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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.
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Episodes

How We Read So Much + Hidden Gem Books (With Listener Recs!)

One of the things we get asked about most is how to read more. So we tackle that during the first fifteen minutes of this episode. (Spoiler alert: being single and childfree during a pandemic helps!) When we read, the advantages of audiobooks, and how to find books you truly love reading, and more! For the rest of the episode, we dive into our favorite hidden gem books. We each brought our five favorite hidden gem books to the table, peppering them in with recommendations from YOU! So this episo...

Feb 17, 20211 hr 19 minSeason 1Ep. 163

Small Business School with Luv Scrub Founder, Caroline Owusu-Ansah

Today we are joined by Caroline Owusu-Ansah, the founder of Luv Scrub! If you have been listening for a while you know that Grace is obsessed with her Luv Scrub—and rightfully so. This exfoliating cloth was awarded Allure's Best of Beauty Award, leaves your skin baby soft, and replaces your old loofah or pouf - for good! Caroline shares the journey to build her business and her lessons learned, from ways to avoid burnout to finding a mentor to taking care of your mental health. More Caroline: ww...

Feb 10, 20211 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 162

Quarantine Winter: Updates From 11 Months Indoors

With almost a full year of quarantine life under our belts, we're checking in with each other on how we're feeling, what's giving us hope, and how we are staying motivated to do anything more than watching Netflix. Grace shares more about her season of self-improvement and Becca talks about how big projects are giving her quarantine a sense of purpose. We're also talking about the activities that are keeping us busy (puzzles!) and what we've been watching during our nights in. We want to hear ab...

Feb 03, 20211 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 161

An Interview with Elizabeth Gilbert

Today we are joined by Elizabeth Gilbert the New York Times best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, City of Girls, and (of course!) our January Book Club pick Big Magic. We talk about her decision to write Big Magic and the writing process behind it. She shares her unique perspectives on creativity and how every person can find and grow in that space. She talks about staying actively (and not-so actively) creative during the pandemic, ditching social media for the greater good, and learning how ...

Jan 28, 20211 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 160

Big Magic Book Club

We found it fitting that Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert was our first book club of 2021. Becca reads this book every January to jumpstart her year, and we wanted to include you on her tradition. Reading this book is the creativity pep talk we all need so badly right now. Elizabeth approaches creativity with lightness and joy. Even if you don't consider yourself a creative person, you will take so much away from this book. We touch on each chapter and our biggest takeaways and share our own journ...

Jan 27, 20211 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 159

Azora Zoe Paknad, founder of Goldune, talks Sustainability

In today's episode we are joined by Azora Zoe Paknad, the founder of Goldune. Before starting Goldune in the middle of the pandemic (in the short span of 5 months!), Azora Zoe worked for Food52 and before that, she was Grace's social media intern at BaubleBar! She has worked in the ecommerce and content space for years and when quarantine started she got to work and started her own e-commerce site, selling the best sustainable homewares. Azora Zoe shares the intense process of building a company...

Jan 21, 20211 hr 23 minSeason 1Ep. 158

2021 Resolutions

It's the time of year where we reflect on past resolutions and create new ones for the new year ahead. As we look back on the insanity of 2020 and the way that it affected our goals and ability to achieve them, we found some silver linings! Although we are definitely cautious as we set our 2021 goals, we're also optimistic. We talk about our personal, business, and mental and physical health resolutions and the steps we are taking to get there. Whether you like to make resolutions or you just li...

Jan 13, 20211 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 157

Your 2021 Tarotscope with Kelley Knight

We're back with our first episode of a brand new year! To kick off 2021 we are joined by Kelley Knight, author of Spells for the Modern Mystic Ritual Guidebook and Spellcasting Kit. Kelley is bringing mysticism into the mainstream, and we are here for it! We chat about her own psychic awakening, building her business, and her freakiest predictions. She does a mini tarot reading for each horoscope sign to see what lies in the year ahead. We also have a bonus January reading for those Virgos and L...

Jan 06, 20211 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 156

The Cousins Book Club

For the last book club of 2020, we chose The Cousins by Karen McManus. This is a twisty YA thriller, sans murder - making it kind of the perfect book for both of us! This is the tale of Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story: three cousins who barely know each other but are invited to work at their estranged grandmother's resort. All of their parents have been disinherited and the cousins learn more and more about the dark secrets of their family's past. We chat about which cousins we relate to most, ou...

Dec 16, 20201 hrSeason 1Ep. 155

The Best of 2020

2020 is coming to a close and we are not going to let this year end on a negative note. There were really some great things about this year (politics and pandemics aside, of course). In this episode we talk about our biggest professional and personal accomplishments this year and all of our favorite purchases. We reminisce about our favorite episodes of the pod this year, our favorite books, clothing and beauty purchases and all of our favorite ways that we self-cared our way through 2020. Grace...

Dec 09, 20201 hr 13 minSeason 1Ep. 154

The Holiday Episode

How is it possible we've never done a holiday episode?! Let's fix that starting… now! In this episode we talk about our favorite holiday traditions, how we decorate, our fave holiday foods, and, of course, the best movies and books to get you into the holiday spirit. We also share our favorite small businesses that you should know about for gift shopping this holiday season! Join us in the FB group and tell us your favorite small businesses! Holiday Movies: Elf The Christmas Contract A Christmas...

Dec 02, 20201 hr 21 minSeason 1Ep. 153

Bonus Episode with Diksha Basu

Today we are joined by Diksha Basu, the author of our November Book Club pick, Destination Wedding. We are so excited to get the inside scoop on this book! Diksha is an author, former actress, and academic from New Delhi, India, and she now divides her time between New York City and Bombay. We explore what 'home' means to her, and how that influenced this book. She shares her unique writing process, starting with character development before plot. We also talk about our favorite character (Tina,...

Nov 27, 202039 minSeason 1Ep. 152

Destination Wedding Book Club

For our November Book Club we read Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu. This book is exactly what we needed as we are both missing travel, meeting new people, and big events like weddings! The story follows Tina Das, a Brooklynite who is traveling to India with her divorced parents and her best friend to attend a cousin's lavish wedding. Both Tina and her father are looking for love while on their trip, with some pretty mixed results. This book was such a fun read that will have you laughing, and...

Nov 25, 20201 hrSeason 1Ep. 151

Holiday Gifting with Caroline Moss

Welcome to our holiday gift guide episode with Caroline Moss. Caroline is the host of "Gee Thanks, Just Bought it," a podcast about all things shopping. Her podcast explores the fun things she and her guests have found on the internet, bought, and loved. We are big fans and think you'll like it too! We talk about what we're eyeing on Black Friday, plus gift ideas for moms, best friends, kids, and the office secret santa. We hope this episode gives you some great gift ideas (we certainly checked ...

Nov 18, 20201 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 150

Royal Fashion with Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes, the author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style joins us to talk about royal fashion moments and her new book. Elizabeth shares the analytical lens she uses to observe and report on royal style, thinking about the message behind the clothes just as much as their glamour. We dig into the writing process, photo selection, and her favorite royal outfits (and missteps!). She also shares how recent conversations around race and racism have impacted how she covers Meghan and royal...

Nov 11, 20201 hr 23 minSeason 1Ep. 149

Just Us: Our favorite movies + TV shows.

For today's episode, in honor of the cooler temps coming our way, we are sharing our favorite TV shows and movies. Hopefully this list will make your winter quarantine a little more entertaining! We have both found that being inside more has led us both to watching a lot more TV than movies. We still stick to our fav genres- Becca almost exclusively watches Rom Coms, and Grace likes anything with secret agents or lawyers, and of course documentaries! Differences aside, we can both agree that we ...

Nov 04, 20201 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 148

Bonus: Alexis Daria on writing complicated LatinX families and the evolving romance genre

Alexis Daria is a native New Yorker, award winning author, celeb sighting specialist, who wrote our October Book Club pick, You Had Me at Hola. We get the inside scoop on her choice to write about the world of telenovelas and the ways that her own family mirrors the characters in the story. We learn more about the changes happening in the Romance genre from both the publishing and the consumer side. We get a peek into her writing process and how she writes such steamy sex scenes! We also get her...

Oct 29, 202052 minSeason 1Ep. 147

You Had Me at Hola Book Club

For this month's book club, we read You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. This is the story of Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, the lead actress of the telenovela "Carmen in Charge." She plans to swear off men and follow her Leading Lady Plan, but her plan is compromised when she falls for her co-star, Ashton Suarez. They want to keep things private, but the paparazzi makes this impossible, causing a lot of strain on their budding relationship. This was essentially a RomCom about a RomCom (peak Becca genre)...

Oct 28, 20201 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 146

Becca Interviews Grace.

This week it's Grace's turn in the hot seat. Becca is getting the answers to all of your most burning questions: will she get another cat? What are her trash person tendencies? How does she find new artists? What was working with Amazon the Drop like? We also learn more about her life as the oldest of three sisters, dealing with being laid off, saving habits, her fall skincare routine, and more. Grace's Fall Skincare Routine: Farmacy's Green Clean Cleansing Balm Klur Gel Cleanser Farmacy Green T...

Oct 21, 20201 hr 17 minSeason 1Ep. 145

All Things Fall, with Olivia Muenter!

Disclosure: This episode is NOT sponsored by Bath & Body Works. We wish it was, but sadly that is not the case. This week, we are joined by our "fall correspondent," Olivia Muenter. A Fall themed episode was highly requested, and we knew Olivia would be the perfect person to join us! Olivia is a writer, editor, and digital content creator. She's also a massive B&BW candle aficionado. We talk fall recipes, getaways, decor, movies, books and of course.. CANDLES. If you are wondering what a...

Oct 14, 20201 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 144

Bad on Politics #8: Yvanna Cancela

Yvanna Cancela represents Nevada's 10th district in the State Senate, and is the first latina to ever serve in the chamber. Today she joins us to share all the ways you can *still* get involved and make a difference this election. With the election coming SO SOON it's important to get clarity on the process and the ways that you can donate your time (or money) to help the causes you care about. As the first ever latina to serve in the State Senate, Yvanna is wildly aware of the gender and racial...

Oct 09, 202034 minSeason 1Ep. 143

Grace interviews Becca!

Today's guest was a huge get for the podcast… JK, it's Becca! Last December, we took turns interviewing each other and had such a great time doing it that we decided to do it again. So today, Becca is in the hot seat; answering all of your questions about life, career, family, friendships, and quarantine. We also get the RomComPods origin story. Other burning questions: will she ever get a dog? Would she write an Idea of You FanFic? A book about organization? Could she see herself as a full time...

Oct 07, 20201 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 142

Majesty (American Royals #2) Book Club w/ Guest: Katharine McGee

Today we're discussing our September book club pick: Majesty (American Royals book #2) by Katharine McGee. We're also joined by the author herself to get a behind the scenes peek at the writing process, the real-life royal inspiration moments, and gossip on what's next for this series. We loved this book and can't wait to talk about it with you. Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group . More Katharine McGee: @katharinemcgee katharinemcgee.com Katharine McGee Book Recs: American Wife by Curt...

Sep 30, 20201 hr 40 minSeason 1Ep. 141

Career Q&A Part 2 [Corrected]

We are back to answer more of your career questions! In this episode we dig a little deeper into some of your more specific situations and hear from a listener looking to transition from the dental field into marketing, someone who's boss refuses to give them feedback, and someone debating what to do about their maternity leave. We also tackle some questions on work and Covid — from motivation to desk decor. "Finding a new career" book recs: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The Career Code by Hill...

Sep 23, 20201 hr 34 minSeason 1Ep. 140

Gross on Paper is here!

It's finally here - the Grossy Pelosi / Bad on Paper crossover episode (AKA Gross on Paper). Dan Pelosi is the creator behind the Instagram account @grossypelosi and website, danpelosi.com. Today, he joins us to talk all things food! Dan shares his cooking origin story: from a childhood spent in his grandparents kitchen to having his own platform. He runs down a list of meals for when you are trying to impress or just decompress, gives grocery shopping tips, and chats ways to repurpose leftovers...

Sep 16, 20201 hr 28 minSeason 1Ep. 139

Career Q&A Part 1!

It's been a while since we have talked about our jobs and answered your career questions so today… we're doing it! We got so many questions that we split 'em up into two episodes, so stay tuned for part 2! Today we have a mix of personal questions about our careers and some of your more meaty, specific scenarios. We dig into the different ways we have built up our audience and client base, vetting clients and determining your worth. We talk about our 5-10 year plan (more like, lack thereof!), gr...

Sep 09, 20201 hr 32 minSeason 1Ep. 138

Venita Aspen on her new podcast, cooking, and Charleston living.

In this episode we are joined by Venita Aspen, an influencer, model, creative, and co-host of the newly launched podcast, Group Chat Realness. Venita tells us about everything from working fashion week to culinary school and her journey to the career she has today — owning her own creative agency, The Aspen Agency. We dive into what keeps her creative and inspired, and how she takes care of herself (mentally, physically, brows & skincare). We learn more about the Aspen Agency, her life as an...

Sep 02, 20201 hr 17 minSeason 1Ep. 137

Bad on Politics #7: Stef Feldman, Biden Harris 2020 National Policy Director, on Joe Biden's Policies

Joining us today is Stef Feldman, the National Policy Director for Vice President Joe Biden's Presidential Campaign. Stef walks us through her career path from local government in Atlanta to the White House, shedding light on how important it is to work with a political candidate that inspires you and how Joe Biden has inspired and empowered her. She shares her experience working on the campaign, the day-to-day of her job, and then we dive into Biden's policies and perspectives. We talk about ho...

Aug 28, 202045 minSeason 1Ep. 136

The Comeback Book Club

For our August Book Club we read The Comeback by Ella Berman. The book follows Grace Turner, a young actress who disappeared from Hollywood at the height of her career. During her rise to fame as a teenager, she was sexually and emotionally abused by Abel Yorke, the director who made her famous. After she's invited to present him with a lifetime achievement award she begins to plot her revenge. Even though Grace is a pretty unlikeable character we still loved her story and root for her revenge. ...

Aug 26, 20201 hr 9 minSeason 1Ep. 135

A game of 'Would You Rather'

We decided to do a lighter episode this week. On instagram we asked you to propose some fun 'would you rather' scenarios and boy, did you deliver! Some are crazy (but for better or worse we still made our choice!), some are silly, and we definitely didn't agree on everything. Which one of us would give up booze? Which one would give up travel? Who would rather have a lobster claw for an arm than a floor length white beard? What could make us give up books? What about quarantining forever? You ca...

Aug 19, 202052 minSeason 1Ep. 134
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