero by 2030 makes a lot of sense. They understand what Net Zero is, they understand why you've chosen 2030. They understand what getting to net zero, you know, even means, however, it's likely that a section of those people are kind of skeptical. Why? Because they've been hearing a lot of targets, and not a lot of action, you know, for many, many decades. And then, so that's, you know, that one group, right, we start to see kind of dropping, you know, belief that, you know, it's possible, or that's going to happen. And then you have that whole other group in the middle that I was talking about, where net zero means absolutely nothing. The word the language, net zero means, you know, I'm being a little bit brutal, but it's true, right, where net zero doesn't really mean a whole lot. And, and neither does 2030, or the importance of it. And I think, you know, I sitting in a boardroom or a meeting room the other day, and we're talking about targets, and it really struck me when the person on the other side said, we know that this is ambitious, and we know that it's impossible, but we have to say it, because it's actually what science requires of us. These are not a political target, it's actually a scientific target, that we need to reduce emissions by this amount by this period in time, even if we'll never get there. That's what science requires of us. So I think all that to say, targets, I think are very helpful for administrators, for policy makers, for business leaders, etc. To help, you know, turn the ship, and to help start getting the kind of resourcing and planning and whatnot in place. But for the general public, what they actually want is what we were just talking about, tell me where we're going and tell me what I have to do. And tell me why it makes a difference. Dan Seguin  34:17 Cool, Amber. You were a co-author on an incredibly helpful document entitled, climate messaging that works, talking about energy transition and climate change in Canada, which outlines the concept of message triangle. For me, it was a simple takeaway that could be immediately implemented into any communications surrounding climate change. Could you share the coles note of the message triangle with our listeners? Amber Bennett  34:50 I can, and I would love to. And I suspect that, you know, there'll be parts of what I'm about to say that begin to resonate with some of the past things that I've said or are connected to. So really in a triangle, the underlying principle is that we're trying to create a whole story or a whole narrative for people. And that has a lot to do with how human beings and how we have evolved and how we make sense of the world, we make sense of the world through narrative and through stories. And so when we just give people one piece of something, it doesn't satisfy the way that we have been trained. Since, you know, the, since the beginning to kind of make sense of the world. So what we want to do is we want to give people a challenge that has to either be overcome, or that we're at risk of losing something. So there's a challenge, there's a choice that we have right now that we need to make. And then there's an opportunity. And if we can hit each piece of that triangle, what we're doing is we're creating a whole story for people, which allows them to make sense of why are you taking my time? And why should I listen to you? So you know, as an example, when we talk about the challenge, you know, part of this is really, I think, being more clear about the cause of climate change. But also, what are some of the challenges that we're seeing, that are related to climate change within our communities? You know, I was listening to a CBC program the other day, and there's an entire community in Newfoundland, that's actually moving back from the water. And this is, you know, after the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona and whatnot. So, you know, some of the challenges that we're seeing, what's the challenge that we're trying to overcome? And ideally, I would, right size that at a community scale, right? So people feel overwhelmed when it's my personal individual problem. But if we can begin to talk about this as a community challenge, then people are much more likely to engage because they don't feel like doing it all on their own. Similarly, a choice, right, as communicators, if we're talking specifically to communicators, we often leave out the choice at the moment, what is the call to action? What are you actually trying? What are you asking someone to do? Is it voted a certain way? Is it a conversation? If it takes a particular action, we need something, there's some sort of choice, and there's some sort of action that has to create tension within this story, right? All good stories have a choice that has to be made by the main, you know, character, and then the opportunity. And I think, you know, part of what I've been talking about around, where are we going? What's it going to look like when we get there is that opportunity. So if we're talking about the challenge, is, you know, we're seeing increasing extreme weather, that's because of burning fossil fuels and pollution, the trapping blanket, our choice right now is we need to electrify and that means building infrastructure, the opportunity that we have is at a community scale, both for you know, ourselves and and for others. This kind of, you know, whatever might be the relevance of it right, we'll have a more dependable electricity supply. You know, if we're all in EVs, and we have backup, you know, batteries in our cars, when the power goes out, you know, you've got a little mini generator that you can draw on that gives you electricity, you know, through the storm or something, whatever it might look like. But that's the point is that we're trying to create a full picture for people. We want to talk about, what's the challenge? What's the choice? And what's the opportunity on the other side? Dan Seguin  39:22 Now, climate change has been a hot topic for oh, God, at least 20 years now. Are there any challenges with keeping an audience engaged and interested for so long? Amber Bennett  39:36 Yeah, there's actually a woman out of the States who wrote an article. Her name is Suzanne Moser. And it's something I'm going to botch the title but it's something like, you know, Climate Communications 20 Years Later: What Have We Really Learned? And I think that in fairness, I think we've learned a lot, right? I think most people understand that it's more complicated than just giving people a brochure at this point. And I think that in 20 years, we've done a much better job of crystallizing, what is it that we need to do? However, there's also been 20 years of misinformation, 20 years of broken plans and not, you know, unachieved targets etc. And I was chatting with a woman the other day and, and she's like, because I kind of feel like forest fires and floods and hurricanes are doing the job that we used to do, you know, which is creating alarm and concern and demonstrating like, this is real. And it's a big problem. So I think in 20 years, we've had 20 years more of all of that. But we haven't, you know, but, but rather, I would say the job now in this moment, is the pathway, right? And giving people that kind of those choices, that control, and that sense of agency, that they can do something about it. And we need to get on with the action part, right. So we can't leave people in just concern. Because our minds can only hold so much anxiety and concern at one time, amongst all of the other things that we're concerned and anxious about, you know, climate change is just, you know, even more dreadful, particularly, I think, for younger people. So we can't, you know, people can only stay there for so long before they start to kind of check out because, as I go back, you know, I kind of mentioned it in the beginning. It's like our sense of whether or not we or our sense of motivation, or motivation to act has a lot more to do with our sense of being able to do something about it, rather than the risk that it that it proposes or that it is, so yeah. So, I would say the challenges of keeping people interested or if you can't give them something to do, then, you know, at a certain point, you kind of have to just check out of the conversation until, you know, you get clear about what are you asking me, and I think that this kind of anxiety is a real problem. And so the road for them, this moment really requires us to get much more clear about where we're going in the pathway forward. Dan Seguin  42:52 Okay, Amber, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions, and we've got a few for you. Are you ready? Amber Bennett  43:00 Ready to go? Okay, Dan Seguin  43:03 What are you reading right now? Amber Bennett  43:05 Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie Maclean, I think. Dan Seguin  43:09 Okay, now, what would you name your boat? If you had one, maybe you do. Maybe you don't. Amber Bennett  43:17 I don't have one. And it would be a miracle if I ever have one. So I'm going to name it a Miracle. Dan Seguin  43:24 Who is someone that you truly admire? Amber Bennett  43:28 This is kind of really out of left field, but I'm gonna go with it. So during COVID, there was a woman named Trinny Woodall who used to do What Not To Wear on the BBC. It was like one of the original kinds of reality programs, like one of those. And, you know, I'd love to be more philosophical than this. But I admire her because her whole... a) she works so hard, but also she just wants to make women of a certain age or any woman just feel good. And I really just admire someone whose life and business and purpose is really just trying to make other people see the goodness in themselves or to feel better about themselves. So she's, and she's also for any one who's interested. I mean, a social media magician, like she's, she's magic in terms of what she did. She started during COVID and kind of as a comms person, like, Yeah, amazing. Kind of how she has set herself up as an influencer. Dan Seguin  44:42 Okay, Amber, what is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed? Amber Bennett  44:51 Magic? Yeah, this is hard. Okay, so just bear with me. Great start! This is not as rapid as you probably want. I'm moving houses. I bought a house. And there were two moments in like, one was do I put an offer in? Or do we put an offer in? And then there was another moment, kind of later on. And in both cases, I was about to say, I was going to pull back and say no, you know, I'm not going to go forward with it. And I kid you not, in that moment, the wind picked up. So in one case, I was outside and the wind picked up and got very, very strong where I was standing. So the first time you know, you can kind of blow it off. It's like, oh, yeah, okay, whatever. That was weird. But it happened twice. It happened a second time. And then the second time where I was, you know, kind of stuck. And, you know, wanting to retreat and I got a little, you know, scared about, you know, kind of taking the leap. And in that second time, the same thing happened, where the winds picked up, and they got a little bit stronger around me. And then they calmed down afterwards. And not in a like, oh, I kind of feel like no, it's kind of little, you know, it was very dramatic. And so anyways, I move houses tomorrow, so I'm gonna just put that out to magic. Not quite sure. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense. Why? Why did we do it? But we're there now. Dan Seguin  46:26 Now, what has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began? Amber Bennett  46:32 Yeah, I'm, like so many parents. And I would argue women in particular, the double bind of having to take care of kids as though I don't work. And work even though I don't have kids. And I think for a lot of parents that was the impossible situation and I don't feel that that's really gone away. Dan Seguin  47:02 This next one I always enjoy. What have you been watching a lot more of on Netflix or TV lately? What's your favorite? In other words, you know, what's your favorite movie or TV show? Amber Bennett  47:17 I love the Peaky Blinders. And I've gone back and I've watched certain episodes again, just because they're so delicious with the costumes and the characters and the whole thing. I'm, yeah, totally enthralled. Yeah, love it.  Okay.Now, lastly, what is exciting you about your industry right now. Um, I think that if anyone were to see my email inbox, they'd be very surprised at, you know, I think communion policy was the king for so long. And I think finally, we're at the point where we're beginning to understand that the public has to be on board, the public actually needs to have informed consent about so many of these choices. And we need a social mandate to ensure that climate action is the third rail, right? You know, if you're going to be a leader in this country, or business operating in this country, then you need to be a climate leader, and you need to be a climate business, it has to be fundamental to all of the decisions that you make, and how you and how you operate. Because science doesn't give us any other choice at this moment. So that's, so I think, the kind of realization that we can have all the technology and all the policy that we want, but if people aren't on board, then it's never going to happen. And so I get to work with very interesting people, unexpected from all walks of life, and you know, different sectors who are beginning to understand that, really, this is something we're going to work on until all of us and those beyond. For many generations, yeah. Dan Seguin  49:12 Now, if our listeners want to learn more about you, Amber, or your organization, how can they connect? Amber Bennett  49:18 Yeah, well, easiest is to go to our website, so Re.Climate, so that's reclimate.ca. And folks can sign up there if they want to, you know, make sure that they get more information on events, and we do lots of, you know, webinars and talks and we release reports and, and whatnot. So that's a great thing to do. And I'm on LinkedIn, and I'm always happy to connect with people on LinkedIn. So Amber Bennett, and I also share lots of things there. that I find interesting. Dan Seguin  49:59 Well, Amber. This is it. We've reached the end of another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you had a lot of fun. Amber Bennett  50:08 Yeah. Great questions. Great chat. And thank you. Dan Seguin  50:14 Cheers. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guests or previous episodes, visit thinkenergypodcast.com I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.

Wine witch, kicking the hornets' nest, national best seller, AI, the 3 Ds', a bad vintage, cool climate pinot noir & and interview with Natalie Maclean, author, drinks writer and host of Unreserved Wine Talk podcast. ON THE ROAD with mrCAwine, is about CA's cool aspirational lifestyle, and awesome wines. Hosted by Chuck Cramer, a CA native, living in London and is the Director of European sales & marketing, Terlato Wines. This is a wine journey covering the hottest topics in the world of California wine, chatting along the way with key influencers in the world of wine who make it all happen. This weeks' episode includes an interview Natalie Maclean, author, drinks writer & wine podcaster.

Which almost-forgotten grape Italian varieties deserve more recognition? What might surprise you about the stories and wines from Campania? What makes wine such a great narrative vehicle throughout history? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author Marc Millon. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Giveaway Three of you will win a copy of Marc Millon's terrific new book Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose one person randomly from those who contact me.  Good luck!   Highlights What was it like spending summers running up and down Mexican pyramids as a child? How has Marc been influenced by his Korean heritage? What does Marc remember most vividly about moving to England at 19? What was it like being a writer and travelling the wine regions of multiple countries pre-internet? Why was Marc motivated to write his latest book, Italy in a Wineglass? What makes Italy in a Wineglass so different from other books about Italian wine? How did the Italian pride in history and story stand out to Marc while researching the book? What has been the most interesting feedback on the book so far? Why did the stories from Campania surprise Marc the most? What makes wine such a great narrative vehicle throughout history? Which almost-forgotten grape varieties deserve more recognition? How does the Ancient Greek symposium compare to modern Italian social wine-drinking customs? Which wine story in the book is most reflective of Italian culture?   About Marc Millon Marc Millon is a food, wine and travel writer and communicator and the author of numerous books as well as magazine articles published on both sides of the Atlantic. Marc has been travelling, eating, drinking, learning and writing about food, wine and travel for more than 40 years.   Bonus Interview - Bianca Marais Why did I write “Wine Witch on Fire,” and how did I know when it was the right time? What was the inciting incident that kicked off my no good, very terrible year? How did my story and experiences with misogyny resonate with other women in various industries? How do you balance telling your truth in a memoir and concerns about potential legal repercussions down the line? Who was responsible for paying for the expensive legal reviews and edits of my manuscript? Why did I choose the theme of witches as the connecting thread throughout my memoir? How did I weave in references to deepen the witch metaphor throughout Wine Witch on Fire?         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/287.

Dr. Fiona Lovely is a health and wellness expert with specialties in restorative endocrinology, functional neurology and functional medicine.  Speaking to the topics of women's health around peri-menopause and menopause.  Today, Dr. Lovely interviews Journalist, Author, Podcaster and Online Wine Educator Natalie MacLean.  Her newest book, Wine Witch on Fire is one of Dr. Lovely's favourite reads in 2024 thus far!  It is a fantastic read that is as juicy and gripping as a great novel.  You can buy it here: www.WineWitchonFire.comNatalie shares plenty of sage wisdom in this interview!  She found herself being contacted by women asking "when does drinking wine become too much?" and wondered this for herself.  She shares her steps to getting a grip.  We talk about how a glass or three of wine is a common female stress relieving tactic which can become problematic at midlife.  Natalie gives us the details on low alcohol and no alcohol wines (she shares some faves!) as well as why some women feel they can no longer tolerate wine in perimenopause and menopause.  A fantastic conversation about a fascinating topic.    Please listen, learn and share.  You can find Natalie MacLean on IG @NatalieMacLeanWines and on her website: www.nataliemaclean.com

Writing notes for this show has been a challenge. Absolutely nothing compares to spending time with Justin and hearing her talk about the journey. You simply have to hear it. Justin is currently making five wines here in Sonoma, only 25 cases of each. Listen to the show to find out the best way to get a hold of these wines. [Ep317] wardfourwines.com @wardfourwines Cal Poly Scholarship for Black, Indigenous, People of Color in Wine and Viticulturership

It's back!  We don’t run many repeats, but when we do, they have to be... The post Episode #769 – REIGNITED! Natalie MacLean’s “Wine Witch on Fire” is Most Requested Encore! appeared first on .

Why don't I think that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human writers any time soon? What are some tips you can use for maintaining a healthy relationship with wine? What are some of the challenges women in the wine industry still face? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Ellen Clifford on The Wine Situation podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Was wine part of my family's culture growing up? When did I start learning about wine, and why did I decide to make the career transition? When did I introduce my son to wine, and what is his relationship with alcohol like as an adult? How do I account for different tastes and preferences when I'm writing wine reviews? Is there a place for AI in writing? Why don't I think AI will replace human writers any time soon? What was the inspiration for using the metaphor of witch trials in Wine Witch on Fire? What are some of the challenges women in the wine industry are still facing? Why is it often a complex issue figuring out how to present yourself at after-work wine industry events? What are some tips for maintaining a healthy relationship with wine? Why should you try Southbrook Vineyard's orange wine? What makes Rosé and ketchup chips a perfect pairing? If not wine, what are my favourite beverages? Why do I find so much joy in the connections I make with readers?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Ellen Clifford & The Wine Situation The Wine Situation hosts everyone from winemakers to writers to find out what a person's situation is…with wine. It's the solo season with host Ellen Clifford, but listen in with a glass, and nobody is drinking alone! At the end of every action-packed episode, Ellen is phoning a friend with her Final Five questions. Ellen also contributes to Delectable, The Wine Situation, Salon, Food52, Hello Giggles, MassLive.com, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Independent Living.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/277.

In "Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much," wine writer Natalie MacLean shares a candid memoir blending personal reflection, wine expertise, and historical tales of witches.  Guest: Natalie MacLean, Author of "Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seg 1: If we were built for exercise, why do we avoid it? Due to our bipedal gait and unique sweat glands, humans are very good at long-distance running. Despite evolving for extended physical exertion. Guest: Dr. Dean Burnett, Neuroscientist and Author of “Emotional Ignorance” Seg 2: Do you enjoy hobbies? If you ask someone what they do for a hobby, are they going to tell you something like skiing, sewing or puzzles? Or are they going to shy away from telling you because the answer might be connected to a social media time waster? But is social media a hobby? Guest: Scott Shantz, Contributor for Mornings with Simi Seg 3: View From Victoria:  The Federal NDP are taking a victory lap but no word locally from the provincial NDP government on what the implications could be to BC. We get a local look at the top political stories with the help of Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer. Seg 4: How will the Afzaal family tragedy influence Canada's legal system? In June 2021, the Afzaal family faced a tragic incident in London, Ontario, where Nathaniel Veltman deliberately struck them during an evening walk. This act resulted in the death of four family members. Guest: Dr. Jack Rozdilsky, Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management of Terrorism at York University Seg 5: The return of the “Green Men” It was a big win for the Canuck's on the weekend and while the game was a good one, the attention was on “The Green Men” Guest: Sully (Ryan Sullivan), One of the Green Men Seg 6: Should BC improve how it supports kids with Dyslexia? Dyslexia BC is critical of the 2024 budget, which inadequately addresses dyslexic students' needs. While the budget allocates $30 million for screening and literacy support, the organization argues that it covers only 6% of the affected population. Guest: Cathy McMillan, Founding Member of Dyslexia BC Seg 7: Does our seafood come from a North Korean forced labour ring? An investigation reveals a covert collaboration between North Korean labour brokers and Chinese companies who use deceptive practices to ‘employ' workers from North Korea. Guest: Ian Urbina, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Reporter, Founding Director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, and Author of The New York Times Article “North Korea's Forced-Labor Program” Seg 8: Is sexism dominating the wine industry? In "Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much," wine writer Natalie MacLean shares a candid memoir blending personal reflection, wine expertise, and historical tales of witches.  Guest: Natalie MacLean, Author of "Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on this episode is Natalie MacLean. Natalie is a journalist and wine writer whose first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, was published in 2006. Her second, Unquenchable, was published by in 2011. Her most recent book, the memoir Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, was published in 2023 by Dundurn Press and was a national bestseller. Natalie is the wine expert on CTV's The Social, has been named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards, and won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. She is also the host of the Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast. Natalie and I talk about her knack for self-promotion and the team that helps keep her many, many projects going, about her fundamental shyness, and how that contrasts with the fact that she is hardly ever not speaking publicly about wine in one format or another, and about how, despite being very proud of Wine Witch on Fire and all its success, she has no interest in writing something so raw and personal again.   Natalie MacLean: nataliemaclean.com Music: "simple-hearted thing" by Alex Lukashevsky. Used with permission. Contact Nathan Whitlock at nathanwhitlock.ca/contact

In this podcast, Andrea Donsky, Nutritionist, Researcher, Educator, and co-founder of Morphus, interviews Natalie MacLean, the world's best drinks journalist, who has won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. She's the author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over and Unquenchable. Her new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, is a national bestseller. It's an inspiring interview with tips on managing alcohol consumption during perimenopause and menopause.Morphus Supplements for Perimenopause and Menopause https://bit.ly/3QpGyxl0:00 Introductions1:38 What inspired Natalie to write her book?3:21 Desires for alcohol and how we think it helps us cope with life events.4:41 When Natalie realized she was drinking too much and how it motivated her to change.6:30 Wine culture in our society.11:15 Guidelines for consuming alcohol and the difference by country.13:39 The pros and cons of consuming alcohol in perimenopause and menopause.16:23 Alcohol and how it affects sleep.20:15 Tips for changing habits and being more mindful around alcohol consumption29:15 More about Natalie's Book.Morphus Supplements for Perimenopause and Menopause https://bit.ly/3QpGyxlWine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much https://amzn.to/494bhGqResearch Surveys https://wearemorphus.com/pages/menopause-research======

This time Elle welcomes Canadian wine writer Natalie MacLean, whose book Wine Witch on Fire was recently published (and devoured by Elle)--look for the book (and some juicy discounts) here! You can also find a guide to the book complete with book club prompts and tips on hosting a tasting here. The two had an excellent talk on what it was like being a woman in tech, as well as what she did when the wine bros came for her...and ultimately triumphed. Plus, they discuss some handy tips if you are trying to drink less. Lastly, look here for more on her free pairing class and Unreserved Wine Talk podcast.

Natalie MacLean writes about wine. Her new book is Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much. She spoke to Andrew Carter about her own issues with wine.

This is the weekly columnChristmas gifts 12-13-2023So, you want to give a wine-related gift for Christmas. Some recommendations.Avoid kitschy wine gadgets. Some include:• Colored wine glasses, glasses with illustrations on them. You want an adequately sized, tulip-shaped glass that is clear so you can see the color of the wine.• Stemless wine glasses. Yes, once a rage. But stemless glasses quickly get covered with fingerprints, your hands warm the wine, and they make wine swirling difficult. All three are bad.• Foil cutter. The cutter cuts the foil too high on the bottle, almost near the lip. The proper cut is below the bulge. Or simply remove the entire foil with a knife or pull the entire foil capsule away with your hand. Cleaner, nicer, better.• Wine charms. These are tiny pieces of jewelry that go on the stem as your way of claiming that is MY wine glass. This seems like a solution desperately seeking a problem. If you have a problem keeping track of your glass, you likely will have a problem remembering which charm was yours.There are worthwhile wine gifts:• Simple wine decanter. If they already have one, they will appreciate a backup or for those times when serving two wines. Forget about super fancy ones that are impossible to clean and easy to break.• Waiter's friend hinged corkscrew. Has everything you need to open a bottle of wine and is cheap enough to be a stocking stuffer. Worst choice—winged corkscrew. Everything about a winged corkscrew is wrong.Natalie MacLean• Good read about wine. My suggestion: Natalie MacLean, Canada's most popular wine expert. Her latest book, her third, is Wine Witch on Fire. I was a pre-publication reader for her and wrote this blurb: “Wine wizard wordsmith, enchanting interviewer, battle-tested survivor, fierce mother, witty, wise, easy-on-the-eyes—Natalie MacLean is the whole package. Sip a Canadian wine while you savor her memoir.” Google her for her website, online wine classes, and weekly appearances on Canadian TV shows.• Wine chiller. Essentially an insulating shield to keep wine at the proper temperature for hours. The most popular are made of stainless steel or marble. They can be pre-chilled to be even more effective.• Wine fridge. Sure, a big ticket item. It's Christmas. A six-bottle cooler: $130. A 600-bottle unit: $6,000. It is the best way to store wine.• Dinner together at a quality restaurant with a good wine list. Being with loved ones and not gimmicky wine stuff is the real point of the season.Last roundFor Christmas, I bought my wife new beads for her abacus. It is the little things that count. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensSince you subscribe to my newsletter, it follows you enjoy wine and humor and are an adventurous, inquisitive person. Each morning, The Sample sends you one article from a random blog or newsletter that matches your interests. When you find one you like, you can subscribe to the writer with one click. Give it a try Link to The Sample This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This week on the show I'm joined by wine writer, sommelier and award-winning author, Natalie MacLean. We're talking all about Natalie's newest book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation and Drinking Too Much.Whether you're someone who loves wine but wants to cut back, or you've gone through struggles of your own and used alcohol to cope--this conversation will be inspiring and informative. You can learn more about Natalie or pick up the book here: www.WineWitchonFire.comYou can get a free companion guide to the book here: www.WineWitchonFire.com/GuideRecommendations from Natalie on low or no alcohol wines: Feel Free Sparkling Rosé, from Cox Creek Cellars, offers aromas of juicy field strawberries to pair with oven-roasted turkey. 0.5% alcohol | 90 points | $21.95Cupcake Lighthearted Rosé, California, is bursting with ripe raspberries to match your sweet potatoes. 8% alcohol | 88 points | $12.45Nozeco Alcohol-Free Sparkling, France, with white peach and floral notes, is perfect for creamed corn. 0.01% alcohol | 88 points | $10.95Reif Riesling, Niagara, has mouth-watering flavours of lemon and lime to brighten brussels sprouts with bacon. 12% alcohol | 89 points | $14.95 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir, Germany, features seductive hints of fleshy ripe cherries that will dance with cranberry sauce. 12% alcohol | 88 points | $17.95For more wine picks and info about Natalie MacLean's book, visit www.nataliemaclean.com. Join my private FB group Alcohol Minimalists here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/changeyouralcoholhabitLow risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:Healthy men under 65:No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older:No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.Abstinence from alcoholAbstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.Benefits of “low-risk” drinkingFollowing these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.If you' are unsure about whether or not you have alcohol use disorder, please visit the NIAAA for more information. ★ Support this podcast ★

How did I come up with the wine pairings mentioned throughout Wine Witch on Fire? Why is wine marketed so differently to men versus women? What can you do to support your mental health in an era where you have to be online? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa on the Wine Road Podcast and Jeff Sammut on Canada Now. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Could an online pile-on like I experienced in 2012 happen today? What can you do to support your mental health in an era where you have to be online? Why did I use real people's names in my memoir? How did I come up with the wine pairings mentioned throughout Wine Witch on Fire? Why is wine marketed so differently to men versus women? How do I manage the different aspects of an online-based career? Which Sonoma wineries must you visit on your next trip? Which wine pairs best with catharsis? What was it like when I realized my husband of 20 years wanted a divorce? Looking back, were there signs that I missed? How did I communicate with my son about the difficult situation that was my divorce? Why did feeling alone lead me to reexamine my whole life? Why is it important to me that we have more conversations about overdrinking? How did I manage to curb my overdrinking after the year from hell? What is it about podcasting that makes it great for connecting with people?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About The Wine Road Podcast and Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa bring a wealth of knowledge and personal experience regarding, food, wine, events, and travel in and around Northern Sonoma County. Dubbed the Click and Clack of Wine—their snappy banter and laugh filled show provides insider tips on wine tasting and advice for listeners planning everything from a day trip to a two week stay in Wine Country. Marcy Gordon is a freelance wine and travel writer. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including Wine Enthusiast, Forbes Travel Guide, Sonoma Discoveries, and The San Francisco Chronicle. In 2017 she was awarded a fellowship to the prestigious Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. Her blog Come for the Wine was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Wine Blogs in 2015. Beth Costa is the Executive Director of the Wine Road. Beth has been at the helm of Wine Road for the past 17 years. Prior that she managed the tasting rooms for Kendall-Jackson Winery. Beth has lived in Sonoma County for the past 30 years and loves to get out and explore – rivers, redwoods and the ocean are big draws!   About Canada Now and Jeff Sammut Canada Now shares the stories that matter to Canadians, going beyond the headlines to shine a spotlight on the cities, towns and people that motivate and inspire us each and every day. Host Jeff Sammut goes coast to coast across the country talking to Canadians about Canadians and the stories that affect us all, big and small.       To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/262.

It's back!  We don’t run many repeats, but when we do, they have to be... The post Episode #744 – Encore! An Hour With Natalie MacLean, Author of the Season's Hottest Read, “Wine Witch on Fire…” appeared first on .

What role do communicators play in motivating change? Specifically, how can they move their audiences to take action against climate change? In thinkenergy episode 122, we delve into the world of climate communication with Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re.Climate. Explore the driving forces, opportunities, and challenges of inspiring climate action—from bridging research to practise to empowering change. Listen in for an insightful conversation on shaping a sustainable future.   Related links   Amber Bennet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abennettyyc/  Re.Climate: https://reclimate.ca/  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/ To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the Tweets on X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod --------------- Transcript: Dan Seguin  00:06 This is ThinkEnergy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders, and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin, as I explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry. Hey, everyone, welcome back. Did you scroll through the news this morning? How many of those articles that you skim covered a topic related to climate change? I guess it was probably a few. It seems. Every couple of weeks there's a new story dominating the headlines about forest fires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and more, both here in Canada and abroad. We are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change and As consumers, we are receiving information about it. Everywhere we look. Have you ever thought about how you are being communicated to? How is climate change presented? What wording was used? And why? And are their calls to action? How does it make you feel? think not only about news articles you read, but also about documentaries, podcasts, Hollywood movies, right down to your everyday life. Think about the newsletter you receive from your municipality. The assembly instruction on the last piece of furniture you purchase, or this section on your favorite clothing brand, website about their sustainable practice, communications surrounding climate change are pretty much everywhere and the need to be. In June of 2021, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian net zero emission Accountability Act, which puts into legislation Canada's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Different companies across the country are making their commitment, much like we did in 2022, when we committed to leading the way to a Smart Energy Future by becoming net zero by 2030. The push on to stop the damaging pollution emitted into the environment on a daily basis, namely caused by burning fossil fuels. Scientists are urging that this is crunch time. So if you haven't already, now is the time to hone in on how and what you are communicating to your customers. So here is today's big question. What role do communicators play in motivating change within their audiences to take action against climate change? Our guest today is Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re Climate, Canada's first climate communications and Engagement Center. This new organization launched in 2022 brings together Canada's leading climate communication academics and practitioners, and aims to help communicators create strategies that inspire the public to support climate action. Amber is one of Canada's top climate communication strategists and capacity builder who works with groups across the country bridging gaps between research and practice. She led the groundbreaking Alberta narrative project and supported much of the foundational work to pilot and build reclaim it. Amber, thank you for joining us today.   Amber Bennett  03:54 Thank you for having me.   Dan Seguin  03:56 Amber, maybe you can start by telling us a bit about yourself and Re Climate How did you get into climate communications? How did Re Climate come to be and what does it aim to achieve?   Amber Bennett  04:09 Okay, I'll try to hold all of those questions at once. Well, I am based in Calgary, Alberta, which may seem like an unlikely place for some for the executive director of a Canadian organization or Canadian center focused on climate communications and engagement at Carleton University. But that's where I live with my family. And what to say? Yeah, I mean, I think I've been circling around climate communications for a very, very long time. You know, the the mind has a funny way of making sense of things in retrospect, but I started with a Bachelor of Science and then I moved on to a public relations degree and then I worked with the mayor of Calgary on the one of the I forget which numbered cop, but it was a Copenhagen. And I think that was really the first time I began to think about what, what is climate change and had a certain kind of exposure to the, to the, you know what the challenge was and what not. And when I saw I kind of went on, and I did a master's degree. And it was when I had needed to choose a topic for my master's degree when there was the catastrophic flooding here in Calgary. And there is this, like, amazing paradox where the, you know, Calgary Stampede, which is the epitome, I would say, of the, you know, kind of old boys club. And when that happened, when the floods happened, their motto was come hell or high water come hell or high water, they were going to, you know, produce the show. And at the same time, one of the readings I was doing as a part of my master's program was also titled come hell or high water. And it was really about the science of climate change, and why it is making it so difficult. Why is it so difficult for humans to kind of wrap our heads around it. So fast forward, I completed a master's, and then did a series of really interesting projects. I did some work with a group out of the UK called Climate outreach, which is focused on climate communications and engagement as well. And then started working with a group of people here in Canada to set up a similar center or similar organization that would focus on supporting climate communicators, helping to kind of bring together the research that was happening, as well as the practice. And so that's really why Re Climate it is set up to do, we're really dedicated towards advancing the practice of climate communications and engagement through research, training, offering resources, pulling resources together, strategy, and developing strategy with other types of practitioners, as well as convening networks of both scholars, as well as those people who are kind of out there in the real world doing campaigning and advocacy work and trying to, you know, communicate with citizens and whatnot. So, that's kind of where we're at.   Dan Seguin  07:34 Now, Amber, it sounds like Re Climate, is a very diversified organization that brings together experts in social science, Public Affairs, and science. What kind of professionals work together in this environment? And what does it each bring to the table?   Amber Bennett  07:55 Love this question. So Re Climate brings together I think I've said it research and practice. And so you have those practitioners who may be doing public engagement campaigns, they may be working for utilities, they may be working in local governments or other kinds of government, they might also be working in advocacy organizations. And so they often don't have the time, or I would argue the luxury of going into, you know, latest academic journals, or even, you know, kind of other thought leaders who are publishing in the field. Why? Because they're busy, they're doing the work. And so, you know, that kind of takes a lot of time to kind of go in and look at the research, track it down, make sense of it? They're also, I would argue, very few who have the time to do an evaluation, like after they've done something, what did we learn from it? You know, What, did we make a difference? You know, what kind of impact are we having, and similarly, just getting together with other folks, right, and talking about it and sharing what they're learning. So that's kind of on the practitioner's side. And so, you know, when we say we bring or convene networks of people together, we're really trying to do that, you know, we're trying to provide resources, synthesize, you know, research, both, perhaps, you know, it's public polling, or maybe it's social science, you know, what's happening in in, that's relevant, but also bringing people together to share with each other and learn with each other. So that's kind of that practitioner side. And, you know, there's also, I would say, sometimes a culture where people feel like they're competing with each other, you know, certainly within the charitable sector. So kind of, I think, for those folks who are coming in, who are kind of in the field, having that support and someone who's doing In the work on their behalf to kind of make sense of synthesize, pull it in together like yours, your five tips here, the things you need to do. That's extremely helpful. And then on the flip side, I think for researchers, you know, they're, they're kind of passionate, there's a reason why they're there thinking or trying to understand, you know, how to better engage people, or what's the right framing, or what are the values or whatever it is, because they're passionate about it. So by being able to kind of bridge from the practitioner world into a more academic or into a research field, we're able to just give people real world challenges. It's like, here's why practitioners are actually struggling with, you're an expert in this, please talk to us about it, or please, you know, this is the kind of information that they need. So, you know, kind of the practitioners, I would say, Bring the complexity of the real world, right, that we're dealing with real people, resource constraints, you know, various kinds of issues and whatnot, whereas researchers bring the kind of precision of being able to look at something with a whole body of understanding behind them to be able to kind of see, well, here's what may be operating within this situation, here's what we know about it. And here are some other kinds of interventions or approaches that we might be able to take. I don't know if that exactly answers your question. Maybe the scientists part, I would say they bring the public trust. Right. So whenever we're polling, you know, consistently, scientists come up on top as having high levels of public trust on climate and energy transition. And so I think that they bring that kind of authenticity. And, you know, they're not there, they're often unpolitical, right? They're not seem to be benefiting, you know, personally from talking about it. So they're really effective messengers.   Dan Seguin  11:57 Wondering if you can share some insight into what the average Canadian's knowledge on climate change is? How much do they know about the main causes and the path forward?   Amber Bennett  12:14 Well, I would say that Canadians probably know a lot about climate change. But what we measure, it's a little bit different. So when, and I would encourage folks to take a look at some of the reports that we have published on ReClimate.ca The one that I'm, you know, I kind of go back to was published this year, or maybe it was last year. But within these reports, we basically look across 65, or more, either private or publicly available surveys, or public polls or whatnot, and we kind of do it a roll up of okay, so it's not just one survey that has said, this is multiple surveys that are showing kind of trends and themes in in where the Canadian beliefs or attitudes or or mindsets are. So when you do that, and when we looked across, you know, 65, or so what you can see is, is that, even though you have the majority of Canadians that would say yes, climate change is real, and it is happening, almost half of them attribute both natural and manmade causes, you know, attribute the cause of climate change due to natural causes as well as as manmade. And so why is that important, is because when we get into the conversations around solutions, then without the kind of foundational understanding that burning fossil fuels creates pollution, which creates a heat trapping blanket, which is heating our planet, and causing all of these extreme weather events and natural disasters that we're seeing. Without that kind of clear understanding that burning fossil fuels is the cause of climate change. And when you get into the solutions, and what people actually have to do about it, the conversations a bit more, there's a lot of confusion, or there's a lot of room for confusion, which is kind of what we're seeing and I can talk a little bit more about that. So you know, I spend a lot of time in focus groups, and this kind of conversation comes up. So when we talk about solutions in the path forward, you talk about climate change, and you start to have discussions around what you are doing, you know, recycling will often come up, plastics will often come up. There's a whole kind of suite of things that people are doing, but very few people are able to name a particular policy or real intervention that you know, that will address some of the root causes. And we people on this podcast may not be like, Hey, why really. But you know, there are a lot of different people and for many climate change, even though they may be living within the impacts are the, you know, experiencing in their daily lives, they have many other kinds of concerns and priorities that are happening at the same time. So what I would say is that Canadians believe that climate change is happening, there is at least half that are uncertain, or would attribute it to both natural causes, and manmade causes. This kind of understanding of burning fossil fuels, the trapping blanket, you know, that's not well understood by many. And so they're kind of subsequently stopping burning fossil fuels, as a path forward isn't clear, as it could be, or, or should be at this point in time. And maybe the other thing I if you, if you'll let me, the other thing I would say is, is that, you know, Canadians consistently report, when you ask them very high levels of concern about climate change, right? Most people can see forest fires, you know, that's how we are making sense of what climate changes. It is through these kinds of experiences, either directly, or our experiences of seeing, you know, extreme weather and natural disasters. So people are expressing very high levels of concern. But if you ask, unprompted, what are you know, what are the issues that you're most concerned about? It often will address climate change as mentioned Much, much farther down on the list. Right. So, affordability and access to health care, cost of living, housing, there are many other issues that people are faced with and dealing with in their day to day lives.   Dan Seguin  17:18 Okay, see the term movable middle mentioned in reports and on the reclaimed site, what is the movable middle? And why is it so important?   Amber Bennett  17:34 Great question. And I feel compelled to say that I think that term movable metal is used differently by different people. I think within the context of, you know, the work that we do, it kind of comes out of, you know, some of the themes that I was talking about in the last in in the last question or last answer. It's this idea that, you know, people are kind of undecided. Or they're conflicted about an issue. So they could move either one way or the other, but they're not at the moment. oppositional? Right. So if you think about, you know, a broader population, there is a segment, you know, of Canadians, whose identities are really built around the idea that they don't believe in climate change. They're not going to support, you know, climate action and whatnot. There's also on the other side, a whole group of Canadians whose identity is built around me. I'm a climate activist, and I'm a climate advocate. And you know, and I'm an environmentalist, and so they're on the other side, but most of us just kind of live in the middle. Some are more well informed than others. But for the most part, people are concerned, right in the middle. They have they, you know, when they ask, yes, we want the government to act, we are highly supportive of it. But when it comes down to it, it's this tension around the fact that because they may not be well informed, or not thinking about this, they have many competing priorities. You're kind of undecided, or sometimes they're just conflicted about an issue. Right? Because on the one hand, as an example, yeah, I think we absolutely need renewable energy. We need lots of, you know, solar panels, I just don't want them in my house, or we need lots of, you know, solar, renewable solar farms. I just don't want them all over the landscape that I cherish from my childhood. So there are many things that you know are underneath that are operating underneath for people that kind of create some conflict for them. So people, when we talk About the movable metal, really, I think what's important is to acknowledge that most people are concerned. They want when they support action, but they're undecided, potentially about one particular aspect or issue of it. Or there's some other kind of thing that's happening for them that's creating a conflict. Or they're kind of uninformed. So, you know, I think that you know, why an example? Or rather, I'll back up that uninformed piece is particularly important right now, as we see more and more kinds of organized misinformation and disinformation. Right. So as an example, when I'm in focus groups, I can predict with very, you know, a lot of certainty, what are some of the kinds of key narratives that are coming to the surface where people are kind of undecided? One of them might be, well, EV batteries are actually worse, you know, for the environment than, you know, driving a car, or there's no way that we're going to be able to electrify everything the grids can't support. Or it may be that solar panels actually create more emissions when you produce them than they save in their lifetime. So these kinds of things that are very dominant are kind of recurring pieces of information. And when people who are not thinking about this a lot or deeply, as much as maybe you were, I are people who are listening to this. So when people encounter these, this kind of information or confusion about what are the actual solutions? They really don't know what to think. Right? So like a third of us sit within that category, right? If I actually don't know how to make sense of the information that I'm hearing, right, and I don't trust so much of it. Because I know that, you know, I know about misinformation, I know that I shouldn't be, you know, you know, trusting everything that I hear, etc. So that's kind of the deal with the movable middle, right? So they believe climate change is real and not climate deniers. They just may be conflicted or undecided, or just not, you know, as informed because they're not thinking about it on a daily basis.   Dan Seguin  22:32 Now Amber, why is it important for the average communicator, like those in the energy sector, for example, to better understand the strategy behind climate change communications?   Amber Bennett  22:45 Yeah, um, I think because climate change is a super wicked problem, and is really complicated. And maybe me rambling on for the past 20 minutes might give folks a sense of the things that, you know, we were trying to think about and grapple with all at the same time. And so I would say that, in other cases, although arguably, I would argue that information, probably doesn't work it in on any issue. But what we do know, is just giving people information, they're not, you know, people can't reason their way into kind of behavior change. So, you know, we live within systems. You know, we live within communities where, you know, we're surrounded by friends and family, we see ourselves as kind of certain types of people. There are all of these kinds of social needs and emotional needs that humans bring to the table, that climate change communications, and I would argue, probably any good communications needs to attend to. So this sense of belonging, right, so I belong to a community. Other people like me think and act this way, or I expect other people like me to think and act this way. Being able to understand even what the problem is can kind of create shared understanding so that people who are making decisions aren't making decisions that don't consider you that kind of shared understanding peace. People need a sense of efficacy, control in their lives, they need some agency, they just don't need someone making all these decisions on their behalf without any involvement. You know, people want to be good people. And to be able to ask questions and to challenge things that are going to impact their lives without being dismissed as a climate denier or shamed or whatnot. And people trust others for different reasons, right. So scientists are highly tuned lasts. politicians aren't big corporations aren't, right. But the ones who are often leading this conversation in public are big corporations and politicians. So all of those are the things that we need to attend to when we think about, you know, climate communications, and because it's such a complicated problem, and extends to so many aspects of our life. And to be fair, there's a lot of organized opposition and strategies to create polarization to create misinformation. There's a lot happening all at the same time.   Dan Seguin  25:43 Okay, let me ask you this, what effect does it have to all be on the same page?   Amber Bennett  25:51 I often give the analogy of an orchestra, right, where we all have the same song sheet, but we're all playing different instruments. And part of that is, you know, there is a role for the government in setting regulation. And there's a role for activists and advocates to be, you know, opening up new possibilities, holding governments and corporations to account. But actually, we also need businesses to be building out the products and the services and the and the things that we'll be using in our lives. And you need all of these different actors operating all at the same time. And, you know, to live, I guess, within an ecosystem, so I'm very skeptical of how one message is the efficacy of one message, I think that really what is helpful is if people are exposed to and have the ability to make meaning out of climate change, and out of energy transition through many different parts of their lives, and they actually have many different avenues to talk about it and to create, you know, a shared understanding of what they want for their future, or where we're going.   Dan Seguin  27:23 Let's move to electrification, and renewable energy. Cool? These are important pieces of the world's response to climate change. For those in the energy sector who have a direct relationship with electricity consumers, is there a certain messaging that we should be sharing with our audiences?   Amber Bennett  27:47 Such a great question. I might change, I might have a different thought while I'm making a cup of tea, you know, in a couple of hours from now. But I think that there is a very, goes back to the question that we talked about with literacy. And also goes back to some of the things I mentioned around people needing to have a sense of control in their lives. Right. So what we know from the research is that people's motivation to do something as a whole has a lot less to do with their perception of risk than it does there because their perception of their ability to act, and that that action will make a difference. What people really, I would say, based on all the things that I look at and read and whatnot, want is a place to act that makes sense. And that is relevant to their lives. So I think for folks who work in electrification, work in renewable energy, a part of what we need right now is both to fill in all of the pixels around, like, where are we going? What is this going to look like in my daily life? What are the things that make sense for me to do right now? And how are the things that I'm doing making a difference within, you know, the broader community that I know and love and want to make sure it's safe and prosperous? And all of those things? So I think what we're, what we need, in part, are those people who are responsible for infrastructure, for services, for that kind of daily life to start filling in the pixels of what is this going to mean? Because people get a little stuck on, like, blind faith. We're just going to hand it over and other people make decisions. People want to have a conversation. They want to have a space where they can kind of create a shared understanding, right, like a public imagination of like, where are we going? And what's it going to be like when we get there? And what is it going to need in my daily life? And so I think that there's that part, like, what is this going to look like? And then I think the other part is, what are you asking me to do? And how is it gonna make a difference? For me and for my community, Canadians are very generous, right? They're willing to do stuff, even if it doesn't benefit them, if they really believe that it'll, you know, benefit the broader community or collective good, they'll step up. But I would argue that we haven't done a really good job of giving people tangible, practical, relevant things that do make a difference. Neither have we done a great job of filling out the vision of what this is gonna look like, right? It's kind of a little bit like a cliff at the moment, right? We're all going to transition to renewables. And we haven't filled in, what is that actually going to look like? Right? Am I going to have a gas station at the end of my street? I don't know. What is it going to look like? That's what I would say is storytelling, right? What's the story of what this is? How is this going to happen? And what it will look like when we get there.   Dan Seguin  31:27 Okay, Amber. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Hydro Ottawa has committed to being net zero by 2030. Does this kind of messaging resonate with the general public? Are there best practices in how to communicate this type of message in order to influence and maybe even promote change in our community?   Amber Bennett  31:51 Well, I would say if we kind of got back to, you know, when we think about Canadians, right, so I think that you've got a little section of folks who sit on one end, who net zero by 2030 makes a lot of sense. They understand what Net Zero is, they understand why you've chosen 2030. They understand what getting to net zero, you know, even means, however, it's likely that a section of those people are kind of skeptical. Why? Because they've been hearing a lot of targets, and not a lot of action, you know, for many, many decades. And then, so that's, you know, that one group, right, we start to see kind of dropping, you know, belief that, you know, it's possible, or that's going to happen. And then you have that whole other group in the middle that I was talking about, where net zero means absolutely nothing. The word the language, net zero means, you know, I'm being a little bit brutal, but it's true, right, where net zero doesn't really mean a whole lot. And, and neither does 2030, or the importance of it. And I think, you know, I sitting in a boardroom or a meeting room the other day, and we're talking about targets, and it really struck me when the person on the other side said, we know that this is ambitious, and we know that it's impossible, but we have to say it, because it's actually what science requires of us. These are not a political target, it's actually a scientific target, that we need to reduce emissions by this amount by this period in time, even if we'll never get there. That's what science requires of us. So I think all that to say, targets, I think are very helpful for administrators, for policy makers, for business leaders, etc. To help, you know, turn the ship, and to help start getting the kind of resourcing and planning and whatnot in place. But for the general public, what they actually want is what we were just talking about, tell me where we're going and tell me what I have to do. And tell me why it makes a difference.   Dan Seguin  34:17 Cool, Amber. You were a co-author on an incredibly helpful document entitled, climate messaging that works, talking about energy transition and climate change in Canada, which outlines the concept of message triangle. For me, it was a simple takeaway that could be immediately implemented into any communications surrounding climate change. Could you share the coles note of the message triangle with our listeners?   Amber Bennett  34:50 I can, and I would love to. And I suspect that, you know, there'll be parts of what I'm about to say that begin to resonate with some of the past things that I've said or are connected to. So really in a triangle, the underlying principle is that we're trying to create a whole story or a whole narrative for people. And that has a lot to do with how human beings and how we have evolved and how we make sense of the world, we make sense of the world through narrative and through stories. And so when we just give people one piece of something, it doesn't satisfy the way that we have been trained. Since, you know, the, since the beginning to kind of make sense of the world. So what we want to do is we want to give people a challenge that has to either be overcome, or that we're at risk of losing something. So there's a challenge, there's a choice that we have right now that we need to make. And then there's an opportunity. And if we can hit each piece of that triangle, what we're doing is we're creating a whole story for people, which allows them to make sense of why are you taking my time? And why should I listen to you? So you know, as an example, when we talk about the challenge, you know, part of this is really, I think, being more clear about the cause of climate change. But also, what are some of the challenges that we're seeing, that are related to climate change within our communities? You know, I was listening to a CBC program the other day, and there's an entire community in Newfoundland, that's actually moving back from the water. And this is, you know, after the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona and whatnot. So, you know, some of the challenges that we're seeing, what's the challenge that we're trying to overcome? And ideally, I would, right size that at a community scale, right? So people feel overwhelmed when it's my personal individual problem. But if we can begin to talk about this as a community challenge, then people are much more likely to engage because they don't feel like doing it all on their own. Similarly, a choice, right, as communicators, if we're talking specifically to communicators, we often leave out the choice at the moment, what is the call to action? What are you actually trying? What are you asking someone to do? Is it voted a certain way? Is it a conversation? If it takes a particular action, we need something, there's some sort of choice, and there's some sort of action that has to create tension within this story, right? All good stories have a choice that has to be made by the main, you know, character, and then the opportunity. And I think, you know, part of what I've been talking about around, where are we going? What's it going to look like when we get there is that opportunity. So if we're talking about the challenge, is, you know, we're seeing increasing extreme weather, that's because of burning fossil fuels and pollution, the trapping blanket, our choice right now is we need to electrify and that means building infrastructure, the opportunity that we have is at a community scale, both for you know, ourselves and and for others. This kind of, you know, whatever might be the relevance of it right, we'll have a more dependable electricity supply. You know, if we're all in EVs, and we have backup, you know, batteries in our cars, when the power goes out, you know, you've got a little mini generator that you can draw on that gives you electricity, you know, through the storm or something, whatever it might look like. But that's the point is that we're trying to create a full picture for people. We want to talk about, what's the challenge? What's the choice? And what's the opportunity on the other side?   Dan Seguin  39:22 Now, climate change has been a hot topic for oh, God, at least 20 years now. Are there any challenges with keeping an audience engaged and interested for so long?   Amber Bennett  39:36 Yeah, there's actually a woman out of the States who wrote an article. Her name is Suzanne Moser. And it's something I'm going to botch the title but it's something like, you know, Climate Communications 20 Years Later: What Have We Really Learned? And I think that in fairness, I think we've learned a lot, right? I think most people understand that it's more complicated than just giving people a brochure at this point. And I think that in 20 years, we've done a much better job of crystallizing, what is it that we need to do? However, there's also been 20 years of misinformation, 20 years of broken plans and not, you know, unachieved targets etc. And I was chatting with a woman the other day and, and she's like, because I kind of feel like forest fires and floods and hurricanes are doing the job that we used to do, you know, which is creating alarm and concern and demonstrating like, this is real. And it's a big problem. So I think in 20 years, we've had 20 years more of all of that. But we haven't, you know, but, but rather, I would say the job now in this moment, is the pathway, right? And giving people that kind of those choices, that control, and that sense of agency, that they can do something about it. And we need to get on with the action part, right. So we can't leave people in just concern. Because our minds can only hold so much anxiety and concern at one time, amongst all of the other things that we're concerned and anxious about, you know, climate change is just, you know, even more dreadful, particularly, I think, for younger people. So we can't, you know, people can only stay there for so long before they start to kind of check out because, as I go back, you know, I kind of mentioned it in the beginning. It's like our sense of whether or not we or our sense of motivation, or motivation to act has a lot more to do with our sense of being able to do something about it, rather than the risk that it that it proposes or that it is, so yeah. So, I would say the challenges of keeping people interested or if you can't give them something to do, then, you know, at a certain point, you kind of have to just check out of the conversation until, you know, you get clear about what are you asking me, and I think that this kind of anxiety is a real problem. And so the road for them, this moment really requires us to get much more clear about where we're going in the pathway forward.   Dan Seguin  42:52 Okay, Amber, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions, and we've got a few for you. Are you ready?   Amber Bennett  43:00 Ready to go? Okay,   Dan Seguin  43:03 What are you reading right now?   Amber Bennett  43:05 Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie Maclean, I think.   Dan Seguin  43:09 Okay, now, what would you name your boat? If you had one, maybe you do. Maybe you don't.   Amber Bennett  43:17 I don't have one. And it would be a miracle if I ever have one. So I'm going to name it a Miracle.   Dan Seguin  43:24 Who is someone that you truly admire?   Amber Bennett  43:28 This is kind of really out of left field, but I'm gonna go with it. So during COVID, there was a woman named Trinny Woodall who used to do What Not To Wear on the BBC. It was like one of the original kinds of reality programs, like one of those. And, you know, I'd love to be more philosophical than this. But I admire her because her whole... a) she works so hard, but also she just wants to make women of a certain age or any woman just feel good. And I really just admire someone whose life and business and purpose is really just trying to make other people see the goodness in themselves or to feel better about themselves. So she's, and she's also for any one who's interested. I mean, a social media magician, like she's, she's magic in terms of what she did. She started during COVID and kind of as a comms person, like, Yeah, amazing. Kind of how she has set herself up as an influencer.   Dan Seguin  44:42 Okay, Amber, what is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed?   Amber Bennett  44:51 Magic? Yeah, this is hard. Okay, so just bear with me. Great start! This is not as rapid as you probably want. I'm moving houses. I bought a house. And there were two moments in like, one was do I put an offer in? Or do we put an offer in? And then there was another moment, kind of later on. And in both cases, I was about to say, I was going to pull back and say no, you know, I'm not going to go forward with it. And I kid you not, in that moment, the wind picked up. So in one case, I was outside and the wind picked up and got very, very strong where I was standing. So the first time you know, you can kind of blow it off. It's like, oh, yeah, okay, whatever. That was weird. But it happened twice. It happened a second time. And then the second time where I was, you know, kind of stuck. And, you know, wanting to retreat and I got a little, you know, scared about, you know, kind of taking the leap. And in that second time, the same thing happened, where the winds picked up, and they got a little bit stronger around me. And then they calmed down afterwards. And not in a like, oh, I kind of feel like no, it's kind of little, you know, it was very dramatic. And so anyways, I move houses tomorrow, so I'm gonna just put that out to magic. Not quite sure. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense. Why? Why did we do it? But we're there now.   Dan Seguin  46:26 Now, what has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began?   Amber Bennett  46:32 Yeah, I'm, like so many parents. And I would argue women in particular, the double bind of having to take care of kids as though I don't work. And work even though I don't have kids. And I think for a lot of parents that was the impossible situation and I don't feel that that's really gone away.   Dan Seguin  47:02 This next one I always enjoy. What have you been watching a lot more of on Netflix or TV lately? What's your favorite? In other words, you know, what's your favorite movie or TV show?   Amber Bennett  47:17 I love the Peaky Blinders. And I've gone back and I've watched certain episodes again, just because they're so delicious with the costumes and the characters and the whole thing. I'm, yeah, totally enthralled. Yeah, love it.  Okay.Now, lastly, what is exciting you about your industry right now. Um, I think that if anyone were to see my email inbox, they'd be very surprised at, you know, I think communion policy was the king for so long. And I think finally, we're at the point where we're beginning to understand that the public has to be on board, the public actually needs to have informed consent about so many of these choices. And we need a social mandate to ensure that climate action is the third rail, right? You know, if you're going to be a leader in this country, or business operating in this country, then you need to be a climate leader, and you need to be a climate business, it has to be fundamental to all of the decisions that you make, and how you and how you operate. Because science doesn't give us any other choice at this moment. So that's, so I think, the kind of realization that we can have all the technology and all the policy that we want, but if people aren't on board, then it's never going to happen. And so I get to work with very interesting people, unexpected from all walks of life, and you know, different sectors who are beginning to understand that, really, this is something we're going to work on until all of us and those beyond. For many generations, yeah.   Dan Seguin  49:12 Now, if our listeners want to learn more about you, Amber, or your organization, how can they connect?   Amber Bennett  49:18 Yeah, well, easiest is to go to our website, so Re.Climate, so that's reclimate.ca. And folks can sign up there if they want to, you know, make sure that they get more information on events, and we do lots of, you know, webinars and talks and we release reports and, and whatnot. So that's a great thing to do. And I'm on LinkedIn, and I'm always happy to connect with people on LinkedIn. So Amber Bennett, and I also share lots of things there. that I find interesting.   Dan Seguin  49:59 Well, Amber. This is it. We've reached the end of another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you had a lot of fun.   Amber Bennett  50:08 Yeah. Great questions. Great chat. And thank you.   Dan Seguin  50:14 Cheers. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guests or previous episodes, visit thinkenergypodcast.com I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.  

Why does it seem taboo to talk about the intoxicating effects of wine? What's prompting so much wine shaming of those who enjoy easy-drinking commercial wines that have residual sugar, and why do these wines play an important role in the wine market? How can memoirs have more emotional impact than biographies, and what's the difference between the two? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Calla Bischoff and Kara Ferreira on their Boozy Biddies Talk Wine podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Why did I dedicate Wine Witch on Fire to my mother? What makes memoirs often more emotionally impactful than biographies? Why is it taboo to talk about the intoxicating effects of wine? What is it about wine that feeds into the perception of sophistication and elegance compared to other alcoholic beverages? How can you integrate the intellectual aspect of wine with the buzz? Why do I believe commercial wines serve an important role in the industry? How did I decide which wines to include in Wine Witch on Fire? What are some of the challenges still being faced by women and people of color in the industry?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Calla Bischoff and Kara Ferreira Calla Bischoff is an east coast kid at heart who has made her way out west where she worked as a wine supplier for seven years. She's pivoted in the industry, now focusing on selling corks and oak barrels to distilleries around North America, but is physically incapable of staying away from wine even if her sales focus on the harder stuff. Kara Ferreira is still an East Coast kid – despite being born in California – who grew up drinking Italian wine at home with her Italian family (which, thanks to Ancestry.com, we now know is only about 6% Italian). She also took a course on Italian wine while studying abroad, so naturally this makes her an expert. Together they created Boozy Biddies Talk Wine, a fun and irreverent exploration of wine for people who love drinking it and want to know just a bit more about it.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/252.

In this episode of the My Simplified Life podcast, host Michelle Glogovac interviews Natalie MacLean, a drinks journalist and author of the book "Wine Witch on Fire." They discuss Natalie's personal journey with wine, her struggles with divorce and online mobbing, and her insights on the perception of wine drinking for women. Natalie shares her experiences and offers valuable lessons on finding balance, recognizing underlying issues, and embracing personal growth.   What we're talking about Wine as a Reward: Natalie discusses the dangers of using wine as a reward and the importance of questioning the motivation behind drinking. She encourages finding alternative ways to cope with stress and taking time for self-reflection. Resilience and Self-Reflection: Natalie shares her experiences with online mobbing and its impact on her mental health. She emphasizes the significance of self-reflection, taking personal responsibility, and rising above challenges with resilience. Redefining Wine Culture: Natalie addresses the problematic marketing of wine to women and challenges the notion that wine should only be associated with special occasions or stress relief. She advocates for redefining wine culture and embracing personal preferences without judgment. Wine as a Reward  Natalie discusses the dangers of using wine as a reward and the need to question the underlying motivations behind drinking. She shares her personal journey of using wine to cope with stress and highlights the importance of finding alternative ways to relax and unwind without relying solely on alcohol. By taking time for self-reflection and exploring other activities, individuals can develop healthier coping mechanisms and regain control over their relationship with wine. Resilience and Self-Reflection  Natalie opens up about her experiences with online mobbing and the toll it took on her mental health. She emphasizes the significance of self-reflection and personal responsibility in overcoming challenges. By acknowledging one's role in difficult situations and seeking therapy or support, individuals can develop resilience and grow from their experiences. Natalie's story inspires others to face adversity head-on and emerge stronger on the other side. Redefining Wine Culture  Natalie addresses the problematic marketing of wine to women, highlighting the unfair expectations and judgments placed upon female wine drinkers. She encourages individuals to redefine wine culture and embrace their personal preferences without feeling the need to conform to societal norms. By celebrating individual tastes and enjoying wine without guilt or judgment, people can cultivate a healthier and more inclusive wine culture that focuses on enjoyment rather than stereotypes.   LINKS MENTIONED www.winewitchonifre.com https://instagram.com/nataliemacleanwine https://facebook.com/natdecants https://twitter.com/nataliemaclean https://linkedin.com/in/nataliemaclean https://goodreads.com/natalie_maclean 

"You might think you're deliberating with yourself and making choices. However, once you understand Addictive Voice Recognition, you realize that the Lizard brain or 'Addictive voice' or wine witch is not you."In this episode, Lucy discusses the concept of the Wine Witch and how tuning into our inner mentor can help us overcome cravings and grow as individuals. The brain is divided into two parts: the primitive reptilian brain (Lizard brain) and the more evolved primate/human brain (frontal cortex). The Lizard brain initiates cravings for alcohol, tricking us into believing it is essential for survival. The inner voice that compels us to drink is not our true self but the Lizard brain trying to meet its survival needs. Lucy shares a personal experience of the internal struggle between the rational decision to quit drinking and the Lizard brain's urge to drink. By understanding Addictive Voice Recognition, we can detach from the Lizard brain's deceitful nature and consciously choose not to listen to it. Lucy also suggests putting our inner critic in the same category as the addictive voice or wine witch, as both are driven by fear. To combat the wine witch, Lucy introduces the concept of the inner mentor, the version of ourselves we aspire to become. Tuning into this grounded, self-assured self can help us resist the wine witch's cravings. Lucy also shares a powerful visualization practice to help you tune in to this part of yourself. Key Takeaways:The brain can be divided into the Lizard brain (primitive reptilian brain) and the frontal cortex (more evolved primate/human brain).The Lizard brain initiates cravings for alcohol, tricking us into believing it is essential for survival.The inner voice compelling us to drink is not our true self but the Lizard brain trying to meet its survival needs.Addictive Voice Recognition helps us detach from the deceitful nature of the Lizard brain's cravings.The inner critic and the addictive voice/wine witch are both driven by fear.Tuning into our inner mentor, the version of ourselves we aspire to become, can help us resist the wine witch's cravings.Visit our website: https://thrivalistsobriety.comAccess the Inner Mentor Visualization & Worksheet here Use the coupon ‘Sobernotsorry' for 20% off the Thrivalist Signature Sobriety Course We are running our first ever in person Wellness Retreat in November. Visit the link to find out more and lock in your spot!Follow Thrivalist here on InstagramJoin the free Facebook Community here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do bad vintages in life help us to thrive? Why is Pinot Noir the grape that teeters on the edge of a nervous breakdown? How can moderation help to preserve our passion for wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Calla Bischoff and Kara Ferreira on their Boozy Biddies Talk Wine podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What makes Wine Witch on Fire different from my first two books? How do bad vintages in life help us to thrive? Why is Pinot Noir my favourite grape? How did the process of writing my memoir help me to heal and connect with others? Has the wine industry changed in recent years when it comes to women and people of colour? Why was it important to me to openly share my mental health struggles? Are there parallels between my experiences in the tech and wine industries? How can moderation help to preserve your passion for wine? What types of moderation tips will you find in Wine Witch on Fire? What do wine professionals need to be aware of when it comes to drinking on the job? Why is it tricky for many women in the wine industry to navigate professional social situations? What is it like to go up against stereotypes while trying to build your career in the wine industry? How has misogyny been threaded throughout wine writing? Which surprising Rosé food pairing is my guilty pleasure?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Calla Bischoff and Kara Ferreira Calla Bischoff is an east coast kid at heart who has made her way out west where she worked as a wine supplier for seven years. She's pivoted in the industry, now focusing on selling corks and oak barrels to distilleries around North America, but is physically incapable of staying away from wine even if her sales focus on the harder stuff. Kara Ferreira is still an East Coast kid – despite being born in California – who grew up drinking Italian wine at home with her Italian family (which, thanks to Ancestry.com, we now know is only about 6% Italian). She also took a course on Italian wine while studying abroad, so naturally this makes her an expert. Together they created Boozy Biddies Talk Wine, a fun and irreverent exploration of wine for people who love drinking it and want to know just a bit more about it.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/251.

It's here… my hour-long kitchen table conversation with #1 best-selling author Natalie MacLean–arguably America’s finest... The post Episode #735 – A Kitchen Conversation With Natalie MacLean, Author of the Season's Hottest Read, “Wine Witch on Fire…” appeared first on .

Which Canadian wine regions should you add to your must-try and must-visit lists? What makes some of the wine designations and certifications problematic? Why do stories about witches run through my new book Wine Witch on Fire? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Mark Lenzi and Kim Simone, hosts of The Wonderful World of Wine Podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Why do I identify with the witch theme in Wine Witch on Fire? What was the inciting incident that kicked off the worst year of my life? Looking back, would I have handled the situation differently? Was it difficult for me to write this book and why bother? Why did I choose to approach my writing with an entertaining, conversational style? How did I work wine writing into Wine Witch on Fire, with it being a memoir? Which Canadian wine regions should you add to your must-try and must-visit lists? What was it like to lose my sense of smell and why is it so powerful? Why are some of the wine designations and certifications problematic? What are some of the things I do to remain intentional about how much I'm drinking? Who can benefit from the Wine Witch on Fire Book Club Guide?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Mark Lenzi & Kim Simone Kim Simone is passionate about wine and making it accessible, engaging, and fun. With a career of almost two decades in the wine business she most recently was the Corporate Sommelier for the Legal Sea Foods restaurant group where she assisted Master of Wine Sandy Block curate the wine lists for multiple restaurant concepts and developed educational materials for their staff. Her winding career path has included a stint selling wine wholesale for Ruby Wines, hosting an AIRBNB Experience focusing on the beverage culture of Colonial Boston, and teaching at Boston University. Mark Lenzi is the owner of Franklin Liquors and founder of The Franklin Wine Club. Mark is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and Spirits (CSS) by the Society of Wine Educators. The first in MA to hold a California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS) title from the San Francisco Wine School, Mark holds several designations as a French Wine Scholar(FWS)/instructor,  Spanish Wine Scholar (SWS) by the Wine Scholar Guild, Italian Wine Specialist (IWS) by the North American Sommelier Association, Oregon Wine Expert (OWE) by the Napa Valley Wine Academy, Italian Wine Maestro (IWM) Vinitaly International (First USA Class), and Italian Wine Scholar (IWS*) by The Wine Scholar Guild. Kim and Mark currently co-host the radio program and podcast The Wonderful World of Wine.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/246.

I love food. I love Wine. I love how they go together. And Natalie MacLean knows how to put them together. She's authored three books at her latest – Wine Which on Fire is really good. Natalie is the host of the Unreserved Wine Wine Talk Podcast and shares popular and unpopular views about wine. (Sometimes it is the unpopular views that make her famous) You will hear about food pairing on this episode - for the rest, you need to read the book: To order her latest book - Wine Witch on Fire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest host Julie Chavez speaks to accomplished Canadian wine expert and New York Times bestselling author Natalie MacLean about Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, her powerful coming-of-middle-age memoir about how she resurrected her life and career in the cutthroat wine industry. Natalie reveals why she decided to share her story and then describes her experiences with overdrinking, depression, shyness, perfectionism, and therapy. (Go to winewitchonfire.com/guide for wine-pairing tips and discussion questions!!)Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/44McuQYShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you deal with the mob mentality of social media when it's a part of your work? How can you find the humour in the dark moments of life? What has changed in the past ten years in the wine industry when it comes to inequality and discrimination? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Luke Whittall, host of The Sipster's Wine Podcast. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What makes Wine Witch on Fire closer to fiction than nonfiction, despite being a memoir? Which series of events in 2012 ended up as the worst vintage of my life? What was it about that initial incident in 2012 that caused the issue to escalate so much? What are some of the challenges of working on social media and balancing your personal values? Does social media encourage a mob mentality? What has changed in awareness and the responses to harassment on social media in the past 10 years? Has my writing changed as a result of my experiences? How am I able to inject humour into the darkest moments of my life?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Luke Whittall Luke Whittall has worked in cellars, vineyards, and wine shops since 2005. He has authored or co-authored 4 books on wine and is currently a wine instructor at Okanagan College. HIs most recent book, The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines, Volume 2 (Touchwood Editions 2023) follows up on the success of volume 1 of The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines, and continues to mark a new direction in wine writing. It features more of the most amazing wines ever produced in British Columbia. His first book, Valleys of Wine: A Taste of British Columbia's Wine History was published in 2019 and he co-authored the 6th edition of The Okanagan Wine Tour Guide with John Schreiner in 2020.         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/240.

A Fort McMurray man who lost everything in the 2016 wildfires has advice for Maritimers trying to rebuild. The owners of a drive-in on PEI are asking people to please stop taking their cat home. And on the phone-in, Natalie MacLean talks about her new book Wine Witch on Fire and women and their relationship to alcohol.

The Wonderful World of Wine (WWW) Episode 239 Exploring all things wine with you! In this episode Kim and Mark talk with Natalie MacLean about her new book "Wine Witch on Fire" Natalie's passion for wine and writing was evident throughout the interview, as she shared her experiences and perspective on her powerful new book. We asked questions that allowed MacLean to delve deep into the themes and ideas explored in her book. Maclean's responses were thoughtful and offered unique insights into the world of wine, as well as her own personal journey in writing the book. We hope you find Natalie MacLean's interview about her new book “Wine Witch on Fire" enjoyable and informative. This will be of interest to those passionate about wine and wine writing, and how to overcome life experiences. Natalie has a special offer for our listeners: Some juicy bonuses if you buy the book at: www.WineWitchonFire.com You can also get the free companion reader guide (Talked about in show) with tips on for book club discussion questions as well as organizing an informal wine tasting with friends here: www.WineWitchonFire.com/Guide Those who want to find out more about her free online food and wine pairing class and Unreserved Wine Talk podcast are welcome to visit her at www.nataliemaclean.com. Cheers Kim and Mark

The biddies chat with James Beard Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Natalie MacLean, about her most recent book Wine Witch On Fire. Tune in to this wide-ranging conversation about favorite wines, the writing process, navigating divorce, sexism in the wine and wine-writing industries, mental health struggles, navigating the fine line of indulging in delicious wine and overdrinking, a career-upending moment that Natalie faced and how she came back, and so much more. We had the most fun talking to this biddy and are so excited to share the interview with you! Wine Witch on Fire has just been released in the US! Grab the book with some juicy bonuses from Natalie here: www.WineWitchonFire.com  You can also get the free companion reader guide with tips on for book club discussion questions as well as organizing an informal wine tasting with friends here: www.WineWitchonFire.com/Guide Those who want to find out more about Natalie's free online food and wine pairing class and Unreserved Wine Talk podcast are welcome to visit here at www.nataliemaclean.com. For the full show notes: boozybiddies.com/127

How do you remain an expert wine taster while watching your intake? A lot of spitting, obviously, although Natalie MacLean's career is nothing to spit at. Natalie, who was gifted with an uncanny ability to pair wine with food, built her reputation on a hugely popular newsletter, but then came divorce, depression, defamation and yes, drinking too much. She tells us all about it, as well as what wine to pair with artichokes. Natalie MacLean, named the World's Best Drinks Journalist, has also won four James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. She's the bestselling author of Red, White and Drunk All Over. Her new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much has just become a national bestseller. She hosts the NYT recommended podcast, Unreserved Wine Talk, and offers popular online wine and food pairing classes at www.nataliemaclean.com. Would you like to see the show? Here is the interview with Natalie on YouTube. Would you like to Read the show? We have a transcription. We love writing and would love for you to read what we write. Sign Up for our Substack Newsletter. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Wendy and Maureen at womenofir@gmail.com We now have a YouTube Channel! Please hit the Subscribe button when you get there. And because you asked for it - Future episodes will be in video form. https://www.youtube.com/@WomenofIllRepute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 176  Sponsored by Ron Rubin Winery    Episode 176 | Natalie MacLean, Wine Writer, Author & Instructor Book:  Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much 1:28  Natalie reflects on how she turned some of the hardest times in her life into an engaging memoir - instead of just  a “misery dump” 6:00 Marcy asks Natalie about her “Twittergate” issue that is discussed in the book, and we learn about how Natalie has become a Copywrite Nerd! 8:10 Natalie highlights a lot of women winemakers in her memoir!  11:40 Natalie chats about social media management and content creation - it's a lot of work! 12:22 The Companion Guide to the book entails: Book Club info, Wine info, discussion topics! 14:00 Natalie shares where she likes to visit when she comes to Sonoma County - Merry Edwards, La Crema, Pinos are her favorite!  15:55 Dry Extract - when wine is boiled down to its essence - this is what made her discover who she is at her core - and brought her closure with this book.  17:22 Natalie's recommendation of what pairs with catharsis: Pinot Noir - packed with flavor, it's not heavy, it's a release, there's no bitter aftertaste.    18:55 Natalie has her own podcast too, check it out! Unreserved Wine Talk (link below) 19:13 Be sure to check out her website for wine resources and other bonuses for buying her book through her website!    Links: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/ Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast Sponsored by: Ron Rubin Winery  Credits:  The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at
Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA. Threshold Studios

Daniel Kalla on his latest novel, Fit To Die, Natalie MacLean discusses her memoir, Wine Witch on Fire, and more.

How does slick wine marketing encourage us to drink too much? Has anything really changed in the wine industry in the last ten years since the incidents in the book took place? How is sexism still embedded in wine tasting notes today? What would I advise young women and men entering the wine business today? I'll be sharing those stories and more in this special episode of my podcast. My new memoir Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much just launched yesterday, May 9th in Canada. It will launch in the US and around the world June 6th, and it's also available for pre-order now. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Why was it particularly difficult to face the challenges of divorce and defamation as the caregiver of a teenage son and an elderly mother? While this book deals with serious issues, there's lots of humour. How do you strike a balance between the two? Do you approach things differently now than before? Has anything really changed in the wine industry since that time? What would you say to young women and men who want to enter the wine business? What does that world without misogyny or sexism look like? Can you share an example of how sexism is embedded in wine tasting notes? What's the difference between sexist, sexy, and sensual writing? In the book, your partner calls you “princess,” and another writer calls you “sweetheart.” Are you bothered by these? Throughout your memoir, you describe the slick marketing that encourages women to drink too much. Can you elaborate on this? Why include stories of women behind wine labels? You're a supertaster. What does that mean? If you could be a wine, which one would it be? What was your most interesting wine experience? Which wines do you enjoy drinking on your own time these days? What does terroir mean to you? What is a guilty pleasure when it comes to pairing wine and food? What's in your wine guide for book clubs, wine groups and individual readers, and where can we get it? How can we find out more about the $397 Bonus Bundle with pre-orders and where to buy the book? Are there any book launch events coming up? For those who may be going through difficult times themselves, what advice do you have? What's next for you?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/232.

When Natalie MacLean broke out of the Ottawa tech scene to become a globally celebrated wine writer, travelling the world, paid to drink, she thought she had everything she could want. Then, like a glass toppling off a table, her life was shattered: her marriage collapsed, she was pilloried in an journalistic ethics scandal, and she realized wine had gone from career to crutch. MacLean, bestselling author of the new book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Depression, and Drinking Too Much, joins Brian Lilley to discuss the perils of the wine world for women and why she's speaking out against the dangers of today's “wine mommy” mania. (Recorded April 26, 2023) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wine expert Natalie MacLean on great wines for Mother's Day and her new book, Wine Witch on Fire. Sleep expert Alanna McGinn on how to set up the perfect grandbaby crib and sleep environment, and our Take 5 With RBC interview looks at how to pass on charitable intents to your grandchildren.

In this captivating episode, I sit down with Natalie Maclean, a renowned wine expert, sommelier, and award-winning author, to discuss her latest book, "Wine Witch on Fire, Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking too Much." Listen in as Natalie shares her inspiring story of overcoming adversity, rebuilding her life, and finding love along the way. We'll explore her insights on responsible wine consumption, navigating the wine industry as a woman, and her transformative journey of self-discovery. Don't miss this compelling conversation with one of the world's most influential voices in the world of wine.

How did I first fall in love with wine? Do I feel more exposed now for having written this third book? What are my best tips for moderate drinking? I'll be sharing those stories and more in this special episode of my podcast as we get closer to the May 9th launch of my new memoir Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Join me for my Toronto Launch Party Save your spot now for this invite-only book launch event and tasting. Treat yourself to a private book launch party and wine tasting in Toronto on Wednesday, May 10th at 6 p.m.! * Enjoy access to the (very) swanky private club, Clio, in downtown Toronto * Savour three outstanding Creekside wines as I guide you in a wine tasting * Enjoy my hilarious and heartfelt stories about working in the world of wine * Learn about the professional challenges when drinking is your day job * Discover how to become a savvier wine buyer with my insider tips * Ask me anything about wine, writing a book, or rediscovering joy in your personal and professional life Tickets are on sale here for ONE WEEK ONLY, so get yours today before they sell out! Save your seat here: https://trk.cp20.com/click/365b-2oeeqm-cirtts-6q8qco5/ Please share this event with friends, family, and colleagues who might also be interested in attending the Toronto launch or tasting events in these other cities.   Highlights What is the book about? How did you come up with the title? How did you approach this narrative? Who is the book dedicated to? At what age did you start writing? When did you fall in love with wine? What's the story behind your worst hangover? What was your inspiration to start writing about wine? Where do you write? Who is one of your favourite authors? What was the inciting incident for this story? What was the inspiration for this book? Why write this book now? Was it difficult to write this book? Do you feel more exposed for having written this memoir? Was it difficult to write with such openness and vulnerability? How have you moderated your alcohol consumption? What are some of the reader stories that have moved you deeply? What do you expect readers to take away from this book? How has writing this memoir changed you? What's in your wine guide for book clubs, wine groups and individual readers, and where can we get it? How can we find out more about the $397 Bonus Bundle with pre-orders and where to buy the book? Are there any book launch events coming up?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/231.

What's it like to work as a sommelier in a five-diamond French restaurant? How do you make the jump from writing magazine columns to becoming a regular guest on radio and television shows? How does it feel to write a book about the most difficult moments in your life? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Chuck Cramer, host of On The Road With Mr CA Wine. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights Was there one wild moment that got Natalie hooked on the world of wine? How did I go from working in the tech industry to becoming a full-time wine writer? What was the path from writing magazine columns to the multi-faceted brand today? Why does my approach to writing help my books to stand out from other wine books? What was it like working for one night as a sommelier in a Five Diamond French restaurant? What surprised Natalie the most about California wines? How is my upcoming memoir different from my previous books? Why did I decide to write such a different book the third time around? What was my highest high and lowest low while writing Wine Witch on Fire?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Chuck Cramer Chuck Cramer is a 4th generation Los Angeleno, living in London for the past 22 years. In addition to hosting a wine podcast dedicated to CA wine, On The Road With Mr CA Wine, Chuck is the director of European sales & marketing for Terlato Wines, managing a gorgeous portfolio of CA wines across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. He's also the proud dad of two beautiful women, plays tennis four times a week and bleeds Dodger Blue!         To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/230.

Justin Trabue drives back and forth between Paso Robles and Napa Valley to hone her craft.  Between learning the value of each district, she is also working towards raising the people of color coefficient in the wine industry; an important objective industry side. It takes the Justin Trabue's of the world to initiate change in a stalwart industry such as wine. You can hear the determination in her voice and her path is defined to get to the next step in her pursuit. Have a listen and get inspired.

How does deepening your understanding of wine help you maintain a healthy relationship with it? Why do memoirs help us to connect with characters even more deeply than fiction? Which moderation tools and techniques can you use when drinking wine?   In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by journalist Jaime Lewis for her podcast, CONSUMED.   You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What does “day in the life” writing look like? How does deepening your understanding of wine help you maintain a healthy relationship with it? How will my third book, Wine Witch on Fire, differ from my first two? Why is a well-written book able to change your life? What do I love about memoirs and the reader's ability to transition the characters into the real world? Which moderation tools and techniques do I use when drinking wine? How did a combination of therapy and medication help me to manage my depression? What steps did I take to build my own platform with intention? Who can benefit from my Wine Smart online food and wine pairing course? What do I do to take care of myself daily? How do I define being an introvert? What would I eat and drink, and who would I invite if it was my last day on Earth?   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What's your opinion of what we're discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn't answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Jaime Lewis Jaime writes, speaks and podcasts about the good life. After an arts management career that included employment with Architecture New York Magazine, the San Francisco Symphony and the San Luis Obispo Symphony, Jaime chose to follow her nose (and palate) into the wine industry. Jaime has participated in nearly every moment of a wine's life, from planting and bottling to selling. In addition to blogging about her personal year-long journey through the world, Jaime has written product, promotional and web copy for acclaimed wineries including Robert Mondavi, Firestone, Tantara, Herman Story, Laetitia, and Sans Liege.     To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/214.

  This weeks podcast guest is another Janet - Tribe Member Janet D Janet joined us in August 2021.  She used all the tools,  stayed connected and got through those first difficult months.  As you will hear she's now thriving in her sobriety tells us she's planning to be a Tribe member for Life! We love it when our Tribe members decide to Pay it Forward and help other people to do what they've done.  It certainly affirms our decision to be sober when we see how some of the newbies struggle – and of course we continue to get inspired by the hobbies and interests we see our sober members pursue.   In this Episode Janet's father was a drinker and her mother was hooked on prescription drugs By the time she was only 4 years old Janet would notice how her fathers personality would change – and by the time she was 8 she realised that the alcohol was responsible She tells us the story of watering down her dad's beer and gin to prevent the mood swings – I find that really sad and can picture that well meaning little girl emptying out the alcohol and replacing it with water Janet would go to the pub with her older brother at the age of 15 but wouldn't drink very much The combination of her exposure to alcohol as a teenager and her genetic link to a father who drank she had two factors that would pre-dispose her towards alcoholism However it wasn't until much later in life that she began to struggle with alcohol Up to 40 years old she was fine so she was definitely a late onset drinker Janet had a high flying career and had her children relatively late in life. It was only when she gave up her job to stay at home with her two young children that the alcohol consumption increased. She slipped into the pattern of a couple of glasses of wine while preparing kids for bed – and then sharing more with her husband when he came home from work A bottle of wine each evening with more at the weekend when they socialised With hindsight Janet can see she was in denial about her drinking – she never thought anything of it Her consumption increased when she discovered the winebox (which was the downfall of many of us I think!) – no more recycling worries or watching the level in the bottle go down! So like 20% of social drinkers Janet had become dependent As Ken Middleton explains in this article about the science of alcohol dependency “if you drink consistently for a long enough period of time, the chances of you having a “problem” are almost guaranteed” Ken also explains that for many of us the heavy drinking doesn't really take hold until somewhere between the 16th and 23rd year That would certainly apply to me who started as a teenager and was definitely hooked by my 40's whereas Janet D didn't start until she was 40 and was hooked by her early 60's As Janet says she had drunk her “quota” when she gave up – those of us who started early had definitely had their quotas by the age of 40 which seems like a great age to quit! A Doctor said to me once that we can get away with quite a lot of unhealthy behaviour until we are 40 but then we must start taking care of ourselves I think ditching the booze is absolutely the best thing we can do for our health and happiness as we age Janet explained that she did try to give up after having surgery but found it really hard as she was white knuckling it This experience taught her that she could probably give up drinking if she put her mind to it but it would be really hard and pretty much a lifetime struggle That's the mindset we are so keen to overturn here at Tribe Sober – we don't believe in “white knuckling” which involves willpower. We help our members to change their mindset about alcohol so that their desire to drink will diminish So rather than a lifetime struggle we believe it's a matter of six months of hard work and then it's done – then we have to reconfigure our lives and learn to navigate our alcohol drenched society but certainly within a year we can change our lives! In 2021 Janet was captured by Moderation Mary who convinced her that if she put a few rules in place she would be able to “moderate” This moderation phase is definitely a red flag of dependence but its also a sign of the start of the contemplation phase – Janet had moved out of the denial phase and knew something had to change. She took a complete break before the moderation attempt hoping to “reset” her drinking habits but while this is a nice idea in theory we have to accept that once we've crossed the line into dependence the word moderation should be banished from our vocabulary! Those of us that have tried moderation know only too well that it takes just a few weeks to get back to our previous drinking patterns Alongside the drinking there was something else going on in Janet's life. She had always suffered from sleep issues and from 1994 to 2021 she took Diazapan every night to help her sleep Rather rashly she decided to come off the Benzos at the same time as quitting alcohol which resulted in two sleepless weeks! This is a classic example of chasing more than one bunny at a time! We always recommend that our members just focus on giving up alcohol and then tackle the diet, exercise, medication issues a bit further down the road. This is what Janet eventually did – she went back to the Benzos and when she was sober she managed to quit the Benzos Janet began her research to get some support – she did Annie Grace's alcohol experiment and related well to Claire Pooley – who also gave up a high flying job to stay home with young children. She found Tribe Sober via Claire Pooley and we resonated with her as we are more in her demographic than other groups and we are certainly a lot smaller. Some sobriety groups have thousands of members whereas we only have a few hundred and we like it that way. It means we can provide a personal service to our members. Janet is a visual person and gave us 3 great examples of how this can help She used to imagine 6000 bottles of wine and 10,000 pills – that was her quota done Moderation Mary and the Wine Witch were firmly locked in her cellar and When she found herself admiring a gorgeous bottle of pink rose she mentally decanted it into a plain brown box with a pic of a diseased liver on the top! At just over one year sober Janet is not struggling at all – in fact she is still really excited about being sober!   More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

Wine witch, podcasting, butter & lemon test and radio days. You're ON THE ROAD with Chuck Cramer, mrCAwine. I live in London, selling cases of damn good CA wine across Europe for the Terlato family. And this podcast is about CA, the Golden State, my home State, and awesome wines. This week, I'm back with our favorite wine witch, Natalie Maclean for part 2 of our chat. Every week we are gonna have some fun…and ultimately improve your boozing!

Wine witch, podcaster, pairing food & wine, all it takes is one sip and interview with Natalie Maclean, host of Unreserved Wine Talk podcast. ON THE ROAD with Chuck Cramer, is about CA's cool aspirational lifestyle, and awesome wines. Hosted by Chuck Cramer, a CA native, living in London and is the Director of European sales & marketing, Terlato Wines. This is a wine journey covering the hottest topics in the world of wine, chatting along the way with key influencers in the world of wine who make it all happen. This weeks' episode includes an interview Natalie Maclean, host of Unreserved Wine Talk with Natalie Maclean podcast. 

When my husband and I quit our jobs to work in vineyards around the world in 2008, we spent six months in Blenheim, New Zealand. After work each day, I'd go to the Blenheim public library to siphon free wifi, but I'd just as often wind up in the stacks picking out books to read. One of those books was Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass by author Natalie MacLean. I loved her humor, her description of how it feels to fall in love with wine, and her honesty about the appeal of a good buzz. Her writing definitely helped inspire me to be a wine writer. Fast forward fourteen years, and guess what? Natalie MacLean reached out to me to be on her podcast, Unreserved Wine Talk, which the New York Times named one of the seven best drinks podcasts to listen to in 2020. We also flipped the script so I could interview her here for CONSUMED. Natalie has a very, very long resume, including four James Beard Awards and the MF.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing from Les Dames d'Escoffier International. Her books have been selected as Amazon's Best Books of the Year, and she is the wine expert on several Canadian TV and news shows. Did I not mention Natalie is Canadian? Yes. I know this podcast deals in Californians only, but I can include her because she once worked for a company in Silicon Valley. When not working on her next book, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Depression, and Drinking Too Much, Natalie shares online wine pairing courses and wine reviews at NatalieMaclean.com.    My interview on Natalie's podcast: "Santa Maria BBQ & Wines + Can You Earn a Living as a Wine Writer?" Website: nataliemaclean.com Instagram: @nataliemaclean

Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living! Last week I celebrated my 7th Soberversary by having breakfast in a smart hotel – that's a great tip for sober socialising btw– no pesky questions about “why aren't you drinking?” and you can even get a nice buzz going from all the coffee!  You can choose the most upmarket venue in town and it's still going to  be a lot cheaper than a long boozy lunch in a mediocre restaurant! I shared my story with you last week and this week I'm talking about 7 things I've learned during my 7 years of sobriety. Perspective is everything so I've tried to pick out 7 things I've learned over the years – things that may help others who are on this journey. 20% ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT CODE ANN052022 – valid during May 2022   In this Episode - My Top 7 Tips Get ready to feel those feelings Remember that not drinking hurts (at first) Be Ready for the Wine Witch and Moderation Mary Prepare for the void You will need to Shake things up a bit Throw the Book at It  Keep Perspective and remember that the only failure is to stop trying! More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. 20% ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT CODE ANN052022 – valid during May 2022 To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Book a Discovery Call with me to find out if our membership would help you Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE. PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).

----more----Sober Baddies - What Strange Sh*t Will My Addict Voice Say Next? Sobertown Podcast guests hosts Sara Malloy and Elaine Skylar Neal join our affectionately-named Sobertown resident "bad boy" Shickey in digging deep on the conniving weirdness of the Addict Voice. Sometimes called the Trickster or the Wine Witch, what the Addict Voice says to each of us is as unique as we are as it stems from our own minds. Explore strategies to fend off this odd inner beast when your next craving strikes.     No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What.   Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!!      Sobertownpodcast.com  

Can you drink alcohol as a Christian woman? I tell you now, yes you can, but it is so important to make sure that alcohol is not an idol in your life. In this episode I talk with Mindset & Alcohol-Free coach, Michelle Porterfield, about her transition from being a daily wine drinker to becoming completely alcohol free. She answers questions like "How do I know if I'm drinking too much?" "Should I cut out alcohol completely?" "What steps should I take to stop depending on alcohol?" and more! Reach out to Michelle:  Podcast: https://bit.ly/setfreesisterhoodpodcast Email: coachmichelleporterfield@gmail.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/coachmichelleporterfield/ Ready to connect with me? Enroll in Diet Ditcher's Academy:  thisismirandalee.teachable.com/p/diet-ditchers-academy Email me for 1-on-1 coaching: thisismirandalee@gmail.com Join my Facebook Community: https://bit.ly/mirandaleefb Visit my website: www.thisismirandalee.com Say hi to me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisismirandalee/  

Do you think it is time to set some limits and boundaries with drinking? Michelle Porterfield with Set Free Sisterhood podcast shares the payoff is great when you get control of over drinking! Connect with Michelle at bit.ly/setfreesisterhoodpodcast and @coachmichelleporterfield on Insta Connect with Kari and The Well here: Fill out www.thewellteam.com/quiz Join our FB community: http://www.bit.ly/thewellfbgroup Coaching: www.thewellteam.com/karidavis Insta: www.instagram.com/karidavis_thewell Email hello@thewellteam.com Schedule with me: www.calendly.com/karidaviscoaching for a connection call to see if coaching with Kari is a good fit for you!  You have purpose, your future is bright and you can combat overwhelm, anxiety, confusion and feeling stuck!

ep -86 Rhian from South Wales  joins us in sharing our passion for recovery. She is a recovering alcoholic who quit drinking on  March 14, 2020 after 15 years of worshipping wine. Rhian knew she had a problem with drinking for about 8 years before she finally quit for good, but not without trying to control her drinks and make a bunch of rules for herself around drinking that she just kept breaking. Unlike most people she came out with her drinking problem to her friends and the world via the National News.Rhian joins us to share her personal story in hopes of helping at least one person who might be struggling today. It is never too late to change and we do recover.Take this quick test in the privacy of your own home to find out if you might be an alcoholic.Recovery In Paradise Puerto Vallarta Start your journey with us at our private inpatient facility in paradise.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_donations&business=info@soberoso.com&item_name=Soberoso¤cy_code=USD)

Paula Woolsey, CSW, aka “The Wine Witch,” is the owner of Cellar Door Unhinged, helping Arizona wineries in the fields of sales, marketing and business operations. She consults in all areas of the wine industry, restaurant wine programs, tasting rooms and Liquor Compliance. Although she was born and raised in Read more... The post Wine Women – Paula Woolsey, CSW, Cellar Door Unhinged appeared first on Radio Misfits.

You can listen to the first part of this recording at this link - Part 1 https://anchor.fm/boozemusings-community/episodes/Demystifying-Sober--Survival-Guide-From-My-First-10-Days-Alcohol-Free---Part-1-e112ddl This is the second of two recordings from the post at this link https://boozemusings.com/demystifying-sober-survival-guide-from-my-first-10-days-alcohol-free/ Looking back from my first-year sober anniversary to my first 10 days alcohol-free Day 5 through 10 Day 5- Stay Home – HIDE! Day 6 – Mrs P. and 100 new things in the next 100 days!! Day 7 – Understanding Wolfie and the Wine Witch or Beating the Mythical Booze Brain Beasts Day 8 – Understanding the Importance of Sober Treats Day 9- HALT(S) Day 10 – Faith in the Wisdom of those further down the road (further into sobriety). Today is my one-year sober anniversary and I am thrilled. It has been the longest and shortest year of my life! Stopping drinking and then staying sober hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it. I started with a firm goal of 10 days alcohol-free and hoped to reach 100 days sober. I never thought I could do the first 10 days, let alone the 100 much less a whole year, and now I've “made it”. But what does that mean? With the alcohol out of my mind and body, my anxiety is way down and I sleep so much better. Hangover free mornings will never get old. Without the nightly cocktails and wine, I can handle more, I can get more done, I can do life without feeling overwhelmed all the time. I am proud of all of the work I have done and all I have learned to make it this far. But I didn't wake up this morning at one year sober to feel any different than yesterday. I haven't solved all my life issues or challenges. I just now have a fighting chance to work on them. There is always more to learn and grow so I will just keep doing that. I will continue to just put one foot in front of the other, which is a pace that I think we as drinkers hate. But patience is such a key in staying sober. Patience with the process, patience with ourselves, and sometimes patience with time itself. One of the biggest tools in my sober toolbox is the wisdom of those with more time sober than I. I would not have learned without the examples of others. I have tears and a heart full of gratitude for those that reached back to help me, that traveled with me, and continue to do so. I owe so much to this online community BOOM Rethink the Drink! I would not have made it without BOOM. Today I graduate into a beginner “person with more time sober” as I cross the one-year threshold and I would like to be a resource to those starting out or having trouble gaining traction. To this end, I'm going to share the tools that helped me in my first month alcohol-free. I don't think I came up with any of these on my own so I'm just sharing my collection of resources. Take the mythical impossibility out of getting sober and staying alcohol-free. I have learned it's about opening yourself to the ideas shared by those who went before you. Accountability, trust, honesty. Community. If you're “sober curious” … If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break…or if you have stopped drinking and are trying to stick to sober! Talk to Us. BOOM Rethink the Drink The Spirit is not in the Bottle its in You

I think that it was the author Lucy Rocca who coined the term Wine Witch. Belle, who writes the blog Tired of Thinking about Drinking, came up with a malevolent wine o'clock voice named Wolfie. In the rational recovery program, the smiling assassin's Drink Now voice is called The Feast Beast. And indeed, what I felt for years as I slipped further and further into alcohol addiction was an almost supernatural pull to keep repeating the same self-destructive behavior. It didn't matter how much I understood of the health consequences of my dangerous drinking routine. It didn't matter that I was high functioning in every other way. It didn't matter that I was otherwise responsible and together. The inevitability of my nightly wine binge was like walking toward a flame. An enchantment. A spell. Don't become a statistic. This is a recording of a blog post that you can find at this link https://boozemusings.com/breaking-the-spell-of-wine-o-clock/ Open a Book, open a browser, open your mind. The keys are out there. You don't HAVE to drink. Sobriety is Clarity, Creativity , Freedom Community connection is the first step. Talk to Us , Rethink the Drink ! If you're “sober curious” … If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break…or if you have stopped drinking and are trying to stick to sober! Talk to Us. We are an independent, anonymous and private community who share resources, support and talk it through every day. It helps to have a community behind you in a world where alcohol is the only addictive drug that people will question you for NOT using You can read more about us Here And join Here BOOM Rethink the Drink– community support 24-7

My guest today is Clare Pooley. Her book The Sober Diaries: How One Mom Stopped Drinking And Started Living is based on her blog, Mummy Was A Secret Drinker, which describes her first 365 days of living without alcohol. The Sober Diaries is one of the first books I recommend to all of my clients as they stop drinking. In The Sober Diaries Clare tells her story of building up sober days while at the same time uncovering how deeply her love of wine was connected to her identity as a successful working woman, a fun adult and her life as a mom of 3 children. I love the way The Sober Diaries takes you through the days and months of early sobriety in a funny, insightful, relatable and realistic way.  If you read it during your first few weeks or months, you'll see your own experiences in Clare's as she moves through Day 14 "Sober Mornings", Day 26 "Oh God, It's Friday", Day 91 "The Wine Witch", 100 Days and when it gets easier - all the way through Day 365. It's a great read (or listen), especially for women with kids, who started drinking in the corporate world or in the mommy wine culture. Clare, at the time she stopped drinking, was a middle aged woman, over educated, overprivileged, formerly overweight mom of three, who had a long love affair with high priced good quality wine until she realized that the relationship was going nowhere but downhill. So she started blogging to take her mind off her broken heart.  In this episode, Clare and I dive into: Why immediate benefits of giving up alcohol (better sleep, clearer skin and eyes, a healthier body) are good, but the biggest benefits come much later The fact that well educated, middle aged women are becoming the most likely group to drink problematically  How Clare (and I) stopped drinking without traditional 12 Step Programs like AA and why choosing that path to living alcohol-free is even easier for women today Why Clare thinks we need to change the “brand imagery” around not drinking and reframe going alcohol-free from something that one might ‘have to do' to something you want to do How our social media feeds are doing us a disservice by normalizing excessive drinking Why the the most difficult part of quitting drinking for Clare was learning to deal with emotions without having wine as a crutch Why Clare thought that her life without drinking would be dull and boring but discovered that it was way more exciting than when she was drinking   About Clare Pooley Clare is a British blogger, author and novelist. She spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time mum.  Realizing that her ‘wine o'clock' habit had spiraled out of control, Clare started writing a blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, which has had nearly three million hits. Her memoir, The Sober Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim.   Clare's debut novel - The Authenticity Project, was inspired by her own experience of exposing the rather grubby truth about her own seemingly perfect life, and is being published in twenty-nine territories in 2020. Clare's talks include a TEDx talk - Making Sober, Less Shameful. Clare lives in Fulham, London with her husband, three children, two border terriers, and an African pygmy hedgehog.   Connect with Clare Pooley To learn more about Clare, head over to www.clarepooley.com Follow her on Instagram: @clare_pooley Connect with her on Facebook: @SoberMummy Connect with Clare Twitter: @cpooleywriter Order her books, The Sober Diaries: How One Mom Stopped Drinking And Started Living and The Authenticity Project Subscribe to her blog:  Mummy Was A Secret Drinker Listen to her Tedx Talk: Making Sober, Less Shameful   Connect with Casey McGuire Davidson Check out  The Sobriety Starter Kit. The private, on-demand coaching course you need to break out of the drinking cycle - without white-knuckling it or hating the process. Grab your  Free Sober Girls Guide To Quitting Drinking, 30 Tips For Your First 30 Days Listen to the podcast on The Best Quit Lit For Women Quitting Drinking to hear more about The Sober Diaries and other books to inspire your alcohol-free journey. Get the free guide to The Best Quit Lit Books For Women Website: www.hellosomedaycoaching.com Instagram: Casey @ Hello Someday Coaching (@caseymdavidson)  

What is a freebie or lead magnet and why do I need one? A freebie or lead magnet or opt in is a way for people to get on your email list.  This is a way for them to get to know you and what you do and also for you to communicate when you release something that would help them, as well as a way for you to develop a two sided dialogue that could help with market research so you know what to create.  In short, this is an awesome way for you to serve and solve for free so that you can sell later when appropriate.    Already have a freebie? 3 reasons why it may not be working 1.) Content- Is your content for the freebie speaking to the biggest pain point that she has?  Is the language in the copy words that she uses?  You can utilize market research questions in other groups that you person hangs out to learn this language or some of my engagement tips found in the facebook group, my 6 categories to post to boost your engagement in 30 days freebie or in your own DMs.  2.) Title- Is your title juice?  A clickable title will be something that hooks you in.  Sometimes it's useful to put it as a question or a number of ways to do something or go back to that language and get those keywords in the title.  Is the promise clear and specific?  Sometimes it's just too big of a compilation of things versus speaking to one clear solution or promise.  3.) Distribution-  Are you promoting your freebie?   Add it to your files in your facebook group and then make sure that you have membership questions when you enter the group.  This will also attract her to your group. Promote the results from your freebie, show it being used in your stories if possible, and do this often.  We think that people are seeing our stuff, but it's just not the case.   Also, go to other groups and drop your freebie in freebie friday posts, ask questions that show you your person, ask an admin if you can share it or even dm people that you know could benefit and tell them you think it could help them.     In this episode we brainstorm coach and mentor Michelle Porterfield of Set free Sisterhood Podcast.  We also talk about how to use her freebie to get her audience a quick win, build trust and belief that they can take a break from alcohol in her Ditch the Wine Witch challenge coming next month.  Have you considered taking a break from alcohol and want support?  Check out her podcast and fb group too.     

In today's bumper October Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles.After which, Jessica Knoll joins Carly to talk about Bright Young Women. They also discuss opening pages and prologues; the book vs the audio version; violence on the page; the power in naming things we typically shy away from; the internet and social media as a tool for authors; influences and inspiration; being a part of screen adaptations and filming; and being in a healthy creative space.After which, we do a deep dive in memoirs!Bianca interviews Tove Danovich, journalist and author of the chicken-keeping memoir and animal welfare reporting book, Under the Henfluence. They discuss Tove's journey in publishing a book that encompasses two very difficult genres to market and sell (non-fiction and memoir); writing a proposal for a book that is largely unique and difficult to comp; blending anecdotal humour with animal welfare reporting; the structure of Tove's memoir; and Tove's advice for memoirists.Bianca then chats with Natalie Maclean, journalist and author of the memoir, Wine Witch on Fire. They discuss what inspired Natalie to write a memoir about such a difficult time in her life; starting with the "inciting incident"; how to balance writing your truth with still being mindful of the potential legal ramifications of doing so; when to consult with lawyers and who covers that cost; and the witch-related structure and theme of the book.Finally, in the Q&A segment, Carly and CeCe answer all your burning questions!Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and w ww.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWTo connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/More information about Jessica Knoll can be found athttps://www.jessicaknoll.com/. She's on Instagram @jessicaknollauthor and TikTok @jessicaknollauthor.Tove Danovich is on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/tovekdanovich/?hl=enHer chickens can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/bestlittlehenhouse/More information about Natalie Maclean can be found at: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/ and https://www.nataliemaclean.com/blog/books/wine-witch-on-fire/Her newsletter can be found at: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/newsletters/archive/She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nataliemacleanwine/Our Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code tsnotyaw50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's bumper October Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles.After which, Jessica Knoll joins Carly to talk about Bright Young Women. They also discuss opening pages and prologues; the book vs the audio version; violence on the page; the power in naming things we typically shy away from; the internet and social media as a tool for authors; influences and inspiration; being a part of screen adaptations and filming; and being in a healthy creative space. After which, we do a deep dive in memoirs!Bianca interviews Tove Danovich, journalist and author of the chicken-keeping memoir and animal welfare reporting book, Under the Henfluence. They discuss Tove's journey in publishing a book that encompasses two very difficult genres to market and sell (non-fiction and memoir); writing a proposal for a book that is largely unique and difficult to comp; blending anecdotal humour with animal welfare reporting; the structure of Tove's memoir; and Tove's advice for memoirists.Bianca then chats with Natalie Maclean, journalist and author of the memoir, Wine Witch on Fire. They discuss what inspired Natalie to write a memoir about such a difficult time in her life; starting with the "inciting incident"; how to balance writing your truth with still being mindful of the potential legal ramifications of doing so; when to consult with lawyers and who covers that cost; and the witch-related structure and theme of the book.Finally, in the Q&A segment, Carly and CeCe answer all your burning questions!Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWTo connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/More information about Jessica Knoll can be found athttps://www.jessicaknoll.com/. She's on Instagram @jessicaknollauthor and TikTok @jessicaknollauthor.Tove Danovich is on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/tovekdanovich/?hl=enHer chickens can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/bestlittlehenhouse/More information about Natalie Maclean can be found at: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/ and https://www.nataliemaclean.com/blog/books/wine-witch-on-fire/Her newsletter can be found at: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/newsletters/archive/She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nataliemacleanwine/Our Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code tsnotyaw50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands