Then When

Then When Podcast
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  • Self-Improvement

We all have a list of things we’ve been meaning to do, changes we’ve been wanting to make, and versions of ourselves we’ve been waiting to become. We tell ourselves the time isn't right—but if not now, then when? Stop waiting for "someday." Start finding your "Then When." Then When is a podcast dedicated to the pivotal moments that change everything. This show explores the bridge between being stuck and taking the leap.

  1. 1d ago

    E22 - Then When? How To When Your Then

    Getting Unstuck: How to Start, Keep Going & Actually Finish the Thing 🌱✨ We're gonna be real with you: sometimes life be lifing so hard that the podcast itself becomes a living example of the very thing you're trying to work through. And this episode? This is that episode. Serina and Mary pull up a chair, get honest about where they've been, and dive into one of the most universal struggles in the Then When universe — getting started, staying in motion, and not completely bailing when you're this close to the finish line. 🏁 From shell projects on the shelf to gardens being rebuilt one bag of soil at a time, from body doubling at cafes to pep talks in the mirror — this is a warm, real, and deeply relatable episode about the messy middle of doing the things we say we want to do. And what it actually feels like to show up for yourself when it's hard. Also: Serina's house hugged a friend. A rainbow lives in a closet. Someone loaded 20 bags of soil alone and was told by a stranger, "Women really are powerful." 💪 In this episode: 🎙️ 🌱 Learning IS starting — giving yourself credit for the research and ideation phase📋 The daily goal list that includes both "shower" and big dreams (next to each other, always)🧩 The case for a dedicated puzzle table — and why visual cues change everything🏡 "Your house just hugged me" — Serina's home reimagining journey with designer Roanna Bales of Radiantly Roanna (shout out! 🌟)🎨 Live fully in your space — stop saving the good stuff for resale🐚 Mary's shell project situation: a scallop, some muscle shells, tiny earrings, and five inherited jars of shells from Serina (we may need a pop-up)📚 Body doubling, book clubs, and accountability structures that actually work😬 The shame spiral around not finishing — and how to flip it🏆 Garage clean-out as a genuine then-when (family of five, lots of bicycles, SO many shoes)🎢 Mary rode a roller coaster to prove she could do scary things. She did it. We are proud.🌿 Serina's garden: axes, volunteer trees, 20 bags of soil, and a stranger who said exactly the right thing💬 "Talk to yourself like a friend would" — and maybe try a ridiculous mirror pep talk while you're at itShoutout 🌟 Big love to Roanna Bales of Radiantly Roanna for helping Serina bring the hug-first energy to life in her home. https://www.instagram.com/radiantlyroannahome/ Links & Resources 🔗 🌐 Then When Podcast: www.thenwhenpodcast.com💬 Discord — how do YOU get started? Share your tricks, your then-whens, and your shell projects: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQThis podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #GettingUnstuck #StartTheWork #Accountability #BodyDoubling #HomeDecor #TryItOn #ShameSpiral #MomentumBuilding #YouGotThis #FinishTheThing 🌱🐚🏡

  2. Aug 12

    E21 - Then When? Start Before You are Ready - with Daina

    Build It & They Will Come: A Conversation with Writer & Producer Daina Smith 🎬✨ What if the story you thought was "out of your wheelhouse" turned out to be the one that changed everything? This week Serina and Mary are joined by Daina Smith (https://dainasmithwrites.com/) — writer, producer, Big Apple Film Festival judge, and Mary's neighbor-turned-kindred-spirit. Daina's most recent project, Semolina Pilchard, is a wild, wacky, nineties-soaked independent film that she'll be the first to tell you was unlike anything she'd ever written. A gangster film? From a rom-com writer who's never done a drug in her life? (She announced this at the Q&A. In front of her parents. We love her.) 🎭 Daina gets into the real talk of how creative ideas actually become finished projects — through discipline, daily goal lists (yes, even shower counts), momentum-riding, connection-making, and the willingness to start before you feel ready and finish before you feel done. She also talks about rejection, the pivotal choice she made in college to step away from acting, and what she'd tell that younger version of herself now. Meanwhile, Mary drops her own then-when: sitting on a publishing connection for four months out of fear and finally hitting send — with cool things already starting to unfold. The energy in this one is contagious. 💛 Upcoming Screenings 🎟️ 📍 August 27 — Bedford Playhouse, Bedford, NY https://bedfordplayhouse.org/📍 August 30 — Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, CT https://edmondtownhall.org/🖥️ Streaming on various platforms — coming this fall!Links & Resources 🔗 🎬 Semolina Pilchard — https://halfsunentertainment.com/semolina-pilchard/🎭 Ridgefield Playhouse: ridgefieldplayhouse.org📺 Catastrophe (Sharon Horgan & Rob Delaney) — available on Prime Video🌐 Then When Podcast: www.thenwhenpodcast.com💬 Discord: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQThis podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #Screenwriting #IndieFilm #SemolinaPilchard #CreativeLife #TryItOn #BuildItAndTheyWillCome #Rejection #WritersOfInstagram #FilmFestival #Manifesting #CreativeEntrepreneur 🎬✍️🌟💛

  3. Jul 8

    E20 - Then When? It's Time for Recess!

    Let's Play! 🦉✨ (A.K.A. Our 20th Epiversary Special) How dare we start a podcast? In this economy? Apparently, pretty well, because THIS, friends, is episode twenty. 🎉 And to celebrate hitting their twentieth epiversary, Serina and Mary decided to do something a little different: put down the deep dives, pick up a card game, and just play. Enter Smug Owls, the clever riddle-generating party game created by Mike and Grace (longtime Then When faves). It's two (or more) of you. It's a deck of cards. It's whatever combination of "what," "ages," "holes," and "tops" the universe decides to throw at you. And it is absolutely unhinged in the best possible way. 🃏 From gas station sushi to sloth bathroom habits to Gavin Rosdale (never not relevant), this is the episode that proves sometimes the most Then When thing you can do is just give yourself permission to be ridiculous. As a group activity. On the internet. In this episode: 🎙️ 🦉 Smug Owls riddle game, live — two people, one deck, zero prep, many wrong turns🎉 Episode 20! Happy Epiversary to us, and to you, and to the whole Then When community🤔 Riddles include: What ages because it sleeps? What is clear and hurts? What is scary and is always cheap?(Your answers in the Discord, please and thank you)💧 The pool/plant situation (Mary blames the neighbor's pool, we believe her)🌟 Why adults need to play more — and how play is where wonder, awe, and real connection live🦥 A surprise sloth bathroom fact (fact-check pending, your algorithms are now ruined, sorry)🎸 Day 513 of Mary trying to get Gavin Rosdale on this podcast (Gavin, please)🔮 A teaser: Serina and Mary are going to be in the same place soon. Scavenger hunt incoming.Try It On This Week 🌟 Drop your best answer to a Smug Owls riddle in the Discord — or just call someone you've been meaning to call. Old school. Like it's the 80s. Links & Resources 🔗 🦉 Smug Owls by Mike and Grace — the game we played: https://www.runawayparade.com/smug-owls🌐 Then When Podcast: www.thenwhenpodcast.com💬 Discord — post your spicy Smug Owls answers here: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQThis podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #SmugOwls #Episode20 #Epiversary #PlayMore #AdultsWhoPlay #GameNight #RiddleMe #TryItOn #GavinRosdale 🦉🎉🃏💛

  4. Jul 1

    E19 - Then When? We Are Building From Within

    Building Your Best Life (Within the One You Already Have) Days become months. Months become years. And then one day you blink and think - wait, when did I stop steering this thing? This week Serina and Mary get into the real, unglamorous, deeply relatable work of taking steps toward your Then When moments, big or small, within the life you're already living. No retreats required. Just you, your ideas that won't leave you alone, and maybe a key blank from the hardware store. 🗝️ They talk tools, accountability, how to measure your own success without crushing yourself, and why "curious, not judgmental" (Ted Lasso forever) might be the most useful lens you've got. Plus: dancing to your 15-year-old self's playlist, why Duo the Owl needs to stop shaming people, and a mystery project Mary is keeping close to the chest... for now. 👀 In this episode: 🎙️ 🏗️ How do you build toward your Then When within the life you already have?🔁 Constant reassessment vs. long-term planning — Serina's actually philosophy🌿 Getting back to your habits and routines first, so you can actually think clearly🤝 The power of accountability and why trust is non-negotiable for it to work📏 Setting your own bar: whose standard of measurement are you actually using?🏆 Celebrating the wins you've already had toward a goal🗝️ Try It On - Serina's totem idea: a key blank for your future home, a physical reminder of what you're building✉️ Try It On - Mary's letter from your future self: write it, then read it aloud (Serina will challenge you to record it too)🗺️ Tourist in your own town: start close before you go far📓 The food passport Serina made by hand and how you can make your own for anything🌍 Atlas Obscura for finding the weird, wacky, and wonderful near you👩‍🎨 Shoutout to Nikki at The Peach Parlor in ATL (the hair. the HAIR.)Try It On This Week 🌟 Pick ONE: Get a key blank (or another small totem) for a goal you keep circling. Or write a letter from your future self to yourself now — then read it out loud. And if you want to share your letter in the Discord? Serina's setting up a space for that. Bold hearts welcome. 💛 Links & Resources 🔗 The Peach Parlor ATL: https://thepeachparloratl.glossgenius.com/Atlas Obscura find the weird and wonderful near you: atlasobscura.comFinch: the self-care pet app Serina loves: finchcare.comThen When Podcast: www.thenwhenpodcast.comDiscord: share your future-self letter, your totem, or your Then When: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQThis podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #BuildYourLife #TryItOn #Accountability #FutureSelf #PersonalGrowth #TouristInYourTownown #MeasureYourSuccess #AtlasObscura #CuriousNotJudgmental

  5. Jun 25

    E18 - Then When? Can We Get Inclusive - with Nick

    Let's Get Inclusive with Nick Lucatino This week, Serina and Mary welcome a very special guest into the Then When chaos: Nick Lucatino, founder of Inclusive Pathways Project and Mary's friend-turned-collaborator since the day they nearly got hit by a car together. Nick is a behavior analyst who's spent his career thinking outside the box about something most of us never talk about out loud: that moment of "wait, what do I actually want to do with my life?" — whether you're 17 and graduating high school or 47 and wondering how you ended up here. His work with Inclusive Pathways helps young people with disabilities navigate the leap into adulthood, find their passions, and build the kind of independence that too often gets left out of the conversation. And on top of that, he built Ask What Do You Mean — a free, genuinely brilliant communication tool born from a very real, very relatable problem: getting a text and having absolutely no idea what to say back. But the heart of this episode is Nick's own then-when: after feeling stuck in a rut, he followed his gut, applied to PhD programs, and is now days from a cross-country move to Wisconsin choosing a fresh start, a new identity (cheese hats may be involved 🧀), and the kind of leap that doesn't feel less scary just because it's the right one. Also featured: a passionate shirt design debate, the great QR-code controversy of 2026, and Mary getting "clocked" as a lavender queen. In this episode: 🤝 How Mary and Nick met — nearly getting hit by a car in a conference parking lot, bonded over "slamming" brown shoes🧠 Inclusive Pathways: helping young people with disabilities discover their passions and navigate adulthood💡 Nick's origin story — watching students hit the same "what do I even want to do" wall, over and over🎯 The hobby-and-leisure quiz that always, somehow, recommends geocaching📱 Ask What Do You Mean (askwdym.com) — Nick's free communication app that decodes confusing texts, emails, and "what does this even mean?" moments🎓 Nick's then-when: applying to PhD programs and following the feeling of "this is the moment"🌱 Fresh starts, new versions of yourself, and the people who still remember every version you've ever beenShow Links! Inclusive Pathways Project: https://www.inclusivepathwaysproject.com/Ask What Do You Mean: askwdym.com : free, open-source tool for decoding confusing texts and messagesThen When Podcast website: www.thenwhenpodcast.comJoin the Discord — drop your then-when, your hot takes on QR-code merch, or your geocaching alias: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQFind us on the socials @thenwhenpodcastListen on all major podcast platformsThis podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #FollowYourGut #InclusivePathways #AskWhatDoYouMean #TrustTheProcess #FreshStart #CommunicationMatters #TryItOn #DisabilityAdvocacy #NewBeginnings #LifeTransitions #PersonalGrowth

  6. Jun 17

    E17 - Then When? Do You Venture Out

    Venture Out! 🌟✨ We're back, we missed you, and we have stories. After a little time apart — some solo adventures, some found time, some plates spinning, some "life be lifing" — Serina and Mary are back in the pod and ready to catch up with the Then When community. This episode has a different kind of energy to it: quieter, more reflective, a little bit like that deep exhale after a really full stretch of time. And honestly? It's exactly what we needed. This week, Serina shares what it felt like to wander eight miles alone through the cobblestone streets of Lisbon, Portugal, phone dying, language barrier and all and discovers something unexpected: pure, untethered freedom. And Mary, facing a stretch of unscheduled "found time," does what any reasonable person would do takes her kayak out solo and floats in the clouds. 🚣 Together they get into the delicious question of what we call ordinary versus extraordinary and whether that line is as clear as we think. They also get into gratitude, noticing, painting on top of paintings, writing over the same three lines until your brain quiets down, and the way the ordinary things, when we actually look at them, have a way of slowing time. 🎨 Welcome back, dudes. You deserve today. In this episode: 🎙️ ✈️ Serina's solo day in Lisbon: eight miles on foot, a dying phone, the oldest bookstore in the world, and a lot of cobblestones🚣 Mary's "found time" moment: solo kayaking under cloudy skies and finally — finally — getting that kayak out of the garage🌿 Ordinary vs. extraordinary: where's the line, and does your beige wall get a vote?📓 Mary's overthinking hack: writing over the same three lines until your brain dumps everything out🎨 Serina's next Then When: painting on top of paintings on top of paintings🌲 Mary standing in front of her pine trees and realizing her "middle of nowhere" has become her somewhere🐾 Serina's dogs, who are also tangential thinkers. They sniff what they want to sniff.🎬 Amélie and the traveling gnome — Serina's all-time favorite film makes its Then When debut💬 Question to the community: What seemingly ordinary things enhance your daily life?Links & Resources 🔗 ☕ Copenhagen Coffee Lab (Lisbon, Portugal): copenhagencoffeelab.com🎬 Amélie (2001) — Available on most streaming platforms🌐 Then When website: www.thenwhenpodcast.com💬 Join the Discord — drop your answer to this week's question: what ordinary thing enhances your daily life? Share your photos under #noticings: discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQ📱 Find us on TikTok & socials @thenwhenpodcast🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms — and share this one with someone who needs permission to go it alone 💛Until When! 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #GoItAlone #FindYourExtraordinary #Noticing #Gratitude #SoloAdventure #Lisbon #Portugal #FoundTime #TryItOn #MindfulLiving #Perseverate #OrdinaryMagic ✨🚣🎨💛

  7. Jun 3

    E16 - Then When? To Be Vulnerable - with Tennette

    Then When to Get Vulnerable: Tennette's Story 🌟🎤 What if the moment that changed everything started with a stranger on a park bench? This week, Serina and Mary welcome a very special guest: Tennette Correia — storyteller, mother, connector, and the woman Mary met while dancing in line at a book event in Brooklyn (classic Mary, truly). Tennette came into this episode describing herself as someone who hides behind baseball caps and hates being center of attention. And then she proceeded to be one of the most luminous, warm, and deeply human guests we've ever had on. 💛 Tennette shares the winding, wonderful path that led her from talking strangers' ears off in grocery stores post-COVID to standing in front of 40 people at a library storytelling event, delivering one of the most vulnerable and powerful stories you'll hear.✨ This one is about vulnerability, allyship, finding your light, and understanding that your story — your specific, unrepeatable story — is a gift you're giving to someone else who needs it. Shout Out Links! 🔗 📖 Dr. Lisa Miller — The Awakened Brain: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-awakened-brain-the-new-science-of-spirituality-and-our-quest-for-an-inspired-life-lisa-miller/650c01603ea03da1?ean=9781984855626&next=t&aid=121698&listref=show-shout-outs🎭 The Moth — live storytelling shows, StorySLAMs, podcast, and workshops: themoth.org🌱 Playful Campus (Dawn's organization) — play for well-being: https://www.playfulcampus.com/ Then When Links! ⏳ 🌐 Then When website: thenwhenpodcast.com💬 Join the Discord — share YOUR vulnerability, your then-when, or your garden photos (Tennette, we're waiting 🌸): https://discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQ📱 Find us on TikTok & socials @thenwhenpod🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms — and send this one to someone who needs permission to tell their story 💛This podcast is for general informational and entertainment purposes only. We'll see you in the then — so we can get to the when. 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #Vulnerability #Storytelling #FindYourLight #TheMoth #TryItOn #HumanConnection #ShareYourStory #YouAreEnough #EarthlyAngels #PersonalGrowth #BeVulnerable #Resilience #CommunityOverEverything 🌟🎤🌸💛

  8. May 27

    E15 - Then When? Will I Find My Voice?

    Find Your Voice (And Actually Use It) 🎤✨ Seventy-five percent of people worldwide are afraid of public speaking. SEVENTY-FIVE. Which means chances are good that you, reading this right now, have felt that knot-in-the-stomach, voice-going-wobbly, heart-beating-out-of-your-chest feeling before stepping up to say something in front of other people. Yeah. Us too. This one's for you. This week Serina and Mary are getting into the art of finding your voice — whether that's standing at a podium, making a toast at a wedding, sharing something you care deeply about with one person, or just showing up as your full, unapologetically nerdy, wonderfully weird self in the rooms you're already in. 🦋 Because here's the thing nobody tells you: the nervousness doesn't mean you're not ready. It might actually mean you care. And accepting it — just letting it be there while you show up anyway — is the whole move. Try it on. Also in this episode: destination weddings in Mexico, a work trip to Portugal, the Taco Bell paint palette of Serina's first home 🌮, Lego flowers progress report 🌸, speed puzzling as a life philosophy, and the world's most wholesome story involving an exchange student, a chipboard puzzle, and Beauty and the Beast. In this episode: 🎙️ 🎤 Public speaking: 75% of people fear it — so why does it feel so lonely when you do?🧠 Imposter syndrome, waiting to be "ready," and the third culprit: shrinking yourself for others🤍 When someone accepts a compliment gracefully — and why it's actually a skill worth practicing👏 The vocal coach moment at the wedding that gave Serina full-body goosebumps💬 "No one in here knows your script" — the most liberating thing you can hear mid-speech🌿 How your totally unrepeatable life experiences are actually your most powerful thing to share🧩 The speed puzzle origin story involving a Japanese exchange student, a chipboard puzzle, and a date to see Beauty and the Beast (it's precious, we promise)🌸 Lego flower bouquet update!🎵 Never the Same by Supreme Beings of Leisure — Serina's go-to for transitional moments🏕️ Mary's camp counselor training program: shoot your shot, one day a week💛 Finding the people who hold your weirdness and amplify your voice🧪 What it means to try on who you are — and let the confirmations come to youShow Notes and Shout Outs 🔗 🎵 "Never the Same" — Supreme Beings of Leisure: https://youtu.be/odhMJ_Mlo0o?si=vSUjfxtG1jNVzKOa🌐 Then When website: thenwhenpod.com💬 Join the Discord — share a moment you used your voice, a then-when update, or your hot take on speed puzzling: https://discord.com/invite/UYjfTPSdcQ📱 Find us on TikTok & socials @thenwhenpod🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms — share this one with someone who needs a little push to use their voice 💛We'll see you in the then — so we can get to the when. 🤍 #ThenWhen #ThenWhenPodcast #IfNotNowThenWhen #SomeDayIsToday #FindYourVoice #PublicSpeaking #ImposterSyndrome #BeYourself #TryItOn #SpeakUp #PersonalGrowth #YouAreEnough #OwnYourWeird #NeverTheSame #VoiceYourTruth #ShowUp

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We all have a list of things we’ve been meaning to do, changes we’ve been wanting to make, and versions of ourselves we’ve been waiting to become. We tell ourselves the time isn't right—but if not now, then when? Stop waiting for "someday." Start finding your "Then When." Then When is a podcast dedicated to the pivotal moments that change everything. This show explores the bridge between being stuck and taking the leap.

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  • Creator
    Then When Podcast
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Then When Podcast