Hella Chisme Podcast
Hella Chisme Podcast is where unfiltered storytelling meets bold conversation. This show serves up juicy chisme while diving deep into the chaos and beauty of everyday life. From sex, dating, and marriage to pop culture, spirituality, and everything in between — no topic is off-limits.
Through a strong lens on identity, culture, and connection, Dana and friends keep it real for a community of listeners who are curious, culturally fluent, and down for the ride.
Hella Chisme Podcast
A Very Hella Chisme Christmas (Virtual Live) Ft. Rian-Louis, Mike and Stef
Welcome to the audio experience of the Virtual Live of the Hella Chisme Podcast.
The room felt equal parts cozy and electric the moment we went live holiday lights, clinking glasses, and that end-of-year hum where everything slows down and speeds up at once. We kicked things off with a quick Patreon invite, then dove into the real stuff: how creators navigate burnout, how to rest without losing momentum, and why the quiet wins matter more than the loud ones.
LINK: https://linktr.ee/hellachismepodcast
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Hey y'all, I just want to let you know that we have a Patreon channel. That's right. If you did not know, we are on Patreon. Our Patreon is$8.99 a month, where you can come and watch all of our visual elements to our podcast show. So all you have to do is click the link in our description box and it will take you right there. It's only$8.99 a month. Make sure you go and subscribe. Bye. Uh can you hear me? Is it on? Is it on? Welcome back to a live episode of the Hella Cheese Made Podcast. My name is Dana and I am your host. Oh my god, we got some people up in here. I am so excited for y'all to be joining us today. If you see me looking off to the side or if you see me looking around, we all know that yes, I love to look at myself when I'm talking. That's the Leo in me. But also, I just want to make sure that I'm continuing to be live in all the areas that I'm supposed to be live in. So, you know, it's not about all about me wanting to see myself in my vanity, but it's also just to make sure that y'all are continuing to see me as we are having ourselves a yang dang doodle today. Um, welcome, welcome, folks. Happy holidays. We have a full-on uh virtual live situation going on tonight. I am very excited and I want to bring up Mike uh to the stage so we can get into some things. Welcome, welcome, Mike. What's going on?
SPEAKER_03:Happy holidays, everybody.
SPEAKER_02:Happy holidays, happy holidays.
SPEAKER_03:It's going good. I'm uh happy to be here.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, yes. Thank you for taking the time out tonight to come join us in the Hella Cheese May universe or world. You know, you know, whatever. Anyway, um, happy Friday. How was your week?
SPEAKER_03:You know, it's been it's been busy, but I think it's that end of end of year, right before the holidays, everybody trying to get everything done. So, you know, it's been busy, but I'm looking forward to these next couple of weeks because I'll be off. So it won't be uh any work. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Won't he do so? Are you is it just that you're you're taking time off, or does your um does your place of work do any special closures for the holiday? Or you're just you're taking vacation?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I'm I'm taking time off. Um I feel like just in the work I do, it never stops. So yeah, like I'm gonna take these these next couple of weeks off, take some time to reflect, plan, you know, just get ready for the new year. And um, yeah, that's that's really it. But yeah, it I I think it just slows down for everybody in general. Like everybody starts taking vacation and stuff like that. So, you know, um, I'm gonna take advantage of it as well.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I I 100% hear you. I am um, I my office are doing holiday closures. So uh we're closing. Uh our office closes on technically the 24th, but that's a given because that's Christmas Eve. But we close up and then uh we're close until the first of the year, but the first of the year is uh on one of our alternative weeks. So um technically most of us don't have to go back into the office until that following Monday. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, so we have ourselves a nice little situation going on. I'm very excited about it. Um I have uh put myself to work from home up until the new year comes in. So I'll be working a couple of days, but not um not as much uh because it'll be very silent. No one will really be um working really. Uh, but you know, I'm looking forward to it slowing down and it being quiet and it just, you know, it being a lot slower than usual. If that's good, yeah, yeah. Um, so what's on the Christmas list? Do we have any special things that we're looking forward to? Do we have like some things that we want to check off on the Christmas list? What's what's that?
SPEAKER_03:You know, I want to go ice skating. I've never been ice skating. Um, so I think I might end up at one of the parks out here. Uh last year I did go see the tree at Rockefeller Center. So I I think I just really want to be in the the New York spirit of Christmas this year. Like I feel like last year I just was like adapting to the cold. So this year I'm kind of like, let's let's go ice skate, let's go to the parks and uh live like um home alone.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, home alone is one of my favorite uh Christmas movies that I watch, try and watch every every year during this time of the year. Um I love home alone, and it does get very home alone, especially when you are on the east coast. I am definitely trying to uh manifest next year spending Christmas in like New York City on the East Coast. Um just so I can do it once, check it off, and we'll see how it goes. Who knows? I may never want to do it again, but you never know.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I will say New York is probably the most Christmas I've felt anywhere I've lived. Like just being in the city and everything is decorated, and like it's it's really beautiful.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. And I feel like it's I don't know, I don't know if it is it the snow that makes it, you know, super like Christmasy, or is it just like the vibe of the city at that time of the year?
SPEAKER_03:I think it's the vibe of the city because like even when it's not snowing, like seeing like the window displays of like Macy's and shoot, like the Louis Vuitton store last year had like um this digital display where like the building were like Christmas wrapped gifts. It was really cool.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, yeah, yeah, I can see that. And I even remember when um when I worked in retail and we did holiday, um, we did a lot of the holiday displays, and you know, the people loved seeing the holiday displays, they loved coming to the store, they loved being a part of it, they loved all of the things. Um, and I can see that. I can see I it just I I would I guess it's situational, like depending on where you at, depending on you know what you feel to be like a holiday thing for you, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um well I hope that you get everything that you looking for wishing for for the holidays this season. Um one thing for sure is that you know, this has been a uh year of abundance. We've been doing a lot, you've been working a lot with me on this show, and I know you've been doing your own thing. So I thank you for all the work that you've been doing with me on this show, and um, we really appreciate you over here. I appreciate that. And like I have mentioned, we got a lot going on today. We have quite a bit uh scheduled. So I have a question for you. Yes, this season for the holiday season, are we feeling nice or are we feeling naughty? What's this give what's a given?
SPEAKER_03:Oh um, I think once once we get out of this work week, maybe we can start feeling a little nice, but I I think this week it was kind of a naughty week a little bit. Yes, yeah. Uh with it just because it was just full of all the work and full of it, it was uh full of the work, full of the last minute things, you know, you know how it goes. So I think it also made me a little spicy. Um kind of like kind of like a sour patch kid. I was a little salty, then I got sweet.
SPEAKER_02:So I can see that. I I I I had that same experience. The only thing was I never got to the sweet part. I was irritated and annoyed this whole week. It was too much for me. Um, I also think I've reached, I just have reached my max. Like I am at the point where I am ready to fully embrace the settle down and quiet downness of what this um slow move into the new year. Uh and you know, just let all the old shit go and welcome in the new. Um, that's where I'm at 100% with it. I love that. Um, so our first guest is already here. Um I will, I think it'll be cool just to go ahead and bring them in as we go into the next portion of this conversation. I am very, very excited for this guest. Um, we have been chatting back and forth for some time and uh, you know, trying to figure out where we was gonna get get it all mixed up in the interwebs and in the social medias and things. So I'm going to bring up our uh first guest of the evening, uh, Mr. Ryan Lewis.
SPEAKER_00:Hi. Hello, hello, hello.
SPEAKER_04:Oh my gosh, I feel like I should bow. Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome, welcome. Welcome to uh the Hello Cheese May, our annual uh live that we do virtually. Um as I've shared, usually for these lives, I talk about we talk about trends, we talk about what we want to um, what we want to take into the new year, what we want to leave in the previous year. Um but before we get into all that, tell us a little bit about yourself, Ryan. Where you come from, what you got going on?
SPEAKER_04:Wow, in my business. No, um I'm just playing. No, hello everyone. My name is Ryan Lewis. I am the host and creator of the Ryan Allow Podcast, a podcast that was created as a safe space for black LGBTQ creatives to showcase their amazing talent. Um, aside from that, I am uh I'm based in Pittsburgh, uh, and I'm a creative director, I'm a writer, finishing touch, putting the finish finishing touches on my first book. Um, so yes, I'm I do a lot of different things. I'm a community advocate, you know, I'm I'm I'm an MC. I I do I'm an event curator. I do a lot of different things, but yes, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, welcome. And you just celebrated uh a milestone with your show as well and had a live event. Um tell us about that milestone and tell us about that live event.
SPEAKER_04:Wow, so Ryan Out Loud in February of 2025, it hit five years. Um, so it five years of Ryan Out Loud, and I was thinking of how I could celebrate this milestone, how could I do something special, different, and I decided to do a live experience that was held that was hosted at um my friend and uh collaborator, Erica Turner. She owns TLC Libations here in Pittsburgh, she's the only Black woman-owned distillery in PA. I gotta always give her her things uh when I'm anywhere I'm at. And she allowed me to curate a really it looked very much like a talk show setup, you know. I had three amazing um guests that are based in uh based in Pittsburgh. And oh my god, it was just such a uh a beautiful experience. Um, I'm a person that, you know, I've said this a lot, like I feel the love, but I need to I like to see the love too. Um so it was nice to see the people that have, you know, locally that support me. And you know, it was it was beautiful. I had a nice write-up in our local uh uh black owned choir, uh Pittsburgh Choir here in Pittsburgh. So I'm I'm my heart has been full, still full when I talk about it, I get filled with emotion because I can't believe I actually did it. Um so yeah, it was beautiful. Something I have an announcement coming for the new year. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Amazing, amazing, and congratulations for sure. Um when you when you talk about a little bit about um how you curated the space. We talked about this uh when I when we first met. Um, and what you know inspired you to curate the space. Uh share with the people what did inspire you and what you wanted to bring to the Ryan Out Loud space and what inspired you to create it.
SPEAKER_04:Absolutely. So going back like the pandemic, right? This is when Ryan Out Loud started, we're getting ready to go into year six, actually. Um the world was shut down. We didn't know what the hell was going on. You know, just the only thing that was keeping me sane was scrolling Twitter. I was on Twitter, just people were cracking jokes. I'm like, we should be worried, but we're cracking jokes, and this is just how my sense of humor works as well. Um another creative and a podcast host as well, uh Stevie Derrick, who has been on Ryan Out Loud um multiple times, and he he did a uh he reposted um a video of Warren Dumas. Um, and I was like, Who is this? Who is this? And he I was he was just you know, if you're familiar with the video, he's just his song to you, he was just he was dancing down the street, da-da-da-da, singing, and I was like, Oh my god, this is as if Prince and Beyonce had a musical child. And I knew my first season, if you listen to the first few episodes, the first season of Ryan Al, very trial and error. It's very much trial and error. I always say just start from season two and on, because season one I wasn't really sure, but um I really that inspired me. I was like, you know what, there's a lane that needs to be created for black LGBTQ plus creatives because especially independent artists, because they are putting their work out there for free to, you know, notify you know, to get notarized, you know, notify notarized and to, you know, get you know, new fans and stuff like that, and ARs or you know, rec record labels that are you know, major labels that are you know scrolling and browsing Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, they're stealing these these independent artists their ideas because most of the time the independent artists they come a lot harder than what you see behind behind artists that are assigned to major labels. So when they see independent artists, they're like, oh, they ain't got nothing doing, they got nothing behind them to back them up. They didn't, you know, so they steal their ideas. And I wanted to create something that showcased their work, you know, that just gave them a platform to shine.
SPEAKER_02:So yes, that's that's how Ryan Allah was created, which is fabulous because you like you mentioned, um, a lot of people, even like us, we put our work out there. We have podcasts, we have you know content that we're putting out there for free. Just and we hoping someone like an AR will come and scroll and be like, you know, let me go ahead and snatch this person up so we can add them to some sort of something, right? Like only one can hope.
SPEAKER_04:I'm I'm wait, you know, I'm I mean, um, I had amorphous on the podcast uh a few times. He was he was on my hundredth episode, and this was after he had worked with Beyonce and everything for the uh Renaissance World Tour. And I just wanted to you know talk about that, catch up, and celebrate a hundred episodes of Ryan Out Loud. This was probably about two years. This might be going on two years, and um, you know, he was he was talking, and you know, you know, Beyonce and uh Indiette, you know, we couldn't really you know talk much because things and I was just like he was he said something along the lines like Parkwood might be listened. I'm like, hold on, Parkwood might they might hey you see me come, come on. You need a per. I don't know what would she sign me for because I don't I'm not a music.
SPEAKER_02:I mean it it don't matter. Hey, listen, let's manifest it for all three of us here. Come on, Parkwood. Hello. I'm like, do we need if if I need to jump off the back of this mantle just to get her to come say hi? Hello, who cares? Come on. Um, I wanted to talk a little bit about because I would I always think about, especially me only being two years into podcasting and uh just slowly um moving into the content space and the audio content space. And with you, have been doing it for five years and Mike has been doing it for some time. I want to hear from both of you like what is that um when you're telling yourself that you need to be doing something faster that you that you think you need to be doing, and then you in reality, you understand that it takes a little bit more time to get to that point, right? You know, five years to finally get to a space where you're like, you know, I'm gonna celebrate this. Or uh in Mike's um, in in Mike's background, we've talked many times where you know he's done work with different uh artists in different podcasts and different shows. Um, you know, what is that that mindset? What is that um that process for you to be like, it's gonna take time, I'm just gonna keep putting the work into it. And either one of you can go first, it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_03:Right, you wanna go? Yeah, I don't mind going. Um I think for me, just I have committed to the process, and that's what anything I do. Like, you know, when I first started making music, like I was committed to um getting good at production. And once I started feeling good about it, it was like, okay, now I want to take it further. And um That led to recording myself rapping, making music. And then that led to podcasting. And it's like at every step, at every stage, um, there's been a process, and just knowing that I will get to where I want to go has always kept me committed to um just doing the task. So, like, you know, when I wanted to get to a hundred episodes, I I knew like it wouldn't happen immediately, but I did it. And then I got to 200. And I was like, okay, now what do I want to do? And um I think just staying curious and keeping your mind open, like you know, because sometimes we may set a goal in the beginning of like what we want to do, and you may, you know, find down the line that you want to do something else, and like just giving yourself permission to um follow the path wherever it takes you.
SPEAKER_04:I think for me, because when I started podcasting, it was just strictly audio, and now we're transitioning into visuals, and everyone that I have collaborated with, you know, they're like, Where the visuals, Ryan? We want to see, we want to see, you know, and I'm like, uh, it's coming, it's coming. And I I always don't do it. I'm doing it a little bit more uh this season, um, just dropping reels and just trying to get the feel before I drop full episodes on the Ryan Alo YouTube page, which it does exist, but I have not utilized it yet. But just transitioning into those and then also seeing, like, you know, if I'm being transparent, you know, there are newer podcasts that come in and immediately, you know, they're getting the deals and they're getting the the brand deals. And sometimes I'm like, wow, you know, you know, it makes me go in my head, like, am I doing this right? Where I'm supposed to be. I'm like, I remember about year four, and I'm like, okay, I've been doing this for a minute, and you know, I've interviewed some of the greatest, you know, like in my opinion, you know, like, and I'm like, okay, I should, you know, let me reach out to this, you know, let me reach out to them and that, and you know, and a lot of like no responses. And, you know, sometimes when people get told no, they're like, okay, it's you know, I'm gonna give up. And although it's my other struggle is being consistent. Um, being a one-man show is is hard. I work a nine to five.
SPEAKER_02:I all you can pause on that. I work a nine to five. We can we can sit right there for a word of silence. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's we can take a sip just for that. I work a nine to five.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. You know, so it's like it's it's it gets complicated. And I I I actually this year I had said I had made it my intention to make Ryan Al. This was gonna be my this year, was it. Um, I had season eight was season seven was it. That was gonna be the you know, the last season. I wanted to pivot and do something different, um, more behind the scenes, which I'm still going to do that, but Ryan Out is not going anywhere. Um it's the most random times I get reminded of my purpose and what I'm doing. And what I also have to be reminded of is that things, no matter how long you could be doing it for 10 years, and it could be year 15 when something finally takes off. When your moment, when it's your moment, you will know. It's your moment, it will happen. No hesitation, no questions, nothing else will matter. It'll be time. You just gotta be continued, but in in the meantime, be consistent, put in the work, you know, reach out, you never know, you know. So it's a it's a lot of yeah, it's a lot of like going back and forth inside with your you know, with yourself. But yeah, that's that's where I've been at with it.
SPEAKER_03:That's a fact, and uh, I think two things came up for me, Ryan, is as you were sharing, but I think that's why community is so important in podcasting, because I think we do so much creating by ourselves that like you have to find community of people that that are doing what you're doing, people that aren't doing what you're doing. But you know, I've I've joined organizations like the Black Podcasters Association and like being able to connect with other creators, being able to connect with producers, being able to just share information with people, you start to learn like just how to get you know what it is you're looking for. Yeah, um, I think also like really knowing what you want out of this is so important because you know, initially when I came into podcasting, it was like I just need a space to share what I want to share. And once I got past that, it was like, all right, now what I really want to do with this. And uh I really wanted to create a career out of it. And I wasn't super specific about how I wanted to do it, but you know, kind of like you were saying, like I almost use my show as like a commercial for this is how I produce, this is what I do. And it's created opportunities for me, both as like a podcast host, creator, but then also as a producer. Like I've had the opportunity to like produce other people's projects. Um, so yeah, I think just for anybody listening, like to really um treat this as like your your real-time resume, you know. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, um, you both have said um drop some really good gems to just really, especially for new content creators. One of the things that um I definitely want to talk about is the fact that, you know, video versus audio, right? You know, my when I years before I even finally started this show, I have been listening to like um, I call them the super friends, they call themselves the super friends too, but like the friend zone and um the read and uh getting grown, and you know, those those podcasts have been substantial um pillars or heavy pillars, whatever they're heavy, they're big, they've been intense.
SPEAKER_04:That's the way the way I you couldn't tell me that I was not um an invisible fourth of the friend zone, like absolutely Justin, uh Sante and Fran like them down, and I feel funny because I was I just posted on my stories uh probably a little bit before because this is like in the last like month and like few weeks, I've been appearing on a lot of different podcasts, and a lot of different the different podcasts has brought up different conversations, you know, right a lot is very specific to black LT plus creatives. And I'm like, oh my god, I'm a music lover, I know a lot about RB, I know this, and I I can talk about this, I can talk about that, and it really has me inspired to like additionally. I'm not I'm not teasing anything yet, but to do more of a how do they how does they call it like a shoot to shit style, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, podcast in the near future. Like I just it's so funny you're talking about that. That's just what I didn't mean to cut you off, but that's just what made me think of that. Like they are really pioneers in the audio field, like yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, and and they've done so much. Like, I think on the friend zone I was just listening, they're like 400 and something episodes in. Yes, uh, the read is over. I know they're way over. They've been doing it for 10 years, 11 years now. So they're I mean, all in all to say, um, when I was starting, when I was had when those shows had started, I started having a conversation with myself about podcasting, but never had the guts to do it, and especially didn't have the guts to do it all on my own. Um, and fast forward to now, you know, there are when you talk about a lot of shows that start and then immediately they start with brand deals, they start with, you know, with things already backing them, it can be a little discouraging. Um, but you know, Mike also said thinking about what your purpose is, right? And you've also said your purpose, what your purpose is. And so, you know, that's what this has this first two uh years of this journey for me has been figuring out the purpose and which of why I've been wanting to do this, which I think I've been finding. I haven't fully got it, but you know, we almost there. It's it's gonna take some time.
SPEAKER_04:You're gonna get random reminders. Like I I it you'll get them, yeah, you'll get random, it'll hit you when it least expect you least expect it. And I think like after my live experience, that's when I was just like, wow, this is this is bigger than me, you know, and I'm like, and I want to hit this, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, um well, switching gears. We're about to get into the mess. Uh so it so one of the things that I have done with this show is always talking about cocktails. Now, I love a good drink, I love to have a good cocktail during the holidays. I like a good seasonal one. You know, during the summer, I drink a lot of tequila or chardonnay if I'm drinking wine, or you know, some some light champagne. You know, it's I try and change it up as we go through the seasons during the winter and fall. I drink red and or dark alcohol. So, you know, maybe Hennessy whiskey, depending on what's happening. What is everyone's drink of choice during the holiday season? What is everybody drinking today? I'm having myself a nice Hennessy on the rocks. What we got?
SPEAKER_04:I am finishing up. I uh I am so currently I'm on vacation from work for a two-week vacation, basically. As you should. Yes, amen. The day that night before my work day was over, I went to the store and bought me a bottle of proseco, issa ray's proseco. And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna make mimosas in the morning whenever I wake up. I gotta turn, I can turn my alarm off. Whenever I wake up, I'm gonna make a mimosa. You know, so has been my choice of drink. Um, I love it for yeah, for the last couple days.
SPEAKER_02:I love that.
SPEAKER_03:What we what you got, Mike? So right now I got some just regular eggnog, but I usually like to drink it spiced during the holidays, spiked, um, maybe with like some bailey or something like that, a little rum, you know, it just depends. But right now it's uh it's non-alcoholic.
SPEAKER_02:That's fine. You know, listen, we ain't judging around here. You do what you gotta do, whatever your affliction is, you handle the business that needs to be handled, okay? I appreciate that. I love that. I I wish I could drink eggnog. I cannot. And we're not gonna we don't need to have a good discussion why we I can't.
SPEAKER_03:So this is non-dairy. This is non-dairy.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, good, okay. Okay, that was it with I think it's what were we gonna say?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I was just about to ask. Is it almond milk or oat milk?
SPEAKER_03:It's almond milk.
SPEAKER_02:Almond milk? Okay. Uh, I do I've tried the one with oat milk. That one's good. Um, I've also tried to make um, I think I made uh coquito. Is that the what they with the coconut milk? And it's the um Puerto Rican eggnog. Yeah, yeah, you know, I'm almost there. We've got it. Um, so now we're gonna talk about some trends. So what I did was I um usually I will go and look at like phrases and things that were said throughout the year that I'm I have no idea what they are. Like as of the a couple of days ago, we had a friend over, and she was talking about my last year's episode. No, actually, my first year I did this, uh, and how we talked about Riz and we talked about push and pee, we talked about all kinds of different uh words and phrases and trends that were coming up and out. And I for me, what the realization that I came to is that I don't go on TikTok enough because uh clearly a lot of this language and things were happening on the TikTok, and I just don't scroll on it enough, clearly, and I think still to this day I don't, um, because there's still things that come up that my husband knows more than I do, and I'm just like, I have no idea what you're saying to me. Can you speak English? So um, but what I did pull, I pulled some a couple of things that I felt like have been trends. So to start, um, would be the loaded fries. Have you all seen how people love to put either cheese, nacho cheese, chicken nuggets, they fill it with mac and cheese and bacon. Um, it's just all kind of stuff that they put on these French fries, and people like they like it that way. They, you know, this is this has been a trend. Do you know what I'm talking about?
SPEAKER_03:I do. Um, it looks like very much so a college meal.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. Like college, I was drunk all night last night. So now I'm trying to sober myself up. Yes. Look at it, look it up on your cellular devices.
SPEAKER_03:It's almost like nacho fries.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I mean, also they the other thing is that they have um, oh my god, uh um carne asada fries where they'll put, you know, like which okay, lotus surfing turf fries.
SPEAKER_04:See, there's that. Uh so what is always funny to me when you look up something, because I look up a lot of recipes on TikTok, and I'm like, I think I was looking up chicken and dumplings, and it said chicken and dumplings, black people. Love that always when I look, so it said loaded not loaded fries, black people.
SPEAKER_02:Love that. I mean, here's the thing the funny part is that the ones that I have seen when it was a black person making, they use the the nacho cheese, and then when it was a white person, they used the shredded cheese. So, I mean, I guess it just depends on who the person is and what they're using. Yeah, um, I just you know, I think my question is do we think this is gonna continue as we go into 2026, or do we think it's gonna be something that falls off?
SPEAKER_03:I think it's gonna be around for a little while just because I I feel like I feel like the young people, I feel old saying that, but I feel like the kids are gonna be into the fries.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, their stomachs can handle it. Not this girl's stomach, no.
SPEAKER_02:No, me neither.
SPEAKER_04:Uh praise to them because try like sprinkle a little ranch, you know, put a little ranch in a bacon bit, depending. But that's about it.
SPEAKER_02:That's I mean, I'm barely, I can eat a garlic fry and with a little ketchup and be happy with my life. The rest of it, you start to lose me. It just seems like too much. Too much. I'm to the point in my life where French fries for me, I love french fries. I will always love a french fry. And even on a good day, if I feel like I want to treat myself, I'm having a salad and my french fries are my croutons.
SPEAKER_04:We put french fries in our salads, and you know, so funny hearing you say that, like that, yes, that your crouton, like that is uh like there's a restaurant, Permanny Brothers, here in Pittsburgh, that people when they fly in or come in, they're like, Oh, I gotta go to Permanni Brothers. Me, I think it's disgusting. I'm not doing it. Really? Yeah, yeah. I I don't get the hype. I don't believe in, I don't know, I don't get the hype with the French fries and a salad because why?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I think so. In my so for me, when I was doing it, I was doing it because at the time I wasn't eating meat, and usually I do it when I don't eat meat on my salads. Um, so there's kind of a more of a heartier uh feel to for me when I do do it. Um but I mean it's it's good. I don't know. That makes good it does what it for me, it does what it needs to do. Um all right, next one is we know that social media and media in general in the world, with Stanley Cups and um Yetis and all the different glass cups and everything, and then came the glass straws. So I don't know if you guys know, but there was a woman who was drinking out of her glass cup with a glass straw, a shard of glass got she accidentally swallowed it, got into her esophagus, and then started to and accidentally started to cut her esophagus, where she had to spend three or four days in the hospital because they had to let the piece of glass pass in order to make sure that it didn't essentially kill her from the inside out. The way she found out was because she had um she started coughing and you know, invernally caught coughed the blood and went to the hospital. Um, so my question do we think these glass straws are gonna stick around, or do we think we we need to get rid of the glass straws?
SPEAKER_04:Yes. I I have glass straws. It's funny, I think we need to get rid of the plastic ones. What's the ones they've been using now? Um the it's so disgusting because I'll like drink it. The um it's not the plastic straws, it's the they were the silicone ones, silicone, like it's the silicone or like it. Um the paper ones, I'm just like oh like the biodegradable ones, yeah. And I'm like, yes, whoever created this, see me outside. Like, yeah, I get it. We want to save the environment, but I it's funny because I have three glass uh straws that I specifically use for my my smoothies. So now I'm like, uh maybe I gotta I need to throw those away. That is not safe.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I hope after your story, I hope we get rid of them.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, it's definitely not safe. I mean, I guess it also depends on how you're taking care of them, how you're keeping them clean, where you're storing them. You know, we don't know any of that of what the lady was doing, but that's just scary. You know, when I used to um, when I was in bartending school and I used to bartend, one of the things they did they told you was like, June, A, don't put the glass down in the ice. You use the shovel for the ice to put the ice in the glass. And then B, if the glass is cracked, throw that away. You can't use that. Um, because of those type of reasons. You know, people are drinking, people be they didn't, they're not paying attention. Um, and that could easily happen to anybody. But on the flip side of that, those biodegradable straws, the ones that are especially like uh pasta noodles, are disgusting. Like the longer they sit there, they turn into like ooey gooey mess or paper, it's gross. But I do also understand trying to save the environment.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's like it, it's like, eh, and I'm like, oh.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, okay. So the next one is if you've been on the TikTok, um the people have been using chicken nuggets to eat their chipotle bowl. So they get their regular Chipotle bowl, you know, with the rice, the beans, the meat, uh, with sour cream, guacamole. Then they go to McDonald's and they get McDonald's chicken nuggets, and they're using the chicken nuggets to dip in their uh Chipotle bowls to eat the bowl.
SPEAKER_03:That sounds like another child meal.
SPEAKER_04:Literally, like, do they love their body? Like, oh my god, I'm seeing this. What?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a whole it was it's a whole thing.
SPEAKER_04:Like the bowl's already enough, like then you're adding nuggets, like, because you probably they probably get a bowl with chicken, like you're doubling it.
SPEAKER_02:That's a heart attack when it can happen, and that's what I'd be thinking, right? Because my first thought is I know your chicken eggs are already fried, yes, and then you have all this stuff in this bowl. Now you are using this chicken nugget to dip in this bowl, like but it's not even really a dip though. It's not, it's like a it's like a scoop. You're scooping to eat it as if it's a spoon.
SPEAKER_03:I I just googled it, and every picture I saw, people had 20 pieces. Like, I thought it was like maybe like a couple of nuggets, like that.
SPEAKER_04:I literally was like, they and it's not like it's a little bit, it's stacked. Like my stomach instantly started hurting when I saw it.
SPEAKER_02:Like that's a mess.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, they can leave that work and yeah, leave that in 2025.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, it's just ridiculous. I also think like when I there's another person that I end up scrolling past, this young guy, he always eats these huge burritos and pours a bunch of sauce on it, and then like I'm um very particular about eating things, and I eat with my mouth closed, I try not to make any sounds, but for whatever reason, people on social media love to like make uh slurping noises, it's like it's mr.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I'd be like, Lord god, it drives me crazy. Like, I one of my actually like something I actually hate is when somebody's eating a boy seafood boil and they're like slurping is too much, it's too much for Uncle Dana.
SPEAKER_02:Uncle I'll just be like, I gotta go. I'm literally step away.
SPEAKER_04:Speaking of a seafood boil, they do uh they do wing boils now. I don't sorry, I didn't mean yes, yes, look it up. Tell us about it. I so I looked it up. So one of my friends, one of my she's like my sister, she does she's not a seafood fan, and she was like, I would want to do a wing boil, and I was like, that exists, and she was like, Yeah, look it up. So I looked it up and like literally like you would do a a uh uh seafood boil with swings and the corn, and then so I wouldn't do a wing boil. I saw the person they put eggs in it, they put the eggs in it like you would the the seafood boil. I wouldn't do that, I wouldn't do that at all. But I'm gonna do like the corn, maybe, but it looked good. I'm I'm intrigued, but yeah, sorry, I didn't mean I was like, that was something I it doesn't look bad.
SPEAKER_03:I I think when you mentioned that I was I was just imagining like boiled chicken, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Actually, now that you say that, yeah. Yeah, but I know I saw that he I think he could like he you know fried. I don't know, did he fry them or put him in the oven? I don't know. I can't remember what he did at the beginning. I'll have to look again.
SPEAKER_03:The picture I just looked at, it looked like they were fried and then put into the so I I could work with that, but I thought you meant like just like a boiled piece of chicken. I was like, oh no.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I'm looking at the same one where he's deep frying the chicken wings and he's sauteing the sausages first. So that looks good. This there's a picture right next to it, uh, where they're clearly boiling it. But I mean, I'm indifferent. I wouldn't say it looks gross, I wouldn't say it looks, you know, amazing, but I also use when I make gumbo, I use wing uh uh wings, so I mean it looks good. But I'm like, what I think it's I think it's the corn.
SPEAKER_04:I so it's the eggs for me.
SPEAKER_02:Ah, okay, okay. But you see, here's the thing. I've never used even when I did do a seafood boil, I didn't use boiled eggs. Understood. I used corn, I used potatoes, yeah, yeah, yeah, and the sausage, but we didn't do boiled eggs when I did it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I've never done boiled eggs either.
SPEAKER_04:I've seen them with boiled eggs, I've seen like people do the boiled eggs, but when I've had a seafood boil, I had potatoes and sausage and corn. Okay, I mean, okay, yeah, you know, it's a thing. Hey, I was shocked. I actually told her, I told my brother, I'm like, we I said one weekend, one Saturday, let's do a wing boil. So I'll have to I'll send you when it's it happens, but uh yeah, I think we're gonna do it soon.
SPEAKER_02:I love it, I love it. Um, all right. The last thing on my list is um so I've been seeing a lot of different uh food creators because you know food content creators are they have their own space. Yeah, they do. You know, they they be doing they thug this over there in the food content creation space. And um I've see a lot of people make different types of, I guess you can call them, we can call them sushi wraps because that's what they they do. They either do it with rice, they do it with the seaweed, or they do it with rice paper. The other day I saw a young lady go and order a double double from In N Out, and she got a protein style. Um, and Ryan, you don't have In N Out where you are, right? So do you you know what In N Out is? I do. I've never had it, but I I do. Okay, so uh then so she ordered in protein style, which means it's just a lettuce wrap, and she ordered two of them, and she ordered her French fries. She then goes home, takes it, and she takes the the two protein style wrap uh uh double doubles, and she takes the french fries and puts it in the rice wrap, wraps it all up, and makes it into a burrito, and eats it with the animal style sauce. The next thing I see is somebody boiling hot dogs, boiling spaghetti noodles with the seaweed wrap and the uh sauce, making a sushi roll with all of this, and then they eat it that time. Um are we gonna stop with making everything into some sort of sushi wrap of something? Leave it. Why do we need to do this?
SPEAKER_04:Leave it.
SPEAKER_02:Never need to happen.
SPEAKER_04:I just uh when you said hot Yeah, no.
SPEAKER_02:It's I I think for me, my question is you know, sometimes when we talk about content, I think sometimes people uh do things just for the wow factor content and for the wow factor. Um it's just it's so interesting. You know? Um I'm speechless actually. Uh any trends that y'all see or things that y'all think about that y'all would like to either keep or get rid of as we move into the new year? Any thoughts?
SPEAKER_03:I think I have a get rid of. Oh, what you got? Uh straight people saying clock it. Yes.
SPEAKER_04:Very much. Clock that too. Yeah, straight, yeah, straight men, women, like I and I don't, I'm not really, I don't really like, so I always I do it with the wrong fingers to my friends because I know I'm gonna like annoy them. But I don't even, you know, when I hear it, I'm like, what our lingo is it's it's doing it, is yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I can see that. I don't even say clock it, but I I'm like I don't either, honestly. You know, I um the whole uh finger uh thing. It's funny because I was at work the other day and my coworkers were doing it, and they some of them were doing it wrong, and I know they're watching this, and sorry, you guys were doing it wrong. But you know, I but I also didn't know the history behind it. And I didn't even think there was a history behind it. I didn't even think it would be it's that deep to me, those type of things to me, I didn't think um beyond the the heart the deep historical things of the community, I didn't think just something as simple as a gesture is um is that deep to me. Uh but you know, I I hear that, you know, I think there's a whole thing around um the straight community using a lot of our lingo and misusing a lot of our lingo and using it, and then you know when it comes to um meaning us at the front lines when shit is going on, then that's a whole different conversation. That's a whole nother episode. Well, yes, and then there's that speak on it because what else our lingers we got?
SPEAKER_04:They love our lingo, they love our culture, they love us as an accessory, yes. But when it's time, when it comes to the homophobia that somebody might experience with their with like if you have female friends that have boyfriends who are homophobic, or you know, like do you have my dad? You're not telling your boyfriend and clock that tea at that, you know, like it's right, it's yeah, so yeah, that's a whole nother episode.
SPEAKER_02:What else you got? Anybody, you got anything else, Mike?
SPEAKER_04:You have one? I do. So part of me, hear me out. Part of me, I love the use of AI when it's proper AI when it's properly used, okay? Like work related, or you know, even structuring, you know, if you're structuring a new concept or create, you know, like have your own ideas, don't let it for you know, do it for you or whatever you use. But the ones that are the the the the AIs that are videos that are getting me are the ones where like I think I saw I was scrolling TikTok and Michael Jackson stole uh KFC chicken, somebody's KFC chicken, and ran out the door and said, Hee hee, you know, like I swear I was thinking about that one before you even said it.
SPEAKER_03:That was on my mind. As soon as you said AI.
SPEAKER_04:What is happening? And then I'm seeing like Aaliyah and Whitney Houston and Selena, like let and Tupac sitting there and Mr. Rogers having a whole conversation, like let them rest in peace. Like, there's a way to utilize AI, and I don't think that's a way to utilize AI. It's crazy how realistic, like sometimes I am amazed. Like a lot of people are you using it like I'm a beehiver, so I'd be like, you know, I'm in the theories, act three theories, and somebody did a concept with AI, and I was like, okay, I like that, you know. But when it's you're reviving dead people and doing things, I'm just like, yikes, so yeah, get rid of that aspect of AI.
SPEAKER_03:I don't know. I fully agree with that one, and that's so crazy you mentioned that video because as soon as you said it, I was like, Yeah, Michael Jackson stealing a bucket of chicken was crazy work, and it was like I I love my I love my end of the day, scrolling TikTok at the end of the night, rubbing my feet together.
SPEAKER_04:I was like, what? I remember it was dark, and I was just like, Oh, it's time for me to go to bed. Like, what was that? Yeah, that was crazy.
SPEAKER_02:I would agree, I agree with you about the different AI videos and the different um the different things that they're doing with AI. I actually did a whole episode with um uh uh Ryan AI. He um he he actually works and does a lot of different like AI marketing, uh a lot of his um some of his content and uh video clips that he's created have been AI just to kind of show where AI has come from come, how far it's come, and you know, just the different work that needs to happen with it to make it better, etc. Um, but I do, you know, even uh even I think um Martin Luther King's daughter was talking a lot about this too. Uh she talks about this and she's like, I wish you guys would stop creating this shit, essentially.
SPEAKER_04:Literally, because why like I thought we doing this too? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's yeah, I saw them in like a rap battle, and I was like, why? Why? But it but it is interesting though, like I'm I'm curious to know why are they using so much of black people um in creating these videos? Because I even see the ones where like they had like the kids coming out the womb and like talking about the parents, and I saw this lady that had like a gumbo jacket, like it was a jacket that had pockets for gumbo, and she was like pouring gumbo out her sleeve, not pouring gumbo out her sleeve, it's too much, too much.
SPEAKER_02:I love it. Um, any other things we want to get rid of? That's it, yeah. I think for me, one of the things that I'm hoping for when we walk into uh 2026 is that um let's have some some regular meals. Um, I want to see regular meals on the timeline. Um, I want to see um I wanna see us doing some regular things on the media, not just things for Wild Factor. Although, you know, get your money. Do what you gotta do. I just was talking about um Housewives and you know making up your story, making up your plot just to be on the show. And I get that for you because you need that paycheck, but sometimes it's right there in the pudding, girl. You don't even need to do all the extra shit around it. Like I had all I think that um I think for me, when I think about the what I create and what I talk about in the shows that I try and that I do create for this plat for my platform, I really do try to be like, I'm not gonna do any of that extra shit because that's just not me. I'm not, you know, I am extra just because of who I am and being a Leo. That's just how it is. I don't need to do any more than what I'm already doing for the plot. I don't, and I don't have the energy to. Um, so you know, we'll see. We'll see. We'll see what happens when we move into this uh the new the new the new world um as we navigate.
SPEAKER_03:I do have one more, um, kind of piggybacking off what you shared, but like let's stop making everything content. Um okay, I saw a video of somebody that was like crying because they lost their friend, but at the same time in the video, they had to show off this outfit and show like the shoes of Balenciaga. This is like while crying for their friend, naming their labels of their clothing. So let's let's stop that.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's like they be setting up like you literally, like that is a full, like I had to do uh uh just a video for um a brand uh uh a part, a big party here in Pittsburgh, and they asked me to do uh a video advertising and with my own promo code and stuff. And it took me three hours to sit there and just like. How I came up with the little concept, nothing crazy, and I was just like editing it, putting I was just like, this is insane. So the ones that are really fully invested in getting out their car, putting this the tripod up, putting their phone, pulling off, going back to go get their tripod and iPhone, setting it up when they're walking into Target, coming back to grab the tripod, walking around and then place it in that one of the aisles while you go look and shop. That's insane. But however, com get your money. Because if if if something was offered to me, you'll see me with my tripod in my phone, not anybody.
SPEAKER_02:So you bring up a point, a good point, because I was just also saying the um I'm not in the place to go live as consistent as some of these creators can, even though literally TikTok is a space that is like throwing money at you to go live. They're like, you can make this amount of money, you can like, you know, people is as long as you keep the traffic coming in when you go live, and then like you have the the platform and the people that is gonna watch you. Um there are people making lots of money going live on TikTok, which more power to them. Like, you know, that's really dope. And if you if you got it in you to do, then do it. Um but I'm just like, I'm like, I'm not there. Like, I don't I don't have the patience to make up a conversation that I want to have with a bunch of people that I don't know. That's number one. Number two is I just, you know, what are we gonna talk about? What are we going to converse about? And then y'all getting spicy in the comments, and then what? Now I gotta look like cray, I gotta look crazy because I'm cussing you out because you said something off the wall to me. You know, I just I don't know. I think when you talk about like the folks who do do the everyday, um the everyday uh lives and they um they uh do the vlogs of the day, their days and their lives, I would be down to do that. Um like actually I just did my first unboxing that I've ever did and just randomly was like, I'm gonna record an unboxing today. And I looked crazy and it looked crazy, but I was like, I'm just gonna do it, and we're gonna post it, we're just gonna see what's happened. And you know, it's it's okay, it's it's fine, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_04:It's and it's funny because I'm like, I've been I've had some like small opportunities to do more like content um things with like local organ, like um I did a collaboration with uh local, like our children's museum here in Pittsburgh, where they have a creative membership for creatives, and they were like, we did an ugly sweater workshop. So I did a little like content video of walking through the process of that, and it's it's interesting to me because now I'm like I was like, okay, I think I want to like navigate other avenues besides just like podcasting, because I do have this big personality that I would love for people to see, but how do how much do I want people to see? Right? It's it's interesting, even getting comfortable on TikTok. Like I found my groove on TikTok, right? Me being an RB music lover, specifically RB, and what I've been doing is I started off with when you asked me to play um brandy and it's not full moon or have you ever and like it's been and I'm like usually I'm in a video, I'm like lips thinking, I'm getting comfy because I used to be if you would have asked me like three years ago, I would never dance in a video on TikTok. Would never, I'm like so awkward. I always say like I have a lot of Easter tendencies, like awkward. And now I'm like I'm finding my groove, and people are commenting and following, and I'm like, oh, this is this is what it's like. I don't know. I'm like, I maybe I want to do step in a little bit more of those like avenues. We'll see, you know.
SPEAKER_02:I feel that, I feel that. Um well we have made it to the point in the show where we're about to have ourselves uh a little fun with this game. Um, I want to um give us a second to take a break and refresh and refill any cocktails, maybe run to the restroom if necessary. And mostly I'm doing that for me because I need to go to the restroom. So I um we're gonna take a quick break and we will be right back. Hey y'all, if you like what you heard, make sure you join the conversation. We always say to make sure to like, comment, and subscribe, and we definitely want you to do that. But also, we would love if you would join in with us. There's a link in the description where you can actually send us messages. You can also make sure to tag us on social media, put up your favorite clips of the show, and then tag us, and we will repost them on our stories. That is the best way to get in communicate communication or community with us, and we would love to see y'all interact with the content. Anyway, thank you for following us and thank you for listening, and we'll see you back for the remainder of the show. Bye, Mr. Devil. And I know we're not supposed to be ordering off Amazon, but listen, I needed these embossed ice cube molds, and that was the only place I can find them. Okay, hey cuss me out tomorrow. I'm fine with it.
SPEAKER_04:I would never because I still use it too.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I just mines have a D in them, they have every letter.
SPEAKER_04:Oh I need to look into that.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, they're cute, I like them. Um, I don't know if you guys uh follow uh Vic. Uh Vic on uh TikTok and Instagram. Uh I love Vic. If she's watching this or she ever hears this, girl, we need to have some Leo energy so we can act a fool on this interwebs together. But um she she has it on her TikTok, on her uh not TikTok, but her storefront. And she uh has hers has a V, obviously. But they have a bunch of different letters. Anyway, my point is cheers, happy holidays, y'all.
SPEAKER_04:Cheers.
SPEAKER_02:Um mine's gone now, but um, all right. So our next guest has arrived. Um, and I hope you all are ready for this wonderful surprise. Um, because it's been a long time and I'm so happy that she's here. So we're gonna bring to the stage uh Stephanie.
SPEAKER_05:Hi, everyone.
SPEAKER_02:Hey, welcome, welcome. Oh my gosh, it's been a minute.
SPEAKER_06:It has it's been a while. I was actually nervous. Wow, well, because I haven't we haven't done this in a in a while. I haven't.
SPEAKER_02:It has been a while, um, and then it's live. Yes, it is live. We have over 13,000 people watching. Um shut up. Hello. I wish one day manifest it.
SPEAKER_06:We're speaking into existence.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly, exactly. Welcome back. I also just want to say uh, real quick, that for those who did watch the unboxing and did look forward to seeing me use that microphone, here's what happened. I tried to set it up, and then I realized that I'm gonna have to get a whole new microphone arm because the bottom of it uh does not fit the screw that is on the microphone arm that I currently have. So I have to go figure out if I can get like a little adapter or something to go underneath it, or what has to happen. Every day it's a struggle, but we're here. Um, welcome Stephanie. What's been going on, child? Um happy holidays. Please tell us what's give us some updates.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, so I have a lot of updates, I guess. Um well, first and foremost, I moved and I moved to a whole new city. Um, I sold my house in San Diego and made a fresh start, I guess, a big move. Um, my kids and I just like relocated. I'm still in the process of like unpacking and um decorating, which is the fun part. Um, and I've been having fun with it. I feel like um, you know, previously um I was living with other people in the home or like other people were living with me in my house. And um I feel like this time it's like just my thing. And I feel like I'm like can have fun more, like fun, you know, and like um put a feminine, like feminine touch to it, you know. You know, man in this house. So I can kind of do what I want, you know, and like be playful with it. Um and yeah, it's it's been a transition for sure. Like my kids are adjusting. I think more my son, since he's a little older than my daughter, um, you know, which is new school, new friends, new sports teams, like all that. Um, but I feel like after this week it's been a little more like settling in, you know? And um, yeah, besides that, um I don't know, any other updates? Um I think that's a big one. So I feel like that's kind of consumed that like you know, selling a home is way different is way different than I thought it would be. Um it's like so many little things like you don't think about. Um, but I feel like the team that helped me with that was like I couldn't have asked for anything better. Um so I felt really supported in that. Um so yeah, that's been kind of like where I've been for the last like I don't know, like four months.
SPEAKER_02:Since the beginning, um uh since I mean, I guess since summertime, right? Like it's since July, August, it's it was all starting to be like a process. So yeah, um, it's yeah, but that's good. I mean, we happy to have you, child. Welcome back. Thank you everybody for a nice fun yang dang doodle. Uh you know everybody here because we already had ourselves a nice little intro meeting, yeah. And now we're about to have some fun um and have ourselves a good old time. Everybody, everybody in the chat and everybody in the room, welcome back, Stephanie. Thank you. All right, so we I have a game. Uh, nothing that the old time listeners and uh maybe you new time listeners are new to, but nothing that the old time listeners are new to. Uh, Stephanie and I have always played a fishbowl question game, or we've always tried to incorporate some sort of question game into an episode to have fun and just also to just showcase our personality. Uh this year, uh for this uh particular uh episode, as we are uh theming everything naughty and nice, uh, as you know, I asked Mike at the beginning of the episode, is you feeling naughty or is you feeling nice this season? So I'm gonna pose the question for uh we're gonna start with Ryan and then we go to Stephanie. Uh, is she feeling naughty or is she feeling nice this year for the holiday season, Ryan? What's a given? I'm feeling naughty.
SPEAKER_04:What's gotten us there, friend? How do we get there? I'm just like the holidays. I don't know because I'm like older, I don't know, like I just I'm not feeling it. I also I moved to a new apartment in the middle of November. So like I'm still now like I'm getting settled, but also like figuring out how I want things to look. And everybody's like, Did you put up a tree? I'm like, I didn't even hang, I don't even have a dresser yet. Like, I'm still, you know, like figuring things out. I don't care about a tree right now, and then there's another side of it. I'm uh I come, I'm an only child, I'm my mother's only child, I should say, and I have a small older family. My grandparents are 86 and 90, and it's just very slow, you know, like and I'm I and let me, I do not want to sound ungrateful. Okay, I'm very grateful to still have my grandparents and my mom, you know, to celebrate holidays with in my family. But I'm like, oh, maybe maybe it's time to maybe a kid needs to pop up, but then it's also like this world is like going to shit. So do I really want to bring a child into this world? So it's a lot of different things, and it just got me feeling, I shouldn't even say not, it got me feeling sour. Like, I just not even feeling it for real.
SPEAKER_06:Like he's like, everybody's getting cold this year, I don't give a fuck.
SPEAKER_04:I'll catch y'all next year, right?
SPEAKER_06:We'll try again, Stephanie. I'm feeling nice this year. Okay, so yeah, I'm feeling like um, I don't know if it's because it's like I'm excited for this like fresh start, and I feel like in this town, like everyone is so nice and talkative. And like the Cali, the I'm born and raised San Diego in California. So the California girl on me is like, can I just have my stuff? You know, but then I'm like, okay, let me not be a bitch. So I'm kind of like, you know, um warming up to that and like embracing it a little more. Um, and also like I'm closer to living to where a lot of where my family lives now. And I have a lot of cousins my age, all our kids are like the same age. I have a big family, and um, so I've been feeling good. Like I feel like we're we've all been, you know, it's a lot of us, so we have fun, and you know, my family, you know, Mexicans, we like to party. Uh so um, yeah, I feel good. I feel nice. I feel blessed.
SPEAKER_02:Amazing, and that's good, that's important. Um, I think I am in a great between, which I'll call the mystery space. Because this year, although yes, it's been I I'm grateful for where I am this time right now today, and it's been abundant, it's been amazing, those things have been great. But you know, um, people in the universe have a way to kind of work you over and to or work overwork you uh and have a ability to just pull shit out of you that you don't need them to pull out of you. So, and that has happened sometimes through this year, um and also just like um, you know, motherfuckers just need to to settle down, like let's just bring it to a level space and I'm speaking around everything, I'm speaking in I'm speaking in circles, but I understand that, but I'm also just like come on now, like let's just settle down, let's always be in a space of leveledness. Um yeah, but I'm in a mystery space, is what that means, what I'm just what I'm saying. And it's really um mostly because I um I've been learning about myself through therapy that I am very much so things will happen uh to me and or around me, and I'm very much so. Let's just move forward. I don't have time to dwell on it. Um, I'm not a person who sits in um in feelings a lot. My husband actually calls me the tin man sometimes because of that, but I also it's it has done me well because I don't operate a lot on emotions. And um I operate a lot on well-thought-out planning and um organized decisions. Uh and when I have made emotional decisions, they've been fine, but I don't always like to use my emotions to make a decision all the time. Um so yes, I'm in a mystery space, to say the least. Um and with all of that being said, that actually brings us to the game that we're playing. So we are going to be playing the naughty or nice fishbowl game. There are three categories: there's naughty, there's nice, and there's mystery. Uh, some of us here have chosen the naughty and nice in our mysteries area, and there's questions that go along with that area. The way the game is going to go is I have planned to have three bowls here. However, as you can see in the camera, you can't even see those bowls. So guess what? They don't even exist anyway. So that's fine. But I have the questions here. And what we are going to do is we are going to the first round, we're going to start with what we've chosen. And so I've chose mystery. Uh Mike chose naughty. Right. Ryan chose naughty. And Stephanie chose nice. So that's perfect because we'll get a great sense of all of the different areas. We'll do the first round. Once we do the first round, then you all can make a decision if you want to change, if you're feeling naughty, nice, or if you're in a mystery. And then that will change the different type of question the question that we're going to ask. You can choose to answer the question truthfully, or you can take a penalty. The penalties are taking a sip of whatever drink you have. Or you can uh so it says show the last selfie in your camera, but I don't think we need to do any of that. Um let's say we will um pick another question if we uh if you if you don't want to do the other. So again, so take a drink of the drink that you have, uh let another guest answer, or we'll pick a different question. Is that fair? All right, all right, so we will start with our naughty guest, which was between Mike and Ryan. So we'll take a vote. Mike and Ryan pick a number between one and ten. I'll go with uh either y'all just shout out the number, whatever it is. Four. Uh eight. All right. So my number was ten. So uh Mike was closer to the number. So the number is uh the question is Have you ever re-gifted a gift to the person who gave it to you?
SPEAKER_03:No, I have not done that before, but that is hilarious. There's probably been times that I have wanted to re-gift something, but no, I've never given it back to the person. That's funny.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, but sometimes it happens. I've regifted gifts. I'm regifting gifts right now. I have two white elephant gifts that were gifts to me that I'm regifting to someone to other people. Ryan, you oh, okay. Now, this is a little bit of a scandalous question. I'm gonna read it and you tell me if you want to answer it or not. Let's go. All right, it's number four. It says, Tell us about a holiday hookup or sneaky link. You'll never forget no names. You don't have to answer, but if we want to get into the tea, we oh that's easy.
SPEAKER_04:My I you know, childhood childhood friend I saw during one holiday break, and he's grown, I'm grown, and things progressed, things went down. I love that for like three holidays, it was like a thing until he got into a relationship, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But oh, so it happened multiple times, multiple times. I love that, you know. I love a consistent motherfucker.
SPEAKER_04:It was a year, like you know, it was like one of those things like we haven't seen each other all year, type thing. So we were both home the same time. It's like, oh what's good, you know, what's up? Yeah, a holiday tradition.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. Okay, um, I will so mine's was a mystery, so I'll go ahead.
SPEAKER_00:Um, are we cheating on it?
SPEAKER_02:You better read the quad the there's there's ten questions here. I'm just like, which one can I answer? Like, and so it says, Who's most likely to show up late to the holiday function? So actually, tomorrow we're having a holiday function here at the house. Who's most likely to show up late? Um, okay. Hopefully she's not watching, but um, but she has a baby. So but she's most likely to show up late. Um, but she also lives further than all of us, too. I hope she doesn't hear this. She's gonna cuss me out tomorrow. Uh all right, Stephanie. So you chose nice. Um pick a number between one and ten.
SPEAKER_06:Uh seven.
SPEAKER_02:Uh, what's your favorite holiday drink or dessert? Also, before you answer, I'm sure you've been keeping track because I know the last time we talked, if you want to share uh how your years, your timeline of sobriety at this point, because last time you had already reached a year.
SPEAKER_06:Yes, I'm a little over a year and a half.
SPEAKER_02:Nice.
SPEAKER_06:Yes, yeah. Um, yeah, so I um yeah, it's been a year and a half since I drink, but um I would say I like there's a it's called in Spanish, it's called ponche. I don't know if you guys have ever heard of it. It's like a bunch of diced up fruit, star, I think starvanized um cinnamon. It's like a punch, basically, like a hot punch. Um it does have plenty of alcohol in it. Um, so I used to like that. Um eggnog is good if it's made well. I do like that as well. Um, and favorite dessert. I don't know. I guess like well, does it have to be Christmas? Like, can it be Thanksgiving?
SPEAKER_02:No, it could be anything.
SPEAKER_06:Okay, I like uh pecan pie is good, or like a good cheesecake is good too. Yeah, like made from scratch, not like the store.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, my aunt let me be specific.
SPEAKER_06:You know, you know, uh Dana, my aunt she makes good desserts, she makes good cakes, so she she usually makes the best desserts.
SPEAKER_02:I Paris loves pecan pie. Um I used to love a pecan pie before I became highly allergic to pecans, um, which is very unfortunate because I was allergic to peanuts and then progressively became allergic to walnuts, and then over time became allergic to pecans, which is unfortunate. Because I love pecans and I love pralines or pralines, however people say them. Uh people say it.
SPEAKER_06:Did you make you made the pecan pie on Thanksgiving, right? So do you have to wear maybe I this is an ignorant question, but do you have to wear like uh gloves and stuff? Like will your skin have a reaction, or you have to like ingest it?
SPEAKER_02:I just have to ingest it. Um so I didn't have to wear any gloves. Um yeah, no, that's so pecans is the only thing that I don't have to worry about touching and having a breakout. Chocolate and peanuts, I do because I have um I have washed something that had chocolate in it and it got on my hands, and all night my hands itched.
SPEAKER_01:That's crazy.
SPEAKER_02:And like I could feel them aching and swelling at the same time. Yeah, that has happened to me. Not ever not as of recent, but it has happened to me before, um, where I where I have done that. Uh, and I had to um go wash my hands and be like, Leo, like if I don't, then I I can't touch my face, you know, I can't do anything. Um, but yeah, pecan pie is delicious. All right. So now we're at the round to where you get to kind of remake some choices. So we are going to start. I'm gonna start down. So Mike is down here, and then Stephanie and then Ryan, because I feel like because we did the other way around. It don't matter. Anyway, Mike, is we feeling naughty, nice, or are we in a mystery?
SPEAKER_03:I'm gonna go nice this time. Are we going nice? All right, so Stephanie chose four.
SPEAKER_06:Mike, I'm surprised you were feeling naughty.
SPEAKER_03:It's been a long week. My week being so naughty.
SPEAKER_06:He said, I am tired.
SPEAKER_02:So, Mike, choose a number between um one and nine. Let's go one. All right. So, what's the best holiday memory you have as an adult?
SPEAKER_03:Ooh, as an adult, my best holiday memory is probably going to Joshua Tree. Uh I rented a house and my partner and I went, and my cousin came stop by. One of my best friends stopped by, but it was nice to just be in the desert. It wasn't as cold. Um, very nice, very nice vacation.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, okay. And it was uh, you said it was during the holidays. So what month was it? November or December?
SPEAKER_03:Uh it was December, and I did uh take a shroom trip while I was there, and it was a good time. It was really good time.
SPEAKER_02:Did you microdose or you did like a full capsule? I went to space.
SPEAKER_03:As you should.
SPEAKER_04:As you should.
SPEAKER_02:Look, I think this is this is one of the was it your first time?
SPEAKER_03:No, no. Oh, okay. Um, yeah, I've I've been a few times. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:He's been in space with two times. I love that. Actually, so there is a um, there is a um place in Joshua Tree that it there is a room that's shaped like a spaceship, and they have it, it's an Airbnb. There's also a um sound bowl space there, and in the middle of it, it's 10 tons of uh cement. So when you sit in the middle of the room, it echoes throughout the room as if it was like a microphone up there, and it's good for um healing. And um like if you have any body um like pain or you know, issues like that. We went, me and uh me and Paris went when before we got married, and his knee was like fucking fucking with him real bad. Um and we went. I loved it, he hated it, which was opposite because he dragged me there and I really didn't want to go. I was like, I don't want to go, I'm hungover, I don't want to go to this shit, but it was amazing.
SPEAKER_06:Um wait, so it's a Airbnb, it's an Airbnb or it's like a place you can go, like you pay an entrance and then you can it's like an experience.
SPEAKER_02:The Soundbowl experience is a is separate from the Airbnb. There is an Airbnb that is like a spaceship. There's also one other space that's there in that area that is um this full on, like it's like a trailer almost, and it's all glass, and it's like a long swimming pool on the inside. I think, and it was on selling sunset, and I think it was in LA, or it's a little bit outside LA near Joshua Tree and like Palm Springs and stuff like that in the desert. But it's real cute.
SPEAKER_06:I would do the sound sound experience. That sounds cool.
SPEAKER_02:I I like sound bowls. If I can get into it, you know, I'll start doing them. Give me a couple, they're expensive though. I got I like shoes and shit, you know. Anyway, um, all right. So, Stephanie, what are we feeling? Are we still feeling nice or are we moving on to a different category?
SPEAKER_06:Um, we can do naughty.
SPEAKER_01:All right, she's feeling naughty.
SPEAKER_00:So pick a number between uh hold on, so we asked Ryan this one, and we asked Mike One.
SPEAKER_01:All right, pick a number between one and eight.
SPEAKER_06:Six.
SPEAKER_02:Perfect. Have you ever lied about holiday plans to avoid someone?
SPEAKER_06:I don't think so. I think I'm pretty uh straight out, all right. Yeah, I probably have, honestly. I'm like, all right.
SPEAKER_04:Well yeah, yes, I have I have.
SPEAKER_02:Um we have people we don't want to see during the holidays, honey. Why do we need to see any of them? Yeah, all right, Ryan is back at you. Are we feeling naughty, nice, or is it a mystery?
SPEAKER_04:I'm gonna say mystery. I wish I knew that the first because that's where I was kind of feeling. I'm like a little mystery, like between. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so I said entered something about someone being late. Okay, so pick a number between one and nine six. Who would be the messiest after two cocktails? You don't have to say any names, but you can kind of give friend category if you like.
SPEAKER_04:She's like, I've known you don't usually it's my birthday, and she's like, I've known you longer than this person and that person. I'm the superior friend, da-da-da-da. And all of my friends are like, Yo, Ryan. And I'm like, Yeah, I'm like, y'all, you know, we've been friends since college. You know, let's just, you know, you only have to see her once a year, but also she does sometimes come to events that I host. So my best friend, she'll be like, Okay, I'm gonna let you know this is the third time I've seen her this year. I'm used to one, so what are we doing?
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. I mean, I've it's always that one person or indoor friend, in or more than one. Um, I mean, you know, it happens. People be drinking.
SPEAKER_04:Listen, when I drink, I want to go dance, okay? Let me like send me to the dance floor.
SPEAKER_02:I love that. Um, okay, so I'm gonna choose because I was mystery, I'm gonna choose nodding, and I am going to choose um. I'm gonna choose what is I guess what is the pettiest reasons I've ever returned a gift? I don't know that I ever returned a gift because I don't like returning things. So it would be I I hate going to return things. So I guess if I've ever returned a gift, it has to have been because I didn't like it. Um, I mean, which I don't think is petty. I think that's very honest. Um yeah, I mean, I've I can't say that I've ever returned a gift at all. Um I try to make a reason to use everything that I get. But here's what I will say. I also try to make sure that people know what I like if they're gonna buy me a gift. So if you're gonna buy me something and you are like, oh, I don't know what to get you, I'm like, I can send you some options. Right? I think that's fair. Very fair. You can give me a candle also, and I'll be happy as long as it smells good.
SPEAKER_06:Dana's like, here's my Amazon wish list. Have your pick. You've never read you've never like returned or not even returned it because I hate go returning stuff too. But have you ever like thrown something, tossed something, or like regift it or something because you didn't like who it came from?
SPEAKER_02:Not necessarily. So actually, the gift that I'm re gifting, um, I'm regifting it because. The stuff in it I'm not gonna use. And it's not that it's not good, actually. It's a very good brand. The stuff in it is very good. But I know that this what's in there, I won't use it. And um when it comes to that, I um I'm being very vague because the people that are coming over may be watching this and they're gonna, it's gonna anyway. It's a good gift. I like the brand. It's a very good brand, it's a very well-known brand. Um, but I'm just like, no, I don't need it. Yeah. Um, okay. So we got uh we can probably do two more rounds. Um and now I've removed, I've moved y'all around. I don't know if y'all can see this, but yeah. You can? Okay, good. All right, so Stephanie is now up to my right. And so you'll be first. Are you going to stick with being naughty or are you moving to a different category?
SPEAKER_06:I'll do naughty again.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Um, pick a number between one and seven.
SPEAKER_06:Four.
SPEAKER_02:Pick another number.
SPEAKER_06:Three.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Have you ever been part of a Secret Santa that turned scandalous?
SPEAKER_06:Um no. I have not been part of one, but there was one. There was one in like one of my close circles that apparently happened last year, but I wasn't part of it. Um so I think it's very important to, or uh, but I think it was white elephant, which is like the same thing. Um, but I think it's very important to be clear on rules and that everybody knows rules and and budgets and stuff.
SPEAKER_02:100%. So Stephanie and I used to work at a place called 211, and they had a secret Santa. And um this person that was in our department had pulled someone's name and got them a Harry Potter scarf. And then this uh this secret Santa turned into a white elephant thing where people had to, you know, with white elephants, you could snag gifts, and somehow I ended up with a mother with a scarf from fucking hell.
SPEAKER_06:I totally forgot about that. Wait, Dana, was that the time that we went to a dinner and the person tried to leave with without pay? Oh, I was like, yes, I have. Um, we went to like a dinner. We were we went with our coworkers at the time, and Paris was there with with Dana. And um this girl, hopefully they're not watching, or who cares, right? But um she tried to leave it. She was like, Okay, bye, like I'm leaving. She was the first one to leave, and me and Dana were like, okay, bye. And then um Paris, I think, was like, did she pay?
SPEAKER_00:Did she pay?
SPEAKER_06:And then we're like, oh wait, and we're like, oh, did you get your your check? He's like, Oh, I forgot! Oh, I forgot. We're like, girl, girl. Um, oh I totally forgot about that. So yeah, I guess I have been part of one. I mean, I try to block anything to anything uh from that company. I almost said the company's name, anything related to that company away.
SPEAKER_02:Um all right, so I'm gonna choose mystery, and I'm gonna say the question is who secretly loves chaos? I don't know that it's a secret, but it's funny because last night me and um my hubby went out for cocktails, and I don't think he's watching, but that's fine because he's probably gonna see the clip later. Um he loves chaos, you know. He loved the cheese may, and I'll be like, babe. Everything's not cheese. He's like, yes, it is, it's cheese may. Um, but he loves it. And I'll be like, okay, you know, I don't love the chaos. I'm very much so. I like it to be plain, easy a Sunday morning, and I like it to be just let's just maneuver through the things. No, he like he likes a little holiday chaos, a little chaos in general. Um, but that's good, you know.
SPEAKER_06:I feel like he likes it as long as he's not in it, huh? That like he just doesn't want to be part of it, like he likes to see it and like sip his tea and like judge and you know, and talk about it, but like I feel like he does not like to be in it, huh?
SPEAKER_02:You know that. All right, Ryan. You're back up that's that Libra shit for sure, and Mike.
SPEAKER_06:I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_04:So it's kind of true.
SPEAKER_06:He's like, You're not wrong.
SPEAKER_04:Libra, I'm a Scorpio, so I okay.
SPEAKER_02:I haven't we haven't gotten there, Ryan. We're gonna talk about it, but you know, we we'll get there one day, we'll talk all about it. I feel like you but when you come on, Ryan I'll out that I was just gonna say, I was just gonna say we should do an episode about it and just just hash it out.
SPEAKER_04:I'm down. Um, I love it. So I'm I'm gonna say I have to exit. No worries, because I have another event. I double booked myself today, and I was like trying to coast it because over on this side it's 9 42. It's no worries, yes. I apologize, but yeah, I'm gonna pick nice.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, picking nice. So, um, what's the best guess you gift you ever received?
SPEAKER_05:Hmm.
SPEAKER_04:Um, so my father passed away about 23 years ago, um, on December 8th. And we had his funeral on this like December 16th. Holidays just were not, you know, that was it the fresh, the first one was like was hard. I don't think I was like mute for like two months. And my mom got me uh that's when dog tags were really popular at the time, like oh two, oh three. And I have one of my favorite pictures of my dad, and he like just showing his big chubby face and just a big smile. She put it on a dog tag for me and um gave it to me as a gift. Um, it was a lit, it was like that a couple weeks later, and that was one of my, I think I still hang it up um to this day. Um, I don't wear it anymore, but I hang it up in my closet so that is there. It's faded, but it's still like I can still see his cheese, you know, his smile. That's one of my probably one of my favorite gifts. Um, something very one of my favorite gifts from my from my favorite girl.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, that's amazing. Um, I'm sorry to hear that. And I think that is, but that is a good, a good gift, something to keep a keepsake.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, a keep definitely a keepsake, yeah. And she also gifted me him and my my uncles used to, I don't wear it anymore because I didn't lost weight, gained weight. I'm not 13 anymore. So they gave me my mom gave me a ring that he used to wear with his with my uncles, his brothers. Um, and I had that ring for a long time. I still it's in probably one of my little boxes, but I still have that as well, but I can't fit it. But it's it's something I hold on to as well.
SPEAKER_02:Amazing, amazing. Well, I know you have to go. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you, thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_04:What's in the making, and I'm glad it's happened. Uh, this is a beautiful way to end the year, yeah, and know that you're welcome on Ryan Out Loud, Mike as well. Steph, look, we all come on Ryan. Look, we're all right, do our big one, okay?
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, thank you for having me. It was nice meeting you.
SPEAKER_04:You as well, Mike. Yeah, it's nice meeting you as well.
SPEAKER_02:You as well, thank you, thank you, Ryan, and be safe tonight. Have a good time, thank you, yes, and happy holidays. Happy holidays, all right.
SPEAKER_06:Sorry, did you out? Did you see it? That was my real reaction.
SPEAKER_02:I was like, um, all right, so we'll do so. Mike is the final person, and then we'll wrap it up after that. Um, Mike, what is your final category?
SPEAKER_03:I'm gonna go mystery.
SPEAKER_02:You're gonna go mystery. All right, all right, mystery.
SPEAKER_01:Um pick a number between one and eight.
SPEAKER_03:Let's go two.
SPEAKER_02:Who would you not trust to plan a holiday trip?
SPEAKER_03:I won't say the name, but I do have a couple of friends that I would not trust to plan a trip, period. Um yeah, just because you know, you know, you got standards of like how you want to stay, like what type of, you know, if it's a hotel, you know, they might be cheap and pick something nasty. Um yeah, and it's one friend that's coming in so clear for me that I would absolutely not feel like he would complain the whole trip. Uh yeah, I'm very clear on the person.
SPEAKER_02:Um so you said they would complain the whole trip?
SPEAKER_03:They will find something wrong with everything.
SPEAKER_02:Like, oh, they're complainer.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Okay. Food is not as good as it is at home. This is not that, and yeah.
SPEAKER_02:No, I mean, it's it's I think my question would be I'm surprised that you would still travel with them though.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I wouldn't. I wouldn't. Oh, you wouldn't at all. I I I I have before, but that's why I'm saying I wouldn't again.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I see, I see, I see, I see, yes.
SPEAKER_03:Lesson learned like like this was learned through travel.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, all right. Um, well, that was a fun game. Thank you all, and thank you to Ryan uh from Ryan Out Loud for taking the time to come and hang out and to get into the things with us. Um, I have one last question for all of you. Um, what is one thing that you're grateful for and one lesson that you are um taking into 2026?
SPEAKER_06:Um I would say one thing I'm grateful for is uh this new beginning. Um like I'll say two major things that stand out for me this year. Um number one being that this fresh start, right? Like um, and just you know, having like a peaceful, like a new chapter, um, and looking forward to it. And I also am thankful for um I had mentioned before, like while we were recording that my dad was battling uh brain cancer, and they recently said that his tumor is gone. So I'm really grateful for um like the health of my family, myself, my kids, and my like my friends, you know, like people I love. Um, I think that's something that's like so we don't really think about it all the time, you know. Um I'm really grateful for that.
SPEAKER_03:Mike. Yeah, I think I I'm grateful for just my community, my family, my friends, um my partner, those people that just keep me grounded, keep me going. Um yeah, and I think also just because you said uh what's a lesson that we learned this year? Oh, it is I think a lesson that I've learned this year is like to really truly believe in myself and like to just be mindful of like the things that you place on yourself. So like if you want something, um believe it, say it. And if you don't want something, like like don't say negative things about yourself because anything you put on yourself can can definitely uh come true. So like really just pouring into myself positively, like the power of the tongue, yeah, like your tongue has a lot of power, yeah.
SPEAKER_06:My lesson, I guess, would be um the lesson I learned this year, um, and it's actually something your dad had said when I when he was here, Dana, is like putting myself first. Um, like learning that because um, you know, I'm an eldest daughter and I'm used to sacrificing a lot um and like putting a lot of people first. And I feel like this year I really learned to like do what I want to do and like what's good for me and you know, my kids as well. But like if I put myself first and I like you said Mike, like pouring to myself and make sure I'm a priority, then I can be like the best mom that I can be, or like the best woman, or like you know, uh daughter, you know, and all the identities we have. Um, so yeah, I learned to like put myself first.
SPEAKER_02:Um for me, I have I'm grateful for you know just the continued support of all of you all. Um, you know, Stephanie and Mike, and then friends and family, other friends and family, and then my husband as well. Um and then I think a lesson for me has been um that um I I need to be secure in what it is that I already am, uh already know and already know how to do and am I good at. Um, you know, I'm I know what I bring to the table and I need to just be confident in that. And I need to uh lock in on those things and then build on on that. Um and and that thing take time. Um everything nothing's gonna happen overnight. Um things will fall into place the way they're supposed to. Uh so I just need to understand that that will be the case and and be okay with that. Um so I'm ready for whatever the new year brings. Um, you know, as far as plans for me and this show, there will be more episodes to come for 2026. Uh we I, you know, everything has is already moving and everything has already been planned and everything's already in motion. Um and I'm looking just to continue to build the audience of the Hello Cheese May podcast and then the production uh agency uh part of this uh business. Um so I'm looking forward to as we move into this new year and what it what's to come. Do y'all have anything y'all want to plug before we get out of here? Stephanie, you have any last words?
SPEAKER_06:What what personal like goals or like what's your I guess not resolution, but like what's your goal for like next year?
SPEAKER_02:Like talk two goal goals bigger and better, bigger and all census in all, yes, in all census, yes, bigger and better 2026.
SPEAKER_06:What about you, Mike?
SPEAKER_03:Uh, so I turn 40 next year, so I'm planning an art show. Um then I want to do an art show for my birthday of just like things I've created over like the last 20 years to like showcase the family and friends. So yeah, that's that's my biggest goal right now is just figuring out how do I want to do it.
SPEAKER_06:That's really cool.
SPEAKER_03:How about you?
SPEAKER_06:Um, I think for me, it's uh my main to is like I think to stop and like enjoy life a little bit, like to just like pause and like you know, instead of having my head down, like hustle, hustle, hustle, you know, on the go, like just like pause and like look around and like enjoy life a little bit more. Um and my second one is um like I want to have a hobby and like stick to it the whole year, you know. Like I found a couple like yoga spots around here, like something like that where I can like do it, but I want to like commit to it consistently, you know. Um like something like that. And uh yeah, I want to put myself out there too in dating. This year I didn't date. I feel like I didn't date this year like at all. I was just very like me, you know, like I'm focused on me, my goals, like just, you know, my kids. And and their stuff, and I think next year, like I feel like I want to put myself out there more, like enjoy life, like just have more, you know, more fun, I guess.
SPEAKER_02:More fun, yeah. I like that.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, any shameless plugs? Do we want to plug anything?
SPEAKER_03:Um, you can find me on all social media at the Art of Letting Go podcast. Um yeah, that's my my only plug.
SPEAKER_02:Mike got his his sexy wannabe uh radio voice on. I'm loving that. Okay.
SPEAKER_06:The raspy, it helps.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it gives it very like deep ammonotone.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I love it. Um, well, you can find us at the Hella Cheese Me podcast. Uh that's where you can find us. You can find us all year. You can uh start from episode one all the way down to episode, I think we are we are almost at a hundred episodes of the Hella Cheese Me podcast. I cannot believe that we are almost at 100 episodes. Um, it is taking some time, it is taking some very intense curating and very intense planning. Um, I am happy to be at a space to where I have been taking these episodes to just create the space of creation. You know, it was a lot of work for Stephanie and I to put out episodes every week. Uh, we had to come up with ideas every week. I am thankful that her and I were able to do that together for the time period that we did. Otherwise, we wouldn't be the show wouldn't be where it is now today. Um, and then also without Mike, it wouldn't be where it is today when it comes to the content that is on social media, when it comes to the video clips, when it comes to uh just kind of helping us move in a direction to be where it is right now today. So I am thankful for all three of you, or two of you, three meaning myself. Um, two of you. Um, and I am looking forward to continue to working uh in 2026 and to um seeing where this all goes. Uh side note, Mike, you trying to have this art show, you're gonna need to include me in this art show. So we'll talk about this on another day, but I just want to let you know, see, that's that'd be that leaver shit that we be talking about when y'all don't mention the shit that y'all supposed to see me mentioning.
SPEAKER_06:Oh Dana, I am proud of you too for like sticking to this and everything that you know, all the uh consistency, like the ambition that you have with it, and everything. And you know, I'm very proud of you and Mike. Mike's the goat over here with the clips and the yes, getting it together and and putting it out there.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, yes, yes. Any final thoughts before we end this uh live show?
SPEAKER_03:This was really fun, and this felt like a really great way to close out the year. So I appreciate even being a part of this episode. Good, yeah.
SPEAKER_06:Thank you, Dina.
SPEAKER_02:No, thank you all, and I hope a Merry, Merry Christmas, happy holidays. And if you don't celebrate any of that, happy next Thursday or Wednesday, whatever day Christmas follows next week.
SPEAKER_06:Happy winter.
SPEAKER_02:Um, happy winter and enjoy the family time, have some good cocktails, drink some wine, talk a little drink, whatever you decide. But have a good time while you're doing it. Um, I love you all. Thank you so much for supporting the show, and thank you so much for taking the time out to sit and watch us. Bye.
unknown:Bye.
