Timeless Maverick, with Allison Gilbert
Uncorking a Story
About Allison Gilbert: Allison is an award-winning journalist and author of numerous books including Passed and Present and Parentless Parents. Her forthcoming book, Listen, World!: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman, is the inspiring story of a timeless maverick, capturing what it means to take a gamble on self-fulfillment and find freedom along the way. In this episode, Mike and Allison discuss: Allison’s journey from journalist to book author (including her near death on September 11th). Writing as catharsis and therapy. How our...
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Happy Little Accidents, with Katherine Linn Caire
Uncorking a Story
I’ll admit it, I love watching The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. Here’s the thing, though, I can’t draw to save my life, but I am drawn to that show the way some people are drawn to watching fish swim in a tank. He was a talented artist, no doubt, but what I appreciated more than his talent was his calm and serene demeanor which complimented the naturescapes he was fond of painting. One phrase he used often when he may have made unanticipated brush strokes was “Happy little accidents.” And a happy little accident is where author Katherine Linn Caire’s story begins. About Katherine...
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Runaway Train, with Ava Glass
Uncorking a Story
About Ava Glass: Ava Glass is a former civil servant and journalist who once worked closely with spies. She lives in the same town in the south of England as Christopher Steele. But this is, of course, a coincidence. She joined me on Uncorking a Story to talk about her career and latest novel, Alias Emma. In this episode, Mike and Ava discuss: Being captured by writing while living on the careening train of life. Your first published book not being your first attempt at writing a book. Surprises in the publishing industry. Worrying too much and living the advice you...
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Seeing in Color, with Annette Libeskind Berkovits
Uncorking a Story
Every now and then I uncork a story that just won’t leave me and Annette Libeskind Berkovits’ story is exactly one of those. While this is a story about a person growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust, I want to be clear, as does Annette, that this is not a tragedy. In fact, it is a story about overcoming trauma and learning how to adapt when the winds of change are blowing in your face. In our rich and emotional conversation centered around her latest memoir, Aftermath: Coming-of-Age on Three Continents, Annette and I cover: Why, when growing up in post-war Poland, Annette felt she...
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Addressing Shame, with Jim Young
Uncorking a Story
About Jim Young: Jim is on a personal mission to help men defeat burnout. He does this through his coaching business where he is known as The Centered Coach, and is also doing it through his new book entitled Expansive Intimacy: How Tough Guys Defeat Burnout. In this episode, Mike and Jim discuss: Staking a claim to who you are. The multiple paths we take in life. Taking a risk to open yourself to vulnerability. Embracing the youness. Key Takeaways: You don’t have to know what you want to do at 18. That’s crazy! You will find yourself as you live your...
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Mindset is a Muscle, with Carrington Smith
Uncorking a Story
About Carrington Smith: Carrington Smith is a single mom, attorney, business owner, and executive search professional. Despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, life gave her a hard kick in the tail. She has survived sexual assault, two divorces, piles of debt, abuse, religious mind games, the death of loved ones, and the loss of close friends. In her debut memoir, Blooming: Finding Gifts in the Shit of Life, Carrington combines wit and wisdom to share her journey through the shit, with a positive attitude and a shift of mindset, into a life bursting with joy, opportunity, and...
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Enjoying The Ride, with David Bell
Uncorking a Story
About David Bell: David is the USA Today-bestselling author of twelve novels from Berkley/Penguin, including THE FINALISTS, KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS, THE REQUEST, and LAYOVER. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, included on several bestseller lists, nominated for the Pushcart Prize five times, and, recently his thirteenth novel, KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS, was nominated for a 2022 Edgar Award. In this episode, Mike and David discuss: Why David blames his parents for becoming a bestselling author. Reading as the best teacher of the craft of writing. ...
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If Not Now, When? with KJ Dell'Antonia
Uncorking a Story
About KJ Dell'Antonia: KJ is the author of The Chicken Sisters, a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, and a timely, humorous exploration of the same themes she has long focused on in her journalism: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy and the need to value the people in front of us more than the ones in our phones and laptops, every single time. Her latest novel, In Her Boots, is about the gap between the adult we think we have become, the child our mother will always see, and our horrible fear that our...
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Sophie Irwin: Fortune Hunting
Uncorking a Story
About Sophie Irwin: Sophie has spent years immersed in the study of historical fiction, from a dissertation on why Georgette Heyer helped win World War Two, to time spent in dusty stacks and old tomes doing detailed period research when writing this book. Her love and passion for historical fiction bring a breath of fresh air and a contemporary energy to the genre. Her debut novel is A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting and joining me today to talk about that, and so much more, is author Sophie Irwin. In this episode, Mike and Sophie discuss: Why her writing starts with...
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Going Off Script, with Annabel Monaghan
Uncorking a Story
About Annabel Monaghan: Annabel is the author of two Young Adult novels: A Girl Named Digit, optioned by the Disney Channel, and the sequel, Double Digit. She is also the author of Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?, a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in the Huffington Post, The Week, and The Rye Record. She joins me today to talk about Nora Goes Off Script, which is her adult debut novel. In this episode, Mike and Annabel discuss: Annabel’s path to publishing What she learned during the writing process How Annabel crafted Nora's character and...
info_outlineLaurie Handlers is a Sex and Happiness Coach and the author of the Amazon #1 International Bestseller Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy.
Through her company Butterfly Workshops, she offers sexual health and awareness courses plus leadership courses for corporations and individuals throughout the world.
For over a decade, she’s hosted the weekly radio show Sex and Happiness where she discusses all topics about, you guessed it, sex. Laurie has also produced and starred in two independent films: “Beyond Dinner” and “Tantric Tourists.” Her current focus is on Sexual Ecstasy at Any Age and is currently writing a book called The Magic and Mastery of Sex and Happiness After Sixty.
As an aside, I interview people for a living and I really love interviewing people who are experts in fields where I have next to no experience. Oftentimes when I lose a project, a client will tell me it’s because I didn’t have enough experience in their category or that someone on the team wanted to go with someone who they’ve used in the past, and that’s all very rational, but the truth is they are doing themselves a disservice.
When I go into a situation where I know next to nothing, my curiosity takes over and I probe into areas that other people might not dared to tread. Additionally, my interviewee will sense my naiveté and then put on the hat of teacher, thereby giving more detailed explanations of whatever subject matter they are expert in. In short, it leads to really fluid and insightful interviews and I think you will discover that to be the case in my conversation with Laurie.
Now you may be wondering, hey Mike, won’t you be embarrassed if your eighty plus year old parents heard you carrying on about this? Well, consider this - after Laurie’s mother passed away, her father became her student. Let that sink in for a second, she taught her father everything she knew about sex and intimacy! Aside from that, my parents know that I've had sex as I've given them grandchildren.
One thing I learned in my talk with Laurie is that Tantra is much more than just sex. In this conversation you’ll hear why Laurie believes we all have to change and adapt throughout life, why it’s important to come to peace with our own emotional and physical needs before we can fully do so with another, and why it’s so damn hard for many men and women to have an honest conversation about what they want in the bedroom.
You’ll hear the advice she’d give young couples on how to have a fulfilling sex life well into their golden years as well as how to talk to one’s children about sex in a way that’s open, honest, and will set them up for fulfilling emotional and physical relationships in the future.
I hope you listen to this entire interview with Laurie because it comes to a nice climax towards the end. This Spring, she'll be doing a multi-city tour running some seminars called What to do About #MeToo. You can learn about those events and more about Laurie by visiting http://www.butterflyworkshops.com/