Welcome to West-er-Wonderland, y’all! It’s a spicy centennial as Bay and Laura invent their celebration in real time, reflect on the first hundred episodes and do some scheming for the future! Do you have a celebration limit? What other ways do you want to interact with West of Wonderland as listeners (have you ever revealed yourself to us as a listener? If not… DO IT!! We wanna know you!)? Also: the power of developing ideas in partnership over time and not necessarily needing to know where it’...
Jun 28, 2023•37 min•Ep. 100
What did Bay do in Laura's dream, and what did Laura do to annoy Bay so much in hers? Along those lines, have you ever been curious about the concept of spirit guides? West of Wonderland explains and explores the concept generally, and Laura shares specifically about which guides of hers seem to be clamoring to serve right now. Bonus Question: how many groundhogs currently live in Laura's yard?...
Jun 21, 2023•46 min•Ep. 99
Two important questions. First, have you ever wondered about the phenomenology of a pencil? Second, what are critical questions that imaginative leaders must investigate to truly make a dent in the climate crisis? What's it like to "turn a ship" in your own life, and what would it be like to do it on a large scale? When does it turn out that a deadline has been divinely missed? This and other questions will be diligently attended to today by Bay and by Laura, with her old fashioned radio voice, ...
Jun 14, 2023•55 min•Ep. 98
Where do YOU practice “a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down”? Is it with peanut butter? Bay has an enchanted moment with an old friend that opens a conversation about the link between performing arts dreams, voices and joy. When do we shut down our creative dreams due to fear of not measuring up, or not wanting to be rejected or heartbroken? What’s possible when we open ourselves up to a loving, curious healing process? Laura and Bay get more vulnerable than ever about how vulnerabil...
Jun 07, 2023•47 min•Ep. 97
Are you a dork, a geek, or are you just here to have a good time? Categorize yourself! Bay and Laura discuss all things tattoo, slug drama, and walking on eggshells. And, breaking Walt Disney World news from this month — Bay and Laura's hot take on the closing of the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser! What place does "failure" hold in the kingdom of an imaginative leader?
May 31, 2023•48 min•Ep. 96
What do you do when you rope drop in Disneyland? Bay spills from her recent trip including intel on changes in Downtown Disney, and additions to Disneyland and California Adventure Park. Email Bay and Laura and tell them what YOU do!
May 24, 2023•32 min•Ep. 95
Guess who was recently in Disneyland? Laura gets a great download from Bay regarding her recent jaunt through The Happiest Place on Earth - complete with merch haul, snacks, ride experiences, and a thorough report for the Bureau of Complaints regarding Rope Drop etiquette! Enjoy this episode as a practice of appreciation.
May 17, 2023•23 min•Ep. 94
Hold on to your broomsticks, because in this episode of West of Wonderland, Bay and Laura spend some time addressing everyone's least favorite part of the Wizarding World fandom, the controversy surrounding its author, J.K. Rowling, and the trans-exclusionary feminist politics she's been vocal about that have had tremendous consequences. Bay takes Laura through certain events as depicted by the podcast series, "The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling." Join them for a vulnerable, open-hearted, self-ref...
May 10, 2023•59 min•Ep. 93
Get ready with your Panama Hats and Dole Whip Minnie Mouse ears... Bay and Laura wear their favorite Adventureland themed clothes and discuss some crazy facts and some crazed opinions about the parks! Which land was almost entirely missed by TV? Who doesn't want multiple perspectives on the first day that Disneyland was open and loose definitions of "party"? What is emotional squinting? Also: barre and barf, favorite shirts, and a new Peter Pan movie we didn't need but are pleased to have....
May 03, 2023•39 min•Ep. 92
Have you ever wanted someone to enroll you in use of oracle cards? If so, this is your lucky day. More importantly, Bay and Laura finally dive in to all of the powerful magical themes of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass). What if your soul existed outside of your body and was an adorable animal and advised you on things? Where philosophy, science, magic, faith and soul take different forms than in our world - what is there t...
Apr 26, 2023•57 min•Ep. 91
Laura's as obsessed with "Disney's Land" as Walt Disney himself was with Disneyland! Have you ever wondered what Ronald Reagan was up to on the opening day of Disneyland, or how Disneyland trained their first staff members? Explore the "pre-opening sea of confusion" with Bay and Laura as they discuss Walt Disney's creation of leadership on large and small levels, which goes on to define the brand and legacy of the Disney Company for years to come and completely change the game for vacations and ...
Apr 19, 2023•24 min•Ep. 90
All you need to know about today's episode is #justiceforbayspackinglist and #notmyfault. (We kid, we kid -- here's more: the ONE time Bay and Laura agree with Dolores Umbridge; a storied history of #church; patterns in transformation. Do you in-source or out-source important choices about your well-being automatically? Can you hold your growth outside of a right/wrong or judgment perspective? What the heck do pyramids and columns have to do with business development? All this and more. #notmyfa...
Apr 12, 2023•49 min•Ep. 89
In the battle between Disneyland Paris and The Louvre, who would win, and why? Laura shares inspiration and anecdotes from the book Disney's Land by Richard Snow, which is helping her with her Velocicoaster year and becoming more patient (what's patience?). Also: how long will YOU wait for pain au chocolat? What would you have done if Walt Disney asked you to buy land around his nonexistent theme park? Why are we whispering?
Apr 05, 2023•35 min•Ep. 88
WoW are biting their nails (in the past, but about the future?) in this episode which is one part movie review, one part leadership dissection, and one part general discussion of anxiousness. Can you believe it's been almost an entire year in the making? Why did Laura and Bay avoid discussion of The Secrets of Dumbledore for almost an entire calendar year? Will Punty ever get her due?! Will Lally get the spinoff she requires????!!!! ARE YOU BITING YOUR NAILS NOW?!?!?
Mar 29, 2023•58 min•Ep. 87
Welcome to West of Wonderland, where you'll explore the three most important questions of all time: first, what is time anyway; second, why is daylight savings still a thing; and third, why aren't Bay and Laura at a Disney park right now? Additionally -- a weird math, trailers for The Little Mermaid and Haunted Mansion movies, and the greatest motivator of our time: commerce.
Mar 22, 2023•36 min•Ep. 86
Welcome to West of Wonderland, where the primary question of the day is: what kind of wacky are YOU? Secondary questions include, but are not limited to: do you have a commemorative Disney 100 coffee table book? How about a Walt Disney quotes book? What's fun about unboxing, and why? How would you explain Imagineering, and Walt Disney's leadership style? What would happen if you stopped asking "will this happen?" and started asking, "how will this happen?" Plus, Laura cries about an Instagram re...
Mar 15, 2023•33 min•Ep. 85
Bay recently attended an extremely impressive drag show, and it's gotta be debriefed! Awe, magic, wonder, pure, unadulterated talent, and the difference between appreciation and appropriation. Also: COMPLAINTS AS A CURRENCY! And the difference between complaints on purpose, versus complaints that are disempowering! What does it mean to "be distinguished" about complaints?! Have fun with that! PS. Gisele Lullaby, we love you.
Mar 08, 2023•29 min•Ep. 84
What happens when your creative project feels like a velociraptor running across your life? What's in the way of shining bright like a diamond - in the present, and also in your past? Who is YOUR favorite Disney prince? Please submit a five paragraph essay to enroll Bay and Laura in your choice.
Mar 01, 2023•23 min•Ep. 83
Hey y'all, real talk: who else has tantrums when presented with new bicycles? In this week's episode, Bay and Laura digest recent Disney news items, including but not limited to TRON Lightcycle Run being in previews, and all the feels surrounding Splash Mountain officially closing in Walt Disney World to make way for Tiana's Bayou Adventure! West of Wonderland is pretty excited to swap a microaggression-filled flume ride for a fantastical food related adventure.
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Ep. 87
How can a book project "look different" on one person vs. another? Not all creative projects are created equal -- how could they be?! Everyone is a distinct creature with different styles, desires, and intentions! Laura and Bay celebrate and debrief the creation of Laura's first book, "How to Be Creative in the Age of Digital Noise," and discuss how deeply your emotional landscape can affect your creative process; how to understand and allow when your inner saboteur is working very hard to win a...
Feb 15, 2023•45 min•Ep. 81
It's February, and we find our heroes putting themselves in deep water and then fighting the currents! Laura and Bay reunite after a few weeks of ups, downs, and literal raging rapids. What does white water rafting have to do with breakthroughs? Why does Laura call 2023 her Velocicoaster year? What happens when we float around in ambiguity? Oh, and, conveniently, Splash Mountain has just closed for an overdue retheme in Walt Disney World - the water theme keeps on comin'! Let's go with the flow!...
Feb 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 80
The irony of this episode is that you're probably listening to it on the device we're critiquing... a smartphone. How do sinister empires benefit from our addiction to our devices? What do our phones have to do with the soul-sucking, undefeatable celebrity worship culture all around us? What does it have to do with fantasies of minimalism? Could we get any more esoteric in this episode?!! PS. My Little Pony, and royal family follow up.
Feb 01, 2023•27 min•Ep. 79
When and how are apologies a leadership conversation? How would you address your family ouchies (or not) if you're on a global stage? You all know that Laura hates a hot topic, but West of Wonderland is here to bring the heat. Bay and Laura discuss some British Royal Family drama that makes them long for a good ol' Disney fantasy story about princesses and happily ever afters. What are the cross-sections between intentionality, reconciliation, impact, and privilege? For the record, none of Bay's...
Jan 25, 2023•31 min•Ep. 78
What's the difference between a goal that fixes something that's wrong, versus building something fulfilling? Why should you create some low-stakes goals? How quickly *is* January going? What did *you* think about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Flarfennugens and dinglehoppers are abound in this conversation. Additionally, WoW is becoming quite self-referential; it's only a matter of time before it becomes sentient. 😒
Jan 18, 2023•25 min•Ep. 77
Did you get the memo about today's West of Wonderland uniform? On today's episode, Bay and Laura debrief even more incredible well-being support habits that were inspired by their time together in Disney World. With the right attitude, any theme park visit becomes the gift that keeps on giving forever. Laura and Bay also close the loop (get it?) on Laura's pre-trip roller coaster dreams, roller coaster learnings and breakthroughs; soul-filling exercise; and what have Bay's toes been up to since ...
Jan 11, 2023•24 min•Ep. 76
Welcome to 2023 at West of Wonderland! Everything is on the table for discussion today, as Bay and Laura decompress from their Mirror of Erised workshop, Christmas experiences, annual New Year rituals, and more. What's it like to envision a future less about circumstances and more about who you're with and how you feel? Why is it awesome to revisit stories and be transformed by them as you age? What is the relationship between giving and receiving? How many times with Bay and Laura end up in the...
Jan 04, 2023•39 min•Ep. 75
Two unattached adults walk into EPCOT... join Bay and Laura as they revisit key moments in their recent jaunt through Disney World, which include but are not limited to experiencing DISAPPOINTMENT for the first time in a friendship; hot tips for how to not wait a long time for big attractions; powerful contexts for vacation planning, and more. Don't forget that Bay and Laura *must* talk about the scale of enrollment among cast members, or it wouldn't be a proper trip debrief on West of Wonderlan...
Dec 28, 2022•36 min•Ep. 74
And we're back! Laura and Bay reminisce about their magical holiday trip to Disney World. Bay shares a new well-being habit she created over the vacation and it involves free packets of lemon juice. Join us as we debrief the parks à la Christmas, what we loved and how we really feel about Genie Plus. Find out what was added to Epcot The Day after we left, which is also going to be the reason for our return...
Dec 21, 2022•51 min•Ep. 73
Today's West of Wonderland episode was the one that got bumped due to the Bob Swap! So, please enjoy dropping in on Bay and Laura as they reflect on the end of November and look ahead to their trip to Orlando. Laura is trying to shop in Bay's closet and also get all of Bay's thoughts about a recent roller coaster related dream; empowering thoughts about powerful sportsmanship as it relates to leadership; Laura's confessions with regard to holiday decor... and more.
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 72
Why is it so funny to look back at your kid logic with adult glasses? Bay and Laura pick back up their discussion about Harry and Ron using the flying Ford Anglia, integrating a new story from Emily. What is your relationship to rules? Why are kid priorities so out of whack? This episode also includes reminiscences about Bay's ballet days, Laura embracing her true nature as a giggle monster, and a quick lil pl-imagining session about this year's New Years Workshop!
Dec 07, 2022•30 min•Ep. 71
