Well, we have decided to call it quits and press pause on The Meltdown City Podcast. This has been the best and most fun adventure for both of us. We are so grateful for anyone who has ever listened, liked us, supported us or been a guest on the show. We could not have done it without you. On this episode, this very last episode, we definitely hit all of the emotions. We talk about our journey, this experience, where we were started in the beginning and where we have come. We take the time to thank a bunch of people and we know we didn't hit everyone. We also talk about what is going on in the world with George Floyd's death and racism in America. Black Lives Matter. All lives will matter when black lives matter. We need to do better. Check out the BLM website here. Check out this resource for what you can do if you are white and how you can support racial justice. We honestly love you all. We will miss hearing from you but you can reach me, Nicole @nicolejohnson.rn on Instagram. You can reach Ali @alisundet on Instagram. I'll keep monitoring the email meltdowncitypodcast@gmail.com and we'll leave the episodes up. Remember, you can shake things up and you can start over. If you are not happy, keep digging and working on what you are after. You are worth it. Your dreams are worth it. We love you. Peace Out, Nic & Ali

On this episode, we realize we have not recorded just the two of us in since mid-April so we have a lot to catch up on. We shout out to our listeners who have written in such as Katrina, James and Thomas. We share epic meltdowns and bring back 'TV Time.' We hope you are managing ok in this Pandemic. We discuss what has been getting us through. This is a crazy time and we want to know how you are holding up. What are you doing to get by? Please let us know by emailing us at meltdowncitypodcast@gmail.com We miss you guys and wish you well. Stay safe! XOXO Nic & Ali

Today we are talking to Joe Syverson, a seasoned musician from bands such as Throw me the Statue, The Final Spins and his solo act Joseph Giant. Joe is currently fronting a new band, Floored Faces with brand new album out called ‘Escapism Prism.’ Joe is also the owner of his own construction company Viking Construction. He is a family man, married with four kids. We wanted to chat with him about his musician life and his new album! You can buy and listen to his album here https://flooredfaces.bandcamp.com/ Follow them on social media @flooredfaces on Instagram and on Facebook In this second half of our interview, Joe shares the details of his very serious accident he had this fall, how that impacted his life, the making of this new album and his thoughts on making music. It was a harrowing tale. We hope you tune in to listen to this one! We end this episode with the song 'How to Break' off of their new album 'Escapism Prism.' Thanks for much for listening and we hope you enjoy it! XO Nicole & Ali

Today we are talking to Joe Syverson, a seasoned musician from bands such as Throw me the Statue, The Final Spins and his solo act Joseph Giant. Joe is currently fronting a new band, Floored Faces with brand new album out called ‘Escapism Prism.’ Joe is also the owner of his own construction company Viking Construction. He is a family man, married with four kids. We wanted to chat with him about his musician life and his new album! You can buy and listen to his album here https://flooredfaces.bandcamp.com/ Follow them on social media @flooredfaces on Instagram and on Facebook On part one, we learn about his musical influences, how Floored Faces came to be and and how it feels to perform on stage. We end this episode with Till Beds, a song from the new album Escapism Prism. Thanks for much for listening! Stay tuned for Part 2 - next week's episode where we learn a lot more about Joe. XO Nicole & Ali Thank you!

On this episode, we catch up and do fun shout outs to our loyal listeners Barry and Nelson among others. Were you shouted out? Come listen! Ali has an epic meltdown involving her timeshare and Nicole is looped out after being up all night at the hospital. Periodically, we all suffer from low self esteem as this is a part of the human experience. So, this week we dig into the topic of self confidence. We discuss '10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence' by Chris W. Dunn and discuss his ideas for how to improve your sense of self. Come take a listen! Stay Safe! XO Nic & Ali

Today we chat with Quynh Nguyen, the founder of Pink & Posey where she makes paper flowers “that are as realistic - or vibrant - as your dreams.” She is a “wife to a drone nerd, mom to a doodle furbaby, a chef and an artist at heart". She is the Founder of The Paper Florist Facebook Group and The Posey Box and cohost of the Paper Talk Podcast. She is also a founding member of the Paper Florists Collective. Quynh is a power house. We learn how she accidentally fell into this career. She is an entrepreneur, an educator, a podcaster and an artist. She shares her wisdom on important aspects of owning your own business as well as great advice for how to handle your business doing this time of Covid 19. Plus, she shares how having mentors and relationships can advance your business and goals. You can find her website at pinkandposey.com and follow her on Instagram @pinkandposey We loved talking with Quynh and hope you enjoy this very special episode! XO Nicole & Ali

Today we report on how we are doing in the midst of this Global Pandemic. Ali reflects on her feelings about having to adapt to things completely out of her control and Nicole wrestles with her emotions about being on the frontlines amidst all of the uncertainty. Our topic for the day is a timely one - we bring you some real applicable tips for how to deal with all of the stress we are facing. We discuss '10 Tips for Dealing With the Stress of Uncertainty' an article by the American Psychological Association. Although this was written in 2017 and updated in 2019, this article is relevant to what we are all experiencing. Come listen in! We hope you can glean some practical ways to manage your stress. What are you doing to take care of yourself? Let us know how you are doing at meltdowncitypodcast@gmail.com XO Nic & Ali

On today's episode of the Meltdown City Podcast, we chat remotely, due to our adherence to social distancing. We decide to take a moment to discuss the odd silver linings to this pandemic. Obviously, this is a challenging time for all, but we wanted to take a moment away from the deluge of bad news. We hope you can understand. This week, we offer an escape as we talk about relationships and how to reignite your passion. Are you in a long term relationship? Do you need some ideas on how to kickstart the fire? Well, we have some answers for you! We discuss an article by Esther Perel, a psychotherapist and author called '4 Ways to Reignite Passion in Your Relationship.' Some of her ideas might surprise you! Let us know what you think. Maybe with all of this new found time at home with your partner you can try one of these ideas out?! ;) We hope you are getting along ok and we are thinking of you. Email us and let us know how you are doing! XO Nic & Ali

On today's episode, we chat via Zoom from the safety of our own homes in Seattle, the first hotzone of Covid 19 in the US. We discuss how the pandemic is impacting our lives and our meltdowns related to it. We both have careers in healthcare and have been involved either on the frontlines or behind the scenes. Everything is so changing rapidly. How are you handling it? On a much lighter note, we delve into a funny questionnaire that we ask one another to lighten things up. You might learn some random tidbits about us. Are you ready? Good luck out there! Email us at meltdowncitypodcast@gmail.com and let us know how this is affecting you. Peace out! We are thinking of you! Nic & Ali P.S. Ali doesn't have the covid and Nicole cancelled her trip to Mexico.

On today's episode, we talk with Regan Walsh, a NYU-certified executive and life coach who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed, reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. Regan has coached hundreds of women through her one-on-one and group coaching programs, and she is regularly asked to give keynotes and facilitate workshops for fortune 500 companies, including Nike, QuickBooks, and Nationwide to audiences ranging from 50-500.  Regan contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been featured in NBC.com, FastCompany, and Columbus CEO. She is located in Columbus, Ohio and coaches women from all over the world. On this episode we learn Regan's story and how she pivoted to life coaching.  She reflects on her feelings that came up around starting a business and leaving the security of what some would call a "dream job." Her business has flourished and now she was worked with thousands of people. We are fortunate to learn from Regan as she divulges the common themes she sees women do (hint: we don't prioritize ourselves) and also what we humans do to hold ourselves back. This became a very relatable and powerful conversation that you all need to hear.   Go check out Regan's website and sign up for her email list and follow her on Instagram @reganwalsh_lifecoach.  There are some really good nuggets of advice in here. We laughed, we cried. Come check it out!This episode was a very special episode for Meltdown City. We can't want for you to listen!  XO Nic & Ali

On today's episode, we are back in the studio with our new equipment. Hooray! And we have a new patreon account! We discuss our #meltdownmoments... and how Ali is feeling with her job uncertainty. Hint: she is feeling a little down about it. This episode, we discuss James Clear's book "Atomic Habits - An Easy Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones." Did you know Steve Martin worked on perfecting his craft for 10 years before he got any good gigs and Jerry Seinfeld has a habit of writing jokes daily? Tiny, atomic sized habits can have a compound effect in areas of our life yet often we don't see the effect for a while. Often people give up before they can appreciate the strides they are gaining. Persistence is key to building a habit, in particular it is about showing up when you aren't feeling it but you do it anyway. To create good habit, here are James Clear's 4 Laws: Make it Obvious Make it Attractive Make it Easy Make it Satisfying To break a bad habit basically, it is the inverse of the 4 Laws above: Make it Invisible Make it Unattractive Make it Difficult Make it Unsatisfying Are you trying to create a new habit in your life? Or is there something you are trying to stop doing? Let us know! To download James Clear's Habit Cheat Sheet click here. XO Nic & Ali

We didn't forget about you! We are still here and back to our regularly programmed schedule! On today's episode, we chat about our meltdown moments and catch up. Our topic of the day is self doubt and how to over come it. We dig into the article "13 Powerful Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt (So You Can Finally Move Forward in Life)" by Henrik Edberg. We digest it and reflect on it from our own perspectives. Do you have self doubt? How do you move through it? There are some really big belly laughs in this episode. I hope you enjoy it! XO Nic & Ali

On today’s episode, we talk about entering the new decade of 2020, setting resolutions and how to stick to your goals. We reference Marie Forleo’s 7 minute video here that has three science based tips for achieving your goals the first time. Check it out! What are you looking to accomplish this year? Are you going to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do? We discuss our goals for the podcast and for ourselves. We also discuss a #meltdownmoment that involves the two of us. THANKS FOR LISTENING! xo Nic & Ali

On today's episode we catch up with world traveler and travel blogger, Melissa Bitz, aka Traveling Bitz and we learn about her seven month long solo journey around the world. Last time we talked with Melissa, she was just a few weeks in. Now she has returned home to California and has had time to reflect on her experience and how it has changed her. Melissa shares where she traveled to in Europe and in South America, reveals what places are still lingering in her mind, as well as the highs and the lows and her advice to people wanting to follow in her footsteps as a solo traveler. Melissa definitely has some riveting tales to tell. Does she go back to her old life and her old job? You will have to listen to find out! Come listen to her experience and how it has impacted her life now! Be sure to check it out Melissa's blog Traveling Bitz for resources on solo travel as well as her blog posts about her experience. What an inspiring episode! Are you wanting to quit your job and travel the world? What are you waiting for? Maybe this episode will inspire you to do so! XO Nic & Ali

On today's episode, we talk funny #meltdownmoments and reflect on how things are going with our side hustles. Plus, we discuss the concept of GRIT which is passion plus perserverance. Dr. Angela Duckworth has studied this concept and has a TEDx talk that you can watch here. We talk about grit in our own lives and in relation to our own projects and parenthood. True to form, things get really raw and there are tears. I'm not going to reveal who cries this time, so you'll have to listen. The message is you can do what you want, just keep going one step at a time. XO Nic & Ali

On today’s episode, we talk with Podcaster, Speaker & Family man Aaron Schlein from Sacramento, CA. He is the host of the successful Family Travel Radio — a weekly podcast presented by The Family Travel Association. Aaron shares how he got on this path to entrepreneurship by wanting to write a book about how traveling with his grandmother as a teenager changed his life. However, his initial plan fell flat. It wasn’t until he pivoted to starting a podcast that everything changed. He quotes John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneurs on Fire who says, “Having a podcast makes people pay attention to you.” And it certainly did for Aaron. We talk with Aaron about some of the trips he took with his grandmother, like how he traveled to Russia in 1990 and how that infused him with an adventurous spirit and love of travel. Aaron is a huge advocate of family travel which he is the heart of his podcast Family Travel Radio, but he also lives his passion. He and his wife let his two kids pick where they want to go! Last year, it was London! This year it will be France! Come listen to this inspiring story of how Aaron started on a journey of transformation and entrepreneurship. He opens ups about his challenges and his wins. He has sage advice for people wanting to try new ventures! He also has great advice for parents on how to travel with your kids. We had a great time chatting with Aaron not only because he is a friend of our podcast, but he also is an inspiration to all of us! We hope you enjoy this very special episode! XO Nic & Ali

On today's episode, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we take the time to thank all the guests who have been on our show and the many listeners. Thank you to our amazing, talented and fearless guests for being on the show and inspiring all of us to embrace change and take a chance! Courtney Erwin, Barry Faught, Carrie and Albert Bond, Amy Johnson, Shane Jones, Nelson Lau, Nicholas Williams, Melissa Bitz, Michael Tranmer, SumedaAhuja-Bahri, Kathy Waage, Matt Kepnes, Erick Prince and soon to be guest, Aaron Schlein. Thank you to our loyal listeners such as my sister Amy, Amity, Eric, Leah, Chris, Carrie, Katrina, Cathy, Dr. Dueck, Tom, Jon-Mark, my Dad, Sheralyn, Sunga, Merrick, William, James, Martha, Caty, Beth, Paul, Brian and whoever else has ever listened! Thank you!! Did you know our show has been downloaded in 31 countries!?!? Also, on this episode we discuss holiday traditions and true to form, we get off on some tangents. We are so thankful for the support and love you've given us. May you have a Happy Thanksgiving! What are your traditions? I'm (Nicole) starting a new tradition and listening to "Alice's Restaurant" the 18 minute 1967 Arlo Guthrie anti-war song. XO Nicole & Ali

On today’s episode, Nicole and Ali chat while Ali is in Seattle and Nicole is in Pullman, WA. They get into a conversation about vulnerability and reflect on a video by Brene Brown, PhD and LMSW. “Vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it’s also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love” states Brene. Ali opens up about how parenting is super hard and how she would just love some “freedom and danger.” Nicole sheds a few tears talking about her fears and discussing the scariness of mid-life. This is a super raw show. Hope you enjoy it. XO Nic & Ali

Hey there! On today’s episode, we catch up and reflect on last week’s interview with Erick Prince of Minority Nomad. You can listen to it here! Per usual, we discuss #meltdownmoments that have come up. Ali reflects on the unexpected death of her friend of 20 years, may he rest in peace. We discuss moving through fear and Nicole quotes her old coach, James Swanwick “feel the fear and do it anyway.” Yes, sometimes it is challenging to do things that we are afraid of but ultimately, facing things we fear gets easier with time. We get a little out there as we discuss Deepak Chopra’s 7th pillar of health – awareness and that perhaps we are living in a dream and reality is perhaps in our dreams Whoa. Thanks for listening to this episode! As always, don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe! Please tell your friends about us if you enjoy listening! XO Nic & Ali

On today’s episode, we talk with the very talented Erick Prince, aka Minority Nomad calling in from Bangkok, Thailand. Erick is a photographer, blogger, vlogger, entrepreneur and world traveler who for several years has called Bangkok his home. Originally from East Cleveland, Ohio Erick shares how he got started as a photographer after being given a choice between vocational school or expulsion. Choosing vocational school, more specifically photography he was gifted his first camera by his teacher, Irene Shinkle. In short order he became the school photographer shooting school dances and events and saw an opportunity for his own role in photography. After 10 years in the military. he re-focused his energy on photography and subsequently, people started gravitating towards his work. Erick started Minority Nomad with $19,000 and a one way ticket to London with a vision to be the first African American to visit every country. We talk about how that came to be and where things stand. We discuss the Black Travel Movement and the importance of representation. “Representation matters” he says. People of color have always been traveling but they have been represented or marketed to. It is imperative to see people doing things you want to do so you know you can do it, too. Also, on this episode, Erick shares the hardships of being a travel photographer and a digital nomad such as the highs, the lows, the judgments, the struggles on relationships and all things in between… but in the end it is worth it. And we discuss Anthony Bourdain’s recent suicide and his insight into it. We continue on chatting about racism in America and Donald Trump. And how travel can challenge your own belief system because it pushes you are out of your comfort zone because no one is no longer reinforcing your values or beliefs. This episode will keep you glued to your earbuds. Come listen to this entertaining, educational and inspirational episode of the Meltdown City Podcast! Please follow what Erick Prince is up to at www.minoritynomad.com or on his instagram @minoritynomad! XO Nic & Ali