Monocycle with Leandra Medine
By Monocycle
A ten minute digest from author, humorist and creator of Man Repeller (now Repeller), Leandra Medine. New shows published weekly.
Monocycle with Leandra MedineDec 02, 2017
00:00
41:00
Dispatch from Quarantine #9
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #9 celebrates a communal anticipation of summer, buoyed by better times ahead.
May 24, 202010:07
Dispatch from Quarantine #8
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #8 examines approaching an equilibrium in your daily routine that allows for your multitudes.
May 23, 202007:38
Dispatch from Quarantine #7
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #7 follows an incident with Laura that summoned Leandra to map out her parenthood.
May 23, 202010:60
Dispatch from Quarantine #6
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #6 ponders spring’s bestowal of new blooms, reminding us current times will also pass.
May 23, 202007:60
Dispatch from Quarantine #5
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #5 navigates internal feelings of stress and anxiety while remaining conscious of your co-quarantiners.
May 23, 202008:44
Dispatch from Quarantine #4
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #4 explores getting yourself unstuck from the quarantine hamster wheel.
May 23, 202010:27
Dispatch from Quarantine #3
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #3 welcomes wholly embracing whatever feels right for you right now.
May 23, 202012:16
Dispatch from Quarantine #2
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #2 enters a new quarantine phase that probes the question of who you are versus who you want to be.
May 23, 202012:25
Dispatch from Quarantine #1
Leandra presents her weekly dispatch from quarantine, in which she shares short form streams of consciousness from her time in self-isolation. Dispatch #1 grapples with finding balance while adjusting to a new pace.
May 23, 202010:40
Episode 65: I Am What My Mind Tells Me I Am
This episode starts starts with an encounter that has me sitting outside a coffee shop on the Upper East Side, age 21, when a purported mystic who can see the future approaches. "You're going to be a big star," she extolls. I smile kindly, rolling my eyes so as to play it cool, deep down wondering if she is right -- and kind of believing she is. Fast forward seven years and I am met with a question: Would I have developed the courage, gumption, fervor to chase my dreams had she not given me that unwitting push?
Aug 17, 201811:13
Ep 64: Monocycle Is Back! And It Smells So Gucci
Gucci commissioned 15 artists to create a series of pieces with images and copy that tell a story about the fragrance. Leandra chatted with three of them — Emma Allegretti, Joy Miessi and Amber Vittoria — about their process for a podcast episode which means [sweetly scented drumroll please]…Monocycle hath returned!!!!!! In partnership with Gucci.
May 24, 201841:05
Ep 63: Self-Esteem
When I was nine years old, my dad told me that everyone has an interesting story if you are willing to listen to it. Over the past month, I have really enjoyed treating Monocycle like a bicycle, listening to the stories of particularly interesting people, some more public than others, and getting into the thick of what it means to be a person in the world, whether in the context of being a woman, owning your vanity or experiencing grief. But for old times' sake (and because sometimes talking is more satisfying than writing), here's an episode of Monocycle that features no one but me, my sound booth and that background music you probably wish never to hear again but that is probably not going anywhere any time soon. The choice topic is self-esteem, a human condition that has come up in so many of my conversations as of late because it seemingly impairs me, but see the thing is that I've been masquerading it as otherwise-titled experiences (self love, self respect, compassion and so on) for at least the last year. Sometimes it is so liberating to finally land on a spade and to be able to call it one even if you don't have a next step, or solution in place.
We're only running six minutes and 40 seconds long this week, so enjoy this episode while you take a coffee break, or sit on the toilet, or braid your pubic hair. HAPPY FRIDAY! T-minus 10...
We're only running six minutes and 40 seconds long this week, so enjoy this episode while you take a coffee break, or sit on the toilet, or braid your pubic hair. HAPPY FRIDAY! T-minus 10...
Dec 16, 201707:03
Ep 62: A Conversation With Bozoma Saint John
Bozoma Saint John wears her flair on her sleeve: beads, rhinestones, gold accents; you name it, she's got it. As for the clothes, there is no color too bold, print too loud or silhouette too challenging for Uber's Chief Brand Officer to try. On traditional executive uniforms, she asks with genuine wonder in her voice, "Who made these rules, and why do we listen to them?"
But there's more to Bozoma Saint John than the impressive way in which she carries herself, the seemingly effortless confidence that she holds and espouses, the degree to which she believes in herself and wants to be the best, do the best and perpetuate the best: She is also incredibly empathetic. You almost get the sense that she's lived multiple lives, and this is why, for whatever reason, when she speaks to you, it is almost like she is speaking directly to your soul.
Please enjoy a very candid conversation in this week's episode of Monocycle. There's a bit of everything: advice for the grieving, a sound way to reconcile hardship, how she has become such an unflinching cheerleader for herself (and how, too, we can learn from this), and a little something about the persistence, reliance and beauty in the way the sun rises, day in and out. Just like, you know, we do.
But there's more to Bozoma Saint John than the impressive way in which she carries herself, the seemingly effortless confidence that she holds and espouses, the degree to which she believes in herself and wants to be the best, do the best and perpetuate the best: She is also incredibly empathetic. You almost get the sense that she's lived multiple lives, and this is why, for whatever reason, when she speaks to you, it is almost like she is speaking directly to your soul.
Please enjoy a very candid conversation in this week's episode of Monocycle. There's a bit of everything: advice for the grieving, a sound way to reconcile hardship, how she has become such an unflinching cheerleader for herself (and how, too, we can learn from this), and a little something about the persistence, reliance and beauty in the way the sun rises, day in and out. Just like, you know, we do.
Dec 08, 201748:15
Ep 61: An Interview With Karla Welch
In this week’s episode of Monocycle, unofficially called Bicycle every time I have an interview subject, Karla Welch — celebrity stylist to the likes of Ruth Negga, Karlie Kloss, Justin Bieber, Olivia Wilde, Tracee Ellis Ross and so on and so forth — shares a number of important facts that are as revealing as they are sentimental. At one point, when I try to prod on how she manages burn out, she rejects my assertion that everyone experiences burn out, proclaims perennial gratefulness for her role in Hollywood (she is originally from Canada, and moved to L.A. not for work, but for love) and suggests that perhaps those who burn out don’t yet quite have strong enough relationships with themselves manufactured to perfection. “I never have FOMO because I like my own company,” she said.
Enjoy a listen and should you feel so inclined, do too, buy a t-shirt from her remarkably successful collaboration with Hanes. Amelia gushed about them earlier this fall. I’m just going to say co-sign.
Enjoy a listen and should you feel so inclined, do too, buy a t-shirt from her remarkably successful collaboration with Hanes. Amelia gushed about them earlier this fall. I’m just going to say co-sign.
Dec 02, 201741:00
Ep 60: A Conversation With Lena Dunham
This week's episode of Monocycle is more like an episode of Bicycle because there are two stakeholders (wheels?) present in the conversation: myself and Lena Dunham. When I set out to interview her, I had a fairly strong sense of what we might talk about, like the evolution of Lenny Letter, life after Girls, New York vs. Los Angeles. What unfolded was a genuinely organic conversation about life, failing and succeeding and how similar they are, self esteem, family and love. While listening back to this episode, I realized it sounds less like a podcast recording and more like an intimate conversation, which, to me, is really the goal of an interview.
I very much hope you enjoy the structure as we plan to continue rolling out various interviews over the course of the next couple of months.
As always, any and all feedback is welcome, so sock it to me in the comment depository below.
Happy birthday, btw!!! (What? It could be...)
I very much hope you enjoy the structure as we plan to continue rolling out various interviews over the course of the next couple of months.
As always, any and all feedback is welcome, so sock it to me in the comment depository below.
Happy birthday, btw!!! (What? It could be...)
Nov 17, 201745:22
Ep 59: Cut Your Mom Some Slack!
This month's theme on Man Repeller is family, which is so all-encompassing it can seem overwhelming. Where do you start with a family dynamic? Where do you begin with the complicated relationships that engulf the word's meaning? Are we even talking about the biological literals of a "family?" If we're not, what constitutes a family? If we are, why are we doing that?
Our theme of the month announcement was met with some very intelligent content recommendations from you (the community!), which ran a gamut from the lighthearted and farfetched to the convoluted and deep-seated but one particular remark regarding a reader's relationship with her mother and wanting to, essentially, emancipate herself/make sure not to become her really stuck with me: I've been at that rodeo for the greater half of at least the past two years.
I've written about it at length. And spoken a Monocycle episode that touched upon it. Hell, we even dedicated an entire month's theme to it.
So here we are, back again, talking about our moms because one relationship that will never not be interesting to dissect as it evolves at the wildly rapid pace it does is the one between girl and woman, woman and woman, daughter and mother.
Our theme of the month announcement was met with some very intelligent content recommendations from you (the community!), which ran a gamut from the lighthearted and farfetched to the convoluted and deep-seated but one particular remark regarding a reader's relationship with her mother and wanting to, essentially, emancipate herself/make sure not to become her really stuck with me: I've been at that rodeo for the greater half of at least the past two years.
I've written about it at length. And spoken a Monocycle episode that touched upon it. Hell, we even dedicated an entire month's theme to it.
So here we are, back again, talking about our moms because one relationship that will never not be interesting to dissect as it evolves at the wildly rapid pace it does is the one between girl and woman, woman and woman, daughter and mother.
Nov 10, 201710:58
Ep 58: Finding Your Purpose
Welcome back to Fridays with Monocycle. Today's episode is about purpose. I've talked about purpose before, but this time it's different. This time it's about how to identify it, why it's important, how you know when you've lost it and how to nurture it when it's back. I tried something different for this episode and wrote it out before I spoke it, so if I sound like I'm reading off a teleprompter, that's because I am. Can't wait to hear what you think!
Oct 27, 201709:34
Ep 57: Do We Ever Really Change?
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW! Are we capable of change, or what? Is it terrible if we don't -- can't -- change? What if the expectations were to learn how to better manage the qualities we dislike in ourselves instead of to do away with them completely? Would we feel more whole as individuals, knowing that we're not supposed to do 180s, and that on the contrary, we just have to be who we are? In this week's episode of Monocycle, I take you on a psychological trip (which is different from a vacation) that poses these questions, sets out to answer some of them and utilizes the trenches of my memory to navigate all of the above. At one point, we're in 11th grade, and at another, we're back in the present. There is some dilly dallying, some questioning of whether there is such thing as an original thought, but the majority of the content revolves around the titular question and doesn't really answer it but does offer a respite from Fashion Week, so...enjoy at your own risk!
Sep 08, 201710:23
Ep 56: Back With a Vengeance
Helloooooooooo ladies and gentlemen of the jury! How are you doing? How has your week been? Your month? Your quarter? Your whole damn year? Mine has been weird, which doesn't say much because I have concluded that weird is the least effective adjective one can use as an illuminating descriptor in the entire dictionary. It can mean anything, good or bad. How does this ice cream taste? "Weird." How are you feeling? "Weird." Do you see how by answering these questions I'm not answering them at all?
If you are wondering whether I have lost it, the jig is up, I probably have. But I'm digressing. Man, I feel like a kid of 21, blogging into a computer with reckless abandon. Will THEY edit me? Will they not? It's been like, three days since I hit my finger tips to this keyboard and let the words flow out of my brain. It's also been like, days, since the words flowing out of my brain have sounded like anything more than BLOO BLEEP BLA BLING KRING TING LING SHANTI. (In case you didn't pick up on that, those words don't actually mean anything, at least not in my native Language of the Hidden Temple.)
What?
Nothing. Never mind. Let's stop beating around the bush -- the point is that Monocycle is back and so long as I don't accidentally fuck up my life or it doesn't accidentally fuck me up (see: December 2016), my anticipation is that we (Monocycle, Malcolm Gladwell and me) are back for the long haul. The long haul! So sit back, relax, grab a coffee and enjoy the next 11 minutes.
If you are wondering whether I have lost it, the jig is up, I probably have. But I'm digressing. Man, I feel like a kid of 21, blogging into a computer with reckless abandon. Will THEY edit me? Will they not? It's been like, three days since I hit my finger tips to this keyboard and let the words flow out of my brain. It's also been like, days, since the words flowing out of my brain have sounded like anything more than BLOO BLEEP BLA BLING KRING TING LING SHANTI. (In case you didn't pick up on that, those words don't actually mean anything, at least not in my native Language of the Hidden Temple.)
What?
Nothing. Never mind. Let's stop beating around the bush -- the point is that Monocycle is back and so long as I don't accidentally fuck up my life or it doesn't accidentally fuck me up (see: December 2016), my anticipation is that we (Monocycle, Malcolm Gladwell and me) are back for the long haul. The long haul! So sit back, relax, grab a coffee and enjoy the next 11 minutes.
Aug 25, 201711:43
Ep 55: What It's Like to Work With Your BFF
You're probably wondering about what my ideal outfit is, right? But you would only know why I'm asking this question if you have started listening to the episode already. Before I continue forward with this intro, let me just explain said outfit: this kimono, these shorts, these shoes. Dress like a lady of leisure, but don't actually be one. That's my mantra for the summer of 2017.
Glad that's out of the way! Now that we are engaged to be married, let me continue on topic: this week's episode of Monocycle is part of the theme of the month in that it's about what it's like to work with your best pal. When you think best pal, often you think of the women (or men!) you've known since they were girls (or boys!). The people you grew up with, or who you met in a social environment. While Amelia and I met in a work setting (we were interns together at the same start up in 2009), we became fast, personal friends. This process of burgeoning friendship was accelerated when she creepily booked a ticket to Paris and came to visit me when I was abroad just two months after we met, but you can hear more about that act of a true serial killer in the episode. Between then and the time she started at Man Repeller, there were about 4 years of unadulterated friendship colored by love and heartbreak and pillow talk and one very strange blog idea (it was called Pony Tales and Broken Nails) which frankly, made me want to work with her more. A lot of people warned us about what could happen to a friendship when soiled by the transactional nature of a business partnership, but so far, we're doing okay.
Glad that's out of the way! Now that we are engaged to be married, let me continue on topic: this week's episode of Monocycle is part of the theme of the month in that it's about what it's like to work with your best pal. When you think best pal, often you think of the women (or men!) you've known since they were girls (or boys!). The people you grew up with, or who you met in a social environment. While Amelia and I met in a work setting (we were interns together at the same start up in 2009), we became fast, personal friends. This process of burgeoning friendship was accelerated when she creepily booked a ticket to Paris and came to visit me when I was abroad just two months after we met, but you can hear more about that act of a true serial killer in the episode. Between then and the time she started at Man Repeller, there were about 4 years of unadulterated friendship colored by love and heartbreak and pillow talk and one very strange blog idea (it was called Pony Tales and Broken Nails) which frankly, made me want to work with her more. A lot of people warned us about what could happen to a friendship when soiled by the transactional nature of a business partnership, but so far, we're doing okay.
Jun 16, 201707:47
Ep 54: The End of the Personal Essay
There was an article that ran in The New Yorker a couple of weeks ago called "The Personal Essay Boom is Over." In it, writer Jia Tolentino reflected on the writing genre's heyday -- citing sites that no longer exist, like xoJane and Gawker as having heralded the uncomfortably intimate or conversely curiously insignificant style of storytelling. The headline alone, of course, scared the shit out of me given that I don't think I even know how to have a thought about a third-party without somehow bringing it back to me. So much of what I write rides on the events of my life -- I wear my guts on my sleeve. I can't help it. I'm not even sure I want to help it. And when it comes to the writers who are enlisted to represent the Man Repeller ethos, it is my belief the best kind of editorial leader is willing to let her writer explore their identities -- to express what's on their minds within a controlled environment.
This week on Monocycle, our editorial director, Leslie Price and I talk about the personal essay boom. Is it over? Perhaps. What does that mean for properties who thrive on it, who believe their best content is personal. Good content, of course, can't ever be "over." So what makes it good? How are we serving it? Are there ways we can do it better. Listen in and share a thought and if you're curious...
This episode of Monocycle is edited by Nicholas "Quazzy" Herd. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami. Photo by Mel Finkelstein/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images.
This week on Monocycle, our editorial director, Leslie Price and I talk about the personal essay boom. Is it over? Perhaps. What does that mean for properties who thrive on it, who believe their best content is personal. Good content, of course, can't ever be "over." So what makes it good? How are we serving it? Are there ways we can do it better. Listen in and share a thought and if you're curious...
This episode of Monocycle is edited by Nicholas "Quazzy" Herd. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami. Photo by Mel Finkelstein/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images.
Jun 09, 201710:43
Ep 53: Outgrowing Your Identity
Have you started listening to this week’s episode of Monocycle yet? I’m listening to it now as I write this intro and want to ask that you disregard the way I’m inflecting in the first 20 or so seconds of the episode. I don’t know why my voice is doing that thing! I sound so phony. Baloney. But maybe that is exactly apropos given this week’s topic: ~identity~ (I know, when is it ever not about identity, right?). But the thing I keep coming back to as I listen and remember how I was feeling and what I was thinking when I recorded this fucker earlier in the week is the below scene from a movie that truly and devastatingly slipped under the Academy Award’s radar.
I don’t know either! A lot of what I argue in the episode pertaining to the question of whether you can outgrow your identity has to do with clothes because I imbue so much of who I am into what I wear (I wrote a piece last week that dealt with some of this). I have insofar not come to any eye-opening conclusions; the best I have done is suggest that I just hang in. Don’t make any crazy changes — cut my hair, cancel people from my life, completely eliminate the contents of my closet from my wardrobe, etc. If you’re in an emotional flux that is similar, maybe we can not do anything together.
This episode of Monocycle is edited by Nicholas “Quazzy” Herd. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami.
I don’t know either! A lot of what I argue in the episode pertaining to the question of whether you can outgrow your identity has to do with clothes because I imbue so much of who I am into what I wear (I wrote a piece last week that dealt with some of this). I have insofar not come to any eye-opening conclusions; the best I have done is suggest that I just hang in. Don’t make any crazy changes — cut my hair, cancel people from my life, completely eliminate the contents of my closet from my wardrobe, etc. If you’re in an emotional flux that is similar, maybe we can not do anything together.
This episode of Monocycle is edited by Nicholas “Quazzy” Herd. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami.
Jun 05, 201705:52
Ep 52: An Extra-Special Monocycle with Drew Barrymore
Ask and ye shall receive! Following a special episode of The Chatroom with Drew Barrymore, which went live a few weeks ago after months and months of toiling with the expansive range of topics that were covered during our conversation in December, the longer-form podcast episode is here for your ear (plugs). If I'm being really honest, sitting down with Drew following a particularly tumultuous month was like Xanax for my soul -- there is an undeniable warmth about the way in which she looks at you (and into your soul, frankly), a true earnestness when she not just sympathizes but also empathizes with what you want to say, and you always get the sense, no matter what she's talking about, that it's coming from the heart.
Have a listen and then nod in agreement as I say: We are all Josie Grossie.
This episode of Monocycle was edited by Samara Breger. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami.
Have a listen and then nod in agreement as I say: We are all Josie Grossie.
This episode of Monocycle was edited by Samara Breger. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami.
May 05, 201731:41
Ep 51: Feeling Stuck
It sounds scary as hell because when nothing is new, nothing is changing either, and when nothing is changing, you're stuck. And being stuck is painful. But I see the metaphor like this: I've been clutching a wall near the bottom of an emotional pit called rock-bottom for the past four months and have been trying so hard to crawl out when what I really need to do is just let myself fall, chill down there for a minute, and then, once I've relaxed, start trying to get out.
Or something like that.
So this episode is about why I've been quiet, but I guess it's also about letting yourself feel how you feel and be how you are (isn't it always?) and not getting so frustrated when you're not where you thought you would be (see what I mean about the one-note thinking?).
Pls say you understand!
Related Stories:
The Thought Process of Being Negative
I Tried Hypnosis to Get Out of My Own Head
I Tried a Mood-Lifting Food Diet
The Baby I Lost, the Person I’m Finding
Welcome to Laugh it the Fuck Off Month
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Or something like that.
So this episode is about why I've been quiet, but I guess it's also about letting yourself feel how you feel and be how you are (isn't it always?) and not getting so frustrated when you're not where you thought you would be (see what I mean about the one-note thinking?).
Pls say you understand!
Related Stories:
The Thought Process of Being Negative
I Tried Hypnosis to Get Out of My Own Head
I Tried a Mood-Lifting Food Diet
The Baby I Lost, the Person I’m Finding
Welcome to Laugh it the Fuck Off Month
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Apr 14, 201705:54
Ep 50: Be Delicate with Yourself
Holy candied nut! Can you believe we've approached the 50th episode of Monocycle? Some of them have been so stupid! Others have been regurgitations of articles that have gone up on Man Repeller (this was a test, which according to the last episode, is falling flat -- point noted!), but the majority, really, have been stream of consciousness monologues that I want to turn into dialogues because it can't be that all the thoughts I maintain are unique to just me, right? The thoughts I think, the feelings I feel...as different as we are, we're also the same. Joy is joy and grief is grief and as much as the latter sucks, it is also incredible that we have the capacity to show empathy or compassion to each other.
This has nothing to do with the episode, by the way, which was recorded while I sat nearly-naked on a marble bathroom floor in Paris earlier this week. I was feeling SO BLUE and I'm not sure why (though honestly, my life has felt more like its on hold in a deep blue vacuum than anything else since pregnancy-gate 2016), so I called my husband, but he didn't pick up, and instead turned on my recorder and pretended that I was talking to frankly anyone who would listen and the result is episode 50. Lmk if it's extremely convoluted.
And if you're unfamiliar with Monocycle, or just simply want to take a stroll down memory lane, here are some of my favorite episodes to date:
Episode 1 -- On experiencing (and hopefully recovering from) burnout.
Episode 6 -- About why I chose to take my husband's last name.
Episode 14 -- About the thought process of getting dressed.
Episode 38 -- A response to a response about cultural appropriation at Marc Jacobs' Spring 2017 show (the one that happened last September).
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.
This has nothing to do with the episode, by the way, which was recorded while I sat nearly-naked on a marble bathroom floor in Paris earlier this week. I was feeling SO BLUE and I'm not sure why (though honestly, my life has felt more like its on hold in a deep blue vacuum than anything else since pregnancy-gate 2016), so I called my husband, but he didn't pick up, and instead turned on my recorder and pretended that I was talking to frankly anyone who would listen and the result is episode 50. Lmk if it's extremely convoluted.
And if you're unfamiliar with Monocycle, or just simply want to take a stroll down memory lane, here are some of my favorite episodes to date:
Episode 1 -- On experiencing (and hopefully recovering from) burnout.
Episode 6 -- About why I chose to take my husband's last name.
Episode 14 -- About the thought process of getting dressed.
Episode 38 -- A response to a response about cultural appropriation at Marc Jacobs' Spring 2017 show (the one that happened last September).
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.
Mar 10, 201709:36
Ep 49: Shopping Can Trap You
This week's episode of Monocycle reflects upon a cleanse I endured over January wherein I did not buy a single thing, save for a jar of Castelvetrano olives and apple cider vinegar. That's dramatic; I also bought cleaning supplies and coffee and even one massage. The "cleanse" was mostly for clothing/shoes/accessories and the results surprised me (for lack of a better way to end this sentence).
Evidently, more is not more; it can emotionally trap you in its abundance. I felt curiously liberated from my stuff and like I was better at tapping into what I already have and therefore no longer in pursuit of anything new (this became a metaphor for thinking) and...and...and...listen and we can continue this conversation.
Welcome back to regular programming!
Sincerely yours,
Malcolm Gladwell
Related Stories:
The Things You Learn When You Stop Shopping for a Month
I Clean My Closet Once a Month: Does that Make Me Compulsive?
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; photo by Carlo Bavagnoli via Getty Images.
Evidently, more is not more; it can emotionally trap you in its abundance. I felt curiously liberated from my stuff and like I was better at tapping into what I already have and therefore no longer in pursuit of anything new (this became a metaphor for thinking) and...and...and...listen and we can continue this conversation.
Welcome back to regular programming!
Sincerely yours,
Malcolm Gladwell
Related Stories:
The Things You Learn When You Stop Shopping for a Month
I Clean My Closet Once a Month: Does that Make Me Compulsive?
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; photo by Carlo Bavagnoli via Getty Images.
Feb 17, 201708:50
Ep 48: Commit to Not Committing
WEH-HEL-COME BACK! TO! MONOCYCLE!
This week's episode reinforces the inauguration of Commitment Month on Man Repeller, a theme we take neither lightly nor literally. What you'll find once you tune in is a mangled narrative that extrapolates a couple key points from the "welcome" post that went live on Wednesday. The welcome posts are essentially our version of an Editor Letter, but the podcast episodes that often follow tend to delve a bit further into those letters.
What can you can expect includes asking the following questions: Does Valentine's Day on Instagram make you feel alone? How far is too far to go with mindfulness? Is self-care (the worst term on earth!) truly for our betterment if we find ourselves overwhelmed by all THE THINGS we have to do? Can't we just live -- roll out of bed, maybe brush our teeth and get on with our days?
There's more, but won't it be more rewarding to hear it for yourself? Chin chin and congratulations, people. We made it through January!
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; photo by Carlo Bavagnoli via Getty Images.
This week's episode reinforces the inauguration of Commitment Month on Man Repeller, a theme we take neither lightly nor literally. What you'll find once you tune in is a mangled narrative that extrapolates a couple key points from the "welcome" post that went live on Wednesday. The welcome posts are essentially our version of an Editor Letter, but the podcast episodes that often follow tend to delve a bit further into those letters.
What can you can expect includes asking the following questions: Does Valentine's Day on Instagram make you feel alone? How far is too far to go with mindfulness? Is self-care (the worst term on earth!) truly for our betterment if we find ourselves overwhelmed by all THE THINGS we have to do? Can't we just live -- roll out of bed, maybe brush our teeth and get on with our days?
There's more, but won't it be more rewarding to hear it for yourself? Chin chin and congratulations, people. We made it through January!
Monocycle is edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander. Logo illustration by Kelly Shami; photo by Carlo Bavagnoli via Getty Images.
Feb 03, 201707:46
Ep 47: The Pursuit of More Than Cool
You might remember a dramatic meditation that I wrote, which essentially made the case to abandon the pursuit of becoming cool in exchange for simply accepting who I am. I read it back to myself after it went live and felt like it came off somewhat kumbaya. Originally, I wanted to write the story for the simple reason that it seems like people are aspiring towards this weird umbrella word (cool) that doesn't actually mean anything because it's so subjective and mutable, but once I got to sitting and writing and simultaneously thinking, it came out as something else. So this week's episode of Monocycle is a new way to critique my own mind (if you thought I couldn't get more vain, surprise!). It appraises a story I have written, agrees with the clauses that still hold subjectively true, corrects the ones that could have been misunderstood or just articulated more clearly (my mind is a windy road, and I'm sorry you're so regularly subject to the ride), considers the comments under the story (so often best and smartest parts of these stories), and ultimately leaves you gasping for air and respite at the end of this tunnel I like to call love, but which you may refer to as damned.
And that's that.
Happy fourth Friday of 2017!!!!
Related Stories:
Show Me Your Swag
Cool vs. Effortless
How to Fake Cool
Why I Stopped Caring About Being Cool
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
And that's that.
Happy fourth Friday of 2017!!!!
Related Stories:
Show Me Your Swag
Cool vs. Effortless
How to Fake Cool
Why I Stopped Caring About Being Cool
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jan 27, 201708:58
Ep 46: Change
This week's episode of Monocycle is a real doozy. It's the first time in a long time that I stuck my head into that sound booth without a clear idea of what I would say once I was in there. Then words started pouring out, words I can't even recall having uttered. Did I listen to this episode several times over the course of the editing process? Yes. Obviously. Do I remember a single damn thing I said? No. I think my eyes have been staring a large computer screen too closely for so long that it is impacting my memory cells.
Is that an unfounded excuse? Absolutely.
Will I stop asking questions only to answer them immediately? Maybe.
The bottom line is this: our theme of the month is Ch-Ch-Changes, but it's not a Man Repeller theme without a dash of irreverence (I can't believe I just wrote that in women's interest glossy type, but I'm not going to delete it because, you know, it happens to the best of us) so when we resolved we'd change, what we meant was exactly by staying the same. The point of this isn't to stump growth or improvement, to make you feel less like a good version of yourself. On the contrary, it's to cut yourself some slack! Just be, with a B. Let loose in that incredible mental way that doesn't require ordering an extra glass of wine. Tell yourself setbacks are okay, give yourself a high-ass fucking five when you do something you're proud of. Etc, etc.
Or something like that.
Just listen!
Then meet me back here, I am literally waiting (I get comment alerts) and the last time I said that, I sat frozen for hours, EVEN DAYS!, waiting for you. So...
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Welcome to Ch-Ch-Changes Month on Man Repeller
Monocycle: Episode 45, Resolutions
Monocycle: Episode 37, Uterus Envy
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Is that an unfounded excuse? Absolutely.
Will I stop asking questions only to answer them immediately? Maybe.
The bottom line is this: our theme of the month is Ch-Ch-Changes, but it's not a Man Repeller theme without a dash of irreverence (I can't believe I just wrote that in women's interest glossy type, but I'm not going to delete it because, you know, it happens to the best of us) so when we resolved we'd change, what we meant was exactly by staying the same. The point of this isn't to stump growth or improvement, to make you feel less like a good version of yourself. On the contrary, it's to cut yourself some slack! Just be, with a B. Let loose in that incredible mental way that doesn't require ordering an extra glass of wine. Tell yourself setbacks are okay, give yourself a high-ass fucking five when you do something you're proud of. Etc, etc.
Or something like that.
Just listen!
Then meet me back here, I am literally waiting (I get comment alerts) and the last time I said that, I sat frozen for hours, EVEN DAYS!, waiting for you. So...
Related Stories:
Welcome to Ch-Ch-Changes Month on Man Repeller
Monocycle: Episode 45, Resolutions
Monocycle: Episode 37, Uterus Envy
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jan 20, 201708:53
Ep 45: Resolutions
Hi ppl! We're back together. Again. And because tomorrow is the last day of this year (am I alone in asserting that even though we're all here and alive as evidenced by my writing this and your reading this and therefore truly in no position to complain, some drastic element of the year fucking sucked?), here is an episode about resolutions, not to be confused with goals.
Things covered in the episode include:
+The fact that this was recorded while I was sitting in the passenger seat of a rental car in Los Angeles
+Why following a somewhat tumultuous but overall subservient relationship with resolutions, I don't want to make them anymore
+The one time I kept a resolution (hold on to the same Metrocard for one whole year), how it made me feel (fine), and see previous bullet point
+My control issues (I'm so vain)
+Grief (which is seemingly the only thing I can talk about these days)
+Letting go (another theme you might be tired of hearing about)
+Abie
+How relieving and gratifying it feels to say to yourself, "I think I was an okay human in 2016, so I'm just going to continue on that path in 2017."
Take a listen, let me know what you think, and down here by the ~*~girltalk~*~ station that is our comment feed, tell me if you're making a resolution. What is it? If you're not, why not?
For what it's worth, you were an okay human in 2016, so if you decide that you're just going to continue to maintain the status quo in 2017, that's completely and utterly fine by me. Self-improvement is great, but being proud of who you are right now -- flaws, hang ups, curious tendencies and all -- that's fucking awesome.
Related Stories:
We Asked People to Draw Their Goals for 2016
Why Do We Make Resolutions?
I Refuse to Feel Bad About My Phone
In partnership with TheRealReal; shop today and get a 20% discount with code: ManRepeller. In January only, new and repeat consignors will earn a $100 site credit when they consign 20 or more items across men’s and women’s fashion, fine jewelry and watches, home and art, and kids -- visit The RealReal to learn more.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Things covered in the episode include:
+The fact that this was recorded while I was sitting in the passenger seat of a rental car in Los Angeles
+Why following a somewhat tumultuous but overall subservient relationship with resolutions, I don't want to make them anymore
+The one time I kept a resolution (hold on to the same Metrocard for one whole year), how it made me feel (fine), and see previous bullet point
+My control issues (I'm so vain)
+Grief (which is seemingly the only thing I can talk about these days)
+Letting go (another theme you might be tired of hearing about)
+Abie
+How relieving and gratifying it feels to say to yourself, "I think I was an okay human in 2016, so I'm just going to continue on that path in 2017."
Take a listen, let me know what you think, and down here by the ~*~girltalk~*~ station that is our comment feed, tell me if you're making a resolution. What is it? If you're not, why not?
For what it's worth, you were an okay human in 2016, so if you decide that you're just going to continue to maintain the status quo in 2017, that's completely and utterly fine by me. Self-improvement is great, but being proud of who you are right now -- flaws, hang ups, curious tendencies and all -- that's fucking awesome.
Related Stories:
We Asked People to Draw Their Goals for 2016
Why Do We Make Resolutions?
I Refuse to Feel Bad About My Phone
In partnership with TheRealReal; shop today and get a 20% discount with code: ManRepeller. In January only, new and repeat consignors will earn a $100 site credit when they consign 20 or more items across men’s and women’s fashion, fine jewelry and watches, home and art, and kids -- visit The RealReal to learn more.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jan 01, 201707:25
Ep 43: Love Your Mom
We're heading into Thanksgiving!!!! Kind of, at the end of next week, and I've never needed some fucking time off more. But I'm also getting kind of anxious about the family time that awaits -- not because I don't love spending time with my family, those people are my people, but because lately, I have been arguing so much with my mom and I can't quite shake the resentment I am starting to feel.
Intellectually, I recognize what I need to do the cut the tension that frankly, I am instigating, but emotionally, it's like I've become a six-year-old with a vengeance all over. This makes sense in my head because she is my mom and as such I often feel like I have carte blanche to act like an asshole/baby around her, but guess what? She's a person too! I didn't realize that until recently, but I get it now. The thing is, I'm caught at the intersection of don't care and don't want to believe it. So I've been thinking a ton about a) how selfish I am, b) how incredibly complex the relationship between a mother and her daughter gets as said daughter gets older and c) how even though this exact tension is pretty much the reason so many therapists are employed in this country, such a conflict can feel so...unique to me. Why do I feel so alone?
If you can sympathize with any of the above, hit play and then open a bag of popcorn (Buddha Bowl is my recommendation) and commiserate in the comments.
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Quotes from the Moms of Man Repeller
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In partnership with TNT
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Intellectually, I recognize what I need to do the cut the tension that frankly, I am instigating, but emotionally, it's like I've become a six-year-old with a vengeance all over. This makes sense in my head because she is my mom and as such I often feel like I have carte blanche to act like an asshole/baby around her, but guess what? She's a person too! I didn't realize that until recently, but I get it now. The thing is, I'm caught at the intersection of don't care and don't want to believe it. So I've been thinking a ton about a) how selfish I am, b) how incredibly complex the relationship between a mother and her daughter gets as said daughter gets older and c) how even though this exact tension is pretty much the reason so many therapists are employed in this country, such a conflict can feel so...unique to me. Why do I feel so alone?
If you can sympathize with any of the above, hit play and then open a bag of popcorn (Buddha Bowl is my recommendation) and commiserate in the comments.
Related Stories:
Moms: A Moot Point
Quotes from the Moms of Man Repeller
MR Money Diaries: Laura Medine, Leandra’s Mom, Chronicled Her Spending for a Week
Monocycle: Episode 3, Thankful
In partnership with TNT
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Dec 19, 201611:53
Ep 44: Hi Again
Hi ppl. I'm either sorry or really happy to acknowledge the lack of consistency with Monocycle lately (the apology or gratuity depends on entirely on how you feel about this podcast), but given the events of the past several weeks and the singular event that preceded the past several weeks, I have both been a fire breathing dragon and a severely sad human incapable of stringing together a sentence with my mouth (no problem with a keyboard, though!), but here we are. Back. Talking on the telephone only it's not actually a phone, it's an audio recording that you listen to and maybe speak back to even though I can't hear you (unless you comment, in which case, I totally can).
This week's episode is a sort of check in. It's been two weeks since my pregnancy termination procedure and I have been having a lot of conversations with myself, least not being the ones about:
+Interrupting self-deprecation
+Actually learning how to let go
+Self-compassion
+How to handle grief (I don't know, I just talk about it)
+How to acknowledge how lucky you are if you don't have an arsenal of weapons to handle grief by the age of 27 (means life has been pretty good to you)
+The fragility and consequent miracle of life
+How it is possible that by episode 44, I am *still* not Malcolm Gladwell
Hope you enjoy. It's okay if you don't, and happy Friday before the big fat holidays. What a wonderful time to be alive.
In partnership with THINX. Follow THINX on Instagram @shethinx and get $5 off your order with the code MANREPELLER at checkout!
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
This week's episode is a sort of check in. It's been two weeks since my pregnancy termination procedure and I have been having a lot of conversations with myself, least not being the ones about:
+Interrupting self-deprecation
+Actually learning how to let go
+Self-compassion
+How to handle grief (I don't know, I just talk about it)
+How to acknowledge how lucky you are if you don't have an arsenal of weapons to handle grief by the age of 27 (means life has been pretty good to you)
+The fragility and consequent miracle of life
+How it is possible that by episode 44, I am *still* not Malcolm Gladwell
Hope you enjoy. It's okay if you don't, and happy Friday before the big fat holidays. What a wonderful time to be alive.
In partnership with THINX. Follow THINX on Instagram @shethinx and get $5 off your order with the code MANREPELLER at checkout!
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Dec 16, 201610:49
Ep 42: Consumption
In this week's episode of Monocycle, Malcolm Gladwell tackles the notion of consumption in 2016 -- how we eat, how we engage with our Internet tendencies and whether or not, in spite of statistics that suggest millennials are acquiring less, we are addicted to material gain. I'm just kidding, Malcolm Gladwell is not in the building. It's just me, Leandra, talking into her tiny booth about consumption.
I do break up the topic into the three aforementioned categories: food, shopping and Internet but probably also go on to diminish any credibility tagged to my points given the sweeping statements that are subsequently posited about our generation, and how we're different (for better or worse) because. Of. How. Much. We. Consume. All. The. Time. For a while, it sounds kind of cynical, but then I reel it back in with a dose of diet cherry coke and optimism because frankly, if you only learn one thing from Man Repeller/Monocycle/me, I hope that it is this: cynicism is much easier than optimism, so do the right thing, which is always the hard thing and force yourself to see the world through rose-colored glasses.
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In partnership with TheRealReal
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
I do break up the topic into the three aforementioned categories: food, shopping and Internet but probably also go on to diminish any credibility tagged to my points given the sweeping statements that are subsequently posited about our generation, and how we're different (for better or worse) because. Of. How. Much. We. Consume. All. The. Time. For a while, it sounds kind of cynical, but then I reel it back in with a dose of diet cherry coke and optimism because frankly, if you only learn one thing from Man Repeller/Monocycle/me, I hope that it is this: cynicism is much easier than optimism, so do the right thing, which is always the hard thing and force yourself to see the world through rose-colored glasses.
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Welcome to Consumption Month on Man Repeller
I Hate Being On My Phone All the Time
Is Technology Eating Our Feelings?
MR Round Table: That Elusive Work/Life Balance
In Defense of Slow Fashion
In partnership with TheRealReal
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Nov 04, 201610:57
Ep 41: Surviving Cancer in Your Twenties
Before Breast Cancer Awareness month ends, here is one more point of awareness in the form of a Monocycle podcast interview with Fashionista.com's executive editor, who was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer when she was 21. Given the overwhelming financial resources that have been allocated towards research, we are uniquely positioned at this juncture to feel less helpless at the hand of breast cancer. As mentioned in a round table that ran earlier this month, though, it is precisely these resources that have taken us this far, and will continue to move us towards the goal of a world free of breast cancer. So, if you would like to donate, please click here.
If you can't, that's okay, just be there when your people need you -- and have the courage to reach out when you need your people.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
If you can't, that's okay, just be there when your people need you -- and have the courage to reach out when you need your people.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Oct 28, 201622:02
Ep 40: Am I Comfortable or Complacent?
In case you have missed tuning into the monologues that occur inside the (membrane) walls that define my head, welcome back! Here we are! With a fresh new episode of Monocycle that outlines a recent question mark I've been shopping around -- how different are comfort and complacency? Can they be regarded as one and the same? It is such a unique and profound luxury, but more and more I have been wondering whether I am adjusting appropriately to this newfangled time. Have I become more comfortable? Absolutely. But is that comfort bringing on this curious sense that I might be complacent -- that is, uncritically satisfied with myself?
Or is this just, like any other adjustment would require, a time of transition?
LISTEN UP, PEOPLE! TO THIS AND MORE.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Or is this just, like any other adjustment would require, a time of transition?
LISTEN UP, PEOPLE! TO THIS AND MORE.
Related Stories:
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Monocycle: Episode 35, Learning to be Content As Your Own Boss
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6 Things I’ve Learned About How to Manage People
In partnership with Squarespace
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Oct 21, 201608:06
Ep 39: Doldrums at Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week ended on Wednesday. I'm not entirely sure if the season felt quieter or less exciting than usual because I wasn't there, but watching it unfold on social media and through the lens of the some of the critics who I most admire made me think about a lot of stuff. Stuff like...what actually comes first? A good collection or a good review (meaning, do the writers inform how we will feel about certain clothes, or can they speak for themselves?)
When the clothes are good enough to speak for themselves, do you ever feel that sense of just not...caring? What is that? Why do we feel that? What differentiates the designers who move the needle and inform the zeitgeist and those who just make really nice-looking clothes?
Or are we experiencing fashion fatigue? If we are, what should we do to combat it? We are definitely undergoing some version of a revolution in fashion, so maybe we just need a more positive perspective to lead the charge. It's too soon to be so cynical, isn't it?
Amelia makes a cameo in this episode and we definitely over intellectualize the whole damn thing (it's what we do!) only to arrive at the simplest question of all: Did I just not feel it because I wasn't there?
Find out by listening.
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In partnership with TheRealReal.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
When the clothes are good enough to speak for themselves, do you ever feel that sense of just not...caring? What is that? Why do we feel that? What differentiates the designers who move the needle and inform the zeitgeist and those who just make really nice-looking clothes?
Or are we experiencing fashion fatigue? If we are, what should we do to combat it? We are definitely undergoing some version of a revolution in fashion, so maybe we just need a more positive perspective to lead the charge. It's too soon to be so cynical, isn't it?
Amelia makes a cameo in this episode and we definitely over intellectualize the whole damn thing (it's what we do!) only to arrive at the simplest question of all: Did I just not feel it because I wasn't there?
Find out by listening.
Related Stories:
The Mind-Boggling Consistency of Chanel
Sunday Paris Dispatch: Balenciaga and Céline
Dispatch from Paris: Dior’s Overt Feminist Message, Saint Laurent’s Yves Is Back (But That’s About It)
Fashion Bloggers Aren’t the Problem
In partnership with TheRealReal.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Oct 07, 201614:52
Ep 38: Cultural Appropriation
Not to beat a horse that has been killed multiple times already but in this week's episode of Monocycle, we reopen the conversation around the dreadlocks at the Marc Jacobs Spring 2017 runway show. It's not to throw more shade, or say anything that hasn't already been said, but rather, to talk about two larger problems.
The first is, of course, cultural appropriation and the overarching blindspot of the privilege that occurs outside of a minority. It's a huge coup that this is becoming less tolerable and acceptable as our society evolves, but I wonder, as the outrage machine continues firing up, when we've constructively added to the conversation vs. just made noise.
Designers, artists -- all creatives, really -- build their collections on reference. There is no art, at least as we know it, without the act of riffing, but the solution isn't pulling ideas from the sky, shutting ourselves off to the incredibly rich cultures of both yore and now. On the contrary, it's proper accreditation and more importantly, the second step towards becoming better people, it's doing something (not just saying something!) to give back to the culture from which you're borrowing. So here, I speak with our new editorial director, Leslie Price, who wrote the original Man Repeller story on the Marc Jacobs show on what we're doing, and stuff like that.
As always, this podcast is only as valuable as the feedback you provide, so...
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Let’s Talk About It: Diversity in Fashion
MR Round Table: We Need to Talk About Race
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In partnership with Squarespace.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
The first is, of course, cultural appropriation and the overarching blindspot of the privilege that occurs outside of a minority. It's a huge coup that this is becoming less tolerable and acceptable as our society evolves, but I wonder, as the outrage machine continues firing up, when we've constructively added to the conversation vs. just made noise.
Designers, artists -- all creatives, really -- build their collections on reference. There is no art, at least as we know it, without the act of riffing, but the solution isn't pulling ideas from the sky, shutting ourselves off to the incredibly rich cultures of both yore and now. On the contrary, it's proper accreditation and more importantly, the second step towards becoming better people, it's doing something (not just saying something!) to give back to the culture from which you're borrowing. So here, I speak with our new editorial director, Leslie Price, who wrote the original Man Repeller story on the Marc Jacobs show on what we're doing, and stuff like that.
As always, this podcast is only as valuable as the feedback you provide, so...
Related Stories:
On Cultural Appropriation, Racism and Fashion’s Blind Spots
Let’s Talk About It: Diversity in Fashion
MR Round Table: We Need to Talk About Race
A Letter from Leandra: We’ve Updated Our Mission Statement
In partnership with Squarespace.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Sep 23, 201616:20
Ep 37: Uterus Envy
Have you ever felt that terrible, nauseating pit in your stomach? It makes doing anything other than focusing on the pit feel impossible. I used to get it every time I found out my ex-boyfriend was dating someone new. Recently, I started getting it every time I found out that someone is pregnant. I never knew how to process the pit as anything other than heartbreak but I'm starting to realize that it's more than that -- it's envy, so in this week's episode, we unpack that like it's a carry-on suitcase full of grenades.
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Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
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Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Sep 16, 201610:37
Ep 36: Back to School
Sometimes I feel like my brain is a variety show and your cable network is out of whack, which is to say that you only catch slivers of each section. The fact of the matter is, I'm only delivering slivers of each section, so I'm sorry I just blamed your network. Self-deprecation aside, this episode is all about real world re-entry following a lazy, delightful summer. When you work in fashion, the week that follows Labor Day has this unique ability to make you feel as though you are practically starting your first day of high school, which we talk about a little as a starter thought to open up a larger conversation about fashion week. Note that this episode was recorded BEFORE fashion week started and requires feedback. So, take it away!
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Sep 09, 201609:56
Ep 35: Learning to be Content As Your Own Boss
In this week's episode of Monocycle, Leandra discusses how to be content as one's own boss and the importance of leaving home life at home and work life at work.
This podcast is sponsored by Squarespace, the easiest way to create a blog or website. Use the offer code MONOCYCLE at check out for 10% off your first purchase.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
This podcast is sponsored by Squarespace, the easiest way to create a blog or website. Use the offer code MONOCYCLE at check out for 10% off your first purchase.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Aug 26, 201608:42
Ep 34: Endless Summer
On this week's episode of Monocycle, Leandra talks about Endless Summer and how it can be tarnished by planning ahead. Do chronic planners wish away their ability to be present by simple virtue of their gift for planning? After flipping through the first round of September issues available, Leandra found herself suddenly excited for fall, despite the fact that it is still very much summer. And from there began the turning and turning and turning.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
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Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Aug 19, 201608:24
Ep 33: Body Image
In this week's episode of Monocycle, Leandra discusses body image, accepting ourselves the way we are and re-training ourselves in the way to speak about our bodies.
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Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
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Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Aug 05, 201606:08
Ep 32: The Editorial Process
If you have ever wondered how the editorial process at Man Repeller works, this week you’re invited to learn first hand how a story is created from incipient idea to final product, a sometimes half-baked cookie, often silly, sometimes serious and always made with LOVE. Joining me in this episode of Monocycle are Haley Nahman and Amelia Diamond — junior and deputy editors respectively –to make the painting of this picture appear a bit more colorful.
More questions? Comments? Ideas? Recommendations? Hit us up below. You know we’re always in there waiting 4 U.
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Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
More questions? Comments? Ideas? Recommendations? Hit us up below. You know we’re always in there waiting 4 U.
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In partnership with Newsette
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jul 29, 201620:10
Ep 31: Let Loose, Dispatch 3
This week's episode of Monocycle is one last plea in the direction of letting loose, only this time -- to conclude the last leg of a three-part series of episodes -- Leandra simplifies the whole concept and realizes that letting loose isn't really about skipping the gym or eating an entire cake or going streaking. It's about...well, you'll see. Headphones in and enjoy.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jul 22, 201609:03
Ep 30: Let Loose, Dispatch 2
In this week's episode of Monocycle, Leandra touches upon many of the same points as last week's episode: letting loose. After briefly touching about her mission to get pregnant, the majority of the episode revolves around recognizing the importance of relaxing and when it's actually being achieved...learned behavior is the simple answer, while the hard part is unlearning. Anyway, let's do this together, yeah? Not become better -- I mean this podcast. WE'RE BEGGING YOU.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jul 15, 201609:34
Ep 29: Let Loose
In this week's episode, Leandra discusses Man Repeller's monthly theme: Let Loose and Relax. In the process of letting loose, Leandra will assign herself a Let Loose task each week and report back on it in order to track her progress. The idea marries with self compassion, and treating oneself like the advice you would give another. So go ahead and cut yourself some slack. Drop the fucking ball, you're not going to get fired. It's summer and you deserve to live it the same way your body does inside a caftan, unrestricted and free.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jul 08, 201610:45
Ep 28: Relationships
This week's episode of Monocycle features a very special guest: Leandra's husband, Abie. The two cover a range of topics inspired by their four years of marriage, like learning how to live with a partner and the importance of forfeiting selfishness in favor of sacrifice). Abie's sleeping habits are also discussed; he cites "an inability to nap as freely" as one of the hardest parts of marriage.
Free naps on us after this episode, okay? Enjoy!
In partnership with Zola.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Free naps on us after this episode, okay? Enjoy!
In partnership with Zola.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jun 24, 201614:36
Ep 27: One Week Later
This week on Monocycle, after a sharing a personal story about a failed IVF implant in the moment, Leandra reflects back one week after. She makes the point in the difference between sharing thoughts and emotions immediately and in the moment, versus after the fact, when one is able to "package" their feelings just a bit more. It makes for an interesting dichotomy, so pop your headphones in and start listening.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jun 17, 201608:38
Ep 26: Not Pregnant
This week's episode of Monocycle is about sharing what one is going through while going through it as opposed to the aftermath, after, as Leandra said, "the experience has been put in a box and wrapped in fancy words and called a first person essay," because this is real life, right? Between the inspiring stories of victory and triumph that emerge out of despair and the road blocks that life throws in our tracks, there is the very real question of, "But what do I do NOW?" She doesn't have a profound answer but believes that sometimes, sharing is enough.
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jun 10, 201607:17
Ep 25: Does a Good Week Ruin Our Weekend?
In this week's episode of Monocycle, I get way too deep into my own head and contemplate the question, how important is the line that demarcates work from our social lives? I think I've always felt like this, but lately I have noticed how blurred the lines between work and private life have become -- does one inform the other? Is it supposed to? So I'm thinking...why do we celebrate the "can't stop, won't stop" attitude at work when we know, as we've seen, that it leads to burn out? How do we combat this very American, acutely millennial mentality and take back the quiet respite of having nothing to do?
Remember Saturdays in bed with a bowl of cereal and Nickelodeon? How important were those breaks for our formative, young minds?
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Remember Saturdays in bed with a bowl of cereal and Nickelodeon? How important were those breaks for our formative, young minds?
Logo by Kelly Shami - legsny.com/
Edited by Nicholas Quazzy Alexander
Jun 03, 201610:16