Ep 358 - Ava (Three Shades of Grey)

HAZL is a passionate and driven 29 year old queer, polyamorous, kinkster, writer, and musician who first learned about non-monogamy when she was 19. She is also an incredible storyteller and takes us on her decade-long relationship journey that's filled triumph, struggles, laughs, and beautiful transformations. HAZL's story takes us into the familiar messy first few years of exploring polyamory where she's learning and unlearning so much about life and who she is. After a few years she found herself in a monogamous partnership that was her safe space and anchor as she gave everything she had to chase her dream of becoming a professional musician. As she ended that partnership, she made her way back to polyamory again... But this time it feels different to her with a whole new perspective and purpose. Professionally, HAZL is a Queer singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon. Graduating with a full ride from Los Angeles Academy for Artists and Music Producers (LAAMP) in early 2024, HAZL has created an infectious, vivid, and inspiring sound that’s all her own. Beginning as an acoustic artist, she is now playing in the world of electronic sound. Influenced by Labrinth, Sylvan Esso, and Imogen Heap, HAZL is on track to release her Debut EP R.E.A.L. (Real Emotions Are Loud) on March 24th, 2025. Connect with HAZL via Instagram or check out her Linktree for all of her work! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Our interview with Fox is full of energy and so much love! Fox and her partner eloped after being together for just a few weeks, and then eight years into their marriage she realized she's queer and polyamorous... They've now been married over 11 years and have been working together for the last few years to redesign their partnership in a way that feels safe, supportive, and authentic for both of them. Fox's story is a vulnerable, beautiful, and powerful reminder that each of us is continually learning about ourselves, growing, and evolving. As we evolve, so do our relationships and it's not always easy... Yet, the challenges and growth that we encounter are also opportunities to bring us closer together. Fox wrote a better bio for herself than we ever could have! And so, a bit more about the lovely Fox! Fox Eros (M.A., AMFT), known as 'The Polyamory Therapist' has earned a reputation as an incandescent, deeply empathetic and passion filled Psychotherapist, Writer and Speaker. She has a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and is an expert in Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships, as well as Sex Therapy. Fox's calling is to radicalize pleasure, love and sexuality. She is currently at work on her first book on polyamory and is a contributing writer and educator in the polyamory field. Fox continues to be sought out to help those with life stress, self-worth, identity, impacts of trauma and issues in relationships, sex and intimacy. Fox identifies as a pansexual, panromantic, polyamorous, multi-ethnic, BIPOC femme person; and lives on the land of the Chumash and Gabrielino-Tongva First Peoples. Her pleasures include being a Beloved, forest bathing, morning mochas in the sun, crushing on our infinite Universe and connecting to her Ancestors. Connect with Fox on social media @thepleasurefox or her website foxerosinlove.com. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

This week we're dressing up for Halloween! Instead of our regular weekly interview we're bringing you episode 377 of the Multiamory Podcast "Polyam Beginners, Healthy Boundaries, and Ethical Hierarchy!" We don't normally give advice on our show but when you have a chance to tap into the brilliance of Dedeker, Emily, and Jase... You take it! This is a listener Q+A episode where they discuss: What was the biggest challenge in your polyam journey, and how did you overcome it? What are some good steps to reconnect after initiating a break in the relationship? Any advice for someone looking to explore other polyam sites away from the safe harbor that the Multiamory Discord has become? How can one be a good beginner? What are some red flags or warning signs you see many fledgling polyam folk brush past or ignore? When de-escalating or transitioning relationships to one with less closeness and frequency, do you have any tips for adjusting your expectations or managing hurt feelings? How to set healthy and ethical boundaries within the context of a highly entangled, mutually desired lifelong commitment. Specifically, boundaries that don’t look like “veto power” or interference in other relationships, but also don’t just come down to “walking away” in the presence of incompatible strong preferences (not needs). How do you know the difference between genuine third party trauma or if emotions are being used to force a certain result? How do you spot this before becoming invested? To learn more about the incredible work the Multiamory team does, please check out their website at multiamory.com Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! Today we are join by the Director of Marketing and Communications at Global Protection Corp. (manufacturers of ONE and MyONE condoms) and we are super excited! Milla is here to talk about and answer all your condom questions in a special ask us anything episode we're calling Condom University! Enjoy! Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Learn more about Meshai and all of her work over at expansiveconnection.com! You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I also completed a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute in March 2024! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

In his early twenties, Dave never really felt like he wanted the same things that everyone else wanted out of relationships. During that time he was mostly single and would find himself breaking off relationships after a few months, before they got serious so nobody got hurt too badly. He wasn't really wanting to find "the one" even though that's what it seemed like he was supposed to be doing. In his mid-twenties he started finding communities that were at the intersections of sex-positivity, neo-tantra, and polyamory. The support of these various different intentional communities opened Dave's world up to a completely different way of forming relationships and connections. Today, while Dave identifies as a solo polyamorous person, he is much more focused on creating healthy intentional communities that support learning, living and loving authentically as the imperfect humans we all are. Dave Booda is a writer, musician and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of IntimacyFest and hosts The Darkness Experiment. He has led over 450 workshops on connection, touch and relationships and has consulted for and facilitated experiences for companies, communities, retreats, festivals, conferences, birthday parties, weddings, funerals, and gatherings of all kinds — with the intention to inspire authenticity, connection and group cohesion. He has published over 200 essays for boodaism.com and played over 1000 shows as a touring singer/songwriter. He is a former Naval Officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, currently serving on the board of directors for the Foundation for Intentional Community while living in rural San Diego, California. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Eve takes us all the way back to high school where she first learned about non-monogamy through some friends and even dabbled in a triad for a week or so. After college she got married and a few years later she and her husband started opening up their relationship. Since then, Eve has been on a 20ish-year journey to find what works best for her when it comes to love and relating to others. Today, Eve identifies as a queer, solo polyamorous, relationship anarchist who prefers a more parallel relationship dynamic as opposed to kitchen table polyamory... Like most of us, Eve learned a lot along her journey and we're grateful that she joined us today to share her story. Eve Rickert is also the co-author of More Than Two, Second Edition and is a Gen X, queer, solo polyamorous, relationship anarchist, neurodivergent cis woman living on unceded WSÁNEC and Lekwungen territory on the west coast of the place currently known as Canada. She is the curator of the More Than Two Essentials series and the non-monogamy resource site morethantwo.ca, the founder and publisher of Thornapple Press, and the founder and mastermind of the science communications firm Talk Science to Me. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

We are so excited about today's beautiful conversation with Mike! He's been questioning socialized norms that didn't feel right for most of his life... We get deep with him on his experiences uncovering his queerness, questioning monogamy as the best relationship model for himself, and how he navigates ambiguity in different connections. We also talk a lot about mental health, the life-changing impact of therapy for him, and the power of finding the strength to be yourself, especially when it means pushing against everything you've been conditioned with for your whole life. This is a powerful conversation and we hope you find it as meaningful and healing as we did. Mike is much better at describing himself and his work than we are and so we asked to use the bio from his website... Permission granted! Hey there, I'm Mike. I'm endlessly fascinated by and interested in people. Why we do what we do. Where we come from. How we choose to live our lives. What interests us. What our passions are. I love to listen. My goal, if we decide to work together, is to help you be the person you want to be, whether the things you want are related to your relationship(s), your career(s), or your life in general! I don't have a fancy degree, but I do have a certification (and am working on more). What I think is more valuable than a piece of paper is that I have a welcoming ear and quite a bit of life experience. I'm a thirty year veteran of the high-stress music industry, having worked everywhere from distribution to PR to behind the counter at a record store. Over the last decade, I've become involved in the mental health community as an advocate and a volunteer for various organizations. I've also become a sex and relationship educator, drawing on my experiences as a queer person whose relationship orientation leans toward CNM (consensual non-monogamy). I'm a second generation American with an Afro-Caribbean background, and have a wide variety of tastes, experiences and people in my community. I like to think I can relate to just about anyone in some way, shape or form. For the past three years and counting, I've also hosted and produced a podcast called Detoxicity, which focuses specifically on men and how we can work to move past the socialized behaviors that often handcuff us. How we can be more open, more caring, more sensitive, and be better versions of ourselves for the people in our lives and communities, and most importantly, for ourselves. I've spoken to and learned from over 150 men, from various walks of life, every race and ethnicity, sexual and romantic orientation. And I learn more every time I speak to someone. I'm in the process of learning every day, and I want to be a guide and assistant to your learning journey as well! Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Over the last three weeks you've heard Ava, Pinky, and Anthony tell their individual stories... Today, we bring them together to hear how three people with different backgrounds, experience levels, and relationship preferences come together to create a beautiful relational ecosystem that works for each of them... Even if it's not always perfect. Enjoy! Earlier this year Ava, Pinky, and Anthony started a new podcast called Three Shades of Grey where they talk about the ups and downs of exploring non-monogamy in three very different ways and how the three of them make it work together. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Meshai and Fin team up together to answer amazing listener questions every fourth Friday of each month! This month's incredible questions come from our private community and are about moving at different paces when opening up a relationship and whether or not you should share your feelings with someone when your interests lie outside of the agreements of another relationship of theirs. Juicy stuff! Meshai is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and is certified in both Trauma Therapy and Sex Therapy, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. You likely know me (Fin) from over 300 episodes of Normalizing Non-Monogamy. Just in case you don't, I cohost the podcast with my partner Emma and we have been in an open relationship together for over 15 years. I also completed a sex and relationship coaching program through the Somatica Institute in March 2024!   Check out the full show notes here.   Submit a question for our Ask Us Anything Episodes! Click here to join our upcoming Virtual Meet and Greets! 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! $10 Off - Online STI Testing  

Pinky lives life with a whole lot of zest and enthusiasm! And, as she describes it, sometimes a bit impatiently. Although, we might argue that her impatience could be attributed to some built up excitement! I tried writing more about Pinky but her bio over on her website at 3shadesofgrey.com captured it much better than I was able to: I was born and raised into a religious, and conservative family. Women were taught to not be heard or to put their needs and wants first. As I grew, I found myself in relationships with people who had similar beliefs to my family. I was in a nearly two decade relationship, with a man who had no interest in sex, my sexuality or my desires. I was made to feel guilty when I expressed my sexual desires. Outside of the bedroom, however, we built a solid family together. I stayed for my children, and then I decided, I needed to leave for myself. It was during this relationship that I first read the Ethical Slut, and it opened my eyes to what relationships could be. My ex and I attempted to have an open relationship, but that was very short lived. It wasn’t until I met my husband Anthony that I learned more, and realized this was something I wanted to explore further. That’s when I decided to do some research and further educate myself. I became more and more intrigued by the freedom and the voice that was give to women in the non- monogamous world. The education and conversations that my now husband and I had, built a strong foundation for a successful relationship. During our journey, we talked about things that most couples never even discuss, and we spoke about them open and honestly. Anthony and I now have an open marriage. I prefer polyamorous relationships, and some situational swinging. Truly I thrive the best on one on one engagement with open and like minded people who are willing to walk the road less traveled. As a sapiosexual I connect best on an intellectual level first, building a strong relationship, and then engaging physically. Earlier this year Pinky started a new podcast with her husband Anthony and metamour Ava. On the Three Shades of Grey podcast they talk about the ups and downs of exploring non-monogamy in three very different ways and how the three of them make it work together. Check out the full show notes here. Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing