Insisterhood

If you know me personally, you know the way to my heart is through my stomach. Thankfully, Knoxville's food ecosystem is about to get a whole lot bigger! Real Good Kitchen is a local, woman-owned business that envisions greater equity, opportunity and financial security for more people in Knoxville through food business ownership. Support their mission by backing their Indiegogo campaign! (https://igg.me/at/RGK-GO) Also be sure to check out their awesome video by Loch & Key Productions which features RGK fearless leader, Bailey Foster, and Kitchen Manager Mel Mullins of Knox Girl Soap! This year has been hard (especially for the food industry) so if you can't "give dough" be sure to smash that share button to spread the word!

Real Good Kitchen Providing the space and resources food entrepreneurs need | Check out 'Real Good Kitchen' on Indiegogo.

Now that we've rolled out our last episode of season one, it's time to take a little break. I won't be posting as much so I can take time for dreaming and pouring love into my other business, Jen Schappel Massage + Movement. Thanks so much for listening in 2020. I'll talk to you again in 2021! Air hugs and elbow bumps. 🤗

:::NEW EPISODE:::

In this final episode of Season One, Jen talks with Dr. Enkeshi Thom El-Amin, a sociologist of race and place teaching at the University of Tennessee. She is the founder of thebottomknox, a community event space that includes a Black book shop, a community podcast studio, and Sew It Sell It, a program that teaches sewing and entrepreneurial skills to children between the ages of 12 and 16. Enkeshi is also the co-host and producer of the Black in Appalachia podcast. Originally from Guyana, Enkeshi talks about her journey from South America to Atlanta to New York and what brought her to Tennessee. She shares about how her experiences of feeling out of place in Knoxville combined with her doctoral research inspired her to create The Bottom. Most history classes in mainstream, public education teach a white-washed version of history, which leaves out the experiences and perspectives of marginalized people groups. Enkeshi talks about learning this white version of American history growing up in Atlanta and then learning another version, centered in Black experience, in college and grad school. She shares her hope that the Black in Appalachia podcast can provide some of this education to young Black folks in our region. Also a mom to an almost three-year-old, Enkeshi describes the ways her husband and her community have supported her in her endeavors and how that sense of community is essential to finding ways to thrive despite the systemic racism that plagues our country. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/enkeshi-el-amin

Jade Adams is the owner of Oglewood Avenue, a modern houseplant boutique which combines the art of interior design with the science of plants. As the owner of Jade Adams Photography, she specializes in capturing milestones and experiences as a wedding photographer. Since weddings and events got cancelled, postponed, or scaled back due to COVID, Jade found herself selling some of her houseplants and Oglewood Ave was born. Jade talks about the tragic accident that inspired her to shoot for her dreams, how her Instagram account exploded with nearly 8,000 followers in just five months, preparing for her shop’s grand opening, and what it’s like being plant mom to 300 houseplants. A self-described wild child who just can’t sit still, Jade shares how taking care of her plants actually helps her take care of herself. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website ( insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/jade-adams ) and don't forget to leave a rating and a review!

:::NEW EPISODE:::

Ashley Addair is a visual artist with a deep well of questions and a hunger for clarity. She describes her work as a “primal coping response” and her process of creating as an embodied improvisation. After her first art show sold out, she abandoned her pragmatic goal of becoming a teacher to travel with her partner and turn her hobby of painting into a source of income. In this conversation, Ashley explores the cognitive dissonance she holds between freedom and groundedness and between owning a business and wondering if we really need any more stuff in this world. She also talks about homeschooling her three young kids, being a partner, and applying for grad school. She shares about her struggles with imposter syndrome and how she’s working to set clear boundaries while dismantling those that are outmoded or not useful. Ashley knows it’s time to reimagine our world and she shares what really matters—love and relationships.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/ashley-dawn-addair

Photo by The Sparrows Eye

Rhea Carmon is a poet, a math teacher, a mother, a wife, and so much more. As Knoxville’s Poet Laureate, Rhea is using her platform to share the power of story (and the power of telling your own story) with school children. Rhea talks about her reality web series, Beyond the Spark, and her role as a coach to other poets. She also shares the story behind her spoken word collective, The 5th Woman, and how her realization that speaking our stories out loud can bring healing. Rhea believes that our stories reveal that women share many of the same experiences and emotions, regardless of race, class, and other dividing lines. Rhea shares her story and talks about the effect poetry has had on her life, her battle with MS, revising her body, and her journey of motherhood. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/rhea-carmon

It’s the last day to pre-order your Insister Swag. Our shirts and totes will be printed locally by with a custom design by . Your items will be ready to ship in mid-October. Follow the link in our bio to shop and INSIST on the success of our show! 🙌🏻

Tammy Kaousias is the owner of Kaousias Law and Inner Space Yoga, a manufacturing business that makes yoga props and meditation cushions. She was also the second owner of Glowing Body Yoga & Healing Arts and that’s where Jen and Tammy’s paths intersected. Tammy and Jen reflect on their boss/employee relationship and discuss leadership, group dynamics, and interpenetrating mandalas (or something like that). A long time meditator, Tammy talks about how contemplative practices and yoga were essential to helping her manage the stresses of the legal profession and of caretaking for her elderly parents. Tammy serves on the Knox County Election Commission and she shares the “why” behind her passion for ensuring citizens’ voting rights. Tammy and Jen also discuss toxic positivity, the power of listening, developing a sense of self apart from external factors, balancing leisure time with productivity, and the key ways that Snap ’n Pops can be used as tools of insistence. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/tammy-kaousias

Don't forget to pre-order your Insister Swag by Wednesday, September 30th! We've got shirts and tote bags with a design by Paris Woodhull and printed locally by Nothing Too Fancy. Pre-order on our website insisterhoodpod.com and click "MERCH."

The clock is ticking! Only a few more days left in our Insister Swag Pre-Order! What are you waiting for? Click the link in our bio to shop for your shirt, tote, and sticker!

You have until September 30th--less than a week--to pre-order your Insister Swag! Head on over to our website insisterhoodpod.com and click on MERCH to place your order. Items will be ready by mid-October and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your order supports local businesses. You can also feel good wearing your shirt or toting your tote because these items were selected with sustainability in mind. Don't delay, place your order today!

Amy Gibson is the owner and producer of Wide Lens Media LLC and the creator of the Every Woman Vote project. Amy’s business allows her to combine her passion for public policy and the arts and, because she’s the boss, she chooses to work with mission-driven organizations that share her values. Amy shares the story behind Every Woman Vote, the ways women vote everyday (not just Election Day), and the powerful connection that develops when a woman tells a story. Amy shares her “voting story” and the ways politics showed up in her family (hint: listen for her “Give ‘em hell, Ronnie” story). Amy describes herself as a “lame triathlete” and discusses how competing in the 50+ group revealed a kind of “aging in” to community over competition. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/amy-gibson

Have you heard the details about our new Insister Swag sourced from ?

😍Allmade tees are made with an average of six recycled plastic water bottles.
😍Allmade cares about the people who make their shirts by offering them dignified fair wage jobs.
😍We're keeping it local. uses water based inks that feel soft (not crunchy) and are better for the environment.

You can feel good about these shirts. Pre-order now through September 30th (LIB 🔗) and then by mid-October.

Pre-orders are now open for Insister Swag, designed with love by Paris Woodhull Illustrations and printed locally by Nothing Too Fancy. Head on over to insisterhoodpod.com to place your order between now and September 30th. Then sit tight--your items will be ready mid-October. We've got v-neck tees and a tote bag! What are you going to order?

It's here, it's here! Look at this custom design for our swag by none other than the talented Paris Woodhull Illustrations!

Kimberly Lomonaco is the co-owner of Glowing Body Yoga & Healing Arts, where she also leads the yoga teacher training, teaches three classes per week, and offers Thai Yoga Massage. When she’s not at the yoga studio, she’s either working as a Speech Language Pathologist in an acute care setting or co-parenting her young son. Kim tells the story of her long history with Glowing Body, how she came to be co-owner, and why having a business partner is like having another marriage. Kim talks about transitioning to online platforms as a result of COVID and how she negotiated her own experiences with perfectionism and anxiety during the pivot. She also shares about the toll motherhood took on her body, the uncertainty that comes with being “healthy” but feeling like something’s still not right, and what it was like to advocate for her own health and well-being. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website: insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/kim-lomonaco

I'm just so excited I can't keep the news to myself! Insister Swag is coming your way very soon. All the details in the episode and the design reveal here on social on Monday.

Make sure you tune in to Monday's episode to hear about our BIG NEWS!

to my interview with Ericka Ryba of Providence Road Pottery. "You don't need to have the answer. Just start exploring." Aaaand go! 🙃 What are you exploring right now? What have you created that maybe didn't turn out as planned but you looked back and really valued the process?

Callie Konane Rickards is the sparkle sorceress (aka maker, designer, and owner) of Konane Wildcraft, which offers handmade reflective festival fashion for radical self-expression. Callie talks about her history in the industry, claiming her place in the Knoxville fashion scene, and designing a powerful, last-minute look for the final night of Knoxville’s Fashion Week. After schooling Jen in some Burning Man lingo, Callie shares about her first time at the festival and how she found her medium (sequins!). Callie also talks about her Hawaiian ancestry, the meaning of her name “Konane,” and how presenting as white in a plus size body has driven her to prioritize representing bodies of all shapes, sizes, and colors in her work. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the festival community and in turn, Konane Wildcraft. Callie shares about her side gig as an employee, why she felt called to support healthcare workers by making masks, and how she expresses herself through the art of living. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com.

Dr. Patricia N. E. Roberson is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee and the host of the podcast, Attached. Her research focuses on how marriages and families impact health for low-income and rural populations. Attached, co-hosted by two of her colleagues in Iowa and Texas, focuses on making relationship science approachable by discussing relationships in pop culture and by using research to filter out the good relationship advice from the bad. Along with sharing some good relationship advice, Patricia also talks about her history in academia, her experience of commuting between her husband and two young children in Tennessee and her work in California, how she developed a thick skin, why she’s a big picture thinker, and what’s it’s like to insist on her expertise even in front of a bunch of white, male doctors. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

to my conversation with Sarah Loebner of Tennessee Toffee Company. What was your favorite part of our conversation? Who's calling you out on your s**t?

Melissa Everett is the artist and mastermind of Melissa Everett Textiles. A self-taught quilter and textile artist, Melissa finds joy in the expressiveness of improvising colors and shapes. Although she grew up here in Appalachia where quilting is a folk tradition driven by functionality, art, and storytelling, she quickly discovered that modern consumers don’t necessarily see it that way. Melissa talks about finding balance between making the things she wants to make and the things customers want to buy. She also shares about her love of Pearl Jam, how she learned to quilt by reading blogs as a tired new mom, why she prefers the stage of motherhood she’s in now, and how stitching fabric together gives her hope for the future. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Find Melissa's work at 214 Magnolia, Mid Mod Collective, or on her website melissaneverett.com.

Photo by: Andrea Spidell

to my conversation with Wanda Malhotra of Root Journey and Crunchy Mama Box. Now that I'm homeschooling my kids...I think this first one "It doesn't have to be perfect...It has to be done," is my new mantra! What was your favorite part of our conversation?

Abbey M Matthews is a co-owner of HomeGrown HomeSewn, a Cincinnati-based fabric store and quilt shop. She runs the store alongside her parents and her husband while also homeschooling the older two of her four kids. Abbey shares the story behind her family’s business, why she chose homeschooling, and how in the world she’s managing to do both at the same time. After having four cesarean births, Abbey was ready to insist on her health and wellness. She talks about the steps she took to feel strong in her body and how her healthy choices trickled down to her kids. Because COVID has many more parents opting to educate their kids at home, Abbey—with her four years of homeschooling experience—shares her tips for staying sane while juggling school and work. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com. This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by The Clean Republic. Use the code SISTER10 to receive 10% off at checkout.

This quote gem from Catherine Porth Cahill of Let Her Speak is quite literally dripping with wisdom. Listen well and love hard.

Mel Mullins is the owner of Knox Girl Soap and the Kitchen Manager of Real Good Kitchen. She’s also a wife and a mom of two young children ages 3 and 6. Mel focuses on adding joy to the small things in life (like taking a shower) through richly scented soaps, body butters, and lip balms. After getting fired from her job and navigating the tumultuous seas of failure and shame, Mel felt like she needed a win and Knox Girl Soap was born. Mel talks about her struggles with seasonal depression, how she puts her values of social justice and environmental protection into practice in her business, and the powerful connection between scent and memory. Mel was also featured in Episode 20 for her Help the Helper’s campaign. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! Support Insisterhood by joining us on Patreon at patreon.com/insisterhood.

Episode shoutouts:
The Golden Roast Coffee Roasters
The Women, LLC of Knoxville

I just listened to the first episode of podcast hosted by and and let me tell you, it was an education. I learned so much in just 30 minutes. I highly recommend this show so please INSIST on the success of these women and give it a listen!

Listening back to my conversation with Chrissy Keuper from WUOT 91.9 FM, Knoxville and thinking about how lovely her "perfect day" sounds: bird watching, meditation, yoga, a walk in the woods, painting. What does your perfect day look like?

Jill Waguespack Bartine is a yoga instructor and a flutist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Before COVID, Jill was teaching 12 yoga classes a week, mainly at Real Hot Yoga and Breezeway Yoga Studio. When everything closed down in March, Jill came out of the gates swinging with her Vimeo subscription channel that now offers over 150 classes. Jill talks about falling in love with yoga and why she felt she wasn’t “good enough” to teach (hint: it involves the splits). Jill also discusses the stresses of parenting during a global pandemic and how she’s keeping her twin boys physically active. Given that Jill is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, she discusses how that shows up in her two practice-oriented jobs (yoga and flute) and how she learned to balance that perfectionism with growth mindset and the non-attachment of yogic philosophy. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/jill-bartine

This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by Root Journey and Crunchy Mama Box.

to my conversation with Dale Mackey of Dale's Fried Pies and The Central Collective. What was your favorite part of our conversation?

Also, FYI tomorrow is the last day to order your pie and your coffee (Refill Coffee Cart) and your flowers (Sevier Blumen) for this Sunday's pop up at The Central Collective. Get thee some pie. Really, I insist.😉

Ericka Ryba is the owner of Providence Road Pottery and an art teacher for grades 4-7. Ericka talks about the winding path she’s taken (and what providence has got to do with it) from culinary school to WWOOFing to health food stores and eventually back to school to become a teacher. Ericka shares her perspective on returning to the classroom in the current COVID climate and how her insist moment didn’t really end well. Ericka and Jen discuss how many of the secondary skills that come with practicing art (like creative problem solving) are important for entrepreneurs and also why drawing a horse can be an exercise in vulnerability. This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by The Clean Republic—use the code SISTER10 to receive 10% off at checkout. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on our website insisterhoodpod.com/episodes/ericka-ryba

Sarah Loebner is the founder and toffee artist behind Tennessee Toffee Company. A graphic designer by trade, Sarah is on the brink of full-time entrepreneurship and shares about transitioning out of her day job in order to open her brick-and-mortar store in Sweetwater, TN. Sarah shares the story behind her business (including the joys and drawbacks of taste testing toffee) and who’s keeping her in check in the kitchen. Sarah is also a mom of two and wife to a husband who is legally blind. She talks about the ways she’s practicing self-care, how she managed to make over 700 boxes of toffee in a month (while working full-time at her other job), and how self-reflection and speaking up is so important when dealing with “mean girls” at the office. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Join our community on Patreon today: patreon.com/insisterhood.

All the quotes! Thinking about my conversation with master gardener, editor, and author — What was your favorite part of episode 24?

Three kids. Two businesses. One husband. And hopefully soon, a virtual assistant. Wanda Malhotra talks about self-care, the state of motherhood in COVID, and the food she’s putting on her face.

Wanda is a health coach, the founder of Root Journey, the owner and curator of Crunchy Mama Box, a wife, and the mother of three kids ages 16, 18, and 3.5. Wanda talks about growing up in a melange of cultures (Indian, Italian, and Brazilian), how she had to insist on speaking for herself as an 18 year old entrepreneur in Brazil, why she decided to take on a second business, the steps she takes to build strong foundations for her businesses, what she does when she realizes she’s not following the same advice she gives to her health coaching clients, and the (delicious) downsides of storing her edible inventory at home.

This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by Cook To Be Well.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or on our website insisterhoodpod.com. Join the conversation by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/insisterhood.

Catherine Porth is the founder of Let Her Speak and a wearer of many hats in general. Catherine talks about her long history with entrepreneurship, why she was having a hard time trusting other women in corporate America, how her research revealed differences in the ways women and men network, and what she’s doing to help women in business make meaningful connections with one another. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or on our website (link in bio). This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by Clean Republic. Use the code SISTER10 to get 10% off your order at clean-republic.com. Join the conversation with us on (link in bio).

I have seen a lot of folks struggling with the July 4th holiday this year—more so than in years past maybe. I’m reminded of my conversation with about showing up for racial justice and I think today is the perfect day to continue doing the work of antiracism. It’s an opportunity to examine what this holiday is really about. For me it’s another opportunity to feel grateful for the privilege I’ve experienced as a result of my birth in this country AND it’s a chance to remember that not everybody has had the same experience. I can feel grateful for the opportunities my citizenship has afforded me AND I can recognize that we can do better. We can take better care of one another. So this afternoon, my daughter and I are taking inventory of our home library. I’m a believer in the power of stories. We need to hear different perspectives and experiences and that just makes us better humans. The diversity of our people is what makes America great and I want to make sure that’s reflected in our home.
How has the tone of your holiday celebration changed this year?

Chrissy Keuper is a senior news announcer and the host of All Things Considered at WUOT 91.9fm. Chrissy talks about how she “fell in” to radio, why she had to take a hiatus from the news, what her perfect day looks like, and why she’d rather listen than talk. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or on our website insisterhoodpod.com. Insisterhood is also now building a community on —check out the link in our bio to join the conversation!

Dale Mackey is the owner of Dale’s Fried Pies and the co-owner of The Central Collective. Dale shares about her COVID pivot, why she’s not letting perfectionism steal her fun, and how she loves to perform but she’s not performing when it comes to doing the internal work of antiracism. This episode of Insisterhood is sponsored by Clean Republic. Use the code SISTER10 to get 10% off your order at clean-republic.com. Join us on (link in bio) to join the conversation.

Quote gems from Samantha Lane, the creator of ... I want to know of some other gals out there trying to spark a culture shift. Drop their handle in the comments 👇🏻