Morning Person Podcast

Leslie Stephens

5.0 (4)
PERSONAL JOURNALS
UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The companion podcast to Morning Person Newsletter, hosted by Leslie Stephens. Open and honest conversations on navigating big decisions, gathering, and living a meaningful life best served with coffee. https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/ www.morningpersonnewsletter.com

11/11/2025

A Vlog of My First Week Solo (!) in the Van

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com It was a strange experience creating this video of my first week alone in the van. Two weeks have passed since I filmed them all and, on the one hand, it was as incredible as I remember. But I had forgotten how tender it was. I really tried to capture the reality of what my week completely alone (and immediately post-breakup) felt like, and in watching i…

1 min
07/11/2025

VIDEO: A Chaotic, Realistic Tour of My Packed Fridge and Freezer 👀

Throughout my twenties, I oscillated between being the girl who would eat anything, in protest of the pervasive diet culture in Los Angeles; and trying all things wellness culture, which was basically the same thing, but with cuter branding. In both iterations, I was completely cut-off from my body’s queues and often felt ill after meals. In my thirties, I’ve found a balance that celebrates my love of food in a way that also honors my body, and isn’t aiming to prove anything to anyone. My fridge and pantry are a direct reflection of that. Let’s me show you! You can find the full companion post, with links and more here! There are never any affiliate links or sponsors in Morning Person—just genuine recommendations! Subscribe via the link below for biweekly updates! x morning person is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

8 min
02/02/2025

🎥 Sunday Edition: A Video Update of My Guest Room and Compassion Fatigue

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com The Sunday Edition is Tuesday’s little sister—off-the-cuff updates I’d bring up over a coffee catch-up with a friend. As soon as I hit “publish” on last week’s post on being consumed by little to-dos, I noticed a similar sentiment everywhere . We are dying to slow down! (Susie | Talking Since Tuesday) We are tired! (Becca Freeman) We are finished optimizing! (Azora Zoe Paknad) We are over running on this endless treadmill! (sam baker) We’re exhausted from an inability to keep up that which, I’m sure many of us felt, was compounded by a broader sense of helplessness this week. The site where I’m doing my clinical internship is a nonprofit funded largely by state grants, but many of our clients depend on federally funded programs to support their medical and housing needs. It’s been infuriating to watch some of the world’s richest men try to take away these basic rights from those who are most vulnerable, not to mention freeze global aid programs. How do we guard against compassion-fatigue and burnout, while living under an administration that’s taking a wrecking ball to humanitarian efforts?? This all brings me to my decision to publish an update on my own home when so many people are at risk of losing theirs.

8 sec
01/23/2025

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Expert's Approach to Staying Healthy

This podcast episode is a companion to “Issue #177: Practical Tips for Staying Healthy Over Colder Months.” Helen Spieth is an expert in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and contains a wealth of information about women’s health and immunity. I’ve been seeing her since 2023, and she has a way of breaking down complex topics—like the immune system!—into understandable parts. Since working with her, I’ve gained an entirely new understanding of my immune system, which she likens to a castle, and ways in which we can strengthen it. Of course, this episode isn’t a replacement for your doctor’s recommendations, or meant to serve as any sort of miracle cure-all, but I do think you’ll find some of Helen’s wisdom helpful, as I have. Thanks for listening! You can access the original issue here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

51 min
11/01/2024

A Primer on Korean Beauty's History and Future with Elise Hu

This podcast episode is a companion to “Issue #166: 36 Hours in Seoul and a Primer on Korean Beauty.” When Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily and Forever 35 podcasts, moved from America to Seoul in 2015, as the Korea and Japan bureau chief for NPR, she experienced a similar “amplification” of her flaws. She documented her experience, as well as her research into the history and future of Korea’s beauty industry in her book, Flawless. In this episode, Hu and I talk about K-beauty’s geopolitical impact and the ways in which it serves as a window into the future—and how we see ourselves. Thanks for listening! You can access the original issue here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

27 min
09/05/2023

Preview: My Mom's Postpartum and Her Reaction to My Divorce

This podcast episode is a preview of “Issue #106: A Conversation with My Mom About Our Relationship and My Divorce.” A couple weeks ago, when I was back home in Reno, I asked my mom, Tracy Fairhurst, if she would be open to sitting down to a recorded conversation. It was, on the surface, an interview for Morning Person, but it meant far more to both of us, given our history. For years, my mom and I had a close, but tumultuous, relationship. When I was in high school, we fought endlessly and in my 20s, we went an entire year without talking. Even this year, we stopped speaking for several months. That most recent argument, which began in April and lasted until June, felt like a tipping point: We could go on this way forever, or we could change. Thankfully, we chose the latter and began to have openhearted conversations and be more aware of each others’ boundaries and sensitivities. Mother-daughter relationships are some of the most complicated. I hope our honest conversation below provides you with some clarity toward your own or, at the very least, normalizes the fact that not every pair is Lorelai and Rory. Thanks for listening! You can access the original issue here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

5 min
08/17/2023

How Sobriety Allowed Sarah Levy to Manifest the Life She Always Wanted

This podcast episode is a companion to “Issue #95: Why I'm Still (Mostly) Sober After a Year of Not Drinking.” Sarah Levyis the author of bestselling memoir Drinking Games and the newsletterSeltzer Rocks, where she documents her experience since getting sober nearly six years ago. In a recent conversation, we talked about her own experience with AA, collecting “sober references,” and why it’s so much easier to write vulnerably than reach out to a friend. We also fully fell down a manifestation rabbit hole. Thanks for listening! You can access the original issue here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

52 min
08/10/2023

How Food Can Heal Old Wounds with Hetty McKinnon

This podcast episode is a companion to “Issue #92: Healing Grief Through Food with Hetty McKinnon.” Few people understand the healing qualities of food better than cookbook author Hetty McKinnon. All of her cookbooks are deeply personal and her latest, Tenderheart (out today), serves as an ode to her father, who she lost as a teenager, through vegetables. When I spoke to her recently, she told me, “Food is the way I make sense of my life and the things I’ve experienced and seen and gone through.” Writing the recipes in this cookbook allowed her to consider the impact her father—who brought crates of fruits and vegetables home from his job—had on her, while celebrating his life and legacy. I spoke to Hetty about healing through food, the importance of chile oil, and how food can connect us to our cultures and each other. Thanks for listening! This is one of my favorite issues ever and includes two of Hetty’s recipes—you can access the original here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/subscribe

54 min

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

The companion podcast to Morning Person Newsletter, hosted by Leslie Stephens. Open and honest conversations on navigating big decisions, gathering, and living a meaningful life best served with coffee. https://www.morningpersonnewsletter.com/ www.morningpersonnewsletter.com

Creator

Leslie Stephens
Years Active

2023 - 2025
Episodes

14
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Leslie Stephens
Show Website

Morning Person Podcast