About two years ago, Brandice and her husband decided to limit contact with her in-laws after one of their children came out as trans. The in-laws couldn't accept it and wanted to lecture them about the Bible. But now, it’s clear that the family—especially the other kids—miss them. Is there a way to mend the relationship, or is the rift permanent? This week, Mauricio and Brandice explore what it means to be loving and how to hold discomfort in relationships. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Prod...
Aug 18, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 35
Melissa has two big things going on in her life: she's getting a divorce from her husband and she's recently realized she's bisexual. As she thinks about being single again – should she take this opportunity to date a woman? This week, Mauricio and Melissa explore how past relationships create frameworks for the future. NB: This episode includes reference to alcoholism and abusive partnership. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This sho...
Aug 11, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 34
Sophie loves her home in the village. She's surrounded by nature and she feels like she can be herself. But with climate events on the rise, is it wise to stay somewhere that may become increasingly dangerous? Should she move into town? This week, Mauricio and Sophie figure out how to weigh what your heart wants against the 'sensible' option. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so gra...
Aug 04, 2025•31 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Clinton applied to medical school five times after graduating college. He never got in and eventually resigned himself to that reality. And he's been living a good life since! He runs a business, he has hobbies, he's very happy. But now there's a new medical school opening in his province and therefore a new opportunity for admission. Should he try one more time? This week, Mauricio and Clinton evaluate how to know if a past dream still fits. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us a...
Jul 28, 2025•35 min•Season 4Ep. 32
This week’s guest is anonymous—but their question is one many people wrestle with: Should I come out to my family? Their family is conservative and religious and they worry that being honest about who they are could mean being cut off entirely. But if they don't come out, are they being true to themselves? This week, Mauricio and our guest explore what it means to feel like the black sheep of the family. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram ...
Jul 21, 2025•43 min•Season 4Ep. 31
Hallie has started to notice a pattern in her life: once she gets a year and a half into a job, she feels the urge to 'job hop' – to quit and move on. Is that an urge she should be listening to? Or are her job expectations unrealistically high? This week, Mauricio and Hallie discuss how to evaluate a job to know whether it's 'good enough.' The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so gratef...
Jul 14, 2025•28 min•Season 4Ep. 30
Bailey—an ordained minister in a progressive church—recently got married. But their conservative Christian cousin didn’t attend the wedding, citing his opposition to queer marriage. Until now, they’ve had a good relationship, and Bailey knows a conversation needs to happen. The question is: should theology be part of it? This week, Mauricio and Bailey explore the intersection of faith and family, and what it means to engage in productive conflict. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find...
Jul 07, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 29
Sophie has been a songwriter ever since she was 12 years old. She put out her first album when she was 16 years old. But as she's gotten older, she's been recording less and feeling more uncomfortable with the label 'musician.' She has such a mix of feelings connected to making music – joy, embarrassment, disappointment. It's all led to the question: What kind of relationship does she want to have to making music going forward? This week, Mauricio and Sophie explore how to exorcise the ghosts of...
Jun 30, 2025•35 min•Season 4Ep. 28
Today we’re breaking our normal format to speak with Brooke Williams , the author of Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment. Mauricio and Brooke discuss the Jungian concept of ‘synchronicity’, the practice of active imagination, and the power of attention. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supporters who make it possible. If you can, pleas...
Jun 23, 2025•23 min•Season 4Ep. 27
Elyse's mom died of breast cancer a few years ago. Recently, she's tested positive for the same cancer-causing gene that her mom had. That puts her at high risk of getting breast cancer too. There are two paths forward: she can rigorously test and monitor her health, or she can get a preventative mastectomy. This week, Mauricio and Elyse explore our relationships to our bodies and our own mortality. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- Th...
Jun 16, 2025•29 min•Season 4Ep. 26
Jolie Doggett struggles with boundaries. She's a classic 'yes' person – when someone asks her to jump, she says "how high?" She knows this about herself and she wants to change it. But how do you change something like that? Should she just go cold turkey? Spend a month telling everyone 'no'? This week, Mauricio and Jolie explore why we sometimes preference other people's needs and desires over our own. Check out Finding The Right Words The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our w...
Jun 09, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Stefanie and her parents have never quite seen eye-to-eye about the best way to live. Stefanie has sought passion and spontaneity. Stefanie's parents would much prefer she choose a life of stability and family. Now, Stefanie's parents have offered to buy her an apartment. But what would it mean for her to accept it? Would it feel like a concession to their priorities? This week, Mauricio and Stefanie discuss how to get out of black-and-white thinking. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production ...
Jun 05, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Theodora is starting law school in the fall and she's nervous about the workload and intensity. She's a hard worker and she's worried that she'll get totally wrapped up in school and won't be able to slow down and attend to the other things in her life. Does she need to change her relationship to work before it all starts? This week, Mauricio and Theodora explore how to hold yourself to your priorities. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -...
May 26, 2025•24 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Gillian doesn't eat pork and doesn't eat shellfish. It's her version of keeping kosher and she's been doing it for the past decade. Recently, however, she realized that she doesn't really know why she's doing it anymore. Is it still a meaningful practice in her life? Or is it something it's time to set aside? This week, Mauricio and Gillian reflect on the difference between 'habits' and 'rituals.' **There's still time to register for What Matters , our small cohort sacred reading program! It's a...
May 19, 2025•25 min•Season 4Ep. 22
This week we have a special episode on the topic of divorce. Vanessa calls her friend, couples and family therapist Colette Potts , to discuss common issues for couples, infidelity, and the practicalities of divorce. Next week, we're back to our regular format with Mauricio! The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supporters who make it possible. If you can, please cons...
May 12, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 21
There's certainly been a theme with our submissions lately! Just like our guest from Should I: Have a Child?, Emily feels pulled in two directions about having kids. She can imagine a very full life for herself either way. As she nears the end of of her biological opportunity for kids – is she ready to shut the door on that possibility? This week, Mauricio and Emily discuss how to make a decision for the future when it feels like that decision can never be changed. The Real Question is a Not Sor...
May 05, 2025•29 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Brandon runs a successful restaurant group with his husband. Things are stressful, it’s a lot to manage, and they just got a great offer to open another restaurant in a hip part of town. Brandon is seriously tempted, but he’s also suspicious of his own temptation. Does he want to expand for the right reasons? This week, Mauricio and Brandon explore how various stories from our past influence our motivations for the future. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Foll...
Apr 28, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Natalie has been ‘low-contact’ with her dad for a while now – she doesn't reach out or put any effort into the relationship, but hasn't totally cut him out of her life. Her upcoming wedding is putting some pressure on that resolution. If she does invite him, and he makes a scene or disappoints her, it will hugely impact the joy of the day. But if she doesn't invite him, that feels like a big line in the sand about the future of their relationship. This week, Mauricio and Natalie explore how we c...
Apr 21, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 18
In the course of Sarah’s life, she often finds that she has to talk about her migraines. But the reactions she gets from people are frustrating and sometimes really hurtful. Can she take another approach to these conversations? This week, Mauricio and Sarah discuss the large and small ways that chronic illness interrupt life. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supp...
Apr 14, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Our guest this week has always wanted to have a kid. He’s also aware that having a kid will totally transform his life! Is he willing to give up parts of his life to make room for a baby? This week, Mauricio and our guest explore how to make space for aspects of our identity that sometimes compete. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supporters who make it possible....
Apr 07, 2025•32 min•Season 4Ep. 16
About five years ago, River left Christianity. He felt constrained and needed space to explore and ask questions. Recently, he has been thinking about a return – but can he bring everything he learned on the outside back in? Or would he have to hide the new parts of himself to belong again? This week, Mauricio and River discuss the joys and drawbacks of religious community. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely fund...
Mar 31, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Meghan lives with her partner and daughter in Costa Rica, far away from the rest of their family. They travel frequently to see their family, but it always feels like a huge effort to do so. Should they quit traveling so much? Or would that deprive themselves and their daughter of necessary family time? This week, Mauricio and Meghan discuss the duty we feel towards family and how to balance that with our own self-care. Mauricio mentioned our unlocked Real Talk perk on Patreon, you check it out ...
Mar 24, 2025•26 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Elizabeth Rowe 's bookclub reading has started to feel like homework. She loves to read, but after a long day of work she wants romance and adventure and fantasy. Her bookclub, on the other hand, wants Tolstoy. Should she leave the club? This week on the show Mauricio and Elizabeth discuss the importance of community space. Elizabeth Rowe is a leadership coach. She's teaching an upcoming class for Not Sorry called Discerning Success. Sign-up here! The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find...
Mar 17, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Ray is graduating with a Masters of Divinity this year but they know they don't want to pursue a traditional path towards ordination. They do want to continue providing spiritual care and counseling to their community. But should they be charging for that work? Shouldn't care be accessible to people who need it, without being a financial burden? On today's episode, Ray and Mauricio explore what it means to have a calling and the complicated web of care, disability, and capitalism. The Real Quest...
Mar 10, 2025•28 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Anna knows she wants to be a parent and she doesn't want to do it alone, but she's never particularly wanted a life partner. Should she reconsider that position for the sake of raising a child? On today's episode, Anna and Mauricio explore Anna's relationship to partnership and uncover some of the deeper anxieties at play for her. The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our...
Mar 03, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Anna Goldfarb is a journalist and self-titled 'friendship expert' who is the author of the recent book Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections. This week she joins Vanessa to talk all about why we make friends, why we lose them, and how to keep them. Next week, we're back to our regular format with Mauricio! The Real Question is a Not Sorry Production Find us at our website | Follow us on Instagram -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our ...
Feb 24, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Devon always said that when she moved back to Ohio, she would start planning for the future. She'd think about all the big things: about finding a partner, about whether she wants kids, about buying a house, about planning for retirement. But now that's she's finally moved home, she's been avoiding all those big topics. Is she avoiding them because she doesn't want them? Or is she avoiding them because it's scary to begin? This week on the show Mauricio and Devon talk about how to stay flexible ...
Feb 17, 2025•31 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Serena, like all of us, wants to spend less time scrolling on her phone. She wants to make more time for community and deep conversations and joy. She wants to have some kind of sabbath practice. But what does that look like when you don't have a religious tradition to dictate the terms? This week on the show Mauricio and Serena walk step-by-step through designing a sabbath ritual. -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supporters who make it possible. If you...
Feb 10, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Daniel Schroeder's dad is Methodist minister, so he grew up in the church. But about 10 years ago, after he graduated college, he stopped going. Now, after all this time, he's wondering if it's time to go back. This week on the show Mauricio and Daniel discuss the process of coming out and how to carve out a sense of individual identity within your family. Daniel is the host of Let's Ask Taylor Swift , our newest podcast at Not Sorry. Every other week he and Vanessa Zoltan dissect a Taylor Swift...
Feb 03, 2025•28 min•Season 4Ep. 5
A lot of us have a checklist for dating – things we're specifically looking for (or not looking for) in a partner. After a string of unsuccessful dates, Katie is re-evaluating her checklist. Are these things she really needs? What if they're getting in the way of her finding the right person? This week on the show Mauricio and Katie discuss how past relationships can continue to influence you long after they're over. -- This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our sup...
Jan 27, 2025•27 min•Season 4Ep. 4
