On the Table with Ashley

In this episode of our series exploring success, Ashley is joined by Dr. Jordan Grumet, hospice medical director, author of Taking Stock and The Purpose Code, and host of the Earn & Invest podcast.

Jordan was seven years old when his father, a physician, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. Believing he was somehow responsible, Jordan set out to become a doctor himself, hoping it would make things right. Years later, burned out and unfulfilled, he discovered financial independence and began practicing what he calls “the art of subtraction,” slowly letting go of the work that drained him unti...

Creativity, Courage, and a Successful Life are on the table today!

On the first episode of our How to Live a Successful Life series, Ashley sits down with William J. Kranstover. Bill is a Park City-based painter and sculptor whose colorful, expressive work captures Western landscapes and local landmarks. His unexpected public sculptures earned him the nickname “Phantom Sculptor.”

Bill joins us to share his journey through teaching, entrepreneurship, real estate, and art, and how each chapter shaped his understanding of success. He opens up about balancing the practical demands of raising a family with his...

We’re revisiting our conversation with Susan Turnbull, originally released as part of our Death + Dying series, to explore the stories, values, and life lessons we want to share with those we love.

Susan is the founder and Principal of Personal Legacy Advisors and the author of The Wealth of Your Life: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will. Her work helps people put their experiences, hopes, and personal wisdom into words that can connect generations.

In this conversation, Susan and Ashley explore ethical wills: personal legacy documents that communicate the emotional, spiritual, and et...

We have journalism, technology and life as a woman in the executive world on the table today.  This is a palette cleanser and re-release of our episode with Anne Kornblut. Anne is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who is currently the Vice President of Global Product Content Operations at Meta, FKA Facebook.  Anne previously served as a Senior Editor at The Washington Post where she oversaw national politics, national security, and health, science  + environmental coverage.  In 2013, she was the lead editor overseeing coverage of Edward Snowden's NSA revelations, which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. She joins Ashley to talk...

Rehabilitation through Food is on the table today! 

On the final episode of our Food and Connection series, Ashley sits down with Chef Bruno Abate. Bruno is an Italian chef, restaurateur, and founder of Recipe for Change, a nonprofit organization that uses culinary education to support rehabilitation and create new opportunities for people who are incarcerated.

Bruno joins us to share the story behind Recipe for Change and the personal experience that inspired him to begin working with incarcerated youth. He opens up about the work he does inside the jail, where participants learn professional c...

Diasporic Connection is on the table today

On the 8th episode of our On the Table with Ashley series, we are joined by Thurka Sangaramoorty. Thurka Sangaramoorthy is a cultural and medical anthropologist and public health researcher with 22 years of experience conducting research among vulnerable populations in the United States, Africa, and Latin America. Dr.Sangaramoorthy is a professor and chair of The Department of Anthropology at American University. Thurka is the author of the books, Treating AIDS, Rapid Ethnographic Assessments, and Landscapes of Care. 

Thurka joins us to share the story of her family, w...

Culinary trends and dining connections are on the table today

For the seventh episode of our food and connection series, we are joined by Alphonse Griger. Alphonse Griger is a chef and culinary innovator whose career has spanned restaurant kitchens, culinary research, and food and beverage development. He studied at Johnson & Wales University, graduating in 2019, and has worked in Chicago’s culinary industry as a line cook, research and development chef, and sous chef. He is part of the team behind Chicago’s Class Act and Nightcap, an immersive fine-dining and cocktail experience.

Alphonse joins us t...

Growing your own food is on the table today!

On the sixth episode of On the Table with Ashley, we are joined by Anton Van Schaik, a Pitzer College graduate with a degree in Food and Agricultural Studies. For the past three years, Anton has worked with the CalFresh Healthy Living Program as an Urban Gardener and Educator, planting community gardens at schools, teaching students how to grow their own food, and leading free nutrition education classes in low-income communities.

Anton joins Ashley to discuss the gardens he's built alongside students, the often-overlooked labor behind...

Pay What You Can is on the table today!

On the fifth episode of our Food & Connection series, we're joined by Kirsten Levitt, Executive Director and Executive Chef of Stone Soup Cafe. Stone Soup Cafe is a nonprofit, pay-what-you-can community café in Greenfield, Massachusetts, dedicated to bringing people together through healthy, nourishing meals. Its mission is simple yet transformative: to ensure everyone has access to a meal regardless of their ability to pay, while fostering dignity, belonging, and food security within the community.

Kirsten joins Ashley to share the mission and vision behind Stone Soup C...

Dinner parties are on the table!

On the third episode of our Food & Connection series, we are joined by Katy Syme.

After spending more than 13 years working in fashion, Katy traveled extensively and explored countless cuisines, deepening her love of food, hospitality, and bringing people together. In 2023, she founded Symeski Made Dinner, a supper club created to connect strangers over family-style meals and meaningful conversation. Since then, she has welcomed more than 100 guests and expanded her events to include private dinners, large gatherings, and community experiences. 

In this episode, Katy and Ashley explore t...

Today, we have an abbreviated bonus re-release of our episode with Dr. Hoby Wedler.

On the table today we have a conversation at the intersection of organic chemistry, design excellence, food and the curious joys and complexities of moving through the world as a non-sighted person. Dr. Hoby Wedler received his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 2016 from UC Davis and has since started many businesses, including a gourmet seasonings company called Hoby’s Essentials and Sensepoint, a creative marketing firm that specializes in innovative design thinking and guides clients towards effective solutions that have a positive impact on...

Preserving the Family Meal is on the Table Today!

On the second episode of our Food and Connection Series, we are joined by Dr. Ken Albala. Ken Albala is a Tully Knoles Endowed Professor of History at the University of the Pacific, where he received the Distinguished Faculty Award for 2023. He has published 29 books on food including academic monographs, single subject food histories, cookbooks, encyclopedias, handbooks, anthologies, translations and is now working on an Atlas of Fermentation. 

He did three video/audio series for The Great Courses, Food: A Cultural Culinary History, Cooking Across the Ages...

Smell is on the table today! For the inaugural episode of our Food and Connection series, we are joined by Rachel Herz, Ph.D. 

Rachel Herz, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist and world leading expert on the psychological science of smell. She has been conducting research on the senses of smell and taste, emotion, motivated behavior and cognition since 1990. Dr. Herz. has been on the faculty at Brown University since 2000 and is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and teaches a seminar course on olfaction in the CoPsy department. 

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Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode with Ann Martin and Emily Schum Terry of Get Organized.

In this episode we’re joined by Ann Martin and Emily Schum Terry of lifestyle organization service “Get Organized”. Ann and Emily work with clients to evaluate, simplify and develop sustainable organizing solutions for their lives and homes. Whether it be preparing a home for the market, developing repeatable and accessible organizing systems within a home or going room by room sorting, decluttering and purging, “Get Organized” helps people through the process of letting go.

They join...

Chevra Kadisha is On the Table Today. 

For the final episode of our Death Rituals series, we’re joined by death educator Gail Rubin.

Gail Rubin is an American author, speaker, and Certified Thanatologist known for helping people have more open, less intimidating conversations about death and end-of-life planning. Often called “The Doyenne of Death,” she uses humor, films, and practical tools to make a traditionally taboo topic more approachable. She is the author of A Good Goodbye and Kicking the Bucket List, guiding people through funeral planning and getting their affairs in order. Based in Albu...

For the sixth episode of our death rituals series, we are joined by Todd Harra. Todd is the co-author of the Amazon bestselling books Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt and Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid, as well as the Clip Undertaker Mystery Series. More recently, he authored the funeral history book Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral. Todd works for his family’s business, McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory, where he serves as a funeral director, embalmer, post-mortem reconstructionist, and cremationist. In addition, Todd is an associate editor for Southern Calls Magazine, Th...

Death Technology is on the table today!

For the fifth episode in our Death Rituals series, we are joined by John Troyer. John Troyer is a leading scholar in the field of death studies and a former director of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. Growing up in a family funeral business, his work explores how technology, culture, and policy shape the ways societies understand and care for the dead. He writes and speaks widely about the future of cemeteries, the politics of human remains, and how innovations in science and technology...

Memorial Ink is on the table today! 

In this episode of our Death Rituals series, Ashley speaks with tattoo artist Paul Cutler, founder of Bubblegum Ink Tattoo Shop, about the deeply personal process of creating ashes-infused tattoos. Bubblegum Ink is a tattoo studio in Cheshire, UK, specializing in deeply personal memorial tattoos, including ashes‑infused tattoos that incorporate cremated remains. 

Paul explains how cremation ashes can be safely incorporated into tattoo ink, allowing people to carry a physical connection to loved ones who have passed. Drawing from years of experience working with grieving clients, he shar...

Olvera Street is on the Table Today!

Today we are joined by Christina Mariscal Pasten. As the daughter of merchants herself, Christina is a founding board member of The Olvera Street Merchants Association. Olvera Street is a historical street in Los Angeles, which served as the center of Spanish and Mexican life in the early 1900s. The merchants on Olvera Street have been celebrating Dia De Los Muertos for decades with a 9 day long festival. The celebration incorporates the pre-Columbian, Aztec, Mayan and Catholic rituals surrounding death. 

This conversation explores the rich history and cultural s...

Secular Funerals are on the table today!

For the third episode of our Death Rituals Series, we are joined by Blake Hutchings. Blake Hutchings is a Humanist Celebrant accredited by Humanists UK. He creates non-religious ceremonies for weddings, funerals, and naming days, working closely with individuals and families to ensure each ceremony reflects their values, stories, and relationships. Outside of his celebrant work, he is a musician, an active participant in amateur theatre, a writer, and a father of two.

Blake takes us behind the scenes of what it means to be a humanist celebrant...

Journeying through death and grief is on the table today!

In part 2 of this 2 part conversation, we are once again joined by Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez. Genevieve is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning into the funeral profession. She’s now the President and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. Genevieve holds degrees in psychology and mortuary science, as well as a master’s in nonprofit and association management — and she’s dedicated her career to helping people better understand death, grief, a...

Death rituals around the world are on the table today!

In the first episode of our Death Rituals series, we are joined by Genevieve Keeney Vasquez for a conversation about death rituals, cultural practices, and the power of honoring the dead with intention.

Genevieve Keeney Vazquez is a U.S. Army veteran who began her career as a medic, serving on military death response teams before transitioning into the funeral profession. She’s now the President and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston. Genevieve holds degrees in psychology and mortuary science, as...

Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode with Palliative care doctor, Dr. Alex Gamble.

Dr. Gamble graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 2010, completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 2015, and pursued his fellowship at the University of Kansas in 2016. He specializes in improving the quality of life for patients nearing the end of life, drawing from his deep expertise in palliative care.

Dr. Gamble sits down with Ashley to discuss his experiences as a palliative care physician and the profound lessons his patients have...

Nutrition is on the table today!

For the final episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Nutritionist Joan Salge Blake. Dr. Salge Blake is a Clinical Professor and Dietetic Internship Director at Boston University (BU) and was awarded the prestigious Whitney Powers Excellence in Teaching Award from the University. Currently, Joan is a nutrition blogger for US News & World Report’s Eat + Run Column and the host of SpotOn!, the hit nutrition, health, and wellness podcast. She has conducted over 2,000 media interviews on numerous nutrition topics and was named by Good Housekeeping Magazine as the ex...

In the seventh episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Autumn Bear and Dr. Kelly Woodward. Autumn Bear is the founder of the Autumn Bear Wellness Collective, a space where modern medicine meets ancient healing. Trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Autumn blends traditional medicine and spirituality to guide people toward deeper wellness and self-connection.Autumn holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona. Her work focuses on whole-person healing, community connection, and empowering people to take an active role in their health. 

Dr. Kelly Woodward is a Preventive and Family Medicine phy...

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Sleep and Simple Movement is on the Table today! 

In the sixth episode of our wellness series, we are joined by Autumn Bear and Dr.Kelly Woodward.  Autumn Bear is the founder of the Autumn Bear Wellness Collective, a space where modern medicine meets ancient healing. Trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Autumn blends traditional medicine and spirituality to guide people toward deeper wellness and self-connection.Autumn holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona.  Her work focuses on whole-person healing, community connection, and empowering people to take an...

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Wellness for Midlife Women is on the table today!

For the fifth episode of our Wellness Series, we are joined by Linsly Donnelly. Linsly Donnelly is a Mindset and Longevity Coach, Board Executive, and Motivational Speaker. As a strategy consultant turned entrepreneur turned “citizen scientist”, she became inspired to partner with midlife women with a simple goal: Help midlife women build and sustain their energy in order to craft their next decades to be ones full of purpose and joy - on their own terms. Linsly offers different types of wellness clas...

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Holistic Psychology is on the table today!

In the fourth episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Psychiatrist, Dr. Rinat Tal. Dr. Tal’s connection to mental health began in childhood, shaped by her ancestors’ experiences as Holocaust survivors. Growing up in this environment fueled her desire to understand both herself and those around her on a deeper level. Dr. Tal’s work combines medical practices with a holistic perspective, considering the mind, body, and emotions as interconnected elements of well-being. In addition to her practice, Dr. Tal teaches worksh...

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Natural fertility is on the table today! 

In episode 3 of our wellness series, we are joined by Natalie Crawford, MD. Dr. Natalie Crawford is a double board-certified fertility specialist in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility. She is the co-founder of Fora Fertility in Austin and Pinnacle, a leadership community for women in medicine. Dr. Crawford also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas. She is the host of the popular As a Woman podcast and the author of the upcoming book The F...

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Strengthening the mind and body is on the table today!

In the second episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Cara Baxter, P.T. Cara is the owner of Motion Physical Therapy in Park City, Utah, and the former head physical therapist for the 2018 Olympic Freeski Halfpipe Team. She has worked with rehabbing athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, United States Figure Skating, and United States Ski and Snowboard team. Outside of her professional work, Cara was an elite figure skater, and is now an avid backcountry skier and...

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Breathwork as Medicine is on the table today!

In the inaugural episode of our Wellness series, we are joined by Dr.Amit Anand, a distinguished Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine physician based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 27 years of experience in his field, Dr.Anand integrates traditional medical practices with ancient yogic breathing techniques to promote holistic health and well-being. For the past 25 years, he has been actively involved in teaching at esteemed institutions such as Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools. Beyond his medical practice, Dr. Anand is a certified...

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Today, we have an abbreviated, bonus re-release of our episode on clean living with Dana Grinnell on the table. You can listen to the full episode here.

Dana Grinnell is the founder of Free Living Co, an educational platform and shop dedicated to helping people lead healthier lifestyles by providing accessible strategies and products for replacing harmful chemicals in homes across the country.  She joins Ashley to talk about her personal journey into the world of clean living, how to identify harmful products, effectively replace them and how transitioning to clean l...

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Reading Overseas is on the table today!

In the final episode of our Book Club mini-series, we’re joined by voracious reader and book club veteran Linda Buday. Linda shares what it was like to be part of a book club while living in Switzerland, an experience that deepened her commitment not only to reading but also to community.

She walks us through her long lineage of book clubs, starting with her very first group in 1991, made up entirely of working women, to the one she helped start in Sw...

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A lifetime of reading is on the table today! 

In episode 2 of our book club mini-series, Ashley sits down with Nan Williamson - a lifelong reader and book club veteran who has co-founded two long-running book clubs over the years. Nan opens up about her journey from a child with undiagnosed ADHD and difficulty focusing to a voracious reader and community-builder through books.

Together, Ashley and Nan explore the emotional heart of what makes a book club more than just a reading group: the stories that shape us, the f...

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A lifetime of reading is on the table today! 

This week, we're kicking off a special book club mini-series with a guest who has been part of the same men's book club since 1997. Hugh Williamson joins Ashley to talk about what it means to commit to reading in community over decades- through life changes, shifting interests, and a whole lot of paperbacks. 

In this conversation, Hugh reflects on how this book club has evolved, what keeps the group together, and titles that have sparked meaningful discussions. What results is a...

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Design Psychology is on the table today! 

Rounding out our From Brain to Home series, we are joined by Amber Dunford, a former mental health clinician turned interior stylist and one of only a handful of design psychology consultants with expertise in the connection between space design and mental health. Amber spent years in private practice as a therapist before merging her passions for design and psychology by developing a college course on the relationship between the two. She joins Ashley to discuss the powerful and often underrated, correlation between our m...

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Sustainable Design is on the table today!

In this episode, we are joined by San Francisco-based designer, artist, and climate activist, Verda Alexander.  After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University and advanced studies in landscape architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Verda co-founded Studio O+A. Studio O+A is a design firm renowned for creating innovative workspaces for leading technology companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Slack. Beyond her design practice, Alexander is the Editor-at-Large at Metropolis Magazine, where she expands conversations around design, climate a...

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The magic of everyday objects is on the table today!

In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, Ashley is joined by designers Hannah Bigeleisen and Alyssa Gerasimoff for a thoughtful exploration of the joy of color, the value of small-batch bespoke and custom production, and the creative potential found in the everyday.

Alyssa Gerasimoff, a 2020 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in furniture design, founded Erria—a digital platform connecting artists, designers, suppliers, and fabricators—in 2023 after seeing many of her peers struggle to launch thei...

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Business and design are on the table today!

In the latest episode of our From Brain to Home series, Ashley is joined by Hannah Bigeleisen and Alyssa Gerasimoff for a rich conversation on creativity, connection, and the evolving design industry.

Alyssa Gerasimoff, a 2020 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in furniture design, founded Erria, a digital platform designed to connect artists, designers, suppliers, and fabricators, in 2023 after witnessing many of her peers struggle to launch their creative careers. Alyssa is now preparing...

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The power of light is on the table today!

For our latest episode of our From Brain to Home series, we are joined by Dr. Mariana Figueiro. Dr. Figueiro is the Mount Sinai Endowed Professor of Light and Health Research at the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Director of the Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center. Her research focuses on the effects of light on human health, sustainability, circadian photobiology...