Pickles & Pasta with Steph and Jay

Stephanie Rado Taormina & Jay Schweid

Welcome to Pickles & Pasta—a podcast about living creatively, loving boldly, and staying grounded in a world that often feels anything but. Steph and Jay met (or as Jay says “reconnected”) just before the pandemic and have been building a life—and a creative partnership—ever since. Together, they live, work, and support each other’s ventures while navigating the messy, beautiful chaos of modern life. No agendas. No sides. Just real conversations—sometimes deep, sometimes hilarious, always honest.  This is their space to talk about creativity, connection, relationships, and everything in between. Pull up a chair. Let’s dig in. About Steph   Stephanie Rado Taormina is the CEO and founder of Have Some Fun Today, a lifestyle brand inspired by her late father's mantra to live boldly and joyfully. With over 25 years of experience in branding, fashion, interiors, and entrepreneurship, she brings a sharp creative vision to everything she touches. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Stephanie has reignited her fine art career since 2021—creating emotionally driven abstract work and building a growing marketplace for contemporary art. While integrating her artistic voice into the evolution of HSFT, she also maintains an independent studio practice focused on exhibitions, fine art prints, and creative collaborations. As co-host of the podcast Pickles & Pasta with Steph & Jay, she brings thoughtful, unscripted insight to conversations about creativity, culture, and navigating modern life. About Jay Jay Schweid is a native New Yorker, creative entrepreneur, and cultural shapeshifter with a career that’s anything but conventional. From launching JCS, a bespoke racket service trusted by tennis icons like McEnroe and Agassi, to co-founding The Spot—a legendary South Beach lounge with Mickey Rourke—Jay has always lived at the intersection of bold ideas and real-world impact. He went on to create high-touch concierge and event services for celebrity and HNWI clients, and in 2012, launched ephelants, a media company focused on streamlining film and commercial production. Built to challenge industry inefficiencies, ephelants fuses creativity with technology to empower storytellers at every level. Now, Jay is building Village—a visionary entertainment platform that will revolutionize how projects move from concept to distribution. By bringing together creators, fans, and investors,Village is designed to democratize the entire entertainment ecosystem and give everyone a seat at the table. On Pickles & Pasta, Jay brings sharp insight, unapologetic creativity, and a relentless curiosity for what’s next.

  1. 2D AGO

    Pickles & Pasta EP27 - Expression, Identity, & Choosing Care

    Episode 27 - Expression, Identity, & Choosing Care January has felt unusually heavy, and Steph and Jay open up about what it’s like to live and create in a world that feels emotionally maxed out. They talk about how politics has bled into business, art, and personal platforms, creating pressure to speak, stay silent, or choose sides. Steph shares why she’s long avoided political messaging through Have Some Fun Today, and why that boundary is becoming harder to hold. Jay reflects on tone-deaf branding, public backlash, and how quickly discourse turns reactive. The conversation widens into the role of creatives during unstable times, how artists absorb the emotional climate and translate it into work, often without trying to persuade or polarize. They explore authenticity, compassion, curiosity, and the idea that standing for humanity doesn’t require taking a side. They close with a lighthearted rapid-fire snow-day segment covering winter comforts, food, and cozy watch picks. Topics Covered: Why January felt emotionally heavyPolitics and business pressure to choose sidesNeutrality vs speaking up in a “tone-deaf” eraSocial media backlash over mild statementsTrigger culture and heightened reactionsThe role and weight of creatives todaySpiritual grounding amid noise and confusionSupporting artists without preachingRapid Fire: winter ice cream, snow-day comfort food, cozy watch picksWherever you land on the issues, this episode is a reminder: we all deserve to be heard, and it costs nothing to listen.

    45 min

  2. JAN 28

    Pickles & Pasta EP26 - The Reset Episode: If You Needed This Today

    EP26 - The Reset Episode: If You Needed This Today Sometimes you don’t need a new plan, you need a reset. In Episode 26, Steph and Jay bring together the most grounding moments from past episodes into one steady, calming listen. It’s built like a guided emotional “re-center,” moving from overwhelm → regulation → perspective → self-trust → gentle momentum. If your mind feels loud, your nervous system feels fried, or you’ve been spiraling into the future, this episode is a place to land. Topics Covered: Overwhelm and emotional groundingStaying present and reducing future-spiralsAnxiety, fear, and nervous system regulationReframing chaos into usable energyPerspective-taking and not personalizing everythingAuthenticity and self-expressionBoundaries, shrinking, and choosing better environmentsHealing through conversation (not avoidance)Self-trust and forward momentumSlowness, winter energy, and patienceCreative block, clutter, and making spaceStarting before you’re readyKindness as a daily practiceIf you needed a sign to slow down, breathe, and come back to yourself, this is it. Stay here. Just today.

    44 min

  3. JAN 21

    Pickles & Pasta EP25 - Alone Time, Creative Work and When Money Enters the Room

    Episode 25 - Alone Time, Creative Work and When Money Enters the Room Episode 25 opens with Steph and Jay checking in on the wonkiness of the world and the mental load of staying aware without getting consumed. They talk about how people cope differently, from staying plugged in to fully tuning out, and why it feels harder than ever to find calm while still caring. From there, they get into the creative process, especially the role of solitude. Steph shares why working alone is energizing, how deep focus shapes her best work, and why being social doesn’t mean needing people around while creating. Jay reflects on the flip side, how the right city energy can be inspiring, but also distracting when it comes to getting work done. Then the conversation turns practical: when does money enter creativity. They unpack the difference between making art for the sake of making it and building products where margins, materials, and price points have to be considered early. Steph breaks down the real cost of supplies and why art pricing is often misunderstood, and shares her shift toward art based products that require a more business minded structure. They close with rapid fire on future tech, fixing New York, and weird food combos. Topics Covered: Staying aware in a chaotic world without burning outSolitude vs stimulation and how creatives actually work bestThe balance between deep focus and being energized by peopleWhen money enters creativity and why timing mattersThe real cost of making art and why pricing is misunderstoodProduct thinking vs fine art and working backwards from marginRapid fire: tech we want, NYC fixes, and odd food pairingsThis episode is a reminder that creativity needs both space and structure, and learning when to protect your process and when to think like a business is part of the work.

    48 min

  4. JAN 14

    Pickles & Pasta EP24 - Focus, Energy and The Journey

    Episode 24 - Focus, Energy and The Journey This episode captures that strange early January shift after the holiday rush, when the world is technically “back,” but not really moving at full speed yet. Steph and Jay talk about what it feels like to be creatives during a season where other people slow down, while their own momentum keeps building. They explore how conferences, awards season, and trend cycles flood the culture right after the holidays, and why Steph tends to block a lot of that out to protect her originality. From there, the conversation moves into something deeper: the way creatives pick up on energy in rooms and environments, and how that unspoken tension or empathy often gets channeled into the work. The episode lands on a central anchor, focusing on the journey, especially when life feels full of landmines, shifting plans, and constant uncertainty. They wrap with a funny rapid fire and a simple reminder about stress: don’t do it twice. Topics Covered: The strange post holiday pace of JanuaryCreative schedules versus traditional work rhythmsThe flood of conferences, awards, and trend noiseProtecting originality and filtering cultural overloadHow creatives sense and process energy differentlyTurning empathy and frustration into creative fuelStaying focused on the journey amid constant changeRapid fire on time, childhood, and risk takingWhy pre stressing only makes things harderThis episode is your reminder to tune out the noise, stay grounded in your path, and keep your focus on the journey, especially when life tries to pull the rug out from under you.

    51 min

  5. JAN 7

    Pickles & Pasta EP23 - Reset, Reflection and Creative Freedom

    Episode 23 - Reset, Reflection and Creative Freedom The first episode of 2026 opens with Steph and Jay turning a casual new year check in into a thoughtful conversation about how creatives actually reset. They talk about why January 1st feels motivating for some people and completely overrated for others, then dig into the real reset of clearing physical and mental clutter so new ideas can take shape. Steph shares what it looks like to wind down an old way of running a business in order to make room for what’s next, including experimenting with a new product focused direction that blends art and interior design. Jay reflects on how the simple act of organizing can kick the brain back into creative mode and why real adaptation requires space rather than pressure. They also explore what the holiday season leaves behind, from meaningful moments to small dramas, and how those experiences quietly carry into the new year. The episode wraps with a rapid-fire round that is both funny and unexpectedly sincere. Topics Covered: New Year resets: motivation vs “you can start anytime”Clearing clutter and why creatives need space to createThe connection between cleaning, emotional processing, and mental calmAdapting to new plans and building systems for a fresh yearSteph’s new creative direction: art as product + catalog thinkingWhat carries forward from the holidays: gratitude, drama, lessonsRapid fire: new year feelings, holiday traditions, and takeawaysThis episode stays with you as a reminder that clearing space isn’t just housekeeping, it’s how you make room for what’s next.

    43 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    Pickles & Pasta EP22 - Closure, Hope and End of Year Clarity

    Episode 22 - Closure, Hope and End of Year Clarity Episode 22 is a reflective end of year conversation about perspective, growth, and entering a new chapter with intention. Steph and Jay move from light talk about winter in New York into gratitude, the emotional weight of the holidays, and Jay’s experience navigating a Christmas centered culture as a Jewish person. At the heart of the episode, Steph reflects on a year of closing chapters, clearing energy, and trusting the slow incubation of creativity, while Jay shares how global events and the people in his life continue to shape his thinking and push him to keep learning. They close with a rapid fire that turns thoughtful, touching on kindness, closure, and the small internal shifts that change how we move through the world, offering a grounded and hopeful send off to the year. Topics Covered: Year end reflection and what this year demandedLetting go, clearing space, and closing chaptersIdentity shifts, growth, and creative timingGratitude and grounding when the world feels heavyThe Jewish experience during the Christmas seasonPersonal hope for 2026 versus the global outlookHow humans resist change and adapt under pressureRapid fire on kindness, anonymity, and closureThis episode stays with you as a reminder to clear what no longer fits, protect what matters, and step into the new year more aligned with yourself. See you in 2026.

    53 min

  7. 12/24/2025

    Pickles & Pasta EP21 - Holidays, Creativity, and Knowing When to Slow Down

    Episode 21 - Holidays, Creativity, and Knowing When to Slow Down In this episode of Pickles and Pasta with Steph and Jay, a simple catch-up turns into a thoughtful look at creativity during the holiday season and the push-pull between momentum and rest. They unpack how December’s packed calendars and cultural expectations can derail focus, while still offering surprising inspiration through new experiences and shared adventures. They also talk about resisting the pressure to constantly sell, promote, or discount creative work, with Steph choosing to focus on making art right now and Jay reflecting on how hard it is when “slowing down” feels imposed instead of chosen, all while touching on consumer culture, originality, and creating with intention. They wrap with humor and a rapid-fire round on winter comforts, music habits, and the annual events that quietly shape their creative lives. Topics Covered: Creating during the holidays and how seasonal energy affects focusThe tension between slowing down and maintaining creative momentumEvents, stimulation, and how new experiences fuel inspirationSelling versus making and owning the value of creative workConsumer culture, trends, and the search for originalityChoosing rest and reflection without losing purposRapid fire on winter favorites, music, and influential annual events A reflective, honest conversation about honoring your creative rhythm during a season that pulls you in every direction. Whether you’re slowing down, speeding up, or somewhere in between, this episode is a reminder that intention matters more than timing.

    57 min

  8. 12/17/2025

    Pickles & Pasta EP20 - Family, Perception, and Looking Past the Label

    Episode 20 - Family, Perception, and Looking Past the Label In Episode 20 of Pickles and Pasta with Steph and Jay, the conversation kicks off with full moon energy and how heightened sensitivity can shape your mood, reactions, and awareness. From there, they dive into how family dynamics quietly (and sometimes loudly) shape who we become, including confidence, self-image, patterns we inherit, and the narratives relatives create about us that can be hard to shake. They also explore how perception works in everyday life: what we assume when we first look at someone, how stereotypes and appearances distort reality, and how our own fears or insecurities can get projected onto other people. The episode wraps with rapid fire fun covering a brand they fell out of love with, the “no downside” food they’d eat forever, and something they dislike doing but love the payoff of. Topics Covered Full moon energy, sensitivity, and emotional awarenessFamily influence on identity, confidence, and behaviorUnlearning family narratives and projected expectationsBig families, perception, and confidence versus intimidationFirst impressions, stereotypes, and the art of perceptionProjection, social media overload, and the need for quieter mental spaceRapid fire on brand regret, indulgent foods, and the payoff of hard workIf this episode hit home, take it as a reminder to stay curious about your patterns, your people, and what you might be assuming at first glance.

    49 min
See All (27)

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Pickles & Pasta—a podcast about living creatively, loving boldly, and staying grounded in a world that often feels anything but. Steph and Jay met (or as Jay says “reconnected”) just before the pandemic and have been building a life—and a creative partnership—ever since. Together, they live, work, and support each other’s ventures while navigating the messy, beautiful chaos of modern life. No agendas. No sides. Just real conversations—sometimes deep, sometimes hilarious, always honest.  This is their space to talk about creativity, connection, relationships, and everything in between. Pull up a chair. Let’s dig in. About Steph   Stephanie Rado Taormina is the CEO and founder of Have Some Fun Today, a lifestyle brand inspired by her late father's mantra to live boldly and joyfully. With over 25 years of experience in branding, fashion, interiors, and entrepreneurship, she brings a sharp creative vision to everything she touches. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Stephanie has reignited her fine art career since 2021—creating emotionally driven abstract work and building a growing marketplace for contemporary art. While integrating her artistic voice into the evolution of HSFT, she also maintains an independent studio practice focused on exhibitions, fine art prints, and creative collaborations. As co-host of the podcast Pickles & Pasta with Steph & Jay, she brings thoughtful, unscripted insight to conversations about creativity, culture, and navigating modern life. About Jay Jay Schweid is a native New Yorker, creative entrepreneur, and cultural shapeshifter with a career that’s anything but conventional. From launching JCS, a bespoke racket service trusted by tennis icons like McEnroe and Agassi, to co-founding The Spot—a legendary South Beach lounge with Mickey Rourke—Jay has always lived at the intersection of bold ideas and real-world impact. He went on to create high-touch concierge and event services for celebrity and HNWI clients, and in 2012, launched ephelants, a media company focused on streamlining film and commercial production. Built to challenge industry inefficiencies, ephelants fuses creativity with technology to empower storytellers at every level. Now, Jay is building Village—a visionary entertainment platform that will revolutionize how projects move from concept to distribution. By bringing together creators, fans, and investors,Village is designed to democratize the entire entertainment ecosystem and give everyone a seat at the table. On Pickles & Pasta, Jay brings sharp insight, unapologetic creativity, and a relentless curiosity for what’s next.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephanie Rado Taormina & Jay Schweid
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pickles & Pasta with Steph and Jay
  • Show Website
    Pickles & Pasta with Steph and Jay