The Fourth Floor

Nicole
  • 4.5 (8)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to The Fourth Floor — where we don’t do midlife. We do just getting started. I’m Nicole, and I sit down with 40-something folks to talk about all the messy and magical moments and milestones of this decade. Together, we revisit Floors 1, 2, and 3 — the teens, 20s, and 30s — before landing on the Fourth, where experience might inform the next moves, but curiosity and creativity fuel the next steps. Press 4 and join us on The Fourth Floor.

Episodes

  1. 12/03/2025

    Episode 7 - George M. Johnson on Writing What Hadn’t Been Written, Navigating Truth, Trauma, and Identity, and Finding Space for Joy at 40

    Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of childhood violence, sexual assault, and molestation. Please take care while listening. Welcome to The Fourth Floor! Today’s guest is George M. Johnson, an important storyteller and voice whose work continues to shape national conversations around identity, truth, and community. George is the award-winning writer of All Boys Aren’t Blue, We Are Not Broken, Flamboyants, and their newest release, There’s Always Next Year, created in collaboration with fellow author Leah Johnson and published this week. George’s body of work has opened doors for essential national conversations about identity, queerness, trauma, truth, and what it means to find your communities while moving through both individual and shared experiences. In this episode, George takes us through their “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Plainfield, New Jersey; navigating family, identity, and the early experiences—both joyful and traumatic—that shaped their understanding of the world. -Floors 2 & 3: Finding their voice as a writer; joining and leading within their fraternity; working as a community health worker; and learning how to tell their stories while also navigating the triggers and truths that shape you. -Fourth Floor: Turning 40 and stepping into a new decade with authenticity, generosity, and intentionality — and reflecting on what it means to have their books available for those searching for what hadn’t been written before. Find a quiet place and settle in for 51 minutes with George M. Johnson.

    55 min

  2. 11/19/2025

    Episode 6 - Susana M. Morris on Discovering Octavia Butler at 15, Teaching at the Intersections of Media, Science Fiction and Literature, and Celebrating Her Positive Obsession at 45

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! If you love Octavia Estelle Butler as much as I do, then you’re going to truly love our guest: Susana M. Morris. Not only is Susana the author of Positive Obsession—a stunning exploration of Octavia’s life and career—but she is also a professor, scholar, and Black feminist Afrofuturist. As an Associate Professor of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech, she brings a powerful perspective to the intersection of these three disciplines and is widely regarded as one of the most notable voices in Afrofuturism. In this episode, Susana takes us on a magical journey through her “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Florida, discovering Octavia’s work for the first time at her local library in Fort Lauderdale, and how Butler built a lasting foundation for a safe, creative community of readers. -Floors 2 & 3: Diving deeper into Butler’s writing in college, launching The Crunk Feminist Collective blog with friends, and writing her first book. -Fourth Floor: Her walkout song, feeling Octavia’s presence 20 years after her passing, and what she would write to honor Octavia’s pen—as both instrument and symbol of everything she’s gifted us. It’s time to proudly embrace your inner nerd for the next hour and eleven minutes with Susana M. Morris.

    1h 14m

  3. 11/06/2025

    Episode 5 – Eric & Katrina Brooks on Curating the Vibe at Black Pearl Books, Gearing Up for the Texas Book Festival, and Enjoying Life at 50

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! For today’s episode, I invite you to join me at Black Pearl Books — where I had the privilege of chatting in person with owners Eric and Katrina Brooks. As always, I learned and laughed so much from these two incredible storytellers and booksellers. And just in time for the Texas Book Festival! Based in Austin, Black Pearl Books is a Black-owned independent bookstore that has built a beautiful community — and captured the attention and hearts of readers across the city, state, and country. At 50, Eric and Katrina are justifiably proud of what they’ve created and curated at Black Pearl Books. Whether you’re a local who pops in all the time or a curious reader passing through town, each visit to Black Pearl feels magical. In our episode, Eric and Katrina take us on a purposeful journey through their “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Eric) and Chicago/Florida (Katrina), and how magazines like Sports Illustrated and Ebony shaped them as early readers -Floors 2 & 3: Their time at Clark Atlanta University before and after the 1996 Olympics, building careers in real estate, PR, and more — and how to balance being protective of your favorite works by an author while also staying open to what comes next -Fourth Floor: Their walkout songs, launching Black Pearl Books in November 2019, and how they hope to celebrate Black Pearl Books Day in 2026 Get ready to listen, learn, and laugh for 44 minutes with Black Pearl Books’ own Eric and Katrina Brooks.

    45 min

  4. 10/16/2025

    Episode 4 – Erin Carlson on Loving New York in the Fall, Having Tom Hanks as a Surrogate Father, and Loving Her Neck at 44

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! Everything is copy according to the legend Nora Ephron and for national bestselling entertainment and culture journalist and author Erin Carlson...that is absolutely true. Her three books - I'll Have What She's Having, Queen Meryl and No Crying in Baseball are not only fabulous additions to your bookshelf but offer readers a fantastic deep dive into Hollywood history. At 44, Erin is proud to be a child of the 80s and 90s and like many of us, considers Tom Hanks as a surrogate father. In this episode, Erin takes us on a cinematic journey through her “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Batavia, Illinois and why seeing strong female leads like her mom and Winona Ryder in Little Women had such an impact on her childhood -Floors 2 & 3: Life as an entertainment reporter at The Associated Press, editor at The Hollywood Reporter and publishing her first book - all about the Fairy Godmother of modern rom coms -Fourth Floor: Publishing her next two books, why she is excited about the new Women’s Pro Baseball League and why she feels good about her neck If you watch When Harry Met Sally on repeat like me, despise people who move at a glacial pace and love to cheer on the Rockford Peaches, then you'll love this episode. Go get cozy, and let's hang out for 44 minutes with Erin Carlson.

    44 min

  5. 10/03/2025

    Episode 3 - Jennifer Keishin Armstrong on Growing Up on Pop Culture, Being A Full-Time Author and Enjoying Laughing and Living at 50

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! Happy Mean Girls Day! To celebrate, we’re hanging out with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong — bestselling author of some of your favorite pop culture books, including So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We're Still So Obsessed with It), which came out last year for the film’s 20th anniversary. At 50, Jennifer has technically left the Fourth Floor, but we made an exception for one of our favorite culture connoisseurs. In this episode, Jennifer takes us on a super fun journey through her “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Homer Glen, Illinois and falling in love with entertainment and pop culture -Floors 2 & 3: Life as a senior reporter at Entertainment Weekly and that moment when all her hard work paid off on her path to becoming a full-time author -Fourth Floor: Publishing five books on hit TV shows, women in television, pop goddesses, and who she’d throw pieces of her Spring Fling Queen crown to If you grew up loving TV Guide, Rolling Stone, or Entertainment Weekly like Jennifer and I did, you’ll love this episode. So get in loser...we're spending 50 minutes with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.

    52 min

  6. 09/17/2025

    Episode 2 - Lucas Schaefer on Trading Boston for Austin, Creating a Sweaty Masterpiece and Celebrating Milestones at 43

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! Today we’re hanging out with Lucas Schaefer — Boston-to-Austin transplant, former bellboy, Duke and UT-Austin alum, and the author of The Slip — one of the most anticipated books of 2025. At 43, Lucas is a certified Vibe Shaper on the Fourth Floor. In this episode, he takes us on a purposeful and humorous journey through his “floors”: -First Floor: Growing up in Newton, MA — the birthplace of the greatest cookie [according to Nicole] and a long list of talented people. -Floors 2 & 3: Life as a playwright in NYC and the Duke professor who pointed him toward Austin. -Fourth Floor: Publishing his debut novel and the wild object he’d choose to commemorate his 40s. If you love big books [and you cannot lie] and have ever wondered what a “sweaty masterpiece” might look like on your shelf — this episode is for you. So hunker down, get ready to giggle, and learn a lot from Lucas Schaefer.

    45 min

  7. 09/03/2025

    Episode 1 – Jericho Brown on Growing Up in Shreveport, Bringing More Poetry Into Our Days, and Life in His 40s

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor! For our premiere episode, we’re hanging out with Jericho Brown — Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, proud Louisianan, lifelong Diana Ross fan, and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Emory University. At 49, Jericho is a North Star on the Fourth Floor. For this episode, he takes us on a journey through his 'floors:' First Floor: growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana and why going to Dillard University was so special Floors 2 & 3: publishing his first two poetry collections - plus a fun Would You Rather: Texas Edition Fourth Floor: winning a Pulitzer Prize at 44 and what he would want on his plaque to commemorate life in his 40s If you want to add more poetry, wonder, and curiosity to your days — or if you just get turned on by the search for a good rhyme — this episode is for you. Get comfy and ready to laugh, smile and be in awe of the amazing Jericho Brown.

    50 min

  8. TRAILER

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor

    Welcome to The Fourth Floor — a podcast all about the fourth decade. But around here, we don’t do midlife. We do just getting started. Because 40 is not the story. What comes next is. I'm Nicole and for each episode, I sit down with 40-something folks as they take us on a journey: starting on the First Floor (their teen years), up through the Second and Third Floors (their 20s and 30s), and finally onto the Fourth — where everything you’ve been starts to shape who you’re becoming. On the Fourth Floor, you’ll meet: New Arrivals (40–42), bringing fresh energy and big questions; Vibe Shapers (43–45), curating the playlist and setting the mood; Wave Makers (46–48), keeping things in motion and starting to look toward what’s next; and North Stars (49), leading the way and lighting the path to the floor above. Oh — and one more thing: each episode is as long as the guest’s age. If they’re 41, we talk for 41 minutes. Because time matters — and how we use it says a lot. Whether you’re a fellow Fourth Floor friend or a curious observer wondering if the snacks are better up here — everyone’s welcome. So when you’re ready, press 4 and get ready to join us on The Fourth Floor.

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Fourth Floor — where we don’t do midlife. We do just getting started. I’m Nicole, and I sit down with 40-something folks to talk about all the messy and magical moments and milestones of this decade. Together, we revisit Floors 1, 2, and 3 — the teens, 20s, and 30s — before landing on the Fourth, where experience might inform the next moves, but curiosity and creativity fuel the next steps. Press 4 and join us on The Fourth Floor.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicole
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Nicole
  • Show Website
    The Fourth Floor