I've Been Better

34: w/ Kristin Brandon on coming to terms with all your parts

On Episode 34 of I've Been Better, join host Susan as she talks with her colleague, Kristin, on her journey to becoming a therapist, grief, and recognizing all of your parts, even the ones you may not be ready to acknowledge. 
 
Kristin Brandon is a LCSW, LCAC, and overall BADASS. Kristin raised 3 exceptional children and then went back to school at age 39 for her Master of Social degree. She is passionate about wellness, riding her bike, connecting, learning and travel. Kristin has ridden her biker along the Danube visiting 6 different countries. Her hobbies include cycling, reading, gardening and hanging with my husband and the amazing Ms. Maisy (dog). A fun fact about Kristin, is that she was in line for a job as an FBI agent but realized she could NOT live with the dress code.
 
CW: death, grief, mental health, AIDS, divorce, alcoholism
 

33: w/ Logan Wheless on finding your inner Zen

On Episode 33, join host Susan and her yogi inspiration and friend, Logan Wheless, as they talk about not only finding your Zen, but also finding yourself. 
 
Logan works in marketing for the Carolina Hurricanes and is the owner/founder of Zenmeowt Yoga, a local yoga practice. Logan is highly passionate about bringing yoga to all and hope that yoga can help more people with their journey in finding themselves and better/happier mental health. She loves her kitties, Mila and Roo, and her in free time, she likes to find fun new things to do around the area, hang with friends, and spend time outside during nice weather.
 
 
Instagram: @zenmeowt
Personal: @logsmarie
 
CW: mental health, anxiety, depression, COVID

32: w/ Melissa Ruggiero on when life hands you COVID, you make a new home

On Episode 32, join host Susan and good friend Melissa, talk about the impact of COVID-19 from a New York perspective and being forced to make tough life-altering decisions. 
 
Melissa Ruggiero is a brand strategist and marketer passionate about creative strategy and brand building. Skilled in translating brand insights into powerful storytelling, driving results from brand to demand. Melissa believes you can build a community of togetherness through meaningful content. In Melissa's free time, you can find her aimlessly walking around the city, volunteering her time, or coaxing her friends into taking a dance class. She is also the pet parent to two, Guiseppe and Elaine. 
 
CW: COVID-19, mental health, depression
 
Instagram: @guiseppeandelaine 

31: w/ Tyler Sherlock on ”getting by” with a little help from his friends

On Episode 31, join host Susan and her longtime friend Tyler as they talk about being an artist, struggling to find footing after college, and the impact of getting into legal trouble with alcohol.
 
Tyler Sherlock is a Graphic Designer specializing in magazine layout for The N2 Company based out of Wilmington, NC. Tyler has had a passion and a natural gift for art since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He has published an adult coloring book on Amazon and does commissioned paintings when he is not doing Graphic Design. He currently resides in Fort Mill, SC with his wife, Rachel and their puppy, Mowgli. Tyler enjoys spending time with his loved ones, working out, cooking, and listening to podcasts.
 
Instagram: @tylersherlockart
Link to coloring book: Life Under the Sea
CW: DUI/DWI, alcohol consumption

30: w/ Alex Allen on breaking up with a toxic career

On Episode 30, join host Susan and new friend, Alex Allen, as the two talk about trolling on Twitter and toxic work culture.
 
Alex is a southerner living in Denver, Colorado. By day, he leads product strategy for the OpenTable app, and by night, he is competitive volleyball player. In his spare time, he loves doing pro-bono work through the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute and Taproot. Fun fact: Alex raged a Twitter war and a successful Change.org petition against the DPAC in Durham to help people get their refunds after the venue was shut down from the pandemic in 2020 (and to think we thought Twitter was mostly useless). When not working or trolling businesses on Twitter, Alex can be found playing volleyball or hiking the beautiful state of Colorado. 
 
CW: religion, spiritual trauma, mental health, death, loss

29: w/ Rachel Sherlock on obsession, to panic, to loss and everything in between

On Episode 29, join host Susan as she chats with her friend Rachel about anxiety, the pandemic, and unplanned loss of a furry best friend. 
Rachel Sherlock is a Sales and Marketing Operations guru in the SaaS industry. She is a master in Salesforce Administration and streamlined processes in multiple companies to maximize revenue growth. Rachel has her master’s degree in psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Rachel also has her Paralegal Degree from Duke University. Education and career don’t take all of Rachel’s time; she believes in work-life balance. Besides the happy hours, you can catch her training for her next marathon or riding her Peloton Bike.
Instagram: @rachelperellisherlock 
 
CW: anxiety, panic, mental health and mental health diagnoses, pet death/loss, cremation, COVID-19 
 

28: w/ Jordan Huggins on the thievery of adulthood

On Episode 28, join host Susan as she talks with fellow podcast host and local comedian, Jordan Huggins, about being ready, or not, for adulthood. 
 
Jordan Scott Huggins is a comic, writer, podcaster, and show producer in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a comic he's featured in a handful of national festivals including the Crom Comedy Festival, Beast Village Comedy Festival, and Cape Fear Comedy Festival. 
He's written for a number of shows including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, and Younger. 
He coproduces a monthly show in Raleigh called Neptune's Comedy and Bop or Flop, a Billboard Hot-100 music-centric podcast. You can find out more about Jordan and his upcoming shows at: jordanscotthuggins.com
 
Instagram: @akayoungbeefy
Twitter: @akayoungbeefy
 
Podcast Instagram: @boporfloppod
 
CW: substance use, mental health

27: w/ Megan Peedin on parenting your parent

On Episode 27, join host Susan as she catches up with her friend and colleague, Megan Peedin, about her career in social work and the impact of becoming a caregiver in your 20s. 
Megan Peedin MSW, LCSW, LCAS-A lives and works in Durham, NC. She is truly passionate about social work and spends most of her time doing it, including educating folks about what social work is and what it’s not. Megan has 3 fur babies; 2 cats named Creamsicle and Sherb and sweet pup Luna. In her free time, Megan likes to go for walks on the ATT with her partner James. She also watches WAY too much 90-day Fiancé. 
 
CW: hospice, death, dying, end-of-life care, stroke

26: w/ Kelly Womack-Adams on making the call to leave the classroom

On Episode 26, join host Susan as she sits down with friend and coach, Kelly Womack-Adams, to discuss her love for all things math, education, and the impact of having little to no support in the classroom as a teacher. 
 
Currently a grad student at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Kelly is working on her PhD in Education with a focus on Math teaching and learning. Kelly was born in Raleigh, NC and continues to call the City of Oaks her home. She has taught at both levels, high school and elementary school, and continues coach lacrosse and swimming at a nearby high school. Accomplishments: NC Teaching Fellow and an NSF Research Fellow (funding for grad school). Kelly is passionate about math and working with students in varying capacity.  You can find Kelly spending her free time with friends or her partner Greg and dog Ada. 
 
Instagram: @kwomack_adams
 
CW: alcohol use, educational systems

25: w/ Brooke Waggoner on deciding to ”spend the most wonderful time of the year”, alone

Season 5 is here! 
 
On episode 25, join host Susan and her close friend and fellow D.P.C member, Brooke Waggoner, to talk about the impact of COVID over the last two years, and the important decision to put yourself first. 
Brooke works from home as a small business owner. During her spare time, she works part time at a Raleigh luxury upholstery studio. Brooke is always looking for a creative outlet, and right now furniture upholstery scratches that itch. She has a degree and zoology, a Master's in business, and spent 8 years of her career as a summer camp director. Life has always kept her traveling from place to place - 2022 is no exception. Brooke, her husband, and their doggy Gustav are taking on a new adventure moving to Pittsburgh in January. 
 
CW: COVID-19, death, loss, hospitalization
 
Personal Instagram: @brookiewaggz
Parallel (Upholsterer) Instagram: @paralleltriangle