Best Charlie Bleecker Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 58: Virginia DeLuca 51:16

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26d ago51:16

51:16

Here’s what I learned from my conversation with Virginia DeLuca about her memoir, If You Must Go, I Wish You Triplets: -When you include your thoughts that are unkind, immature, or that you’re embarrassed to admit, it’s funny and relatable. “In the bedroom, I grab two boxes and throw in Perry's shirts, belts, ties, underwear, shorts, and pants, and…

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Episode 57: Kate Gies 1:05:23

2M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

Here’s what I learned from my conversation with Kate Gies, author of It Must Be Beautiful To Be Finished: -The key to writing about someone you love who you’ve also been hurt by, is to write with empathy. Think about their perspective and their experience and be generous and loving when you do. -Be wary of the please-feel-bad-for-me voice -Analogie…

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Episode 56: Amy Wilson 53:24

3M ago53:24

53:24

A conversation with the author of Happy To Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser. LINKS Books: Happy To Help When Did I Get Like This? Essay: Why I Didn't Want A Girl (originally titled: A Daughter At Last) Podcast: What Fresh Hell? References: Mom 2.0 Conference Booked Author series Zibby Retreat (Santa Barbara)…

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Episode 55: Happy To Help by Amy Wilson 29:19

4M ago29:19

29:19

Here’s what I learned from Happy To Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser by Amy Wilson: Include your fantasies. It’s especially funny if you can incorporate four levels in the build up to the punchline: First: set the scene—what’s about to happen Second: set the stakes—why is this a big deal Third: fantasy/a positive hypothetical of what’s to come …

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Episode 54: Here After by Amy Lin 27:08

4M ago27:08

27:08

Memoir deep dive #21 Here’s what I learned from Here After by Amy Lin: One way to treat your audience like a genius is to not say the next obvious thing. Where can I leave out what the reader already knows is coming? One approach to this: in every paragraph I write, where can I remove the last sentence? “I stare at the blank ceiling tiles and wonde…

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Episode 53: Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction 27:20

5M ago27:20

27:20

Here's what I learned from Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd: -When writing memoir, never insert present knowledge about your past if it means condemning your past self or celebrating your present self. -Avoid casual prose such as, "you know," or "bet you thought," or "ummm, hello?" This style of writing seeks insta…

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Episode 52: Sandra Schnakenburg 59:20

6M ago59:20

59:20

Here’s what I learned from my conversation with Sandy Schnakenburg, author of The Housekeeper's Secret: When you’re writing about a tragic or shocking event, one way to create suspense is to tease that something bad is coming. In the book she had a terrible accident on her bike, and at the beginning of the chapter a character calls out and tells he…

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Episode 51: Long Live The Tribe Of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden 37:22

7M ago37:22

37:22

Here’s what I learned from Long Live The Tribe Of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden: First lines should make the reader curious to read more. They can be surprising, specific, and/or present a conflict. It’s important to stay in moments longer by going deeper with details and going on tangents that add context. Write unsparingly about yourself to g…

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Episode 50: Still Life At Eighty by Abigail Thomas 16:59

9M ago16:59

16:59

Here’s what I learned from Still Life At Eighty by Abigail Thomas: Revealing the dark parts of yourself in writing makes those things less scary and less powerful. Simple, clear, no-frill writing can be just as powerful and moving as fancy prose. Lean into your style, whatever it may be. Sometimes writing can just be keeping a log of your feelings …

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Episode 49: My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff 26:28

10M ago26:28

26:28

Here’s what I learned from My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff: How to write dialogue in a novelistic or cinematic way: Include details about the surrounding area. The weather, scenery, anything the characters interact with, other people in the room. This is especially useful at the start of the scene, and if/when the scene changes. When you add cont…

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Episode 48: Sam Returns 33:53

11M ago33:53

33:53

Sam is back to discuss more marital arguments, though he insists they rarely argue while Charlie insists they argue plenty.

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Episode 47: Modern Love 22:53

1y ago22:53

22:53

I submitted a personal essay to the New York Times weekly column, Modern Love. In this episode I talk about how I learned about the column, how I decided to submit an essay under my real name, and a little context for what the essay is about. References: 39 Submission Tips for Modern Love Estelle Erasmus interviews: Noah Michelson Joanna Rakoff Abi…

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Episode 46: Three Sobriety Memoirs 24:29

1y ago24:29

24:29

Here’s what I learned from three sobriety memoirs: The Night of the Gun by David Carr: Interview the people from your past. It doesn’t have to be formal or recorded. It could be as simple as a text message to see what they remember about the event. This can accomplish three things: It’s a way to add more details into your story. It allows the perso…

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Episode 45: Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp 36:51

1y ago36:51

36:51

Heres’s what I learned from Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp AND The Elements Of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth. Anaphora is when you start each phrase, sentence, or paragraph with the same word or words. But be careful: readers always remember the opening words but often forget the rest. So when using anaphora, be intentional about what you wan…

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Episode 44: Writing Under A Pseudonym 26:18

1y ago26:18

26:18

Do you want to write under a pseudonym or not? I have been writing as Charlie Bleecker for over four years. If you want to give it a real go, commit to it for a year. Do my friends read my writing? No. Does my family read my writing? No. That is the whole point. If you care at all about growing your audience in a time span of less than 10 years, do…

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Episode 43: Life On Delay by John Hendrickson 51:56

1y ago51:56

51:56

Here’s what I learned from Life On Delay by John Hendrickson: On Structure: When you open with a big event, where something big is about to happen, it creates suspense. The opening is a pivotal moment. There was life before this moment, and then there’s life after. Around ¾ of the way through the book he comes back to this moment and finishes the s…

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Episode 42: How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart by David Foster Wallace 25:12

1+ y ago25:12

25:12

Here’s what I learned from How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart by David Foster Wallace: Rather than tell us how bad the memoir was, he lists eight (eight!) examples—all quotes from the book. Later, he explicitly tells us how bad TV interviews of top athletes are, then gives two very long and detailed back-to-back examples to make his point. The best me…

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Episode 41: My Fair Junkie by Amy Dresner 37:34

1+ y ago37:34

37:34

Here’s what I learned from My Fair Junkie by Amy Dresner: Amy Dresner is the second memoirist I’ve read who had a life changing moment with a breathwork teacher—Glennon Doyle was the first, in Love Warrior. So I found a breathwork person near me and did it! I don’t know if it was life changing but I definitely had a moment. Character intros should …

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Episode 40: Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz 13:43

1+ y ago13:43

13:43

Here's what I learned from Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz: Create tension by pairing repetition with opposites. Add playfulness by pairing something literal with something figurative. Show don’t tell: how can you show us you’re crying without telling us? Also… an update on my memoir!

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Episode 39: In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado 29:40

1+ y ago29:40

29:40

Here’s what I learned from In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: I can write a cohesive story that is made up of little stories, all strung together with a unifying theme. When writing about moments of inebriation or vulnerability, it’s funny to include present-tense comments of your thoughts at the time, like a question you thought, or somet…

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Episode 38: A Life's Work by Rachel Cusk 26:28

1+ y ago26:28

26:28

Here's what I learned from A Life's Work by Rachel Cusk: -Sometimes your experience of something is enough, sometimes it’s all there is. You don’t have to share wisdom or lessons; you could just tell people what happened, and there's value in that. -When you include disclaimers you water down the thing you were trying to say. It takes away from the…

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Episode 36: The Liars' Club by Mary Karr 26:43

1+ y ago26:43

26:43

Here’s what I learned from The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr: If I want to tell stories from my past that involve family members, I can ask them how they remember the same story and include their perspective by saying things like, “If I gave my big sister a paragraph here, she would correct my memory. To this day, she claims…” or “Lecia says that…” or “…

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Episode 35: Cheryl Strayed: On Memoir 22:57

1+ y ago22:57

22:57

Here’s what I learned from Cheryl Strayed: “The hardest part about memoir is the unfortunate fact that other people exist.” Every time she writes about anyone other than herself she asks herself a series of questions— Will this hurt our relationship? Will this unfairly invade someone's privacy? Will I be able to tell this story in such a way that i…

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Episode 34: What Remains by Carole Radziwill 23:55

1+ y ago23:55

23:55

Here's what I learned from What Remains by Carole Radziwill: -The best prologue I’ve read so far because of her journalistic style of writing. -Structure is so important. It should be seamless, unnoticeable; surprising but not confusing. Never linear. -Rather than attempt to describe visceral moments from my life where I’ve “cried so hard,” I can s…

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Episode 33: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 33:48

1+ y ago33:48

33:48

Memoir deep dive #8 Here’s what I learned from The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: -When you leave out thoughts and feelings it evokes big emotions from the reader. -Action and dialogue drive a story—not thoughts and feelings. -If you want to drop a bomb, bury it. Make it subtle, within a sentence. Say it and move on. -A long list can evoke big em…

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Episode 32: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin 18:21

1+ y ago18:21

18:21

Memoir deep dive #7 Here's what I learned from Born Standing Up by Steve Martin: -Breaking the 4th wall is when the writer addresses the reader directly. It's intimate, it's funny, and a lot of comedic writers do it. It's a fun way to make the reader feel like they're a part of the story. -The best way to be sarcastic in writing is to be subtle abo…

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Episode 31: Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle 33:57

1+ y ago33:57

33:57

Memoir deep dive #6 Here's what I learned from Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle: -Her book structure was as follows: Prelude (her wedding day) Part 1 :The Before Image (childhood to rock bottom, to pregnant, to marrying Craig) Part 2: The Explosion (being sober and married and a mom is hard, writing is the light in her life, and then the bomb is dropp…

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Episode 30: The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer 51:50

2y ago51:50

51:50

Memoir deep dive #5 Here's what I learned from The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer: - Repetition can have a lyrical effect, which makes your writing read almost like a poem. It's also a fun tool when writing as a drunk person, because drunk people repeat themselves. - Analogies are a descriptive way to be more specific and visual, and avoid cliches. …

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Episode 28: Viola Davis, Norm Macdonald, and David Sedaris 29:16

2y ago29:16

29:16

Here's what I learned from Finding Me by Viola Davis: - Never write: "Words can't describe..." because that's what writing is. It's describing things. - Show don't tell. Show the reader something is important with your words, not punctuation marks. - If you have an amazing story to tell but you're not a very good writer, consider hiring a ghost wri…

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Episode 26: Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner 46:17

2y ago46:17

46:17

Here's what I learned from Crying In H Mart: -Food is a very visual theme she uses throughout the book. What's a visual theme I could use in my book? -Specific, observational details are interesting and engaging. -Whenever you write about a person, you have to show the good and bad. People are never one-dimensional. -Litter your book with continuou…

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Episode 24: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey 35:20

2y ago35:20

35:20

In these memoir deep dives I highlight my takeaways from the book and how I can apply what I learn to writing my own memoir. Here's what I learned from Greenlights: - Coin a term for the title of your book. - Open with a powerful, visual scene. - "The choices we make write the chapters." - Take creative liberties: experiment with more dialogue! - R…

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Episode 22: Wild by Cheryl Strayed 34:39

2y ago34:39

34:39

Charlie is going to write a memoir. What better way to learn about memoir than to read them and reflect on them? In this episode, Charlie talks about what resonated from the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and how her notes can help her as she thinks about her own writing. This new format was inspired by David Senra's Founders Podcast. If you haven't …

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Episode 21: Polina Marinova Pompliano 1:18:01

2y ago1:18:01

1:18:01

Charlie forgets to press record on the first hour of her conversation with Polina. No matter! Polina is a gem. They talk about how they write and their relationships with alcohol. Polina shares her thoughts on personal writing and failure. And they end with a new segment they came up with together called Slow Burn And Smooth Jazz. You won't want to…

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Episode 19: A Confession 36:57

2+ y ago36:57

36:57

Charlie hates hates hates hates hates feeling stupid. And she did something REALLY stupid this week. References: I Hate Feeling Stupid Shrinking on Apple TV

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Episode 9: COVID, addicted to sweets and alcohol, and struggles feeding a toddler. 45:31

3y ago45:31

45:31

The Bleeckers got COVID. It sucked, but it could be worse. Charlie and Sam talk about their bad habits with sweets and their relationship with alcohol (not great, but they've come a long way). George has gotten particular with his food preferences which makes mealtime a struggle. They debate whether George is speaking words yet, and Sam calls Charl…

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Episode 8: The ups and downs of sleep training your baby, working towards happiness, and a lullabye. 29:53

3y ago29:53

29:53

Charlie and Sam discuss the mindfuck that is sleep training your baby. Then Charlie opens up about her chronic neck pain and anxiety and explores what it means to live a happy life. She ends with a song. You're welcome. References: Boyd Varty on The Tim Ferriss Show Zero-based budgeting The Disease of More…

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Episode 5: Letting the nanny go, Sam loses his shit, a recent investment, and how Charlie and Sam met. 25:51

3y ago25:51

25:51

Charlie struggles with her need to be liked and Sam admits a recent parenting fail with the newborn. They excitedly discuss a new purchase: suitcases!! Then Charlie tells the story of how she and Sam met and tries to articulate some thoughts around the idea that "timing is everything." References: The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fu…

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Episode 3: The honeymoon phase is over, finding the perfect nanny, and a rich life. 33:02

3+ y ago33:02

33:02

The podcasting honeymoon phase is over for Charlie and Sam! They got into a massive argument this week and things got ugly before they eventually (finally) resolved it. They talk about their recent parenting struggle: finding the perfect nanny. And end by dreaming about their "rich life." References: I Will Teach You To Be Rich with Ramit Sethi (po…

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Episode 2: Cringe moments, an unresolved parenting conflict, brushing a toddler's teeth, money talk, and The Bachelor. 43:10

3+ y ago43:10

43:10

Charlie sticks her foot in her mouth once again and lives to tell the tale. She and Sam finally resolve a conflict that occurred almost two years ago. Then they share their latest parenting struggle: brushing their toddler's teeth. They discuss their mentalities around money and talk about their recent purchase: a nursery chair for the new baby. An…

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Episode 1: Charlie and Sam kick things off. 27:10

3+ y ago27:10

27:10

Charlie is joined by her husband Sam to rehash their latest argument (it's not Charlie's best look). Then they discuss what they learned recently about parenting, talk about their 16-month-old son's struggles with swallowing food, and end with goals for 2022. References: How To Raise An Adult: Break Free Of The Overparenting Trap And Prepare Your K…

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#21: Lyle McKeany — Memoirs, messiness, and the meandering path to finding your writing voice 47:31

4y ago47:31

47:31

Lyle McKeany goes straight to the uncomfortable areas of life, quickly. It's what makes his writing so approachable, and unexpectedly funny at times. Lyle writes a weekly newsletter called, Just Enough to Get Me in Trouble, where he writes short stories about life, and being a father.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#20: Charlie Bleecker: How to write and publish every week, writing under a pseudonym, and the journey to write a novel 57:23

4y ago57:23

57:23

In this episode, we chat with writer Charlie Bleecker, who is the lead mentor for David Perell's online writing course, Write of Passage. We chat with Charlie about her journey to write and publish online every week, her writing process, and her decision to write under a pseudonym. If you're struggling to write and publish, don't miss out on this e…

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#19: Our 12 favourite apps to live and work better 25:58

4y ago25:58

25:58

In this episode, we each share 6 apps that we love and consistently use.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#18: Jesse Desjardins – Who do you want to be a hero to? 1:03:53

4y ago1:03:53

1:03:53

Simply put, Jesse Desjardins radiates good vibes. Less simply, Jesse led the team behind Tourism Australia, has helped entrepreneurs and corporate leaders on business model innovation with Strategyzer, and built The Guest Experience Map. Jesse shares his unorthodox path around the world to serve the brightest minds using storytelling as a way to co…

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#17: Book Review – The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz) and Conspiracy (Ryan Holiday) 36:21

4y ago36:21

36:21

This week, we picked a book each and shared our thoughts and aha moments on them. They happened to be on vastly different topics.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#16: Charlene Wang – Embracing your true self 55:43

4y ago55:43

55:43

This week we have Charlene Wang on the show to tell us all about her upcoming book (Model Breakers) as well as the LivingOS Fellowship: a transformational group coaching experience for high achievers.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#15: Being a minimalist entrepreneur 47:41

4+ y ago47:41

47:41

This week, we started off talking about Nate's daily routine and then dove into what being a minimalist entrepreneur entails. We also touched on communities and Nate's brand-new design course for non-designers.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#14: Tim Coil – How to get started in crypto 1:17:56

4+ y ago1:17:56

1:17:56

In this episode, we chat with Tim Coil about the fundamentals of Bitcoin and the blockchain, what are some low risk ways to get started in cryptocurrency, and where to store it. We also chat about NFTs, and what the landscape looks like for digital art.By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#13: The pros and cons of cohort-based online courses 45:36

4+ y ago45:36

45:36

This week, we shared our views on the cohort-based online courses that we've gone through over the last one year. We also rated each out of five!By Nate Kadlac and Reza Saeedi

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#12: Max Nussenbaum – The tension between being a founder and an artist 1:03:38

4+ y ago1:03:38

1:03:38

This week, we had Max Nussenbaum on the show as our first ever guest! Max currently runs the Writer Fellowship over at On Deck and writes a weekly newsletter called My Super Secret Diary. As an ex startup founder, we also got Max's takes on the tension (and similarities) that exist between being a founder and an artist. We also talked about writing…