We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Van Fleet Nathan Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily Van Fleet, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I associate risk taking with vulnerability. There is no risk without it. And vulnerability is hard. Most of us avoid it like the (eh-em) plague. But ALL inspiring success stories involve some degree of risk; whether it’s the risk of failure, of being judged by your peers, or confronting your own limiting beliefs. The past few months of COVID have taught me a lot about risk and overcoming fears. I’ve come to realize what Mary Anne Radmacher meant when she said that, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.” Taking risks isn’t always taking the plunge. It involves perseverance, repeated effort, and above all, courage. My husband, Nathan, and I set out to model this courage when we made the decision to launch our podcast, “Twice As Less Not Perfect: A Messy Marriage Podcast.” 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Nathan and I decided to launch our podcast because we were tired of feeling alone in our experiences as a couple. The myth of the ideal relationship set us back from authentic and meaningful connection for years. We often felt like we weren’t “doing it right” and there was no one we felt we could talk to about struggles we faced. We finally sought counseling and have come to a deeper understanding of each other and what it takes to make relationships thrive. In the podcast we tackle cringey topics with humor and vulnerability, so that folks who may not feel comfortable talking about the realities of a long-term partnership know that they are not alone. Now is the time to seek and nurture connection with each other in any way we can. This podcast is our contribution to that connection.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always insist visitors from out of town see a show and take in the galleries at the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities. We also absolutely love the Arvada Tavern for a post-show beverage and a late night snack. And So Radish, our favorite local vegan restaurant, is right next door. We also love taking the train from Olde Town Arvada to Union Station and strolling around downtown, window shopping, and brunching on weekends. On a special weekend that’s just the two of us, we may even splurge on a little staycation at the Curtis, a pop-culture themed hotel, with a fab restaurant on the first floor called The Corner Office.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We are especially grateful to couple’s counselor, Carima Cook-Masaud at Center for Compassion in Denver. We would not have found such inspiration and clarity in our relationship without her guidance. We’d also love the thank the Jefferson County Public Library for their incredible collection of audiobooks that helped us do the work on ourselves individually so that we could bring some very useful tools to our partnership and therefore, our podcast. We also must shout out Buzzsprout for being a terrific hosting site, and two podcast conventions we were able to attend on scholarship this year, Pod Movement and Pod Fest. Additional shout-outs go to Justin and Deanna Barron, fellow podcasters, for their mentorship, Rick Wasserman for his wealth of voiceover and recording knowledge, and Dylan Sneed for his incredible graphic design and branding expertise.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1288793
Instagram: @amessymarriagepodcast https://www.instagram.com/amessymarriagepodcast/
Facebook: @messymarriagepodcast https://www.facebook.com/MessyMarriagePodcast
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsoRmRNG-I8C1JQ-KZi2dYw/
Other: Podcast Email: lessnotperfect@gmail.com

Image Credits
Laura Rose Photography Emily Van Fleet Nathan Jones

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