You Should Meet My Friend

Send us Fan MailWe're Closing Season Four and Planning Season Five: Travel, Wildfires, and Podcast Roses & ThornsMissy and Elisabeth catch up on a busy summer involving travel to see parents, a college summer boot camp, home projects, and multiple trips (Pullman graduation, Las Vegas, Burbank, San Juan Capistrano, and upcoming Nashville, Indiana, and Mexico). They discuss wildfires and water concerns in the West, including a visible fire near Tucson and shrinking water levels at Lake Powell and near Hoover Dam, plus a local perspective on long-term stewardship and water use. Health and bureaucracy come up with neck pain, MRIs, ROTC/FAA medical paperwork, and aging parents’ recoveries. They mark their podcast’s progress (first episode Sept. 20, 2023; this is episode 39; top downloads included the Sabina episode), share roses and thorns of podcasting, and brainstorm new season questions while considering taking the rest of summer off and returning in September with more consistent recording. NOTE: The summary above and below sounds whack-a-doo because this truly is how our conversations go - ha! Composed with the help of our editing program. Enjoy!00:00 Catching Up Again00:19 Boot Camp And Season Plans01:49 Weather Fires And Monsoons04:00 Water Worries And Lake Powell07:28 Graduation Trip And Vegas09:50 Friends Nashville And Work Updates12:35 Parents Health And Moving Talk14:37 Mexico Trip And Tropical Ideas18:17 Fireproof Bags And Paperwork21:11 Health Issues And Podcast Milestones24:13 Episode Milestone Chat24:54 Roses and Thorns Reflections26:35 Favorite Guests and Family Episodes28:36 Stories Worth Preserving31:22 Scheduling Struggles and Rejection33:29 Season Five Question Refresh36:14 New Prompts and Distractions41:12 Upcoming Guests and Summer Plans42:43 Signing Off and Life Updates

Send us Fan MailMeet Andrea!Elisabeth knows her from the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) where she leads the DC chapter, and shortly she will become the Online chapter lead. The mission of ASAP is to provide arts classes to those serving in the military, veterans, their families and care givers to combat the challenges and isolation of military service. ASAP classes combat that isolation. Through comedy, story telling, improv, art, photography, musical performance (and many more) they provide a fun and vibrant community.It's clear that Andrea enjoys her work with ASAP, and is helping encourage Missy to sign up for the next stand up comedy class :-)Andrea is a delight - enjoy!

Send us Fan MailMeet Phyllis!Phyllis Wilson is President of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation – the only major national memorial honoring the 3 Million women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War to today.Phyllis served 37 years in the Army as a Military Intelligence Voice Intercept Operator. She has served around the globe – visiting more than 35 countries – in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America. She has been mobilized numerous times to shoulder the duties of defense of the nation and has deployed to Iraq several times as an Intelligence Analyst with Special Operations.If we could sum up Phyllis in one word it is: indefatigable! You can feel her energy in this episode!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we chatted with Beth Jarvis. Beth and Elisabeth met along the sidelines of soccer and basketball when our daughters were in high school. Beth is an Army vet, an Army brat, and an Army spouse. Like many military spouses, Beth has worked both traditional jobs and for many volunteer organizations that support children and military family members. After attending Georgetown and earning a graduate degree in communications, she now works for the Microsoft Military Affairs team, managing the relationships with all base organizations involved in supporting Microsoft Software and System Academies. One of the reasons we wanted to interview Beth is that there are two things that she is incredibly skilled at: experiencing everything that Washington DC has to offer (she is a Vet Tix power user) and making and keeping friends. We know you will enjoy this great conversation!

Send us Fan MailLots of behind the scenes work (and life) going on at You Should Meet My Friend - new episodes are in the hopper we promise! But we were able to pull off a Mother's Day miracle - a podcast with all of our kids. We knew we couldn't get them all into one (virtual) room, so here is a compilation of our conversations with them. We asked them our "Five Questions" and their answers are all over the map, sometimes surprising, and a complete delight. Enjoy!

Send us Fan MailElisabeth and Missy caught up this month and chatted about the holidays and what's happening with our families. In this episode we also drop in a clip from last month's episode with Robin where we explain who we are and why we podcast (in case you are a new fan!). We also listened to the first few minutes of our very first episode we recorded with Jennifer Judd. We are grateful for the many people who have come along on this adventure, both guests and the many who support us in the background. Look forward for fresh new episodes in the early spring! Enjoy! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Send us Fan MailHere is your special December gift – a second episode!In this episode, we meet Robin Johnson, a 20 year plus Army veteran, who after retiring from active duty and a couple of transitional jobs, discovered that her passion lies in the intersection of workplace culture, comedy, and supporting the veteran community. So she started her own consulting firm focused on helping organizations to improve culture and humor and build stronger veteran and military spouse talent pipelines.Robin has toured worldwide as a standup comedian with Armed Forces Entertainment, and was voted Charleston, South Carolina's best comedian, and she is a certified humor professional. She has a new corporate gig that we chat about, and she also answers the question: were you always funny, or did the Army and military life make you funny?This is the second episode this season where we discuss grief and how to respond to it. Robin and Missy would say, “always with humor.” We know you will love this episode!

Send us Fan MailHeidi is an infectious person to talk to. She still finds humor and laughter while honoring her son Alex. You will be inspired by her.In this episode, we talk to our friend Heidi. She is the creator and host of Alley Kat Chat, with segments such as Crime in the Valley, Tunesday Tuesday, Down the Rabbit Hole, and Minute with the Mayor (Show currently in hiatus but expecting new content soon!) Heidi owns Pink Power Printing. She is also a certified Family Wellness Instructor, a Grief Coach, an Equine Therapy Advocate, and Practitioner. Finally, Heidi has created a vlog titled Perfectly Imperfect where she shares daily videos discussing an array of topics, but most notably about grief and loss. In Heidi's words, she is "Sharing my compass to help others find light in the darkest moments."*While we do touch on suicide and navigating loss, we also laugh and discuss a plethora of other things

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Season 4!For our first episode we chatted with Missy's friend Roxanne. October is Down Syndrome Awareness month so we particularly wanted to highlight her advocacy work in honor of her son Seth.Roxanne found her community with the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN) where she moderates parent groups and helps to fundraise to support their mission. DSDN works to ensure that families receiving a down syndrome diagnosis have unbiased and supportive information from the start. The "Rockin' Mom Retreat," where Roxanne recently spoke, is one of many ways the organization fosters community and connection.Roxanne also shouted out her friend Amy, author of "Still Rockin' It!: A Coloring Book Celebrating Individuals with Down Syndrome" in which her son Seth appears.Roxanne is a font of positivity--we are so excited for you to meet her! 

Send us Fan MailIn our fifth OWLS collab, we talked with change makers! It's often over used, but these individuals saw a need, and did something about it! We talked about how tapping into your unique talents can spark innovation and ways to navigate transformative change. Hear from trailblazing leaders who have used their skills in unconventional ways to overcome obstacles and inspire progress regardless of the circumstances. This session focuses on leveraging strategic connections while fostering a mindset of creative problem-solving and continuous growth to amplify your influence and create lasting impact.Speakers:Brooke Jackson Kahn, PA-C: U.S. Army Combat Veteran and Founder, She’s the VeteranLT Michaela “Mic” Long:Instructor Pilot, US NavyMajor Christina Mattison:USAF Reserves and Heart-Centered Leadership Coach and Retreat LeaderTiffany Taylor:CliftonStrengths Coach and Owner, Hello StrengthsMajor Teri Weber: Senior Pilot, USAF and Children’s Book Author

Send us Fan MailIn our fourth collab with OWLS, we talked about passions -- the things that keep you going as you navigate work and life. When you are either in uniform or supporting a military member as a spouse, and life is super busy, you often put some of your personal passions into the “when we retire bucket.” But I have actually found that when my immediate responsibilities were the busiest, that’s when I most needed to step into a different world to regain balance and perspective. Our plan for today is to show you some of the ways to do that, through either personal growth or helping others or both.Speakers:Meredith McCall: Certified Travel Advisor, Military SpouseCarol Northrup: Ultra-runner & outdoor adventurer, retired AF ColonelSarah Olson: N. Virginia Program Manager and Service Dog Training Instructor at Warrior Canine Connection, Military SpouseAndrea Reichwald: Program Coordinator DC Chapter - Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), Military SpouseTammy Trychon: Yoga Instructor, retired AF Lt ColVimbo Watson: Speaker and education expert, Military Spouse

Send us Fan MailIn our third collab with The OWLS Podcast, join our panel of experts discussing the power of stories and why we should keep and share them.Stories shape history and sharing your own story can inspire others. This discussion from OWLS from June 5th, 2025 will explore the power of storytelling to connect with others, motivate change, and create impact. Learn about valuable resources that will enable you to craft and share your narrative in a way that resonates with others, empowering both yourself and those who hear your story.Panelists:Travis Bickford: Head of Programs and Communications for Veterans History Project at Library of CongressMarilla J. Cushman: Senior Advisor to the President, Military Women's MemorialCapt Riley Tejcek: USMC Captain, Speaker, Team USA Bobsled Pilot, and Author Dr. Crystal Tramack: Speaker, Coach, Program Manager and Storyteller

Send us Fan MailIn the second episode in our OWLS collab, we took a dive into using humor as a leadership tool with Robin Phoenix Johnson!Our webinar was entitled: CONNECT WITH SELF: LEVERAGING HUMOR AS A TOOL FOR HEALING AND GROWTHIn today’s world, leaders must adapt and build resilience in order to thrive. This session explores how to harness humor to enhance your mindset, boost emotional resilience, and foster personal growth. Today we’ll learn how to use humor as a powerful tool for healing, navigating obstacles, and maintaining balance in high-pressure situations.Robin Phoenix Johnson served 26 years as an Army Logistician including 5 deployments to Afghanistan & Iraq.  She is now a stand-up comedian touring world-wide with Armed Forces Entertainment.  Robin is a Hoover Institution Fellow at Stanford University where she is a subject matter expert on the applied & therapeutic use of humor for improved performance.  She serves as faculty for both Thayer Leadership at West Point and the Institute for Defense & Business.  She guest lectures at the College of Charleston and Stanford Medical School. 

Send us Fan MailOver the spring and summer, Elisabeth has been organizing monthly virtual sessions for the Officer Women Leadership Symposium (OWLS). We thought our YSMMF community would enjoy these sessions also. From April 3rd, 2025, the first OWLS session was about how to handle conflict. Skills that are becoming even more important! Enjoy!CONNECT TO MASTER CONFLICT: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO OVERCOME WORKPLACE CHALLENGESConflict is a natural part of any team dynamic, but how you handle it as a leader makes all the difference. This discussion will provide tools to help you proactively address challenges and resolve conflicts before they escalate. Learn how to manage difficult relationships, maintain team cohesion, and create a positive work environment, all while ensuring mission success and fostering collaboration.Panelists:Megan Allison: an AF veteran who is passionate about developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and driving long-term successRobin Fortner: USMC veteran who founded RC Fortner Enterprises, whose mission is to assist individuals or businesses to reach their highest goals through Coaching, Training, and Personal and Professional DevelopmentMichelle Still Mehta, PhD:An experienced consultant, coach, and researcher specializing in the dynamics of organizations and working life. Jessica Ruttenber:USAF veteran and Director, Level Up Aviation a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth and young adults find equity in aviation, combining her passion for flying with her commitment to breaking barriers in the field. Eleanor Vuono:Attorney who began her career as an Army JAG, and is a founding member and past President of the Military Spouse JD Network, advocate for licensing accommodations for military spouses.

Send us Fan MailElisabeth made an ever-so-brief visit to Missy's farm in Utah. The hospitality, scenery, and sunsets were amazing. We spent some time over Aebleskivers (shout out to the charming Ruca's in Bear Lake) discussing new Season 4 questions and who we'd love to have on the podcast. What a joy to sit on the same couch and have a conversation, luckily with a microphone near by.We would love to hear who YOU would LOVE to see on our podcast! Drop us a line at [email protected] hope you are enjoying your summer - hug your loved ones, enjoy some porch sitting and join us for SEASON FOUR in the lat fall. 

Send us Fan MailMissy and Elisabeth recorded this wrap up sesh after a long break. We talked about the roses (graduations, engagements, yay!) and thorns (health issues for humans and pets, ugh!) of this long spring season. We are so thankful for our small but mighty community - we have over 1000 downloads now! We look ahead to summer plans (an in-person visit!) and our commitment to SEASON Four (coming in hot in November - hah!).  Expect collab episodes with the Officer Womens Leadership Symposium and maybe a surprise episode from Utah between now and November. Do you have an amazing friend or an extraordinary story? Hit us up with your ideas! [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn one of our last episodes of our extended season three, we meet Sabina Shaub. When we discovered the veteran owned Belair Blooms Flower Farms, https://www.belairbloomsflowerfarm.com/, we had to meet Sabina! Sabina has led many interesting lives - farmer, architect, then helicopter pilot. After a career changing injury, she found peace and purpose back on the farm, raising flowers, sheep, accidental llamas, and hazelnuts. Her farm is completely off-grid and will remain that way, and we loved her motto that everything on the farm must serve two purposes.  Sabina shouted out American Vet Dogs https://www.vetdogs.org/ who paired her with Earl, her closest farm hand (farm paw?). This conversation is a delight, and we know you will enjoy it!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we meet Megs Crawford of the Organizing an ADHD Brain podcast. Elisabeth met Megs a few years ago at a yoga retreat, and it was wonderful to catch up and hear about her transition from corporate manager to entrepreneur. We geek out a little about podcasting, but mostly we talk about Megs’ mission for us to understand our unique brains (and the unique brains of our loves ones) and create a more organized and peaceful life. You can find all things Megs at https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com. Megs also shouts our two organizations in Colorado Springs:  TESSA (https://www.tessacs.org)  who empowers victims of partner and sexual violence and Tri-Lakes Cares (https://tri-lakescares.org) which provides a community safety net for families and individuals in need in northern El Paso County.

Send us Fan MailMissy and Elisabeth meet up with Barbara Lewis, artist and author of “Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire" - named Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon. We talked about her evolution as an artist, her beloved grandchildren, but also about her love of 51 years Jim, and losing him 2 years ago to cancer. Barbara likes to support local needs through GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/ and her granddaughters school Alegria https://alegriamontessori.com/

Send us Fan MailOn this special Valentine’s episode of You Should Meet My Friend, we introduce you to our very close friends – our husbands Greg and Chris! We turn the tables on them and ask how they think WE would answer our “Five Questions” and have a lot of laughs along the way. Find out what they think our book titles should be and our unpopular opinions (mostly food related, with one fashion item that Missy thinks should be either banned from the house or buried with Chris). Shout outs to organizations we support with our time and talents: Scouts (https://www.scouting.org ), AcademyWomen (https://academywomen.org), Welcome Corps (https://welcomecorps.org) and Utah Honor Flight (https://www.utahhonorflight.org).

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Episode 6 of Season 3, where we meet the ray of sunshine Erica Forrest! Angie Drake (Season 2, Ep 2) recommended that we meet and chat with Erica and we had a lovely time getting to know her! Erica is a travel education consultant, published author, and founder of Trip Scholars (https://tripscholars.com), where she combines 30 years of experience in education with research and the discoveries made through her own travels. More than just a trip planning service, she guides clients on how to prepare before travel, immerse themselves more fully while they’re on the road, and reflect afterward to transform their trips into lasting, enriching experiences. Erica was an incredibly generous guest! She shouted out the North Cascades Institute (https://ncascades.org). Since 1986, the North Cascades Institute has helped connect people, nature and community through the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. Their mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature – a lot like Erica!

Send us Fan MailIn our first episode of 2025, we are thrilled to introduce you to Helen Patton, granddaughter of General George S Patton. Helen and Missy met years ago when they lived in the same village in Germany, and their sons attended the same kindergarten. Helen is the founder and chairman of the Patton Foundation (@pattonfoundation) which seeks to lead from the front and continue the Patton legacy of service: through creativity, inspiration and education. Helen has multiple degrees in acting, directing, and screenwriting, and shared some of her life in Sweden with us. Helen shouted out Wish For Our Heroes (@wishforourheroes) that supports active-duty military families. Helen is a delight, and we can’t wait for you to meet her!

Send us Fan MailIn our final episode of 2024, meet Paige! Paige Totaro is an entrepreneur, a social media influencer, and a snappy dresser. She was a co-founder of All Over the Map, a travel planning company that began as a website about family adventure and cultural travel based in Washington, DC. In 2016, she joined with two travel bloggers to form Unquote Travel, a tour company offering authentic, local travel experiences in an independent small group style to destinations around the world. But this is just a very small part of what makes Paige amazing. From her college days as a wedding DJ to her newest job as Executive Director of the Tappahannock Art Gallery, Paige is a women of many talents! Paige shouts out the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (https://cerfplus.org/) which provides craft artists with support and resources for disaster and emergency relief, education programs, and readiness grants to strengthen preparedness (such as the many Ashville artists impacted my Hurricane Helene).

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we meet Missy's long time friend Melody. Melody and her husband are full time RVers and she shares her experiences driving a big rig, downsizing to just the essentials, and the quirks of the lifestyle. Melody shares the adage "adventure before dementia" which Missy and Elisabeth definitely second! Melody shouts out Fisher House (https://fisherhouse.org/). The Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military & veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. Melody is a ray of sunshine, and we know you will enjoy hearing this episode!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we meet Lisa Terry, friend of Jodi Price Hajosy (Season 2, Episode 6).  If you need a BOOST of energy, you must listen to this episode! Lisa is passionate about supporting veterans and military families, equitable educational opportunities so all students can succeed, and empowering girls. She loves traveling and adventure so you know we had all kinds of things in common! Lisa leads the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Bright Minds Foundation (https://brightmindsfoundation.org/), the education foundation of Howard County Public Schools. She is super proud of the effort to build the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument in downtown Columbia, Maryland (https://www.howardcountyveterans.org/the-monument/). Lisa also volunteers as a mentor at Ohana, a student mentoring program (https://ohanahc.org/).Lisa embodies her motto "listen, learn and lead with your heart" and you will too!

Send us Fan MailIn our first episode of Season 3, we meet Amy Ryder. In this episode learn about Amy’s friend Troy Gilbert who was killed in action while flying a combat mission in Anbar Province, Iraq, on Nov. 27, 2006. We talk about what this shocking experience taught her about the power of showing up for people and ultimately, how it led to her new job as Program Manager for No Greater Sacrifice (https://nogreatersacrifice.org). No Greater Sacrifice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to investing in the children of our nation's fallen and wounded Service members with scholarships and resources to improve their quality of life through higher education. Amy also shouts out Ginger Gilbert Ravella’s work with Never Alone Widows (https://www.neveralonewidows.com), a faith based ministry that seeks to provide healing, comfort, and community for widows.

Send us Fan MailMissy and Elisabeth are getting Season 3 started. Our pre-season meeting started with updates on our families, but ended up being a great preview of the new season! We're also experimenting with/learning new editing and sound enhancing software (how is this ep sounding?). With every season and every episode we are growing our skills. Come on the journey with us!

Send us Fan MailMissy and Elisabeth had a "planning meeting" and by meeting we mean we talked for an hour about lots of things and some of those things were Season 3! We also talked about kids realizing the Common App window is open, suddenly it's the end of summer and there are things to get done before kids leave for school, and the Olympics, what we loved and how we want to go to the LA28 and the SLC34 games. In between we also talked about guests, our schedule, and Elisabeth attending Podcast Movement 2024. Check in with us, and look for Season 3 episodes in September!

Send us Fan MailThank you thank you thank you to all who have joined us for Season 2! Missy and Elisabeth talk about summer plans, roses and thorns of Season 2, the importance of storytelling and some ideas to continue to grow and improve next season. SPECIAL SHOUT OUT(S) to Jessica Kidwell of the We Should Talk About That podcast (westatpod.com) and Angie Drake of Not Your Average American (notyouraverageamerican.com) for their mentoring and support of this passion project. We'll be taking the summer off (see: plans) but will also be getting our Season 3 guest list together so we can kick off more episodes in the fall. 

Send us Fan MailIn our final guest episode of Season 2, we meet Elizabeth (Liz) McClure, a recommendation from Season 1 guest Stella. After surviving a horrific accident as a young women, Liz hung up her horse dreams and focused on recovering and building a life. When her daughter's desire to learn to ride got too big to ignore, back to the house barn she went, and hasn't looked back. Liz talks about the horse barn family at Suncoast Stables (suncoaststable.com) and what's ahead for the "crazy" horse girls of the McClure family. Liz and her family are long time supporters of World Vision (www.worldvision.org) and the great work they do fighting poverty around the world.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we meet Darla Edmonds, a long time friend of both Missy and Elisabeth, although we each met Darla at different locations. Legally classified as nomads, Darla, her husband and their pup travel the country and the world seeking adventure and also helping their fellow man.  Hear about Utah, their restaurant in Maine and their motorcycle ride through Europe. Darla gave shout outs to numerous organizations they support, to include Heroes and Horses (heroesandhorses.org), Fisher House (fisherhouse.org), and the Maine Island Trail Association (Mita.org).

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we meet Jodi Price Hajosy. Jodi, Missy and Elisabeth all met in Germany over 20 years ago. It was great catching up and reliving our infamous overnight pottery excursion. Even though we've been friends for ages, we learned (and re-learned) lots about Jodi - her passion for the environment and taking action to solve our problems with waste.  Her community of Greenville SC is notable for their collegial and forward thinking city government - a great template for our own communities. Jodi gave a shout out to Planned Parenthood and the great work they have done and continue to do supporting women's health.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we meet Vero, or more formally, playwright Veronique Autphenne. A recommendation from season 1’s Tonda Phalen and friend of Elisabeth, Vero writes social satire, comedies, and mysteries that explore issues of class, loyalty, and the insecurities that drive our most ill-advised actions. Her plays have been produced in numerous festivals in the US and the UK, including a performance of six of her short plays, Empty Nest, staged in a local vintage furniture store. Vero is also the founder of the oft-mentioned Writing Group. You can find all her plays at newplayexchange.org/users/29541/veronique-autphenne. She also shouts out local non-profit Food for Neighbors foodforneighbors.org, which supports food pantries in middle and high schools, and global non-profit World Central Kitchen wck.org

Send us Fan MailIn episode 3, we meet Willie God’s Arrow Forman, our first male guest! Missy met Willie while both worked at Farming 4 Hunger in Maryland (https://farming4hunger.com/). Willie struggled with drug addiction for over 20 years in Morningside Maryland where he grew up. He was in and out of jails, institutions, and even suffered a drug overdose at age 15. He rededicated his life to God and his recovery while incarcerated. Willie, aka God’s Arrow, now has over 3 years drug and alcohol free, and continues to participate in Celebrate Recovery (https://www.celebraterecovery.com/) at Emmanuel Church in Huntingtown Maryland. Willie also serves in many other Ministries all over the region!

Send us Fan MailIn episode 2, we meet Angie Drake. A long time bestie of Missy, we talk about her adventures living in South America, which led to the start of her company, Not Your Average American (https://notyouraverageamerican.com/).  Not Your Average American has explored city streets and back roads, high mountains and sandy coast, jungle rivers, and the wild islands of the Galapagos. Angie and her husband share their experiences – good and bad- in hopes that you might want to venture south and plan your next vacation in Ecuador.

Send us Fan MailOn the first episode of season 2 of You Should Meet My Friend, we talk to Dr Vanessa Gattis, President and CEO of the Prince William County Community Foundation and friend of Laura Hatcher (season 1, episode 5). After retiring from the Army, Vanessa saw an important need and figured out how to meet it. The Prince William County Community Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to cultivating philanthropic support to ensure the ongoing well-being and vibrancy of Prince William County communities. 

Send us Fan MailMissy and Elisabeth are happy to announce Season 2 starting in May! Seven awesome new episodes - friends and people who should be our friends :-) - headed your way! Listen to our preview to get a taste of what's ahead, and the unintentional theme of our new episodes.

Send us Fan MailEpisode 6 – Season One Wrap Up (recorded December 4, 2023) – Missy and Elisabeth talk about the challenges and rewards to stepping into the podcast with enthusiasm and a complete lack of knowledge. We learned lots, did not run out of things to talk about, and want to dive into a new season in 2024. Thanks for listening!

Send us Fan MailEpisode 5 – Laura Hatcher (recorded December 3, 2023) – a Navy veteran, Laura and Elisabeth crossed paths at the annual leadership symposium the regularly attend. Turns out, their kids go to the same high school! Laura is an entrepreneur and business owner of Laura Hatcher Photography, https://www.laurahatcherphotography.com

Send us Fan MailEpisode 4 – Sheila Richardson (recorded November 19, 2023) – Sheila and Missy met while assigned to the same base in Texas. A voracious reader, Shelia decided to embark on the journey of writing a book after a spark of inspiration. You can find out more about her YA fantasy trilogy, The Guardians of Orion, at https://slrichardson.com.

Send us Fan MailEpisode 3 – Stella Beyerly (recorded October 22, 2023) – Stella and Elisabeth met 24 years ago while assigned to the same base in Texas. Eleven years ago, Stella had a potentially life changing medical emergency. Her tenacity while recovering, which she would attribute to being a Buffalo girl, was awe inspiring. Stella volunteers with and supports Mt Carmel Veterans Service Center https://www.veteranscenter.org

Send us Fan MailEpisode 2 – Tonda Phalen (recorded October 15, 2023) – Tonda and Elisabeth met as theater moms, and have been fascinated ever since. Tonda is a gifted photographer, works at the Smithsonian, has trained as a trapeze artist and most interesting of all, has been a frequent attendee at Burning Man. Her Burn family can be found here: https://www.whiskeyanddust.org and you can check out her photos from the 2023 Burning Man here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kLTGr1A6Jv6myXVX6

Send us Fan MailEpisode 1 – Jennifer Judd (recorded October 8, 2023) – A longtime friend of Elisabeth’s and a fellow veteran, Jen recently graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has returned to her hometown of Bedford, Pennsylvania and you can find her work at www.jenjudd.com.

Send us Fan MailPreview Episode (recorded September 14, 2023) – Missy and Elisabeth talk about what this podcast is all about. There are a million podcasts out that interview celebrities, world renown experts and thought leaders. It’s great that this resource exists for us to get to know people we have no hope of meeting. But did you know that right now in your life there are heroes, experts and thought leaders? Right now in your life there are friends with their own extraordinary stories. Life races by pretty fast, so we want to take a moment to sit and listen to our friends. Maybe what makes our friend extraordinary is something you need to hear too. Elisabeth and Missy dig into their own friend groups to find magic. You should meet our friend!