Bad On Paper - podcast cover

Bad On Paper

Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenterbadonpaperpodcast.com
Join Becca Freeman and Olivia Muenter every Wednesday for a dose of books and banter, along with interviews with women who inspire us.

Episodes

Grace Interviews Becca! Decorating Her Apartment, The Term “Influencer”, and Freelance Life

For this month’s “Just Us” episodes, Becca had the idea to interview each other! This week Grace interviews Becca. We crowdsourced the questions from you and had so much fun interviewing each other. You already know Becca, but how well do you really know her? Today all of your questions are answered. Does Becca have a secret boyfriend? Becca tells us her goals for the podcast (and her instagram too!), what it’s like gaining an online following, thoughts on the word influencer and why she doesn’t...

Dec 18, 20191 hr 22 minSeason 1Ep. 93

Kate Kennedy of Be There in Five on podcasting, influencer culture, and why her husband is blocked on Instagram.

We’re so excited to have our friend Kate Kennedy join us today! You probably know her from her podcast, Be There in Five… OR her book Twinkle, Twinkle Social Media Star, her hilarious pop culture commentary on Instagram, or her viral doormat business. She talks about how she started her business, how she came up with the idea for the podcast, and her career journey. We talk about press trips, Instagram triggers, the influencers we admire most, and (of course) Taylor Swift, and why Kate is such a...

Dec 11, 20192 hr 53 minSeason 1Ep. 92

Bad on Politics #3: WTF is Medicare for all? Margot Sanger-Katz gives us a healthcare primer

In this episode of Bad on Politics we dive into one of our most-requested topics… healthcare! We’re joined by New York Times journalist, Margot Sanger-Katz, to break down the various healthcare structures on the table in this election and which candidates support which plan. We also spend some time discussing the implications of these plans and whether they’re feasible (or likely given our current congressional map). We’re certainly feeling way more healthcare-literate after this episode, and ho...

Dec 09, 201941 minSeason 1Ep. 91

Becca Interviews Grace! The blogging biz, dating stories, + more!

For this month’s “Just Us” episodes, Becca had the idea to interview each other! This week Becca interviews Grace and in two weeks, Grace will interview Becca. We crowdsourced the questions from you and had so much fun interviewing each other. You already know Grace but today she’s answering your questions. What really goes into working for yourself as an influencer, the nitty gritty behind choosing brands to work with, how sponsorships work, testing products, and even turning down brands she do...

Dec 04, 20191 hr 20 minSeason 1Ep. 90

Andrea Dunlop (the author of We Came Here to Forget) talks to us about her book!

Yesterday we talked about We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop and today we’re so happy to have her with us for a special bonus episode where we talk about the book! We talk to her about her writing process and how she developed the plot line for the book (which is somehow both thrilling with a happy redemption story). We loved this book, and we learned more about Andrea’s personal experiences that led to writing this. She set out to debunk myths about the issue and what pop culture is gettin...

Nov 28, 201952 minSeason 1Ep. 89

We Came Here to Forget Book Club

For this month’s book club, we’re talking about We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop. The book follows ex-professional skier, Katie Cleary as she starts a new life in Buenos Aires. Along the way, this book kept us guessing about the dark secret in her past that led her to move away and start a new life. We both devoured this book in one day: Grace needed to find out the shocking truth about Katie’s sister, while Becca was living for Katie’s story of redemption in Argentina—complete with tango...

Nov 27, 20191 hr 19 minSeason 1Ep. 88

Lauren Chan on modeling, her new plus-size luxury clothing brand, and leaning into what makes you unique.

Today we are joined by Lauren Chan, the founder and CEO of Henning, a newly launched luxury plus-size clothing brand. We’re completely in love with this brand and all its thoughtful details! We’re also obsessed with Lauren, TBH. She gives us a peek into her experiences as both a plus-size model and fashion editor for Glamour Magazine. We get her insight into how the plus-size modeling landscape has changed over the years and how modeling has affected her relationship with her body. Maybe most in...

Nov 20, 20191 hr 29 minSeason 1Ep. 87

Personality Tests! A deep dive into the 5 love languages, The Enneagram, + Myers Briggs

We don’t know about you but we are both personality test obsessed. Today we’re taking a look at three of our favorites: the 5 love languages, the Enneagram, and Myers Briggs. Every personality has its good and its bad, and we are both very cool with both sides of our own (thankfully!) If you ever think that Becca is roasting Grace, don’t worry - that is how she shows love. We also break down introverts vs. extroverts. Grace gets on her soapbox: Just because you’re introverted doesn’t mean you’re...

Nov 13, 20191 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 86

Eva Chen on writing children’s books, meeting Oprah, and why “balance” is a myth (and that’s okay)!

Today we are joined by Eva Chen! Eva probably needs no introduction but she’s the Director of Fashion Partnerships at Instagram. What you may not know is that she’s also a children’s book author and the self proclaimed “Walter White of vintage Chanel jackets!” Eva talks about everything from changing careers, meeting your heroes IRL (Oprah!!), getting a book deal, and following your dreams. She also gets vulnerable, talking about what it’s like to worry that people won’t like her work. We round ...

Nov 06, 20192 hr 41 minSeason 1Ep. 85

Carly the Prepster: Unfiltered. Carly answers ALL your questions.

“We have all sent a DM we regret” - Carly Heitlinger, carlytheprepster.com Our friend Carly drops in for a bonus episode to answer literally every single one of your questions! She puts it all out there, the good, bad, and the ugly. She lets us in on the biggest misconceptions about her (She is not as outgoing as you may think, and she doesn’t share everything!), how she navigates being introverted, dealing with anxiety, and her thoughts on online snark forums. We also talk about breakups, sex, ...

Oct 31, 20192 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 84

How Could She by Lauren Mechling w/ Special Guest Carly Heitlinger

Our October Book Club pick is How Could She by Lauren Mechling, and we are joined by friend of the pod, Carly Heitlinger (Carly the Prepster)! The three of us explore the complexities of female friendship in your 30’s, the book’s 3 central characters, and who we most identify with. Although not all of us loved this book completely, we definitely have a lot to say about it! Products Mentioned: Indie Lee Gentle Daily Peel Pads Borghese Hand Masks (25% off with code BOP25 at borghese.com) Mascaras:...

Oct 30, 20191 hr 28 minSeason 1Ep. 83

Cindy Crawford shares her supermodel secrets + takes us inside the modeling biz!

Today’s guest needs no introduction… it’s Cindy Crawford! Besides being Grace’s dream guest, Cindy is also an absolute expert when it comes to skincare. She talks about growing up in the midwest, an early mean girls experience, and of course: her modeling career. She also let us peek behind the curtain and learn how she started her own skincare line, all the way down to the chemistry! She also tells us her favorite fashion trends, products… even her work out routine. She also lets us in on a few...

Oct 23, 20191 hr 20 minSeason 1Ep. 82

Travel Routines, Tricks, Recs, and Some Very Strong Opinions!

We have been traveling quite a bit for our live shows and more, so we thought it was time to share some of our vastly differing opinions when it comes to travel. We talk about hotels, airplanes, beauty routines, packing, planning, and everything in between. Needless to say, we have some differing views on a lot of things ! Today, in addition to hopefully amusing you with our strong opinions, we help you navigate some of the more stressful parts of traveling through our own experiences. (And did ...

Oct 16, 20191 hr 27 minSeason 1Ep. 81

Bad on Politics #2: Clare Malone Gives us a pre-Debate Primer!

Friend of the pod and political writer for FiveThirtyEight, Clare Malone joins us to help sort through the top ten Democratic candidates on stage at the next debate. She takes a deep dive into the backgrounds of the top three front runners (Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders), and gives us the headlines on the rest (Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Andrew Yang, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Julian Castro). Clare also breaks down the Republican challengers , too (Bill Weld, Jo...

Oct 14, 201947 minSeason 1Ep. 80

Mollie Chen on changing careers, maintaining a balance, all things FOOD, and lazy girl skincare.

We are back from San Francisco and off to Philly + DC next week! This week we’re joined by our friend Mollie Chen! She’s a brand consultant (and one of the Co-Founders of Birchbox!), a beauty guru, a mom, and a serious foodie. We talk about everything from knowing when it’s time to change careers to skincare for lazy people to the perfect day of eating in NYC. She also shares some great advice for new moms and maintaining a balance in your life. Products Mentioned: Pregnancy Pillow from Amazon T...

Oct 09, 20192 hr 42 minSeason 1Ep. 79

Graham Norton on Fanboy Moments, Best-Smelling Celebs, and Becoming a Novelist at 52

This week, we are joined by Graham Norton, the beloved UK talk show host and author of a brand new novel! We talk to him about his show—everything from the funniest to the best-smelling guests and how he manages to get such good stories from his guests. Then we turn to his newest book, A Keeper. We couldn’t let him leave without a few grab bag questions too… so we also quizzed him on Dolly Parton, UK Drag Race, and more! Outside of Graham, we talk about our tour (starts today in SF!), Grace’s bi...

Oct 02, 20191 hr 29 minSeason 1Ep. 78

Katharine McGee on the Behind the Scenes of American Royals and the Ins and Outs of the Publishing Industry

Katharine McGee, the author of our September Book Club Pick, American Royals joins us to talk about the making of the book. We chat about the long road to publishing, how to get a book deal, how books turn into TV shows and movies, and how the New York Times Best Seller list works—it’s not how you think! We learned so much from her on today’s episode and cannot wait for the sequel! Books Mentioned: The Royal We by Jessica Morgan & Heather Cocks 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown The...

Sep 26, 201951 minSeason 1Ep. 77

American Royals Book Club + Everything Royal

Our September Book Club is here and we are so excited to dig into Katharine McGee’s American Royals, but beware it’s sprinkled with spoilers! This book posits a world where George Washington was the first King of America rather than the first President. The story follows his descendant, Princess Beatrice and her dramatic road to the throne. We also talk about everything Royal from books, movies, weddings, and gossip, and what we have been reading (and what we are close to putting down!). Product...

Sep 25, 20191 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 76

Bad on Politics #1: Alyssa Mastromonaco on How The Primary Process Works & How To Get Involved In Politics

Friend of the pod and former Obama Deputy Chief of Staff, Alyssa Mastromonaco, joins us to help break down what is happening in the current presidential election. Why are there so many candidates? Is this normal? When will the field narrow? And how does the primary process even work. Then we talk about how to learn about candidate platforms and how to get personally involved in politics. Alyssa's list of recs for understandable, trustworthy political coverage: @Jessicayellin (IG) @DMregister (tw...

Sep 23, 201945 minSeason 1Ep. 75

Bad On Politics Preview

We're launching a new monthly series and wanted to give you a preview and some context before it goes live! Every month between now and November 2020, we're going to have a bonus episode centered around a political topic. Each month, we'll invite an expert to help school us on an issue or break down what's happening in the election. We can't wait to share our first episode with a repeat visit from Alyssa Mastromonaco.

Sep 19, 20196 min

Simon Doonan on Drag Culture, Personal Style, and Unplugging from Technology

In this week’s episode, we get to chat with the amazing (sparkly!) Simon Doonan about his brand new book Drag: The Complete Story - the first modern book about the cultural history of drag! Simon talks all things drag with us while answering your questions about finding your own personal style, his relationship with Jonathan Adler, and whether or not he will be appearing on another season of NBC’s Making It (spoiler: he is!). Products Mentioned: * Veronica Beard Emerald Suit ( Blazer , Pants ) *...

Sep 18, 20192 hr 30 minSeason 1Ep. 74

Let’s Talk Time Management: Our Best Productivity Tips.

In this week’s episode, we discuss how we manage our time, calendars, and inboxes. We also discuss avoiding distractions like Instagram and email (spoiler: we’re a work in progress here), the comparison trap, and our biggest lessons on productivity. Grace explores the power of saying “no” and Becca has plenty of very Virgo-esque tips for organizing your calendar in inbox. We also have a very exciting announcement about our NYC show and some strong feelings on hot sauce! Products Mentioned Becca’...

Sep 11, 20191 hr 13 minSeason 1Ep. 73

Grace’s Sister Rebecca Atwood Talks Decorating with Color... and Embarrassing Family Stories!

Today we have Grace’s sister Rebecca Atwood joining us! With two “Becca’s” and two sisters who sound almost exactly alike, things get a little wild! Rebecca is an artist and textile designer who has her own incredible product line and just wrote her second book! Today she's answering all of your questions about home decor... giving us the rundown on tastefully adding more color to our homes (and why “connector colors” are a must)! Stay tuned ‘till the very end for hilarious Atwood sister childho...

Sep 04, 20191 hr 21 minSeason 1Ep. 72

Lisa Taddeo on the Behind The Scenes Story of Three Women

Lisa Taddeo, the Author of our August Book Club Pick—Three Women—joins us to share how the book got made. She talked to us about how she found the three women profiled (and the hundreds of others that didn't make the cut), how the book has exceeded her expectations, and what's next for her (hint: there's a TV adaptation in the works). Books mentioned: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante The Little Virtues Natalia Ginzbu...

Aug 29, 201948 minSeason 1Ep. 71

Three Women Book Club + Online Dating Updates

For our August book club, we're tackling our first non-fiction pick: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo . The book explores the psyches and sex lives of three very different women. It's equal parts salacious and emotionally relatable, and we have so much to say about this book. We also catch up about online dating apps, scheduling as self care, and what we've been reading and obsessing over. Products Mentioned Anthropologie Mirror Rigby Boll and Branch Instagram obsessions @StolleMache Sprout Home Brook...

Aug 28, 20191 hr 13 minSeason 1Ep. 70

Morgan Hoit (aka @nycbookgirl) Joins Us To Talk Broadway, Working in Publishing, and #Bookstagram

This week we’re joined by Morgan Hoit, marketing manager at Avid Reader Press and voice of NYC Book Girl (one of our favorite bookstagram accounts!). We chat about everything from her love of theatre and how she manages anxiety, to how she feels about the SoulCycle boycott and the three books she can’t wait to read next year. Products Mentioned The Amazon Nightgown Books Mentioned Three Women by Lisa Taddeo The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff The Yellow House by Sara M. Broom The Starless...

Aug 21, 20192 hr 50 minSeason 1Ep. 69

Lauren Duca on Political Activism, Coming Out, and Confidence Under Fire

This week we're joined by freelance journalist, author, and political activist, Lauren Duca. We chat about her career transition from pop culture to political writer, her hard-won skills on dealing with criticism, and her major year of changes from divorce to coming out. But most importantly, we also chat about her forthcoming book: How to Start A Revolution (out Sept 24). Books Mentioned: How to Start A Revolution (Lauren's Book!) My Friend Anna by Rachel Deloache Williams The Turn of the Key b...

Aug 14, 20191 hr 20 minSeason 1Ep. 68

Summer Beauty Product Update + Announcing Our Fall Tour Dates!

Today it's just us, and we're talking about all things BEAUTY! We both discuss the products we're loving (or in some cases a little underwhelmed by) this summer. We talk everything from skincare and makeup to sunless tanning, SPF, and hair removal. But before that, we announce our Fall tour dates! We're hitting 6 cities this fall and are hoping to announce a couple more dates soon. If you live in San Francisco, Atlanta, DC, Philly, Dallas, or New York we hope to see you there! Also in this episo...

Aug 07, 20191 hr 25 minSeason 1Ep. 67

Lauren Wilkinson Joins us to Talk About Her Book, American Spy!

It's time for our July Book Club and today we are discussing American Spy . We are so honored that the author, Lauren Wilkinson, is joining us remotely! We talk about the book, her writing process (she rewrote it SIX times!), how the book began (a grad school assignment about a suburban family) and why she chose to leave the book open-ended. We also talk about more difficult social topics and how that inspired the book. This interview was so interesting. Also in this episode, Grace is feeling li...

Jul 31, 20191 hr 16 minSeason 1Ep. 66

Always Ask For More Money – Negotiating Your Salary, Getting A Promotion, and Setting Freelance Rates

In this episode, we’re talking MONEY. From salaries (actual numbers!) to negotiations, asking for raises, and talking to your friends about money, we are diving deep. We answer your questions like how often do you ask for a raise and how to know how much to ask for? Becca steps on her soapbox when talking about stock options and how she wishes she could give her past self this advice. No matter where you are in life, we hope you find this episode helpful! Sponsor: Bark Box: To get a free extra m...

Jul 24, 20192 hr 50 minSeason 1Ep. 65