How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

Red Wine & Blue
  • 4.7 (887)
  • 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. 1D AGO

    Pre-Gaming 2026 (with Jess McIntosh)

    Last week, Red Wine & Blue held our last live virtual event of the year. First, Katie Paris shared some of the wins we saw in 2025 elections and how we're approaching 2026. Then we're joined by our favorite political strategist and event guest, Jess McIntosh, to share some tips and tricks for navigating holiday parties. What should you do if a MAGA relative corners you and insists on a debate? What actually moves the needle, and what's a waste of your energy? Thanks so much for joining us this year - we'll see you in 2026! 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

    42 min
  2. Christmas Can Be A Revolution (with Rev. William H. Lamar IV)

    DEC 17

    Christmas Can Be A Revolution (with Rev. William H. Lamar IV)

    Back in 2020, members of the violent group The Proud Boys jumped a fence and defaced the Black Lives Matter sign at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. They filmed themselves destroying the sign while chanting racial epithets. Metropolitan AME wasn’t the only Black church in D.C. to be attacked that night, but their response to the violence was unique. They sued the Proud Boys for damages, and when the group failed to pay, the church won the rights to their trademark. Now, they’re selling merch using the PB logo to raise money for their Community Justice Fund. It’s an amazing story, but it’s only the backdrop to our conversation this week with Reverend Lamar. Katie and LaFonda’s conversation with him spanned so many topics, from the importance of storytelling to the power of love to how to have conversations with our family members at the holiday table. They discussed how the far-right has tried to co-opt Christianity but progressive pastors like Rev. Lamar are still fighting for justice and love — you know, actual Christian values. Rev. Lamar has a book coming out next year called Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us. He’s more directly connected to the past than most—Metropolitan AME is the oldest continuously Black-owned property in D.C and held the funerals of Frederick Douglass and Rosa Parks—but we’re all shaped by our ancestors. In recognizing our ancestors, we recognize the stories we tell about ourselves. This conversation is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit, but even if you don’t celebrate, his humanity and leadership are inspiring. We hope you enjoy it. And if you'd like to join us for our virtual "Pre-Gaming 2026" event, 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

    40 min
  3. Are You Available For Connection? (with Prentis Hemphill)

    DEC 10

    Are You Available For Connection? (with Prentis Hemphill)

    We were so lucky this week to be joined by Prentis Hemphill: a therapist, teacher, political organizer, and bestselling author of What It Takes to Heal.  So often we hear women say that things feel deeply wrong right now and they want to do something about it. But how do we engage without losing ourselves? It can feel like pain is the only way to make change, like we can only heal the world if we’re willing to be exhausted and broken ourselves along the way. Prentis offers a different perspective. What if we can actually heal our systems while healing ourselves? What if it’s not about checking off items on a to-do list? They suggest that if we can be more present, listen with curiosity to ourselves and our neighbors, it doesn’t just make us feel more centered. It’s actually more effective organizing. You can try out a centering practice with their video here or by checking out their work at prentishemphill.com. And if you’re interested in attending our upcoming virtual event When the World’s on Fire: Caring for Ourselves and Our Kids, 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

    35 min
  4. Media Still Matters (with Jessica Yellin)

    DEC 3

    Media Still Matters (with Jessica Yellin)

    In 2018, Jessica Yellin founded News Not Noise. She’d spent 17 years working in TV news (including as CNN’s Chief White House correspondent) and through those years, she learned that traditional news media is really good at generating anxiety and ratings. What it isn’t so good at is helping people understand what’s really going on (at least, not without a daily panic attack). What we really needed was… well, the news without the noise. Meanwhile, around that same time, Katie Paris was seeing similar shortcomings in politics itself. Pundits out of Washington, D.C. were trapped in the way things had “always been done,” while Katie was seeing suburban women across the country getting together to make real change in their communities — not just following marching orders from D.C. When you think about it like that, of course it makes perfect sense that News Not Noise and Red Wine & Blue would collaborate! The news media has long been under attack by the Trump administration. He’s explicitly called journalists “the enemy of the people,” verbally attacked reporters (especially women), and his latest ridiculous move is launching a new page on the actual White House website called “Media Offender of the Week.”  We’re all for thoughtful media criticism, but this partisan and deeply unserious web page insulting “Democrats and Fake News Media” is… not that. It’s why we’re so grateful to journalists like Jessica for bringing us political news in a way that helps us understand what actually matters and what’s a mere distraction. Without knowing what’s going on, after all, how can we make a plan to fix it? As the saying goes, “when you know better, you do better.” 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

    34 min
  5. We Can Be Grateful AND Pissed

    NOV 26

    We Can Be Grateful AND Pissed

    This week is Thanksgiving, so we're celebrating gratitude with the RWB fam. We heard from our colleagues about what they're grateful for this year -- from brave kids walking out over ICE to the work we get to do every day to the joys of a good book.  That's not to say that we're not also pissed off! Trump's latest misogynistic jibe (calling a female reporter "piggy") has Katie and LaFonda fuming. But the response we're seeing online from other women and the ways that our communities are standing up to extremism across the country give us hope. We can hold many things at the same time. 2025 has been an unbelievably difficult year, but it's also been full of moments that make us grateful. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday and we'll see you next week. 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

    22 min
  6. Beyond "Ladies Who Lunch" (with Lily Pond)

    NOV 19

    Beyond "Ladies Who Lunch" (with Lily Pond)

    As an introvert and first-generation immigrant who moved to her city right before Covid, Lily didn’t know many of her neighbors. But this year, she was inspired to help deliver meals for a local food bank. Once she started hearing the stories of the families she was helping, she says her heart was touched and she was motivated to do more. She organized a group of volunteers to help even more families in need, meeting so many “like-minded and like-hearted people” in the process. “It’s really a dream team,” she said, “and we work together so well because everyone is so focused on the goal, which is to serve these families.” That would be an inspiring enough story on its own, but there was an even bigger twist waiting for her. Lily was unfortunately laid off from her job a few weeks ago. That same day, while stocking a community fridge, she talked to the founder of the food bank who assured her that they had her back. “Don’t worry,” the founder told her. “You know we have good food, and you’re covered.” This is truly the spirit of mutual aid: one day we’re helping our community and the next day they’re helping us. It’s not a bunch of wealthy “ladies who lunch” sipping champagne and deciding who to bestow their charity on today. It’s about all of us lifting each other up… together. If you have a little extra time, money, or food this holiday season, we encourage you to share it with your community just like Lily. 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

    31 min
  7. Puppies and Politics (with Sherry Luce & Stacy Kunkel)

    NOV 12

    Puppies and Politics (with Sherry Luce & Stacy Kunkel)

    Extremism lost big in Pennsylvania last week, from ICE-loving sheriffs to the State Supreme Court to school boards across the commonwealth. And it didn’t happen because of pundits on cable news or DC-based strategists. It happened because regular Pennsylvanians stepped up, ran for office, and talked to their neighbors and friends about what was on the line. This week on the pod, we’re joined by Sherry Luce, our PA Program Director, and Stacy Kunkel, our PA Deputy Program Director. They shared some inspiring stories from the ground, like a couple of moms who decided to set up their own tripod to stream their local school board meetings to show their neighbors how extremist their school board had become. And last Tuesday night, their efforts paid off! They won five seats and their school board is now full of common sense candidates who care more about kids than culture wars. Sherry and Stacy are also our favorite “self-care resisters,” as LaFonda puts it. But their conversation shows that there’s no one way to balance work and self-care. No matter what, community is at the heart of it all. We hope you enjoy today’s episode and are as inspired as we were by the amazing work being done in Pennsylvania! 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

    31 min
  8. Hope Won! (with Jess McIntosh)

    NOV 6

    Hope Won! (with Jess McIntosh)

    By now, you’ve probably heard that Democrats won big across the country last night. From Governor and Lt. Governor in Virginia to Proposition 50 in California to school boards and city councils across the country, the people made their voices heard. And some of the biggest swings, especially in Virginia, were amongst suburban women. This win goes far beyond the races that were on the ballot last night. This is a win for every American who wants to preserve democracy, common sense, and decency. Ever since the devastating losses in 2024, we’ve been saying “when they go low, we go local.” Some people were skeptical — how could “going local” stop ICE from invading our cities? Or Trump from cutting food stamps for children? But it was about planting seeds. Those seeds have already grown into some pretty incredible results… who knows what our harvest in 2026 or 2028 will look like? The work doesn’t end, but we all deserve a little rest. In fact, we deserve to rest and celebrate! So let’s take a moment and feel all the feelings. Let’s thank someone who worked on a campaign or turned out their friends to vote. Today reminds us what’s possible. Even in the face of all the darkness this year has brought, we can shine our own light. And when we shine together, there’s no stopping us. We’ll be sharing more wins and inspiring stories over the coming weeks. Celebrate, get some rest, and stay tuned! 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
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About

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
    260
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 How To Not Lose Your Sh!t
  • Show Website
    How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

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