

How To Not Lose Your Sh!t
Red Wine & Blue
Want to know how you can make a difference without losing your sh!t?Join Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin, two moms with very different backgrounds who together run Red Wine & Blue – an organization of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism. Katie, the org’s founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, the Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert on a mission to reimagine self-care. Each week, LaFonda and Katie talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 3, 2024 • 23min
Chew Gum and Save Democracy (with Jill Jonassen)
Happy New Year, everyone! 2024 is a big year but we are ready to go, inspired by the victories and amazing conversations we had in 2023. In this special New Year’s episode, the hosts are joined by Red Wine & Blue story producer Jill Jonassen to discuss the best guests and conversations we had last year, how we’re feeling about this year, and what gives us hope. Suburban women know how to multitask, and this year we’re gonna need to walk, chew gum, AND save democracy!For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Dec 20, 2023 • 47min
Learn From The Past, Fight For The Future (with Ellen Cassedy)
This week we’re feeling inspired by the organizing work that women have done in the past, and ready to keep fighting for ourselves and the future. Our hosts shared their heartache over what’s happening to Brittany Watts in Ohio - a young Black woman who suffered a miscarriage at home and is now charged with a felony. These laws are terrifying and seek to turn an already tragic situation into a nightmare. The Dobbs decision criminalized abortion and now they’re trying to criminalize miscarriage! It’s vital that we keep talking about this and we’re glad that ABC News highlighted 18 women’s personal stories in a recent feature.Then we’re joined by Ellen Cassedy, the author of “Working 9 to 5: A Women’s Movement, a Labor Union, and the Iconic Movie.” Ellen shares her inspiring experiences organizing office workers and co-founding the 9 to 5 movement back in the 1970s. She discusses some of the ridiculous things that women were asked to do by their bosses and how they fought back. And she also shares the lessons she learned (listen, be flexible, be creative, and lean into diversity) that can help us continue to fight for our rights today.Finally, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to young people and their parents receiving news about college admissions and to winning an award in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”This is our last episode of 2023 and we're so glad you've joined us on The Suburban Women Problem this year. We're taking a week off for Christmas and we'll see you again in 2024!Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate everyday heroes - from our pod hosts to our amazing guests to you! We wouldn’t have so many victories to celebrate from this year’s election if it wasn’t for your support. And now, we’re making it easier than ever for you to be a superhero for our sisterhood. To make a donation to our year-end giving campaign, or to learn more, visit pod.redwine.blue/give.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Dec 13, 2023 • 44min
Extremists, Worry About Yourselves! (with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
We’ve been feeling heartsick this week over the woman in Texas who couldn’t get the abortion care she needed; first it was good news when a judge approved her request, then it was horrible news when the TX Attorney General threatened to prosecute her doctor and hospital. The same AG who has been accused of bribery and admitted to an extramarital affair! We have a clear message to him and every other hypocritical extremist: worry about yourself!Then we’re thrilled to be joined by Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She chats with our hosts about reproductive rights and the important role that suburban women have played in recent elections and will continue to play in 2024. They also talk about Israel, young people, and how we can make our voices heard. She even shares her home cooking instagram with us: Clean Cooking Congresswoman! Finally, Rachel and Amanda raise a glass to a kind gesture from the community and to men speaking out about reproductive rights in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate everyday heroes - from our pod hosts to our amazing guests to you! We wouldn’t have so many victories to celebrate from this year’s election if it wasn’t for your support. And now, we’re making it easier than ever for you to be a superhero for our sisterhood. To make a donation to our year-end giving campaign, or to learn more, visit pod.redwine.blue/give.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Dec 6, 2023 • 36min
What’s Your Superpower? (with Adrienne Kirschner and Julie Womack)
This week, we’re celebrating everyday superheroes. From our podcast hosts to our Red Wine & Blue community to you, our listeners, we are blessed and grateful to have so many superheroes on our side. But as the holiday season gets underway, even superheroes are feeling the stress. As moms, so much of the planning and decorating and gift shopping falls on our shoulders, which can turn a meaningful holiday into a stressful to-do list. So this week, we’re joined by Julie and Adrienne from Red Wine & Blue to talk about giving the gift of democracy. There are so many ways we can support democracy all year round, but it’s nice to support causes we believe in as part of our holiday gifts. Finally, Rachel, Jasmine and Amanda raise a glass to brave daughters, new neighbors, and inspiring young people in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”You can find our bookmobile kits here: https://pod.redwine.blue/bookkits. The “what’s your superpower” quiz that Adrienne mentions in this episode can be found here: https://pod.redwine.blue/quiz. And finally, if you’re able to support Red Wine & Blue this giving season, we would be so grateful. You can donate and learn more at https://pod.redwine.blue/give.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Nov 29, 2023 • 41min
Who You Gonna Call? (with Keir Bradford-Grey)
We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week and were able to take some time to relax and recharge. We all worked so hard in the past few months to get the election results that we did, and it’s important to take some time to rest. This week, the hosts catch up about their holiday week and talk about the passing of Rosalynn Carter and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the troubling reasons that Moms for Liberty have been in the news lately.Then Jasmine gets the chance to sit down with Keir Bradford-Grey, a candidate for Attorney General in Pennsylvania. If she wins, she’ll be the first woman of color to be elected to that office. Keir and Jasmine chat about what exactly an Attorney General does, how she can be an advocate for her constituents, and how her experience as a public defender has prepared her for the role.Finally, Rachel, Jasmine and Amanda raise a glass to kind strangers, great times with family, and supporting our public schools in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate everyday heroes - from our pod hosts to our amazing guests to you! We wouldn’t have so many victories to celebrate from this year’s election if it wasn’t for your support. And now, we’re making it easier than ever for you to be a superhero for our sisterhood. To make a donation to our year-end giving campaign, or to learn more, visit pod.redwine.blue/give.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Nov 21, 2023 • 20min
Conversations With A Side Of Cranberries
This week is Thanksgiving and we’re talking about how to survive the political conversations that come up during the holidays. Amanda, Jasmine and Rachel share their own personal experiences with those tricky holiday conversations, which can be even trickier when you’re a mom. It’s important to listen and figure out what values you have in common with your relatives, but it’s also important to know when to stop the conversation and pass the mashed potatoes. We hope you’re having a safe and happy holiday season! Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate everyday heroes - from our pod hosts to our amazing guests to you. We wouldn’t have so many victories to celebrate from this year’s election if it wasn’t for your support. And now, we’re making it easier than ever for you to be a superhero for our sisterhood. To make a donation to our year-end giving campaign, or to learn more, visit pod.redwine.blue/give.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Nov 15, 2023 • 43min
Facts, Not Fear (with Dr. Leah Boustan)
It’s been a week since the election and we’re still smiling about the results! Republicans used scare tactics and misinformation about reproductive freedom, and it didn't work. So today we’re talking about another issue that becomes more about fear than facts… immigration.We got a chance to talk to Dr. Leah Boustan, a rockstar economist who studies immigration, and she shared some real facts and data with us. She recently published a book called “Streets of Gold: America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success” and our chat with her was so informative.Finally, Rachel, Jasmine and Amanda raise a glass to graduating from Leadership Georgia and to immigrants who are giving back to their country and communities in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”This month’s great election outcomes have been making us all smile, but for some of us, the upcoming conversations around the Thanksgiving table won’t make us quite so happy. If you’d like some help navigating discussions about the election, racism, or attacks on the LBGTQ+ community, we invite you to join us for a Troublemaker Training on Thursday November 16th. For more information or to RSVP, click here.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Nov 8, 2023 • 34min
When We Unite, We Win (with Jess McIntosh)
Today we are celebrating big wins! We were all holding our breath for Tuesday’s election results because there was so much on the line, from the ballot measure in Ohio to the Virginia legislature to school board races across the country. And we are so excited to say that last night, democracy won!We’re joined for this special election recap episode by one of our favorite guests, Jess McIntosh. Jess helps us celebrate the wins (Issue 1 in Ohio! We kept the State Senate and flipped the House of Delegates in Virginia! And extremists lost school board races across the country!) and she also guides us through what this all means for 2024.Our Toasts to Joy this week are to the many fantastic candidates out there – some won and some lost, but every one of them put their values out there and fought for what they believe in. And we toast to you, our community of listeners. We’re so grateful for you and we’re so proud of the difference we all made last night.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Nov 1, 2023 • 38min
Vote For The Big Tent (with Maggie Hartmann)
There was a lot of bad news to talk about this week… the mass shooting in Maine, the extreme views of the new Speaker of the House, the war in the Middle East. But this is our last episode before the election so we all have to use this as fuel to get more involved, not to disengage. And there are always little victories to celebrate! Scholastic reversed their decision to segregate diverse books, our past Troublemaker dad Darren won his lawsuit against his book-banning school district, and closer to home, we just reached a million downloads of our podcast! We can make real change when we work together.We’re joined by Maggie Hartmann, a mom and school board candidate in Pennsylvania. Maggie shares what inspired her to run for office, her thoughts on book bans and DEI, and what’s on the line next week for her race and other school board races across the country.Finally, Rachel, Jasmine and Amanda raise a glass to one million downloads, family weddings, and the courage to be vulnerable in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”With Election Day just around the corner, it’s all hands on deck. We need every single one of you doing what you do best - talking to your friends and family about voting! You can sign up for Red Wine & Blue’s fun online tool Rally Your Squad by texting the word RALLY to 59868. Message and data rates may apply.And we have so many exciting election-focused events coming up. On Friday we’ll be joined by none other than VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS! You can learn more and RSVP for that virtual event here. And the day before, we’ll be joined by our favorite guest and historian, Heather Cox Richardson. You can RSVP for that here.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Oct 25, 2023 • 45min
Build It Up, Don’t Tear It All Down (with Lily Franklin)
This week, we're talking about the personal attacks that Amanda and her family have been dealing with lately. Whether it’s over a local school board election, Ohio’s Issue 1, or any political issue, MAGA’s first move always seems to be personal attacks and downright creepy behavior. It’s not even limited to their political opponents on the left: extremists have been sending death threats to Republicans (and their families!) for not voting “their way” for Speaker of the House. We’re over here trying to build up our communities, schools, and democracy but extremists want to tear it all down.Then Rachel sits down with Lily Franklin, a candidate for delegate in Virginia's new 41st District. Next month’s election in Virginia is absolutely crucial and could determine reproductive rights not just for the people of VA but for women across the South. And education is on the line as well; as a former teacher, Lily knows how best to support teachers, students, and parents in her state.Finally, Rachel and Amanda raise a glass to President Biden and to exciting economic research in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”With Election Day just around the corner, it’s all hands on deck. We need every single one of you doing what you do best - talking to your friends and family about voting! You can sign up for Red Wine & Blue’s fun online tool Rally Your Squad by texting the word RALLY to 59868. Message and data rates may apply.Next week, we’re holding a virtual event with one of our all-time favorite guests, Heather Cox Richardson, to talk about what’s on the line in 2023 and why it matters for 2024. Click here for more information and to RSVP for this event.And finally, Rachel mentioned our petition to Scholastic to stop making book bans easier for extremists. Good news: we won! Scholastic has officially reversed their position and we couldn't be more proud of our community.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA


