After eight months away (Nicole went back and checked), Nicole and Gayle are back behind the mic — finding their microphones, rediscovering rhythm, and catching up on everything that’s changed. It’s the sound of reconnection: two creative women re-entering conversation after a long pause, weaving together books, business, and being.
This episode is part reunion, part reflection, and part fall book feast. From Human Design and career pivots to running an independent bookstore and curating events, they explore what it means to return to what you love — even when you’re out of practice.
And of course, there are plenty of book recommendations to fall into.
🪞 In This Episode
* Returning to the mic after eight months — finding rhythm again
* What changes when you rebuild creative practice after a pause
* Nicole’s first year outside corporate life and launching Navigating Career Transitions with Human Design
* Gayle’s behind-the-scenes look at bookstore life at Wonderland Books: events, inventory, and reader psychology
* The intimacy of buying books — and why no one should feel watched
* Our favorite fall reads and why certain stories mirror reinvention
* The joy of doing something simply because it’s fun — even if no one listens
✨ Quotable Moments
“It’s like putting on an old coat — comfortable, but it’s been a long time.” — Gayle
“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t leaving who you were; it’s living in the space before the next self arrives.” — Nicole
“This is too much fun not to do. Even if nobody listens, I don’t care.” — Nicole
📚 Books Mentioned
(all publication dates 2025 unless noted otherwise)
* Heart the Lover – Lily King
* All the Way to the River – Elizabeth Gilbert
* What We Can Know – Ian McEwan
* The Ten-Year Affair – Erin Summers
* Cursed Daughters – Oyinkan Braithwaite
* Wreck – Catherine Newman (sequel to Sandwich)
* Second Chance Cinema – Thea Weiss
* Truly – Lionel Richie
