How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

Extremism lost big in Pennsylvania last week, from ICE-loving sheriffs to the State Supreme Court to school boards across the commonwealth. And it didn’t happen because of pundits on cable news or DC-based strategists. It happened because regular Pennsylvanians stepped up, ran for office, and talked to their neighbors and friends about what was on the line.This week on the pod, we’re joined by Sherry Luce, our PA Program Director, and Stacy Kunkel, our PA Deputy Program Director. They shared some inspiring stories from the ground, like a couple of moms who decided to set up their own tripod to stream their local school board meetings to show their neighbors how extremist their school board had become. And last Tuesday night, their efforts paid off! They won five seats and their school board is now full of common sense candidates who care more about kids than culture wars.Sherry and Stacy are also our favorite “self-care resisters,” as LaFonda puts it. But their conversation shows that there’s no one way to balance work and self-care. No matter what, community is at the heart of it all.We hope you enjoy today’s episode and are as inspired as we were by the amazing work being done in Pennsylvania!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

By now, you’ve probably heard that Democrats won big across the country last night. From Governor and Lt. Governor in Virginia to Proposition 50 in California to school boards and city councils across the country, the people made their voices heard. And some of the biggest swings, especially in Virginia, were amongst suburban women.This win goes far beyond the races that were on the ballot last night. This is a win for every American who wants to preserve democracy, common sense, and decency.Ever since the devastating losses in 2024, we’ve been saying “when they go low, we go local.” Some people were skeptical — how could “going local” stop ICE from invading our cities? Or Trump from cutting food stamps for children? But it was about planting seeds. Those seeds have already grown into some pretty incredible results… who knows what our harvest in 2026 or 2028 will look like?The work doesn’t end, but we all deserve a little rest. In fact, we deserve to rest and celebrate! So let’s take a moment and feel all the feelings. Let’s thank someone who worked on a campaign or turned out their friends to vote. Today reminds us what’s possible. Even in the face of all the darkness this year has brought, we can shine our own light. And when we shine together, there’s no stopping us.We’ll be sharing more wins and inspiring stories over the coming weeks. Celebrate, get some rest, and stay tuned!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

Last Wednesday, Red Wine & Blue was joined by Heather Cox Richardson for a virtual rally that celebrated America. After all, MAGA doesn’t own patriotism or the flag — and the No Kings protests last month were anything but “hate America rallies.” Exercising our First Amendment rights and protecting democracy against authoritarianism is as patriotic as it gets!We wanted to build on that momentum to get us through election day, so we held our own Love America Rally last Wednesday night. And we weren’t just joined by Heather that night — tens of thousands of women were on the call to celebrate America. We hope you’re as inspired by Heather’s words as we were.Tomorrow is election day! Make sure that you vote and that everyone you know votes too. This is our America and tomorrow is our chance to start taking it back.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

This week on the pod, we were joined by a Virginia mom named Andrea. For years, she thought she hated politics — she says it just seemed like a reason for “people to be mean to each other.” But as last year’s election drew closer, she noticed that her friends and family weren’t talking about it. Everyone said they were too exhausted after the first Trump presidency.Andrea understood the feeling (who isn’t exhausted by Trump??), but she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. So she started a TroubleNation group called NoVA Childless Cat Ladies. At first, all they did was write postcards, but she used those get-togethers to talk about their shared values and how they could support marginalized groups in their area. Now, a year later, Childless Cat Ladies has more than 100 members!It feels like we were just here — on the cusp of an election, not knowing which way things will go. If you’re feeling a bit of PTSD, you’re not alone. This year’s elections are getting a lot less press and attention than 2024, but local elections are SO important. From the governor and attorney general of Virginia to school boards and mayors and ballot propositions across the country, we have the opportunity to protect our neighbors next Tuesday.  And, as a bonus, we can kick off a blue wave that’ll take us through next year’s midterms.If you want to join Red Wine & Blue and Heather Cox Richardson for a virtual Love America Rally on Wednesday 10/29 at 7:30pm ET, you can learn more and RSVP 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

This week on the pod, we were so excited to talk to Karen Walrond. She’s the author of books like The Lightmaker’s Manifesto, Radiant Rebellion, and In Defense of Dabbling. Her words about the importance of kindness, self-compassion, activism, and even anger were exactly what we needed to hear coming out of this past weekend of joyful protests. Our mission here is to help women make a difference in their communities without losing their shit, and the subtitle of The Lightmaker’s Manifesto is actually “How To Work For Change Without Losing Your Joy,” so clearly we had to get her on the show as soon as we could! In the interview, she emphasized the natural rhythm and cadence to activism. Anger can be a useful spark, but kindness and love are what keep the fire going. Rest and recreation (re-creation) aren’t optional — they’re necessary to keep getting up every day and fighting for our values. When our neighbors need to take a breath, we can speak up in their place. And when we need a moment to rest, we can trust that they’ll step in for us. “Activism” might sound overwhelming, but much like the No Kings rallies, it isn’t actually scary. It can be a beautiful intersection of self-care and community.As Karen says, “Joy comes from intention, self-compassion is a non-negotiable, and kindness is a power move.” We couldn’t agree more.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

Katie Paris met Jennifer at the gym. It’s a gym of mostly women, where encouragement and high-fives are the norm and pull-ups are celebrated alongside wins for reproductive rights. But neither woman could have predicted that their gym friendship would lead to Jennifer co-creating a TroubleNation group called Hope In The Heights that now has more than 400 members! And still, Jennifer considers herself “humanitarian” rather than “political.” She says it’s just about doing the right thing so that we’re all able to live up to our potential.We can find friends — and fellow TroubleMakers — in every part of our lives. For many women, the gym is a place of community and strength. Jennifer says the women she’s met there, and in Hope in the Heights, have helped her work through the anger and grief over last year’s election. Now they’re getting together every month to fight extremism and bring hope back to Ohio.“You’re going to lose your shit,” Jennifer says. “And it’s okay! Feel the fear and do it anyway.”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

Stacey Abrams, a political leader and voting-rights advocate, shares insights from her journey in civic engagement. She discusses her 10 Steps to Freedom and Power, emphasizing community building and personal relationships as vital for creating change. Stacey maps out tactics against authoritarianism while highlighting the significance of local elections in shaping our lives. Her vision for victory focuses on demanding full humanity and practical solutions, leaving listeners inspired to ask, 'How can I help?'

Heather Cox Richardson, a historian and insightful Substack writer, joins to explore how political engagement can serve as a form of self-care. She discusses the mental benefits of staying informed, highlighting how community connections help reduce anxiety. Heather emphasizes active civic participation over passive news consumption, arguing it revitalizes personal well-being. The conversation touches on grassroots movements' power, the importance of local elections, and how small actions can significantly boost morale in activism.

Let’s be honest: this year has been a bit of a dumpster fire. Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’ve been hearing women in our community say they’re not sure how to make a difference — at least, not without totally losing their shit.So we decided to tackle that question head-on with a brand-new podcast. It’s simply called How To Not Lose Your Sh!t and it’s hosted by our very own Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin.Katie, our founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, our Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert and yoga teacher on a mission to reimagine self-care. Every week, they’ll talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process.You can listen to our first episode with special guest Heather Cox Richardson on October 1st, with new episodes every Wednesday after that. If you’re already subscribed to the Red Wine & Blue podcast in your podcast player, you’ll automatically see new episodes each week here in your feed.There are a lot of political podcasts out there already, and a lot of mental health and self-care shows too. What we want to do is reject that binary and explore how getting involved can actually be a form of not only caring for your community, but also yourself. We can’t wait for you to join us on a journey through self-care, politics, community, and tackling this difficult moment… together.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

Ever since last year’s election, suburban women have had more questions than answers. How are we supposed to deal with the firehose of information that’s coming at us all the time? Can we believe what we read in the news or on social media? And, most important of all, why is all of this happening?That’s why we made “Okay, But Why.” Because these days, good information can be hard to find. And no matter what anyone says, facts are not political. If Americans all had access to the same information, we’d probably agree on a lot more than we think. These resources aren’t going anywhere – you can still scroll back in your podcast feed to listen to old episodes, watch them on YouTube, or read about them on our website. You can send an episode to a friend and use it as a starting point for a meaningful conversation.Now that we all have a little better handle on why the news is so crazy, there’s another pressing question to answer: how can we make a difference without losing our shit? So in that spirit, we’re launching a brand-new pod that’s simply called “How To Not Lose Your Sh!t.” It’ll be hosted by Katie Paris, the founder of Red Wine & Blue, along with LaFonda Cousin, our Chief People Officer, yoga teacher, and wellness expert.Because let’s be honest, we’re all kind of losing our shit right now. But there are ways to feel better — and ways to make the world a better place — and it all starts with community.The trailer for our new pod will drop tomorrow and the first episode (with special guest Heather Cox Richardson) will come out on Wednesday, October 1st. If you’re already subscribed to the Red Wine & Blue podcast, you don’t need to do anything! New episodes will already be in your podcast player every Wednesday. And if you’re not already subscribed, you can find us by searching for “How To Not Lose Your Sh!t” in your podcast feed.We can’t wait to figure out how we can all make a difference without losing our shit… together.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