Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy

Story Hour with Bridget Phetasy is a segment where Bridget reminisces with cousin Maggie and tells stories explaining who she is and how she got here. Full transcript available here: WiW16-StoryHour2-TranscriptThis week Bridget delves into her long history with addiction and her 20 year journey to sobriety. Learn how Bridget went from being a straight A student on the path to an Ivy League school, to a heroin addict in rehab at age 19. She talks about hitting rock bottom on a trip to LA, kicking heroin in a mental ward, and seven months in “boot camp” rehab in downtown Minneapolis. Hear about the mental back-flips she performed to convince herself that she wasn’t an addict as long as she stayed away from heroin, because she didn’t want to give up her one true love – marijuana. She discusses her resistance to AA, going sober for a year to prove she didn’t have a problem, a second emotional rock bottom and her eventual surrender to the idea that she’s an alcoholic two years into her five years of sobriety. If you’ve ever wrestled with addiction, sobriety, or loved someone who has, Bridget’s take on 12 step programs, struggling with the “God stuff”, dogs as a higher power, and having an open-minded view of sobriety, might help. It’s a long one, but it’s worth it!   This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Bridget’s youngest sister Vanessa reveals what your wedding photos predict about your marriage, the joys and challenges of working with children, and why hedgehogs make terrible pets. She and Bridget discuss the trials and tribulations of dating millennial men, her 3 basic requirements a guy should have and why it’s harder to find than it should be, and her theory that feminism is making men lazier. Don’t miss their insightful conversation about unlearning unhealthy behaviors that were modeled for them in childhood, taking responsibility for your own life as an adult, no matter what kind of circumstances you come from, and the danger of waiting to be rescued. Vanessa shares her belief that therapy is like getting an education about yourself, the process of breaking the habit of losing yourself in a relationship, and the importance of practicing gratitude every day. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Carol Roth is a recovering investment banker, entrepreneur and author of The Entrepreneur Equation, the anti-motivational, motivational book about entrepreneurship and a realistic take on starting a small business. She and Bridget discuss the factor that jealousy plays in the tragic loss of the American Dream, being spoiled and ungrateful in a capitalist society, the math and ROI of going to college, and the danger in allowing political correctness to rob us of using laughter as a healing method. Carol talks about how she kept moving forward in the wake of a series of devastating personal losses, her approach to a successful marriage, her horror of emojis, how to combat imposter syndrome and tips on overcoming procrastination. Also, don’t miss Bridget’s unscientific theory that the reason women are more detail oriented than men comes from our hunter gatherer days and her plans for faking her own death. Check out Carol’s podcast, also on Ricochet, here: The Roth Effect with Carol Roth. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Ben Howe, author of The Immoral Majority: Christian Evangelicals and the Role they Play in the Era of Trump (due out this year) discusses his journey from the Tea Party to the Center, his favorite Marvel character, and why he doesn’t trust anyone who isn’t honest about their failures – especially politicians. Ben takes issue with using the Bible to pretend that you are pursuing your self-interests nobly and explains the problem with combining ideology with partisanship. Don’t miss a fascinating breakdown of how evangelical leaders have recast all of Trump’s sins as virtues and the danger of convincing a narcissist that his narcissism is virtuous. And stick around for Ben’s epic Christian Retreat Dad joke. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Kimberly Resnick Anderson, licensed sex therapist, and Bridget get real about the many issues facing couples in today’s modern world, from how common sexless marriages are, to power dynamics the #metoo movement and exploitation, to the impact of porn on men’s sexual function – particularly the neurological impact it can have on young men. Nothing is taboo in this conversation. Bridget discusses her brief flirtation with becoming a stripper, Kimberly reveals the astonishing number of married couples who have never had a conversation about sex and the fact that a large number of men are willing to risk death over loss of sexual function.*Warning: This is a frank and adult conversation about sexual topics* This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Melanie Notkin, founder of Savvy Auntie, the first community for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids (but might not have them) discusses her book Otherhood and women who are childless, not by choice, but by circumstance. She and Bridget cover the assumptions people make about childless women, being told that they should have settled if they wanted kids, and how Bridget feels like she kept hitting snooze on her biological clock. Find out how feminism made men lazy, why you’re only as loyal as your options in the age of social media, and how in the battle of the sexes everyone seems to be more confused than anything. Don’t miss an incredibly honest conversation about Melanie’s ability to take the source of her greatest pain – not having children – and turn it into something that helps countless people – women and men. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Brian Moses, stand-up comic, creator and co-producer of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, defender of un-politically correct speech and hilarious individual, talks with Bridget about getting started in stand-up in San Diego, the period when he was living out of his car, the reality of white privilege, and why humanity might not be old enough to believe in God. He and Bridget cover the cultural appropriation of Jesus, that Bridget believes in past lives, ghosts and aliens because they make life more interesting, and how trying to make it in LA is almost like being in an abusive relationship and/or living with a disease. Don’t miss their definition of “making it,” Moses’s ambition to continue progressing and raising the bar in the comedy genre, and why as a black man, he loves the Orwellian surveillance in the UK.**Warning** This episode is not for the easily offended. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Jesse Kelly, former Marine, contributor to The Federalist, and Twitter star, talks with Bridget about why Twitter needs him more than he needs Twitter, his conspiracy theory on why his account was banned (it has since been reinstated), and his zero tolerance policy on whining and excuses. They delve into how the country as a whole used to be tougher, leaving behind a piece of yourself in a combat zone, his bumpy reintegration into society after his service was over and the role returning to church played in finding his way. Listen as they discuss the growing culture of victimhood in today’s society, how you can’t out think human nature, why allowing a kid to punch a bully in the face might prevent so many school shootings, and find out Jesse’s strongest asset (other than his chin). This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Sarah Shahi (The L Word, Person of Interest, Reverie) actress, producer, former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and mother of three, talks about choosing between being an actor and a neurosurgeon, why happiness can only exist in the present moment, and how Robert Altman convinced her to move to Los Angeles. Listen as she and Bridget discuss the mentality of trust-fund babies, believing that if you leap the net will appear – even if it takes years – and how being the daughter of an Iranian immigrant helped shape her discipline, attitude and femininity. Don’t miss her stories about getting rescued from a trailer by Quentin Tarantino, getting cast on The L Word and thinking “L” stood for “Love”, and how a baby chimpanzee kick-started her biological clock. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

James Breakwell, Twitter celebrity, Indiana father of four daughters, and author of Bare Minimum Parenting – The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, discusses raising children in today’s world. He and Bridget cover “drone parenting”, screen time and social media, keeping your perspective on parenting and ignoring the shamers, and why wanting your kid to go to Harvard is basically a euphemism for wanting them to make the most money. They also discuss treating Twitter like a job, how “overnight success” is really the result of at least ten years of slogging, and why saying “let’s cut parents some slack,” is a radical message in this day and age, but it shouldn’t be. You can find James on Twitter @XplodingUnicorn. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show