Making Good

27 - Alison Gaubert, Getting Curious

In today's episode, I speak with Mrs. Gaubert, a Dietetics Professor at Nicholls State University. We talk about how she engages students' curiosity, why curiosity is important in staying healthy and eating well, and how, with two small children, a Ph.D. candidacy, and a full-time job, she keeps engaging in the things she loves. 

26- Reneé Blanchard, It’s Not too Late To Make That Big Change

In today's episode, I discuss why you're not too old, and it's not too late. We discuss what it feels like to make a huge change at 40 years old. I talk about my experience of returning to get an undergraduate degree later in life while keeping my small business open. I hope this episode inspires you to do that big thing you've been wanting to do. 

When making a really big change, especially later in life, we often have to let go of who we thought we were, who we wanted to be, and who we thought we would be one day. There is a lot of processing, and it's worth taking risks scared and uncertain. It's just really hard, but not impossible. 

 

Journal Prompts: 

(1) You deserve the success that you can envision. What you are searching for, is searching for you. You can get there. The world might be throwing you all kinds of challenges, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the changes you want to make in your life.  Think through ways you can be more in flow with the habits you want to make. What do you keep resisting? What do you keep fighting against? How can you eliminate those things from your life? Hire someone, delegate it out, just stop putting that task you never do on your to do list again. What are the paths to eliminate the tasks you don’t want to do every day? Get the tasks that drain you off your plate.  Find specific ways to eliminate the tasks you don’t like doing. This will free you up to be more in flow with the things that you enjoy doing. 

(2)

Revisit our two big questions. What if your potential is double what you think it is? What if it all works out? Journal for 30 minutes on these two questions. What does your body feel when you ask yourself these questions? What excuses keep coming up for you? What words keep coming to you? 

The criticism that provokes an emotional response needs to be unpacked and dealt with appropriately. This is a good exercise to start that process. 

You are worthy of every success. You are worthy of good health.

 

(3) Write for 20 minutes to answer these questions. Why is this the right time to make these changes I want to make? What could go right if I make the changes I want to make? What am i giving up by making the changes I want to make?

 

 

25- Elizabeth Sloan, Hunger Rates in Louisiana

Today's episode is with Mrs. Sloan, Dietetics Professor at Nicholls State Univeristy. Sloan also worked at the state WIC program in Baton Rouge finding ways to keep young children and their mothers fed in Louisiana's high rates of hunger. This was a great episode about an issue facing our communities and our state. Learn what you can do help. 

24 - Jen & Nora, Wellness Project New Orleans

Jen and Nora launched the worker-led mental health non-profit Wellness Project New Orleans in 2022. They believe in their ability to empower a better system in how non-profits operate and respect the workers that make it happen. Full disclosure: I am a board member of this organization. Listen to this episode to learn more about the mental health help process in New Orleans and why the leaders in this organization believes they can make it easier and more equitable. 

Check out Wellness Project New Orleans: https://wpno.org/

 

 

23 - Caroline Bell, Cafe Grumpy co-Founder

Caroline Bell is the co-founder of Cafe Grumpy. This NYC based coffee roasting and coffee shop has been serving up some of the most delicious coffee! Church Alley Cafe has served Cafe Grumpy since 2015 as our main espresso and cold brew. Caroline and I talk about what it takes to grow a large company from one too-small shop and how to handle business when things go wrong. I loved this conversation because Caroline is always so open, trusting, and communicative about the challenges and successes of small business. 

Check out Cafe Grumpy: https://www.instagram.com/cafegrumpy/ 

 

 

23- Reneé Blanchard, Church Alley Cafe & Grocery

Today's episode is about Church Alley Cafe & Grocery. It digs into our mission for our small business and where the name Making Good came from for this podcast. Learn a little more about why Church Alley exists and what makes it so special! 

www.churchalley.store

21 - Emily Meyer, Emily Makes Stuff

Emily Meyer is a former Church Alley Cafe & Grocery employee. But she is also a creative, DIYer, personal stylist, dog mom, and much more. She is always trying new things, making new things, and learning new things! I love and admire her dedication to following her curiosity always. This is what we talked about. It was a great conversation about how to find and follow your curiosity. 

Find Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/too.many.emilys/, and on her website: https://www.emilymakesstuff.com/, interest: https://www.pinterest.com/emilymakesstuff/

 

 

Season 3 Introduction

Trailer for Season 3

 

Hello friends! Its’ me Renee! Founder and owner of Church Alley Cafe & Grocery. Season three is launching Tuesday September 19 And this time I’m doing it a bit different. 

This season has more episodes. It’s a mix of interviews and educational content. I’ve added shorter episodes on nutrition and health. You may already know this, but during the pandemic, I went back to school to become a registered dietitian and this summer I launched Church Alley’s first nutritional coaching services. 

 

Over the next year we will add additional nutrition and health services to our menu. And so these short episodes are the first few snippets of how Church Alley will be expanding in the years to come.

 

 The rest of season 3 will be interviews with folks I find interesting, asking them how they learn and explore the world around us. Including former employee Emily! Shes coming back to tell us about this amazing project shes doing called 30 days of something new. It’s a great challenge to expand your habits, likes (maybe some dislikes), expand your perspectives, and literally just do things you’ve never done before for a month straight. 

I also interview some of my professors about hunger rates in Louisiana, WIC, and sustaining curiosity when you are busy busy busy, like so many of us are these days. 

I hope you’ll listen! Episodes will be released every Tuesday morning 11 minutes after midnight throughout the Fall.

14 - Salon 22, Women Centered Co-Working & Networking Organization

Replay From 2022 -

I spoke with three of the founding members of Salon22. Christa, Fey, and Mariska shared their vision for this new women's co-working space and discussed how their own journeys have impacted their mission to create this mission-directed space. 

Salon22's mission is to be an agent of change in New Orleans, shifting the balance of power in our beloved city. This diverse group of women is intent on creating a beautiful space for like-minded women from all walks of life to find commonality, belonging, and opportunities for political, professional, and personal collaboration. Salon22 is a space for speaking up and out.

Their intent is to create an inclusive space for women+ no matter their gender expression (including identifying outside the gender binary), racial and cultural background, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, or economic standing.

 

12 - Emily McElrath, Pivotal PT and Wellness

Emily McElrath is my physical therapist. She helped me go from constant mobility issues from an ongoing injury to weight lifting pain-free. We talk about the pelvic floor, weight lifting, and the right workouts throughout your menstrual cycle.  

Emily is a native of New Orleans and received her undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training at the University of Southern Mississippi. She then went on to attain her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, FL.  Emily is a former collegiate runner turned Crossfitter who has a passion for helping people optimize performance. She is highly trained in Sports/Orthopedics and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and has first-hand experience modifying HIIT exercises for the pregnant and postpartum athletes to ensure they are able to continue their desired activity injury free. 

You can learn more about Emily's company Pivotal PT and Wellness here!