Ep 244 - Marla Renee Stewart | Round 2

Leah and Brady have been together for about five years and came to the partnership with different backgrounds in non-monogamy, Leah was pretty much brand new to the idea and Brady had been exploring non-monogamy for about 20 years. Together, they decided to open their partnership from the very beginning.   There are so many things we love about this conversation but there are a few things we extra love.! Leah and Brady are super vulnerable and honest about their struggles in finding a rhythm that worked for them. They're also really transparent about their individual growth journeys as they learned how to support one another, build a new family, integrate previous partners and kids, and create a partnership that works for both of them... Even if it's not 100% "equal" in how they approach it.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

14 Juni 20231h 26min

Sara has known she was non-monogamous her whole life but only found the words to describe it about seven years ago. She was initially introduced to non-monogamy when a partner of hers proposed the idea of swinging. However, she really got hooked when she discovered her love for forming deeper connections and delightful crushes!   Sara now sees polyamory as part of her identity and is practicing solo poly with a twist of kink swirled in. Sara's perspectives and experiences in navigating neurodivergence, love, communication, coming out, and frankly just living life are incredibly beautiful. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Check out our weekly peer support groups!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

7 Juni 20231h 14min

Ann and Charles are in their early thirties and found each other a few years ago. They both came to the partnership with backgrounds in non-monogamy.   Ann has been polyamorous her whole life but became self-aware of this about nine years back. Her experience was mostly in polyamory and the kink scene. Specifically, the DDLG/CGL (daddy dom little girl / caregiver little) communities. Charles on the other hand, came to the partnership with a few years of experience in the swinging lifestyle. Together, they have opened one another's eyes and worlds to new possibilities and adventures.   There is a third partner who is also part of the relationship and our conversation today: Jason. This interview was supposed to happen last year but sadly Jason was killed in a car accident. Our interview today focuses primarily on the partnership between Ann and Charles, but Jason is a big part of their lives.   We are so grateful to both Ann and Charles for sharing this powerful story and for offering to be a resource for anyone who may be experiencing a similar loss while exploring polyamory.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

31 Maj 20231h 21min

We are thrilled to have all three co-hosts of the Multiamory podcast on this week. Or as they sometimes refer to themselves... "An emotionally bonded triad who are coparenting a podcast baby." All funny stuff aside, these three have an incredible story and have been in various relationship dynamics together including a quad, a triad, and *gasp* even monogamy. Along the way, they learned a whole lot.   Lucky for you (and us), they took many of those hard-earned lessons and have shared them over the last nine years on their podcast. And just yesterday, (May 23, 2023) they released their new book! Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships. We highly recommend it as a practical set of tools and strategies for improving your relationships of any kind.   We're delighted that in our conversation with them, they took some of these tools and wove them into their individual and collective non-monogamous journeys. We found it powerful to hear how some of these tools came to be and how they've personally field-tested them for us. This interview is packed with amazing stories and wisdom.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

24 Maj 20231h 25min

Terry has been exploring polyamory for about 50 years and we are so excited to help share her story with the world! And no, that's not a typo... Fifty years! During that time, polyamory took on many different forms for Terry and has been shaped by her rich personal connections and chosen family of polyamorous thought leaders. Our conversation today is a mix of her personal story and a polyamory history lesson, all rolled into one!   Her experiences over the years also helped inspire her new book: Fifty Years of Polyamory in America: A Guided Tour of a Growing Movement. Please check out her book and all of her work at Live The Dream.   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

17 Maj 20231h 15min

Mariko has an incredibly powerful and beautiful story. She was born and raised in Japan and came to the US for her Master's degree at age 25. She spent most of her life (so far) as a married business woman seeking approval from everyone in her life. And then, everything changed a few years back... Mariko shares with us her journey of challenging nearly all of the beliefs she held in life and what can happen when you do. She's taken on the mission of approaching life with radical honesty and listening to herself above all else. This conversation is all about reclaiming your untapped power and we're so excited to share it with you.   Please go check out all of Mariko's work at mistressmariko.com (spoiler alert😜) and her LinkTree. Mariko has now completed a sex and relationship coaching program, become a certified Dominatrix, and is building a beautiful community. You can also watch her TEDx talk as well. Enjoy!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

10 Maj 20231h 15min

Libby and Tom have been together for over six years and for the last while have been making it work long distance. Their "coming together" story is absolutely amazing, and they both had very different backgrounds and experience levels in practicing non-monogamy and polyamory. Libby came to the partnership with a few years of experience. Tom was a bit newer than that... Pretty much brand new, to be precise. In this beautiful interview Libby and Tom dig into so much but we absolutely loved the conversations around self-care, the power that love can have in helping us see ourselves in a new way, and the strength it can give us to live the life we maybe never knew was possible.   One more thing! Please, go check out all of Libby's work at libbysinback.com. Libby is an incredible friend, relationship coach, educator, and content creator. If you'd like to hear more of her, we highly recommend her podcast "Making Polyamory Work."   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

3 Maj 20231h 32min

Non-monogamy has been a big part of how Elizabeth has related to others her whole life, but she's only recently put words to it. For her, life is made up of experiences and adventures that we learn and grow from. Together we have some amazing conversations about breaking rules, the difference between a "sex friend" and a partner, and the wide variety of different ways she has done non-monogamy. We love how she lives her life in a way where the labels are far less important than how we treat the people we love. Also, Elizabeth shares some amazing stories about living at a sex resort for two months!   Elizabeth is the founder of an amazing phone app! Amorus is the sexy games app for partners to bring the spice and fun back to texting! It's amazing and we're super excited to help her spread the word about it. We firmly believe the world needs more sexiness and Elizabeth is fighting the good fight!   Check out the full show notes here.   Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Skip the ads and sign up for the Premium Feed!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! $10 Off - Online STI Testing https://www.normalizingnonmonogamy.com/

26 Apr 20231h 27min