The Beach Speaks

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Welcome back, beach lovers — it’s May, and after a whole month of springtime activity, I’m finally back behind the mic! In this episode, I share the story of my recent beach adventure to the breathtaking Gulf Coast of Florida — Longboat Key, to be exact — where the clear blue-green water, soft white sand, and Mediterranean-inspired resort vibes offered a much-needed reset.

This trip had it all: sunshine, coastal breezes, a luxurious oceanfront suite, and even an unexpected selfie moment at a VIP reception. I take you behind the scenes of our long w...

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Are you tired of feeling stuck and burnt out? Ready for a change but unable to see a way out? That was me. Then a friend introduced me to Ramona, who guided me on my authentic life journey to living my best life—at the beach! Listen as Ramona, a Florida native and beach lover, shares her inspiring journey from soul exhaustion to authentic living and how you can, too!  

Discover how Ramona used the power of intention, aligned action, self-reflection, and chakra wisdom to bring back balance and...

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Have you ever wondered if your clothing could make a real difference for our oceans? Today, I chatted with Patrick Rynne, the visionary founder of Waterlust, to explore how their sustainable apparel is driving real change for marine ecosystems.

Discover how Waterlust transforms stunning marine life visuals into wearable art, creating great clothing that supports vital ocean conservation efforts. Patrick shares the inspiring story behind Waterlust, from its beginnings as a science communication project to becoming a leader in eco-friendly fashion.

We delve into how Waterlust partners w...

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What if you could bottle the essence of the beach—the scent, the energy, the salt-kissed air?

Jim Kupczyk, founder of Mindful Market and Sahu Sacred Oils, was one of my first guests on The Beach Speaks nearly six years ago, and now he's back to talk about our latest collaboration—capturing the scent of the beach in a “coastal essence spray.”

While my podcast has shifted toward storytelling and deeper connections with the beach, Jim’s business has expanded into creating essential oil blends inspired by nature and ancient tr...

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In this special Valentine's Day episode of The Beach Speaks, I explore the deep connection between love and the beach. What invisible forces make us feel at peace when we're by the ocean? How do they reflect the essence of love?

You know how the beach feels like love? There’s something about it—the way the waves roll in, the sand between your toes, the warm, salty breeze—it just seems to make all the cares of the world fade away. 

The beach c...

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Today, I am celebrating my 100th episode of The Beach Speaks, and for some of you, that might not seem like a lot; however, for those who know me, this is quite a momentous event, especially when I look back at episode 50 when I almost quit. It is progress, not perfection, and I am so enjoying the journey!!

Speaking into a microphone has always been easy for me, but the rest of the production process has been a challenge to master. I learned A LOT - not just the tech but...

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Joining me today is my guest Erin, co-host of Three Kitchens Podcast. Listen as Erin takes us on a flavorful journey of foodie fun with stories of indulging in gourmet treats while on a kayak camping trip and her family's unforgettable beach cookout using an "earth oven." Plus, we dive into the connections between our plates and the planet and how we can cook, eat, and live more mindfully.

Be sure to listen to the end, where Erin shares her golden foodie rule and the truth behind cilantro - love it...

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Have you ever felt the winter chill complicate your love for the beach?

In this episode of The Beach Speaks, I reflect on a cold December morning at the beach in North Florida, reminiscing about the tropical warmth of Costa Rica and my nostalgic trip to Puerto Rico in 1986. 

From college swim team adventures on a semi-private beach in San Juan to savoring fresh pineapples and unforgettable connections, I recount my first tropical beach experience with vivid, sunlit nostalgia.

Special Announcement:
I’m thrilled to...

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What do you say to a friend who is grieving a tragic loss? What do you do?

Michelle Cleveland answers these questions and more in her book Steps in the Sand, How to Help a Grieving Friend.

Drawing inspiration from her poem The Beach, Michelle weaves her painful, lived experience with grief and loss with practical advice for anyone who wants to support a grieving friend. Like, what do you say? - or NOT say? What do you do? - or NOT do? We want to...

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Ever wonder why so many Florida beach lovers choose to stay put during hurricanes? 

In this episode, I reflect on the experience of enduring storms, sharing personal stories from the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. We explore why we chose to ride out the storms rather than evacuate, driven by our unwavering connection to the beach.

I recount my own hurricane cleanup efforts with friends and how our sense of community keeps us anchored. Guest Jen Hardy offers her insights on why her family decided to hunker down, discussing t...

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In this episode, I share my eventful month, which included a fabulous trip to Italy, an unexpected bout with the flu, and the devastating and unprecedented impact of Hurricane Helene on our Florida Gulf Coast.

It all started with exploring Venice, Florence, Siena, Sorrento, Capri, and Rome, soaking in historic sites and delicious food, and even finding a few beaches.

Upon returning, I quickly fell ill, causing delays in my podcast schedule, making me fear losing my beach-loving audience. Then Hurricane Helene hit, bringing devastation to the Gulf Coast...

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In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Sindia M. Rivera-Jiménez, Ph.D., a native of Puerto Rico who was born and raised near the ocean. With a deep love for the beach, Sindia built a beautiful life in Puerto Rico, earning a degree in engineering, meeting her husband, and starting a family. The ocean was always a central part of her life.

However, a unique opportunity to advance her career took her away from her beloved beaches to the "swamps" of Central Florida, where she became an Assistant P...

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This audio version of my podcast newsletter starts with a heartfelt story called "The Water" by Rachel LaPresti, touching on how the beach affects us all. I also dive into Waterlust, an innovative eco-apparel company with a fun facts newsletter —did you know sharks could be exposed to cocaine through pollution? I also talk about my recent paddleboarding adventures at sunrise, complete with coffee, dolphins, and a potential shark sighting!

If more beach is what you crave, sign up for my newsletter at thebeachspeaks.com

Learn more about Waterlust he...

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Today, we delve into the powerful concept of "Blue Mind" and the profound impact of water on our well-being. My guest, Amanda Esposito of Northern Tides Studio, shares how she met Wallace J. Nichols, the author of Blue Mind, and how the ocean has shaped her life and artistic expression.

Key Highlights:

1. The legacy of Wallace J. Nichols and the Blue Mind movement

2. Amanda's new ocean-inspired jewelry pieces and their deep connections to Cape Cod and the Jersey Beaches

3. The unpredictability of life and how...

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In this episode, I speak with Mary Carroll Moore about her novel Last Bets, set on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. The novel features twists of fate, paranormal elements, high-stakes gambling—and a hurricane!  I like to describe it as "Queen's Gambit" meets "White Lotus." 

We share some personal anecdotes; I reminisce about playing backgammon with my brother, and we delve into Mary's scuba diving skills and camping experiences. The conversation highlights Mary's deep character development in her writing and her talent as a plein-air painter. I'm reminded of a previous conv...

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Have you ever been at the beach on a full moon?
 
One of my favorite things to do is sit on the beach and watch the moonrise over the ocean. It elevates my mood and stirs up a feeling of wonder and otherworldliness—watching that bright white globe shining on a velvet black sky, that sparkling trail of light shining across the water following the waves to the shore. It’s just magical—especially when the waves are calm, and no one else is around to disturb the "vibe."

I had b...

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Jen Hardy is a true beach girl - so much so that after receiving a life-threatening health diagnosis, she instinctively knew that she - and her family - needed the healing power of the beach to get through it. So, Jen, her husband, and their seven kids moved from their home in Tennessee to an island paradise off the coast of Florida, where she found the healing she needed and is living her best life - at the beach!

In this episode, you'll hear about her journey to the “Sunshine State,” what...

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Today’s episode is a conversation I had recently with Jessie King Regunberg, author of the book SEARCHING FOR SEASHELLS: An Artist’s Guide to Treasures on the Beach 

It’s all about the enchanting world of seashells and how they have touched our lives and sparked our curiosity. 

Jessie’s book is a testament to her passion for shells, art, and history. It’s filled with 200 hand-painted illustrations, intriguing facts, and interesting stories about shells you might already have in your collection (I know you have one!) and shells you d...

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I recently had the opportunity to visit one of the beaches on my bucket list—Venice Beach. Venice is on the Gulf Coast of Florida and is often called the “shark tooth capital of the world” because of the plethora of prehistoric shark teeth you can find there. Some are the size of your hand!  

Now, I don’t have the greatest record when it comes to finding sharks' teeth, but I know a lot of people are really into it. 

It’s like digging for gold—if you know where to...

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In early October 2021, when the post-pandemic world was beginning to open up for travel, we had just discovered that Ernie only had a month's vacation before starting a new job; we decided to go on a 12-day adventure in Costa Rica!

It was last minute, and I had no idea how we were going to pull it off - but I knew my friend and travel agent Judi could make it happen and, true to form,  she took care of all the details   - from booking flights to finding the hotels an...

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Capturing the essence of the beach with my phone is one thing, but in a painting - in real-time - it is a whole other thing.  I’m in awe of anyone who can paint in the moment - no photograph- just sitting in nature with a canvas, painting the scene in quick brushstrokes. You have to stay in the present and pay attention. 

This painting practice is called plein air, a form of impressionism that my guest Annora does so well. At only 19, Annora is making herself know...

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I was a guest on an Instagram live with Amanda from Northern TIdes Studio and Wallace J. Nichols, author of Blue Mind - talking about water, the Blue Mind movement, and the healing properties of the ocean.

 Amanda asked how living at the beach has changed me. I don’t know why that question caught me off guard - it was a great question. I wasn’t really sure I had the answer - at least nothing I felt I could articulate at the moment.  

If I had the chance...

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When I started thinking seriously about moving from land-locked Orlando to the beach, the first three questions people would ask were, “What beach?” “Where will you live?” and “What will you do?” I would say, “I haven’t decided what beach yet, but I’m sure I’ll find one with a couple of palm trees where I can hang a hammock,  and, I don’t know, I’ll make jewelry out of sea shells, and sell it to the tourists. It was a silly answer, but in my mind, I was serious - if that were what I had...

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It’s February, so in the spirit of this Month of Love, I asked my soulmate, Ernie, to join me on the podcast because it’s a very special month for us.

Although I’ve talked about how we met and our journey to living out our vision here at the beach on the podcast before, I thought it would be the perfect time for Ernie to share some of his own beach stories and reminisce about our beach adventures together.  

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I love quotes, especially the ones that when I hear them, I think, " Oooh, I can relate to that - or that is so inspiring! I need to write that one down before I forget it! " I’ll rush to scribble it in a journal or notebook - it’s like I’m attaching a sticky note to my brain - you know, a reminder, to go back to it later. And let me tell you - there are a LOT of sticky notes in there. 

However, there’s one quo...

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Imagine, you’re about to do what might be the craziest thing you’ve ever done. 

And you’re thinking this could be crazy good or crazy stupid.

Then the “what ifs” start to creep into your consciousness: “What if something goes wrong?” “What if I’m not good enough?” “What if it turns out to be nothing but a waste of time and money?”

That’s how I felt three years ago, staring bleary-eyed at my computer monitor, my hand nervously resting on the mouse, guiding a bol...

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Recently on The Beach Speaks, I posted an episode sharing my beach story as a guest on Rabiah Coon’s podcast More Than Work. 

Today, I’m bringing Rabiah back - this time as my guest - to hear her beach story. 

Rabiah currently lives in London, but she grew up near the beach in California. When she said she was coming home to California for the holidays, I thought it would be the perfect time to share her story on the podcast. For ma...

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Hey Beach lover, How is the beach speaking to you today?

I’m sure you have noticed that I’ve been doing a lot of solo episodes: like, how I met my soulmate - on the beach,  watching fighter jets fly over the beach, and how learning to fly was a lot like moving to the beach -  and while it’s been a lot of fun sharing stories about how the beach speaks to me, I thought I’d do something different this time, and share more...

Hey Beach lover, How is the beach speaking to you today?

I’m sure you have noticed that I’ve been doing a lot of solo episodes: like, how I met my soulmate - on the beach,  watching fighter jets fly over the beach, and how learning to fly was a lot like moving to the beach -  and while it’s been a lot of fun sharing stories about how the beach speaks to me, I thought I’d do something different this time, and share more about my journey to the beach on this ep...

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Many of you have asked me how I found the nerve to leave my job - to move to the beach - and not have a job to go to, and what beach? Where was I going to live? 

I would laugh and say, I’m sure whatever beach I go to, there will be a couple of palm trees where I can hang a hammock, and I’ll make jewelry out of shells! It sounded silly when I said it out loud, but in my head, I was serious. 

How...

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You know I love the beach, but I also love airplanes! 

This fact is especially poignant because aviation and learning to fly was one of the (many) surprising characteristics that attracted me to my husband, Ernie (You can hear more about that in my recent episode “How I Met My Soulmate - On the Beach”) 

Ernie spent the majority of his Navy career on an aircraft carrier where he worked on the F-18s (the same aircraft as the Blue Angels) 

Jets aren’t a completel...

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If you are a regular listener to the podcast, you’ll know that I often talk about how I met my soulmate, quit my nine to five and moved to the beach - it almost always comes up in conversation when I meet someone new, and we get to talking about the beach. 

Of all three, I get the most response from the “met my soulmate” part - like “that’s amazing!” Or “How did you do that?” or “I met my soulmate, too!” - and then they proceed to tell me their story. 

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Listening to your voicemails is like going on a beach walk, picking up the messages like seashells and adding them to my collection. The voices and stories are different  -  but what they all have in common is a shared connection to the beach - I love them all - and I’m excited to share them with you!

Thank you Terri Maxwell, Jen Hardy, Terry Brock, Meshell Baker, Keith  Wilhelm and Teresa Lisum for these messages.  It was so much fun connecting this way! 

My intention for this  podcast...

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Today’s guest is Pam Uzzell, the creator and host of Art Heals All Wounds - a podcast that’s changing the world - one artist at a time. 

Pam and I met as members of the “pod squad,” - the slack community created by Squadcast - a remote podcast platform we use to record our shows. 

Pam reached out to me a few months ago with a wonderful story about her love-hate relationship with the beach. It starts out in childhood and ends in her adulthood - with the series...

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My guest today is Oneike Jackson, the beach manager at the Boardwalk Beach Resort in  Negril, Jamaica. I have to say, after editing this episode, I couldn’t stop smiling! His high-vibe Jamaican energy is just that palpable. 

Oneike is a great storyteller; however, he did not want to come on the podcast at first. He was shy, and he didn’t know what to say - but his partner Cathi, who has been on the podcast numerous times, said “Don’t worry, Paige is so easy to talk to - it will be...

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I have a slight obsession with books. My house is filled with stacks of unread novels, coffee table books, and hidden gems waiting to be explored. But today, I want to focus on a specific genre that holds a special place in my heart: beach reads!

A good beach read is more than just a book you read while lounging on the sand. It's a book that transports you to the beach no matter where you are. It's a chance to let go of everyday stress and immerse yourself in a...

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Take a walk with me on the beach while I share some stories about what I collect there. It’s a personal journey through my experiences of collecting shells on my beach walks and the odd and sometimes disturbing things I discovered along the way.

Diving deep into the world of seashell collecting,  let’s explore the treasures lost and found at the beach, from mundane items to precious memories with a bit of trash thrown into the mix  - and what the beach had to say about that!

Refere...

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“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can only collect a few. One moon shell is more impressive than three. There is only one moon in the sky.” ― Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea

It’s hard to think about going to the beach and not wanting to take a little something with you to remember being there. It’s like the shore has this magnetic pull, urging you to pick up a seashell or some other treasure and take it home.

But what if you fou...

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If you’re as passionate about books as you are beaches, you are going to love this conversation with Jane L. Rosen  Jane is an author, screenwriter, and former Huffington Post contributor, and today we’ll be talking about her latest book, On Fire Island - a place Jane knows intimately because she’s been a resident there for 30 years. 

On Fire Island  is a story of love and loss, but even more, it’s about human connection and ways we can help each other...

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My guest today is Amanda Soler; the creator and host of the SolFul Connections podcast.

It seems appropriate that her podcast is called SoFul Connections because Amanda embodies connecting on a soul level; it's in her DNA. 

I noticed this from the moment we first met - on the virtual social forum Clubhouse; I'm not sure in what “room” we connected or what the discussion was, but what I am sure of is why - it was our soul's connection to the Beach. Of course, that’s what the beach S...