Ramblings From the Little Shed

Holly B.
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Where pets and creativity curl up together. Welcome to the coziest corner of the creative world, where art, literature, and our beloved animal companions come together in conversation. Join us in the little shed—a space where ideas flow freely and creativity thrives—as we explore the profound ways animals influence and inspire our creative lives. Whether you're a writer crafting your next novel, a painter finding inspiration in nature, or simply someone who believes their best work happens with a dog at their feet or a cat on their lap, this podcast is for you.

  1. 1d ago

    Paws, Pages & Peace: The Susan Hartzler Story

    Episode Summary In this episode, host Holly B. and Rogan sit down with author and therapy dog expert Susan Hartzler to talk all things dogs — from Hollywood to healing. Susan shares hilarious behind-the-scenes stories from her years training animal talent for TV and film. She also opens up about her writing journey, including her memoir I'm Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales from the Bark Side (which took 10 years to find a publisher) and The Peace Puppy, a memoir about caregiving for her father with the help of her dog. The conversation turns heartfelt as Susan discusses her therapy dog work, the science behind why dogs calm us down, and her exclusive announcement of a brand-new project: "Sit With Me," a Substack series pairing guided meditations with your dog. Meet Our Guest Susan Hartzler is an author, therapy dog handler, former Hollywood animal talent wrangler, and Substack writer.   The Dogs Susan's two Australian Shepherds: Seven (rescued off the show ring) and Paige Turner (named for her goddaughter + a drag queen — "Page Turner," get it?) Hollywood Tails Susan's late dog Bliss had an entire acting career: CSI, Scandal, commercials, music videosThe best story of the episode: getting Seven to stick his head out a moving car window for a commercial — Susan ran alongside yelling "STOP!" like a lunatic to nail the shotBliss got a farmer-dating-site commercial where the crew hired her a makeup artist... to make her look dirtySusan got Bliss to "talk" on camera by howling along with her in front of the whole crew — standing ovation earned The Books I'm Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales from the Bark Side — first memoir, published when Susan was 62, took 10 years to find a publisher (and only 5 days once she actually pitched it)The Peace Puppy: A Memoir of Caregiving and Canine Solace — about caring for her father through Parkinson's, with her dog by her sideAn upcoming book on therapy dogs, gathering stories from teams across the country Where to Find Susan Book: I'm Not Single, I Have a Dog (audiobook coming this summer)https://www.instagram.com/susanhartzlerauthor/https://susanhartzler.com/

    Paws, Pages & Peace: The Susan Hartzler Story

  2. 3d ago

    Bailey The Zen Queen Holds Court on Creativity and the Death of Small Talk

    Episode Summary Holly B. and Rogan welcome Jennifer Lieberman, the multi-hyphenate creative force behind the five-time award-winning solo show Year of the Slut and its bestselling novel adaptation, Year of the What? — for a wide-ranging chat that moves from cozy dog talk to a genuine masterclass in creative self-determination. Jennifer shares the story of her impossibly chill rescue dog Bailey, why she stopped waiting to be "picked" and started producing her own work, and why she believes theater, and real conversation with strangers might be the antidote to our screen-fatigued, hyper-connected-yet-lonely moment. Fun Facts Dropped in the Episode My Big Fat Greek Wedding began life as a one-woman show.Kim's Convenience started as a play at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2011 before becoming a CBC series.Sean Baker's Sundance breakout Tangerine was shot on an iPhone.A modestly-budgeted awards contender can spend three times its production cost on an Oscar campaign alone. About our guest Jennifer Lieberman is an actor, writer, and producer from Maple, Ontario. Her solo show Year of the Slut is a five-time award winner, and its novel adaptation Year of the What? became a #1 Amazon bestseller. She teaches independent theater production at Toronto Metropolitan University and has a new book, Independent Theater Production for the 21st Century in Seven Simple Steps, out next month.   About our featured pet Bailey is an 8-year-old rescued lab mix known for her regal, unbothered demeanour, her refusal to ever cross the bedroom threshold, and her newfound taste for goat milk powder mixed into her kibble. How to connect with Jennifer https://www.instagram.com/iamjenlieberman/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/iamjenlieberman/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1970863/

    Bailey The Zen Queen Holds Court on Creativity and the Death of Small Talk

  3. 6d ago

    Paws, Playstations & Purpose: Kevin Talks Dogs, Mental Health & Horizon Zero Dawn

    Episode Summary Kevin, co-founder of the One Moment Podcast, joins Holly B. and Rogan for a warm, funny, wide-ranging conversation about rescue dogs, mental health advocacy, spontaneous travel, and an unexpectedly deep dive into video games. It's a reunion episode after Kevin previously hosted Holly on his own show. NOTE: This episode went longer than usual because Kevin and Rogan got lost in video game talk! I tried to remain focused but they lost me at Horizon!   Episode Highlights The One Moment Podcast Focused on mental health, substance use, suicide prevention, women's issues, LGBTQ+ issues, and minority mental health.Self-described as "the Joe Rogan of mental health."Over a year old, live in 51+ countries, distributed across 40+ platforms (yes, including Audible and Mastodon), with roughly half a million impressions and ~14,000 followers.Kevin's driving mission: helping decriminalize suicidal ideation in the dozen or so countries where it's still against the law, so people can seek help without fear of arrest.Runs entirely as a labor of love — no one on the team gets paid. The Gaming Tangent (a fan favorite) Turns out Rogan and Kevin are both diehard Horizon Zero Dawn fans right down to matching Aloy profile pictures on PlayStation Network.Rogan reveals he took a Utah road trip specifically to visit locations featured in the game.Other favorites discussed: God of War (Ragnarök era), Tom Clancy's The Division 2, and Ghost of Yōtei.Rogan casually drops that he's a mobile game developer, which delights KevinBonus: confirming that "thebomb.com" is, in fact, a real (delightfully retro) gaming website.Grand Theft Auto 6 hype, with Kevin's recommended playing order: San Andreas → GTA V → GTA VI. One Moment Podcast on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-moment-podcast/id1835039714   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onemomentpodcast/   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OneMomentPodcast/

    Paws, Playstations & Purpose: Kevin Talks Dogs, Mental Health & Horizon Zero Dawn

  4. Aug 10

    This Episode is Soda-Licious

    Episode Summary Holly B. and Rogan catch up after Holly recorded a solo episode featuring her pug, Frankie — his podcast debut. From there the two dig into Holly's new obsession with reading century-old letters aloud, Rogan's disappointing trip to a hawberry festival that had zero hawberries (wrong season), a heartfelt fundraiser Holly volunteered at for a local author's memorial film project (Chapter 52 Film based on Cathy Mulroy's book My View From The Blackened Rocks, and a deep dive into Diet Coke vs. Diet Pepsi.

    This Episode is Soda-Licious

  5. Aug 7

    Between the Tines: A Rancher's Journey from Cattle to Clans with Ben Leman

    Episode Summary Ben Leman, a Central Texas rancher, joins Holly B. and Rogan to talk about ranch life, raising and processing his own livestock, and the remote-Alaska writing retreats that shaped his debut historical novel, Between the Times. Meet Ben Leman Ben Leman is a businessman, rancher, and fourth generation Texan. His craving for adventure has taken him on extended trips to remote parts of Alaska, elk hunting in mountain wildernesses, flying as a licensed pilot, and on travels all over the world. Of Scottish decent, Ben has spent years studying the clashes between Highland clans, and particularly, the content of this story. His quest to understand their complexities has taken him to many of the locations in Scotland mentioned in his debut novel, Between the Tines. Ranch Life in Central Texas Ben runs a full working ranch: cattle, horses, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs.Grew up on a smaller family farm; ranching and rural living became core to his identity. About the Novel Historical fiction set in 1640s Scotland (Highland clan culture), with battle scenes based on real historical events.Ben rewrote the entire manuscript twice as his research deepened and the story's themes grew more serious.Combines romance, courage, and strong, historically grounded female characters alongside the battle narrative.Thematically ties into the immigrant experience — why people left the old world for uncertain new beginnings, drawing a parallel to American colonists. Connect with Ben Website: https://www.benlemanauthor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlemanauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenLemanAuthor/

    Between the Tines: A Rancher's Journey from Cattle to Clans with Ben Leman

  6. Aug 2

    Johnny Cash Swings By & Holly Gets Lost in T.O. (Again)

    Episode Summary Rogan and his mom are back in the shed for another rambling, sunburnt, dog-interrupted chat. This week: a matcha quest that spans three towns, a video game that's basically camping in space, and a deep dive into what a "flannel graph" actually is. Engagement prompt Comment below — what do you think Rogan's forgotten "thing of the week" was?

    Johnny Cash Swings By & Holly Gets Lost in T.O. (Again)

  7. Jul 31

    Paw-suit of Justice: A Golden Doodle Explains the Law

    Episode Summary For the first time ever, Ramblings from the Little Shed welcomes a lawyer! Holly sits down with Ted Sutton, attorney and partner at Corporate Direct, to talk about his debut book, Greenback's Book of Law — a story that teaches kids (and honestly, plenty of adults) how the legal system works, narrated by a very good boy: an eight-year-old golden doodle named Greenback. Ted opens up about growing up around bestselling authors, why he thinks the world needs more legal literacy, and why, as he puts it, "people love dogs and people hate attorneys," so a dog made a much better narrator than he ever could.   Episode Highlights Meet Ginger — the real-life goldendoodle napping in the background who inspired Greenback's look and temperamentThe family business of storytelling — how Ted's dad, Garrett Sutton (co-author in the Rich Dad series with Robert Kiyosaki), sparked the idea that grew into Greenback's Book of LawFrom Rich Dad, Poor Dad to Greenback's Book of Law — Ted's mission to do for legal literacy what Rich Dad Poor Dad did for financial literacyThree years in the making — first drafts, endless revisions, and finally bringing on illustrator Tony Elmore for the coverTime-blocking as a writer — how Ted borrowed his dad's "one day a week to write" routine to balance a full-time legal career with writing a bookMarketing a first book — targeting the homeschool market, Amazon ads, podcast tours, and Instagram (@GreenbacksBOL)Advice for aspiring authors — find your passion, and get real feedback from your actual target audience (Ted used ~50 kids aged 12–18 as beta readers!)Lawyer jokes, self-aware and unbothered — Ted's honest (and hilarious) take on why the legal profession needed a friendlier messenger Connect with Ted Sutton Book site: greenbacksbookoflaw.comInstagram: @GreenbacksBOLFirm: Corporate Direct Thanks for listening to Ramblings from the Little Shed! If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and leave a review — and go tell Ginger she's a star.

    Paw-suit of Justice: A Golden Doodle Explains the Law

  8. Jul 30

    Paws, Prose & Publishing: Sharissa Bradley's Little Shed Chat

    Episode Summary   In this heartfelt episode of Ramblings from the Little Shed, host Holly B. sits down with author, publisher, and former psychology professor Sharissa Bradley for a conversation that moves seamlessly between dogs and dreams. Sharissa shares the moving story of Puff, the gentle old poodle who helped her daughter overcome a lifelong fear of dogs simply by respecting her space, and how his "little brother" Buddy has since become both a beloved family member and an unofficial personal assistant, reminding Sharissa to take breaks, walks, and snacks amid her busy entrepreneurial life. Episode Highlights Sharissa's Creative World 5-2 Press: Founded after years as an author (her first book reversed her own autoimmune markers through food-as-medicine). She now publishes memoirs and educational nonfiction, including an annual women's anthology (5th edition launching in June) featuring stories, recipes, DIYs, and even a pet submissions section. Project Seed Money: Her free passion project supporting women authors with grant-writing resources, a directory of female-owned publishing services, master classes, and a podcast interviewing authors and industry pros. Rebuilt from scratch after an early competitive "one winner a month" model didn't sit right with her values. Women in Publishing Summit: A 4-day event (multiple simultaneous tracks: author, marketing, speaker, publisher) with huge networking value. Practical Tips Shared On writing contests & grants: Prioritize free, legitimate grants first (check for real arts-focused credibility).Use Submittable and filter for entry fees under $25.Always read the eligibility section first — if you don't match ~95%+, skip it.Higher fees (~$50–60) can be worth it if the prize is significantly larger (e.g., $20–30K) — but only after trying free/cheaper options.Write pieces specifically for a contest rather than submitting work you plan to publish independently, to avoid copyright conflicts. Where to find Sharissa Bradley Website: https://sharissabradley.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharissabradley.author/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sharissabradley

    Paws, Prose & Publishing: Sharissa Bradley's Little Shed Chat
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Where pets and creativity curl up together. Welcome to the coziest corner of the creative world, where art, literature, and our beloved animal companions come together in conversation. Join us in the little shed—a space where ideas flow freely and creativity thrives—as we explore the profound ways animals influence and inspire our creative lives. Whether you're a writer crafting your next novel, a painter finding inspiration in nature, or simply someone who believes their best work happens with a dog at their feet or a cat on their lap, this podcast is for you.

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