Old Grandad bourbon, LoneStar Beer back

In another first this week, Elena chats with two guests, friends Erik and Zach. Of all the episodes so far, this one most closely resembles a typical bar conversation, touching on everything from work life, dating life, swapping of virginity stories, but also delves into one of life's most important lessons (and one that is arguably the overall theme of the episode): the power and necessity of authenticity.

In a first-time for the pod, Elena chats with someone she's never met before, and who doesn't work in the service industry: Ukrainian writer, producer, director, filmmaker, and overall fearless woman, Mariya Somova. They discuss Mariya's newest project, "I Want To Live on Mars", a coming-of-age film based in Centralia (current population: FREAKING NINE), in which "a group of friends embark on a journey to escape life in a small town devastated by disaster". The film captures, among other things, the small-town landscape, and the beauty of not only dreaming big, but the importance of going after it.  To check out more about the film, Mariya, or to help spread the word, please visit / share their kickstarter page: iWanttoliveonmars.com

Elena chats with customer Ed Kearns, Chief Data Officer of First Street Foundation, a non-profit research and technology group dedicated to providing accurate, property-level, publicly available (ahem: free) flood risk information. They talk about the work this foundation is doing, as well as climate risk, climate change, lessons learned from COVID, and the many reasons to have hope for what can sometimes feel like a daunting, dark future. To read more about Ed, and First Street's mission, please visit: firststreet.org floodfactor.com

Elena chats with longtime friend, fellow SUNY Purchase alum, and incredibly talented bartender, Nicolas Flower, about the joy of making (and drinking) cocktails, how to not take sh*t so damn personally, the detriment of the ego, and (perhaps most notably) the "Dave Chappelle Walk-Away". 

Elena kicks off Free Pour's return with fellow SUNY Purchase Opera alum and former industry vet, Julie Diniz. They chat about Julie's 12 year-run in the industry and what happens when you leave the industry behind, what it's *really* like to pursue an opera career and why some people choose to turn the page on it. But ultimately, about the experiences that make life, life, and how at the end of the day, there is always hope for what comes next.

Elena chats with award-winning fiction author, former legislative director at the Texas State Capitol during the 83rd Legislative Session, and native Texan, James Wade. The conversation starts off with his incredible debut novel, "All Things Left Wild", then launches into writing, politics, the beauty yet toxicity of individualism, America's current tribal climate, and all the burning questions in between - but perhaps, with some potential answers. You can purchase James' novel, as well as access his blog and links to his other works, at www.jameswadewriter.com

In Free Pour's pilot episode, host Elena Laurenti interviews one of her long-time regulars and fellow native New Yorker, David Ganulin, to chat about everything from his time abroad in Japan, to dating, education, politics, and of course: the meaning of life.

Regular Sean Oakley returns to the pod this week to chat about break-ups, betrayals, post-traumatic growth, and the decisive litmus test for a lasting legacy. 

Host Elena chats with (the now infamous?) regular Sean Oakley, who came up in conversation during Episode 3, when Elena described the falling out that occurred between them over a political (and slightly personal) disagreement. After a reconciliation, they talk deeply today (and argue a little) for the first time since, covering everything from politics, cancel culture, the state of American society, and the burning importance of getting to the root.

This week, host Elena chats with regular James Berger, attorney & partner at Jia Law Group, a firm specializing in U.S.-China cross-border transactions. Given James' extensive work in both foreign affairs and the political realm, as well as his current job, today's episode leans heavily towards politics, and policy between China and the states - but as always, focusing on the human element of it all.