How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

Red Wine & Blue
  • 4.7 (886)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Want to know how you can make a difference without losing your sh!t? Join Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin, two moms with very different backgrounds who together run Red Wine & Blue – an organization of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism. Katie, the org’s founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, the Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert on a mission to reimagine self-care.  Each week, LaFonda and Katie talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process.

  1. Let's Go To Lunch and Vote (with Andrea Pollack)

    3D AGO

    Let's Go To Lunch and Vote (with Andrea Pollack)

    This week on the pod, we were joined by a Virginia mom named Andrea. For years, she thought she hated politics — she says it just seemed like a reason for “people to be mean to each other.” But as last year’s election drew closer, she noticed that her friends and family weren’t talking about it. Everyone said they were too exhausted after the first Trump presidency. Andrea understood the feeling (who isn’t exhausted by Trump??), but she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. So she started a TroubleNation group called NoVA Childless Cat Ladies. At first, all they did was write postcards, but she used those get-togethers to talk about their shared values and how they could support marginalized groups in their area. Now, a year later, Childless Cat Ladies has more than 100 members! It feels like we were just here — on the cusp of an election, not knowing which way things will go. If you’re feeling a bit of PTSD, you’re not alone. This year’s elections are getting a lot less press and attention than 2024, but local elections are SO important. From the governor and attorney general of Virginia to school boards and mayors and ballot propositions across the country, we have the opportunity to protect our neighbors next Tuesday.  And, as a bonus, we can kick off a blue wave that’ll take us through next year’s midterms. If you want to join Red Wine & Blue and Heather Cox Richardson for a virtual Love America Rally on Wednesday 10/29 at 7:30pm ET, you can learn more and RSVP here.  For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    33 min
  2. Kindness is a Power Move (with Karen Walrond)

    OCT 22

    Kindness is a Power Move (with Karen Walrond)

    This week on the pod, we were so excited to talk to Karen Walrond. She’s the author of books like The Lightmaker’s Manifesto, Radiant Rebellion, and In Defense of Dabbling. Her words about the importance of kindness, self-compassion, activism, and even anger were exactly what we needed to hear coming out of this past weekend of joyful protests.  Our mission here is to help women make a difference in their communities without losing their shit, and the subtitle of The Lightmaker’s Manifesto is actually “How To Work For Change Without Losing Your Joy,” so clearly we had to get her on the show as soon as we could!  In the interview, she emphasized the natural rhythm and cadence to activism. Anger can be a useful spark, but kindness and love are what keep the fire going. Rest and recreation (re-creation) aren’t optional — they’re necessary to keep getting up every day and fighting for our values. When our neighbors need to take a breath, we can speak up in their place. And when we need a moment to rest, we can trust that they’ll step in for us. “Activism” might sound overwhelming, but much like the No Kings rallies, it isn’t actually scary. It can be a beautiful intersection of self-care and community. As Karen says, “Joy comes from intention, self-compassion is a non-negotiable, and kindness is a power move.” We couldn’t agree more. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    44 min
  3. High-Fiving for Humanity (with Jennifer Clawson)

    OCT 15

    High-Fiving for Humanity (with Jennifer Clawson)

    Katie Paris met Jennifer at the gym. It’s a gym of mostly women, where encouragement and high-fives are the norm and pull-ups are celebrated alongside wins for reproductive rights.  But neither woman could have predicted that their gym friendship would lead to Jennifer co-creating a TroubleNation group called Hope In The Heights that now has more than 400 members! And still, Jennifer considers herself “humanitarian” rather than “political.” She says it’s just about doing the right thing so that we’re all able to live up to our potential. We can find friends — and fellow TroubleMakers — in every part of our lives. For many women, the gym is a place of community and strength. Jennifer says the women she’s met there, and in Hope in the Heights, have helped her work through the anger and grief over last year’s election. Now they’re getting together every month to fight extremism and bring hope back to Ohio. “You’re going to lose your shit,” Jennifer says. “And it’s okay! Feel the fear and do it anyway.” For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    36 min
  4. How Can We Help? (with Stacey Abrams)

    OCT 8

    How Can We Help? (with Stacey Abrams)

    This week on the pod, we are so excited to share wisdom from the one and only Stacey Abrams. The legendary organizer (and author and entrepreneur and state representative and candidate for governor and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan…) joined Red Wine & Blue last week for a virtual event. She was so inspiring that we just had to share her words with our podcast listeners too. Katie and Stacey discussed the 10 Steps to Authoritarianism (spoiler: we’ve hit them all) but more importantly, they also talked about Stacey’s 10 Steps to Freedom and Power. It’s not just about reclaiming the country that they’ve been breaking for the past nine months. It’s about building a country that’s so strong and so just that this could never have happened in the first place. She emphasized that personal relationships and community-building are the foundation on which we build that strong and free country. None of us can do it alone. All we have to do is ask, “how can I help?” and find a few friends to join in. Tune in to hear Stacey’s brilliance, what’s been making Katie and LaFonda lose their shit lately, our self-care tip of the week, and more. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    51 min
  5. Can Politics Be Self-Care? (with Heather Cox Richardson)

    OCT 1

    Can Politics Be Self-Care? (with Heather Cox Richardson)

    We are so excited today to share the first episode of our new podcast How To Not Lose Your Sh!t. We’ve been hearing from women in our community that they want to get involved and make a difference, but they’re overwhelmed. They’re scared. And we hear you — we feel the same way so much of the time.  But we have a theory: what if self-care and politics aren’t actually opposites? What if connecting with our neighbors and making real positive change can make us feel even better than a bubble bath or a manicure? This week, we’re joined by our favorite historian, Heather Cox Richardson. Heather chatted with us about how she writes her newsletter every day without losing her shit, why our connections with each other are so important, and why she’s optimistic about the elections coming up in November. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    43 min
  6. Introducing How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

    SEASON 7 TRAILER

    Introducing How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

    Let’s be honest: this year has been a bit of a dumpster fire. Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’ve been hearing women in our community say they’re not sure how to make a difference — at least, not without totally losing their shit. So we decided to tackle that question head-on with a brand-new podcast. It’s simply called How To Not Lose Your Sh!t and it’s hosted by our very own Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin. Katie, our founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, our Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert and yoga teacher on a mission to reimagine self-care. Every week, they’ll talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process. You can listen to our first episode with special guest Heather Cox Richardson on October 1st, with new episodes every Wednesday after that. If you’re already subscribed to the Red Wine & Blue podcast in your podcast player, you’ll automatically see new episodes each week here in your feed. There are a lot of political podcasts out there already, and a lot of mental health and self-care shows too. What we want to do is reject that binary and explore how getting involved can actually be a form of not only caring for your community, but also yourself. We can’t wait for you to join us on a journey through self-care, politics, community, and tackling this difficult moment… together. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    1 min
  7. Okay, But Why Did We Make This Podcast? (And What's Next??)

    SEP 24

    Okay, But Why Did We Make This Podcast? (And What's Next??)

    Ever since last year’s election, suburban women have had more questions than answers. How are we supposed to deal with the firehose of information that’s coming at us all the time? Can we believe what we read in the news or on social media? And, most important of all, why is all of this happening? That’s why we made “Okay, But Why.” Because these days, good information can be hard to find. And no matter what anyone says, facts are not political. If Americans all had access to the same information, we’d probably agree on a lot more than we think. These resources aren’t going anywhere – you can still scroll back in your podcast feed to listen to old episodes, watch them on YouTube, or read about them on our website. You can send an episode to a friend and use it as a starting point for a meaningful conversation. Now that we all have a little better handle on why the news is so crazy, there’s another pressing question to answer: how can we make a difference without losing our shit? So in that spirit, we’re launching a brand-new pod that’s simply called “How To Not Lose Your Sh!t.” It’ll be hosted by Katie Paris, the founder of Red Wine & Blue, along with LaFonda Cousin, our Chief People Officer, yoga teacher, and wellness expert. Because let’s be honest, we’re all kind of losing our shit right now. But there are ways to feel better — and ways to make the world a better place — and it all starts with community. The trailer for our new pod will drop tomorrow and the first episode (with special guest Heather Cox Richardson) will come out on Wednesday, October 1st. If you’re already subscribed to the Red Wine & Blue podcast, you don’t need to do anything! New episodes will already be in your podcast player every Wednesday. And if you’re not already subscribed, you can find us by searching for “How To Not Lose Your Sh!t” in your podcast feed. We can’t wait to figure out how we can all make a difference without losing our shit… together. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    6 min
  8. Okay, But Why Should You Vote For Attorney General?

    SEP 17

    Okay, But Why Should You Vote For Attorney General?

    Americans don’t talk about state attorney generals very much. Technically it’s “attorneys general”—like “sisters-in-law” instead of “sister-in-laws”—but don’t get hung up on the wording. It’s what AGs actually do that matters so much. A state attorney general is basically the top legal expert in their state; they’re also known as The People’s Lawyers because they fight for us, their constituents, against bad actors who don’t have our best interests in mind. That can mean prosecuting companies that are polluting waterways or landlords who are illegally raising rent prices or banks that are selling people’s private data. Sometimes state AGs band together on lawsuits, like a recent case against Purdue Pharma for aggressively pushing medications like OxyContin and contributing to the opioid crisis we’re facing in this country. Unfortunately, we also have a lot of examples of the harm that a corrupt or extremist attorney general can do. (Ken Paxton, for example) But the good news is, we the people have the power to elect them. In all but seven states (AK, HI, NH, NJ, WY, TN, & ME), voters choose their AG at the ballot box. Most attorneys general are up for election in 2026 or 2028, and in one pivotal state, Virginia, voters will get to elect a new attorney general in just a couple of months. This November, Jay Jones—a lawyer and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates—will square off against the current Virginia Attorney General, Jason Miyares. Miyares is a Republican and a supporter of Donald Trump, campaigning for him and supporting his policies. If you live in Virginia, be sure you come to the polls in November prepared to vote for attorney general. And if you don’t live in Virginia, chances are you’ll have the chance to vote for your own AG very soon! It’s not just about rejecting extremism. It’s about choosing a “People’s Lawyer” who actually works for the people. For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

    8 min
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Want to know how you can make a difference without losing your sh!t? Join Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin, two moms with very different backgrounds who together run Red Wine & Blue – an organization of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism. Katie, the org’s founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, the Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert on a mission to reimagine self-care.  Each week, LaFonda and Katie talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process.

Information

  • Creator
    Red Wine & Blue
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    251
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 How To Not Lose Your Sh!t
  • Show Website
    How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

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