Ep 442 - Andy + Daniel (Bonus)

In this beautiful conversation, Andre takes us through the powerful journey of self-discovery and growth he’s been on since stepping away from the military and into the liberating culture of San Francisco about 12 years ago. Andre loves the freedom to explore the endless possibilities of each unique connection he makes and he’s learned so much about himself, and what it means to be human, along the way.  From learning to befriend jealousy to practicing boundaries in order to better care for himself, Andre shares a ton of wisdom in this interview. We also dig into some incredible stories from his adventures over the years… Have you ever been banned from a hospital? Andre has. Stick around for the bonus episode to hear all about it! Andre has since moved from The Bay Area but his adventures and explorations in non-monogamy and open relating have continued and expanded into his work and career as a Somatic Intimacy Guide and Coach. Through his practice, Coming Closer, Andre supports individuals and couples across a wide range of needs: men facing midlife performance concerns, survivors of trauma seeking safety, long-term partners wanting to revive passion, and those exploring alternatives such as ethical non-monogamy. Andre is also known for his role on the UK television series Virgin Island, where he appeared as a professional surrogate partner helping participants confront intimacy challenges alongside licensed therapists. The program drew national attention, and Andre’s presence on screen highlighted how intimacy work is not about performance but about safety, consent, and the courage to connect. We highly recommend you check out Virgin Island and all of Andre’s 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

When Leah first joined us five and a half years ago on Episode 146 she was only about a month into exploring non-monogamy after meeting someone who was partnered on a dating app. Leah has always been bit of a relationship junky and over the last few years she’s really been digging into what she wants and what truly works for her in relationships. Today, Leah shares about her experiences in dating as a solo poly person and she also talks about how she’s been very intentional in creating a life full of adventure and connection that doesn’t rely on having sexual and romantic partners. She’s definitely open to it and desires it, but she’s formed deep and intimate friendships and community that fill her cup most of the way up.  Leah is also the creator and curator of the Esther Perel Discussion Group on Facebook which has over 16 thousand people in it… Later in the interivew she shares how she built a community that brings together all sorts of people who are interested in relationships, but in particular how she created a safe space where people who’ve been on all sides of infidelity can come together. It’s mind-blowing and we highly recommend you check it out! 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're celebrating our eight-year podcast anniversary this week by sharing this bonus conversation with Andy and Daniel with everyone! 🥳 Normally, these bonus episodes are part of our Premium Subscription. If you want more bonus content like this, you can join here for just $4/mo! Enjoy! 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 had such a great conversation with Daniel the first time we had him on the podcast that we told him to come back and bring his dad. It took us six years, but Daniel’s back… And, he brought his dad.  This is a first for us and it’s an absolutely incredible conversation as we get to hear Daniel and Andy talk about their individual experiences of exploring non-monogamy and how they impacted and influenced each other along the way. We also talk about what they’ve learned from one another, new relationship energy, conscious hierarchy, and “The Big Why” behind polyamory and non-monogamy for each of them. Oh… And we get to hear some truly fantastic stories in the bonus episode! Normally, the bonus episodes are part of our Premium Subscription but we're celebrating our eight-year podcast anniversary this week by sharing our bonus conversation with Andy and Daniel with everyone! 🥳 If you want more bonus content like this, you can join here for just $4/mo! 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

Join us as Pandora and Chesed share their explorations in polyamory, dating, kink, play parties and so much more. They've been sex friends since 2023, and like to use the term “otter partners” to describe their playful, cuddly connection. Throughout our conversation it's clear how adventurous they both are and how they seamlessly weave the kinky and sexy side of things into their everyday lives. Since 2025, Pandora and Chesed have been collaborators at SlutStack, a blog and podcast for overthinking sex and relationships (and sharing stories of wholesome degeneracy). They also co-organized the first SlutCon in 2025 with Aella. SlutCon is a multi-day sexuality education conference and celebration of SlutHood. Pandora (aka Dr. Bimbo) is a Berkeley-based blogger with about a decade of ethical non-monogamy experience. She writes at SlutStack about sex, kink, dating, and polyamory. After completing her PhD in engineering, she left academia to try out life as a full-time slut. Lately, she had been enjoying leaning into kitchen table polyamory, including navigating life in a group house with her boyfriends. Chesed (aka little otter) is an East Bay-based writer and collaborator at SlutStack. She also has a day job in healthcare, and will be raising her first kid by the time this episode airs. Chesed is best described as "surprisingly agentic for a sex doll." She is married, and she and her husband live with two other ethically non-monogamous couples. She is one of the most poly “not poly” people you’ll meet. 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

It’s been almost exactly four years to the day since we last talked with Anna back on Episode 231 and it’s no surprise that our conversation today is just as incredible as the last! No need to go back and listen to their first episode to get a ton out of this one, but we definitely recommend checking it out afterwards! It’s been a big few years for Anna… We talk about some changes in their partnership and living situation, we have a beautiful conversation about their journey of exploring and figuring out gender, we dig into their relationship with kink, and so much more! Anna has also recently experienced some heartbreaking losses which led to a powerful and moving conversation about loss, grief, and healing. Oh... And if you stick around for the bonus episode as part of the Premium Subscription Anna tells some mind-blowing orgasm stories! Wait, are the orgasms mind-blowing or the stories? Perhaps both... Join us to find out! Anna Baxter is the owner, director, and supervisor at Love Positive Counseling. They are incredibly passionate about providing a safe space for individuals and families to find their innate potential and achieve their dreams, regardless of gender, orientation, race, religion, neurotype or love-style. You can learn more about Anna and their work over on their website! Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! 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

For a long time Liz felt like she was broken. She kept expecting to have a crush, form a relationship, and then stop having new crushes because she was just so in love. Instead, she would have a crush, fall in love, and then have another crush, and then another, and another. Liz eventually tried an open relationship with her high school boyfriend and even though she never did anything other than having lots of crushes, she felt so free! After high school, societal pressure crept in and Liz didn’t revisit the idea of non-monogamy until her thirties when she and her husband opened their relationship about a year into their marriage. After exploring kitchen table polyamory together for about a decade, Liz and her husband separated but currently still live together with their kids as well as with her ex-husband’s partner and her kids. Join us for this powerful interview as Liz takes us on her journey of figuring out what actually works for her and what she wants in life. We have fantastic conversations about hierarchy, the relationship escalator, dating, jealousy, and we get to hear what happens when Liz actually tries to pursue all her crushes all at once! Liz is also a dating and relationship coach who primarily helps highly sensitive, intuitive women find deep, soul-aligned love — without settling, burning out, or pretending to be someone they’re not. If dating has ever felt overwhelming, disappointing, or like you had to hide your heart just to get by… you’re not alone and Liz is here to help! You can learn more about how to work with Liz on her website! Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! 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

Join us today for this powerful interview with Mischa as he takes us through his journey and evolution of exploring love, dating, relationships, and his own sexuality. Mischa shares about his experiences navigating hookup culture in New York during his twenties before diving into polyamory and the play party scene after moving back to San Francisco in his thirties. Mischa also talks about his more recent 2-year celibacy journey and how his faith and devotion to God have helped guide him in getting clearer on how he shares his love and energy with everyone in his life rather than often focusing it on sexual and romantic connections. We also dig into the nuances of communication and consent, the challenges of pushing against the societal and familial expectations of who we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to be doing, and we get a bit philosophical about sex during the bonus questions! Mischa Byruck is a sexual integrity and accountability coach who’s helped support hundreds of men in transforming their own relationships to sex and success. You can learn more about Mischa and all of his work by visiting his website at evolve.men. Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! 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 first talked with Mariana just over two years ago on Episode 313 and we're excited to have her back today with an update! When we asked if she wanted to come back on the show she was thrilled and told us “A lot has happened but not a lot has changed.” Specifically, a lot has happened internally for Mariana even though the structure of her relationships, who her partners are, and how she does polyamory hasn’t really changed since we last talked. Join us today as Mariana shares what’s shifted for her over the last few years as she’s found herself in a much calmer, more peaceful, and less anxious place while continuing to explore what types of relationships work best for her! Mariana is also a designer who has created some incredible games to help people design their own relationships, sexuality, and community! The three of us actually play her games during the bonus episode for premium subscribers and you can go grab your own copy of all of her games over on her website. Plus, you can get yourself a discount when you use the code EMMA at checkout!  Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! 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

Nisi and Thor have been married for almost 40 years and have built a beautiful life, family, and partnership together. They “officially” opened their marriage about four years ago after spending nearly a decade strengthening their relationship, healing old wounds and religious trauma, and discovering themselves before slowly starting to explore with others. They’ve overcome a ton together and it hasn’t been an easy path for them to get to where they are today. Join us for this powerful and inspiring conversation as Nisi and Thor take us behind the scenes and share what it has been like to open their relationship and how rewarding it has been for them both. Oh! And, don’t forget to stick around for the bonus episode where things get a bit spicy! Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! 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