Thanks For Asking

A call-in show from author Nora McInerny that lets real people get real honest about how they're really doing. Operators(me) are standing by to take your calls.

Ad-free + bonus episodes!

US$5.99/month or US$49.99/year

  1. 2 days ago

    9 Things You Need To Hear If You're Struggling: Laura McKowen on addiction, guilt, and recovery

    Drinking is a really acceptable thing in the US. Most towns have liquor stores on every few corners. Every home decor store has products with some variation of the same, tongue-in-cheek humor: “Mommy’s Go-Go Juice,” “I’m not whining, I’m wine-ing,” or “It’s WINE O’CLOCK!” More often than not, explaining that you’re sober can be more awkward than explaining that you binge drink every other weekend. In fact, in the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 79.2% of people aged 12 and up reported that they had consumed alcohol at some point in their lifetime.  Drinking is, for most people, considered “normal.” And for Laura McKowen, drinking was just a part of life – of work, of her social life, of relaxing. She didn’t realize how destructive it was until things had gone too far and her brother confronted her, saying, “This is your thing. You can’t drink.” Laura is here today to walk us through her addiction, guilt, turmoil, recovery, and path onwards, sharing the nine things that anyone facing addiction needs to hear. References: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025). Alcohol use in the United States: Age groups and demographic characteristics. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics-z/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/alcohol-use-united-states-age-groups-and-demographic-characteristics Watch us on YouTube here! Get this episode ad-free here! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on Spotify and Apple! You can buy Nora’s books on Bookshop or Amazon, or wherever you buy books. Nora is on IG, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    9 Things You Need To Hear If You're Struggling: Laura McKowen on addiction, guilt, and recovery
  2. 6 days ago ·  Bonus

    A Bluebird Day with Laura McKowen

    What’s okay with Laura McKowen right now? After we talk about the weather (and who doesn’t love to talk about the weather?) we go on a journey through prestige and lowbrow television, briefcases, baked goods and a poem that will bring you the soul hug you need.  Laura McKowens books: We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life (Bookshop | Amazon) Push Off From Here: 9 Essential Truths To Get You Through Sobriety (And Everything Else ( Bookshop | Amazon) And Laura’s substack, Love Story.  You can share your okay things with us at ☎️502-388-OKAY (6529) or 📧 IGTBO@feelingsand.co  To support our show, you can subscribe to our YouTube content here. Our music is by Secret Audio, and their new album is on Spotify or Apple Our Sponsors: ❤️ Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ Experience your juiciest and deepest sensual experience with a bottle of Foria. FORIA is offering a special deal for our listeners. Get 20% off your first order by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com/tfa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR use code TFA at checkout. That’s F-O-R-I-A WELLNESS DOT COM FORWARD SLASH TFA for 20% off your first order. I recommend trying Awaken or their Pleasure Set with all three of their best sellers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    A Bluebird Day with Laura McKowen
  3. 30 Jun

    Uprooted: What Can Happen When a Black Child Is Transracially Adopted by a White Family?

    Adoption is often viewed as a happy ending, and sometimes it is! But for Thenedra, her experiences as a child in the foster care system and later as a trans-racial adoptee were — and still are — much more complicated than that. This is an episode about what can happen when trans-racial foster and adoptive parents are not just unprepared to raise traumatized children, but also unprepared to raise Black children in a predominantly white society. References:  The National Association of Black Social Workers’ 1972 position statement on transracial adoption  1984 study on the long-term effects of trans-racial adoption Children of color disproportionately likely to enter foster care system Watch us on YouTube here! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on Spotify and Apple! Our Sponsors: ❤️ Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ Experience your juiciest and deepest sensual experience with a bottle of Foria. FORIA is offering a special deal for our listeners. Get 20% off your first order by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com/tfa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR use code TFA at checkout. That’s F-O-R-I-A WELLNESS DOT COM FORWARD SLASH TFA for 20% off your first order. I recommend trying Awaken or their Pleasure Set with all three of their best sellers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Uprooted: What Can Happen When a Black Child Is Transracially Adopted by a White Family?
  4. 26 Jun ·  Bonus

    Nothing Starts on Sunday but Birth Control with Courtney Maum

    If you’ve been feeling like life is throwing everything at you all at once – burnout, exhaustion, chaos – today’s episode is for you. Today, Nora is joined by author and friend of the pod Courtney Maum, who brought OK things from weird Zillow listings in Florida to fancy gifts from very classy ladies. And, despite their love for each other, they very nearly have a friendship-ending fight – over whether the calendar should start on Sunday or Monday. Things get pretty heated. If you’re searching for joy in the chaos, sit back and press play on today’s episode. Watch us on YouTube here⁠! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple⁠! You can buy Nora’s books on ⁠Bookshop ⁠or ⁠Amazon⁠, or wherever you buy books. Check out Nora’s Instagram ⁠here⁠! Check out Nora’s TikTok ⁠here⁠! Check out Nora’s Facebook ⁠here⁠! Check out Nora’s LinkedIn ⁠here⁠! Our Sponsors: ❤️ Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ Experience your juiciest and deepest sensual experience with a bottle of Foria. FORIA is offering a special deal for our listeners. Get 20% off your first order by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com/tfa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR use code TFA at checkout. That’s F-O-R-I-A WELLNESS DOT COM FORWARD SLASH TFA for 20% off your first order. I recommend trying Awaken or their Pleasure Set with all three of their best sellers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Nothing Starts on Sunday but Birth Control with Courtney Maum
  5. 23 Jun

    What happens after Viral Fame? Rebecca Black can tell you.

    In 2011, it was impossible to escape the “Friday” music video. September 16, 2011 changed the trajectory of pop culture – and of 13-year-old Rebecca Black’s life – forever. What started as a harmless, fun music video (with yes, some questionable lyrics) turned into a vitriolic mob obsessed with bullying a teenage girl. Even now, every few months the song will resurface on TikTok. But what happens to the person behind the viral fame? What happens to the subject of unnecessary hate? Rebecca Black is on the pod to tell you. Watch us on YouTube here! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on Spotify and Apple! You can buy Nora’s books on Bookshop or Amazon, or wherever you buy books. Check out Nora’s Instagram here! Check out Nora’s TikTok here! Check out Nora’s Facebook here! Check out Nora’s LinkedIn here! Our Sponsors: ❤️ Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/TFA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❤️ Experience your juiciest and deepest sensual experience with a bottle of Foria. FORIA is offering a special deal for our listeners. Get 20% off your first order by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠foriawellness.com/tfa⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR use code TFA at checkout. That’s F-O-R-I-A WELLNESS DOT COM FORWARD SLASH TFA for 20% off your first order. I recommend trying Awaken or their Pleasure Set with all three of their best sellers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    What happens after Viral Fame? Rebecca Black can tell you.

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Ad-free + bonus episodes!

US$5.99/month or US$49.99/year

Hosts & Guests

About

A call-in show from author Nora McInerny that lets real people get real honest about how they're really doing. Operators(me) are standing by to take your calls.

More From Feelings & Co

You Might Also Like