Late to the Party with Sophie Ragir

Sophie Ragir
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Society & Culture
  • Biweekly

Late to the Party is for anyone who feels a little behind in love, work, or life, or is growing into something new. Hosted by coach and writer Sophie Ragir, the show features candid, funny, deeply human conversations about career pivots, dating later, grief, identity shifts, and the strange, beautiful process of starting over. Some weeks center on personal reinvention, and others widen into conversations about relationships, culture, and the world. At its core, it's just a space for good conversations with cool humans about being alive. If you've ever wondered whether you missed your moment, or felt like everyone else got the memo except you, this podcast is your reminder: you didn't, and you're not alone. Come hang.

  1. Oct 28

    Invite People Into Your World with Tonya Papanikolov

    What does it look like to build a life that's a reflection of who you really are? And what becomes possible when you trust yourself enough to follow your curiosity, take risks, and let other people see you figuring it out along the way? This week, I'm joined by Tonya Papanikolov, founder of functional mushroom company Rainbo, holistic nutritionist, educator, retreat facilitator, and host of The Rainbo Podcast, who also holds a master's degree in Mind-Body Medicine. Tonya and I met recently on a retreat she co-created and facilitated in Greece, and immediately connected. We've found ourselves repeatedly exclaiming, "thank god we met!" We talk about strengthening the muscle of intuition, navigating big life transitions, and learning to distinguish between decisions made from fear and those made from trust. Tonya shares the winding path that led her to entrepreneurship, the mentors who helped nurture her spark, and the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who believe in us, especially when we're still learning to believe in ourselves. We explore what becomes possible when we invite people into our world, ask for help, and trust that others want to support us. We also get into perfectionism, the courage to be a beginner at any age, and what it means to let ourselves be seen trying, failing, learning, and growing. This is a conversation about self-trust, creative expression, and the lifelong practice of becoming more fully ourselves.   Follow Tonya: IG: @tonyapapanikolove Listen to Rainbo Podcast here Rainbo   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  2. Oct 14

    I'm Not That Girl: a SOLO POD(!!!) on travel & believing your fun summer is coming

    Guyssssss the day has finally come - my very first solo pod!! Today we're talking all things travel, and how unexpectedly central it's become to my own becoming these last few years. While I travel a lot now, I am indeed quite late to this party. For most of my life, I didn't believe I was the kind of person who got to have expansive, joyful experiences. So much of this chapter has been about giving myself permission to have the experiences I once believed were reserved for someone else. I'm also coming off an objectively magical summer, and I want to talk about the five summers of grief and loss that came before it, when I watched everyone else having fun and couldn't imagine that my own fun summer was ever coming. What it means to grieve the lives we haven't lived, to let that longing become a guidepost, and to slowly build a new story about what's possible for us. And if you're in a season where you're watching everyone else live the life you want, and wondering when it gets to be your turn, this one's especially for you. I hope I can hold a little faith for you that your fun summer is coming, too. This feels like a very long voice note to you all, my ultimate love language. P.S. I wrote companion substack with my accumulated tips, hacks, and packing wisdom to live alongside this episode and is linked HERE. xx Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  3. Sep 30

    Safe Enough to Have Fun with Liz Plank

    We have the extraordinary Liz Plank on the pod this week!!! Host of the podcast Boy Problems, author of For the Love of Men, and writer of the substack Airplane Mode, Liz is a powerhouse and one of my favorite people to talk to about, well, everything, and this conversation did not disappoint. We talk about what it feels like to arrive at a life you never thought was possible for you, the accumulated lore of dating in your late 30s (and the insanity of the early 2010s), and how we learn to build evidence for new ways of being that help disrupt the old patterns. Liz has a boyfriend (!!) and we discuss what it's like to step into the relationship you wanted after years of being in the dating trenches. We get into acceptance versus resistance, outsourcing your self-esteem, the ways we scare ourselves, and what it means to finally feel safe enough to have fun. Plus: GUS, gratitude, the patriarchy robbing us of our ability to play, and why choosing the fun option is almost always the right one. Liz is truly queen of the podcast, and her willingness to be so honest and funny is something I deeply admire. This one felt like exactly the kind of conversation I started this podcast to have. I hope you love it!! xx We recorded this a few weeks ago, but it feels right on time to be releasing it in the midst of what is happening in our country. In this week's intro I talk about the divine wisdom of our rage, specifically what is being ignited by the Cornell Seven. I highly encourage everyone to dive deeper into Liz's work if you're looking for somewhere to land.   Follow Liz: IG: @feministabulous substack: airplane mode listen to boy problems here buy for the love of men here   Follow me: IG: @sophragir substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  4. Sep 16

    One Foot In Front of the Other with Suzanne Lerner

    Today we're joined by a very special guest — my dearest and beloved Suzanne Lerner. Suzanne is the co-founder and CEO of contemporary fashion brand Michael Stars, which she founded with her late husband Michael Cohen over 40 years ago. She is a lifelong activist, philanthropist, and champion of gender and racial equity through her personal giving and the Michael Stars Foundation. She sits on more boards and advisory committees than I can count, has ensured critical stories get told through documentary film, and has been at the frontline of issues that weren't yet cool or popular to care about for decades. Finally, finally, we have a wise elder on the pod. We talk about dropping out of college, traveling the world alone in the '70s, building a business from nothing, navigating a long and complicated marriage, and slowing down and doing nothing for the first time in her life. We get into failure as a form of growth, the power of uncertainty, what it means to rebuild your identity when the work that defined you starts to fall away, and why intergenerational relationships might be one of the most underrated things we can invest in. Plus: the power of a very strong handshake, and why our lives can keep getting bigger, more interesting, and more free as we grow into ourselves. Enjoy!! xx   Follow Suzanne: IG: @suzannelerner LinkedIn: @suzannelerner www.suzannelerner.com www.michaealstars.com   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  5. Sep 2

    We're Not F*cked with Ben Sheehan

    PSA! We have Ben Sheehan on the pod today -- civic educator, author of What Does the Constitution Actually Say?, host of PBS's Civics Made Easy, and a dear friend I've known for a long time (we built something really cool together in 2018). Like so many of our guests, Ben is another really cool example of a non-linear path that alchemizes into something that could only have been built by him. This episode is for anyone who feels behind in understanding how our government actually works and what the f*ck we're supposed to be doing right now. Ben has spent years making civics genuinely accessible and digestible for people who feel embarrassed about not knowing how any of this works (spoiler: because it was never properly taught to us). We talk about shame around not knowing how government works, what you can actually do right now that isn't just doomscrolling, and why local and state elections matter way more than most of us realize. Ben breaks down the roles of government officials you may not be paying attention to, makes a really compelling case for why we are not f****d, and gives genuinely useful, practical guidance for anyone who wants to participate but doesn't know where to start. This one feels necessary right now. Enjoy!! xx   Follow Ben: IG: @bensheehan Substack: Politics Made Easy   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  6. Aug 19

    Everything is an Experiment with Alex Neiman

    We're joined by Alex Neiman — marketer, brand consultant, coach, and my literal oldest friend (we met in preschool at age 2 or 3, so...). Alex spent years in performance marketing, including a stint at a company that exited for a billion dollars, before starting to post online in July 2025 and building a following by demystifying what agencies charge a lot of money to do. We talk about what it actually feels like to start creating content from scratch — the cringe, the self-indulgence, the fear of looking foolish — and why treating every single post as an experiment rather than a referendum on your worth makes all teh difference. Per Alex, virality is a vanity metric, 1k real followers beats 100k disengaged ones, and there is a way to build something online without losing your values in the algorithm. We also talk about curiosity as a gift AND a cover for insecurity, the difference between should and want, and how to actually rest when you're exhausted. This one genuinely feels like catching up with an old friend (probably because it is). Enjoy!! xx Follow Alex: IG: @neimansview   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir *read my essay about bo burnham, content & collective grief   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  7. Aug 5

    Romance is the Taylor Swift of Literature with Joss Richard

    If you listen to the pod, you know I am an avid romance reader, and this week we are joined by one of my favorite romance authors, Joss Richard. Joss is the author of the bestselling It's Different This Time, and her new book Let's Kiss and Tell comes out August 11th — I am a fan in the most unbiased way possible. We talk about how Joss went from writing Sound of Music fan fiction at 11 to becoming a bestselling author, and how every job and chapter alchemized into exactly where she was supposed to be. But honestly the thing I find most inspiring about Joss's story is that she just did something she loved, with no expectation of where it would go, and it became a career she never imagined was possible. We also talk creativity, detachment, what happens when a dream comes true faster than you expected, changing identities, the infamous romance novel book club (joy and play is everything!), and we make a very passionate case for why everyone should be reading romance novels. As always, enjoy!! xx   Follow Joss: IG: @joss.richard Let's Kiss and Tell tour dates + tickets here Pre-order Let's Kiss and Tell Order It's Different This Time   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip Read my guest substack of romance recommendations TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

  8. Jul 22

    Flirting w/ Life Itself with Michaela d'Artois (Part 2)

    We're back for part 2 with the wonderful Michaela d'Artois and this three hour (across 2 eps) conversation is the gift that keeps on giving. We really get into it this episode - flirting (how do we actually do it, why people aren't doing it, and what we can do about it), the specific information we each need to connect to our most erotic selves, nervous system regulation, how growing into yourself is an act of rebellion, and why your dating pool gets smaller and better the more you know yourself. I share a lot more about my own experience working with Michaela and how working with her has transformed my relationship with myself, desire, and intimacy. ps I get to do my very first unboxing on the pod, because gift giving really is a love language :)  Michaela is so wise and wonderful and I could (clearly) talk to her forever. Per usual, enjoy! xx   If you are listening to this the day it comes out (July 22, 2026) come hang with us TONIGHT at Wing Woman Wednesday! Get tickes for Michaela's workshop Rewriting the Erotic Self @ Tea at Shiloh on July 27th here Read my guest essay on Michaela's Substack   Follow Michaela: IG: @michaeladartois @inner.eros Substack: Inner Monolgue TikTok: @inner.eros www.innereros.com   Follow me: IG: @sophragir Substack: permission slip TikTok: @sophragir   Follow the show: YouTube: @LateToThePartyWithSophieRagir IG: @latetotheparty_pod TikTok: @latetotheparty_pod

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Trailer

5
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12 Ratings

About

Late to the Party is for anyone who feels a little behind in love, work, or life, or is growing into something new. Hosted by coach and writer Sophie Ragir, the show features candid, funny, deeply human conversations about career pivots, dating later, grief, identity shifts, and the strange, beautiful process of starting over. Some weeks center on personal reinvention, and others widen into conversations about relationships, culture, and the world. At its core, it's just a space for good conversations with cool humans about being alive. If you've ever wondered whether you missed your moment, or felt like everyone else got the memo except you, this podcast is your reminder: you didn't, and you're not alone. Come hang.

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