Ashton grew up in a super conservative and religious home, didn't date in high school, and had her first kiss when she was 18... But that was then. Things are a bit different now!
Ashton is now in her forties and has been practicing polyamory and non-monogamy for about 15 years. As she describes it, when she found polyamory it was as if the heavens opened up and the angels sang. While she's no longer a member of the fundamentalist church she grew up in, she has been very involved in the United Church of Christ since college and at one point was even a Deacon.
Ashton's friendships are often ambiguous as she prefers to let connections find their natural level and she currently has what she calls "a squad of lover-friends."
Join us today for this wonderful conversation as Ashton shares with us her journey of exploring her sexual and relationship identities while raising a daughter and being a dedicated member of her local church community.
Ashton also helps lead and organize non-monogamy events and groups in the Fargo area. You can find more information here!
Check out the full show notes here.
Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026!
Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!
Click here to order your very own NNM shirt!
$10 Off - Online STI Testing
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Big Event Announcement!
Join us May 1-3, 2026 in Florida for our biggest in-person event ever!
Check out the Relationship Recess webpage and get your ticket here!
Check out the launch video here!
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Ep 416 - Rachel: Round 2
It’s been about two years since we last talked with Rachel on Episode 307 and a LOT has changed… As always, no need to go back and listen to get a ton out of this conversation!
Rachel has been non-monogamous for about 15 years and for about the last two years she’s been exploring solo polyamory. For as long as she can remember she’s always wanted to be a parent and a little over a year ago she made the decision to have a child using a donor without having a co-parent… Or, as she calls it: Rogue Mom.
In our conversation today Rachel talks about the challenges of being a woman in her thirties watching her biological clock tick down as she tries to build a career and life that society deems adequate for raising kids. However, Rachel's life and career don't need to meet society's expectations and standards because what truly matters is that they meet her own.
Rachel takes us through her decision to go rogue and everything she had to go through to make it actually happen. She also shares with us how she’s built an incredible support team around her made up of family, friends, professionals, and her community.
This is such a beautiful conversation full of love and joy as Rachel shares her excitement around becoming a Rogue Mom just a few months from when recorded this. There’s even a surprise or two hidden in here! Enjoy!
A bit more about Rachel taken straight from her website:
Rachel Lark is a writer, composer, and performer known for her incisive and catchy anthems about taboo topics. Lark’s music has been heralded for blending heartfelt lyrics with biting political satire, fearless authenticity, and raunchy wit. She is the creator of Coming Soon: A New Rock Musical which sold out its two week run in San Francisco and earned the highest rating from the San Francisco Chronicle. She was named one of the most powerful LGBTQ voices of San Francisco by SF Magazine and Salon Magazine called her “the poster girl for period sex.”
Lark’s work empowers people to chase connection, pleasure and political action by inviting audiences into a shared cathartic experience of mutual recognition and dissatisfaction with the status quo. Her razor-sharp perspective invites anyone (even those with opposing views) to dream up a better world.
Please check out all of Rachel’s work on her website and support her on Patreon!
Check out the full show notes here.
Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!
Click here to order your very own NNM shirt!
$10 Off - Online STI Testing
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Ep 415 - Ryan
Ryan first started experiencing a cognitive dissonance with regards to relationships pretty much from the beginning of dating in high school. In many ways, relationships just didn’t make sense to him in his twenties so he basically took a break and focused on things he did enjoy rather than trying to force his way into the dating game.
At about age 30 Ryan discovered some books and podcasts that introduced him to the idea of non-monogamy and polyamory and the rest is history… He dove right in. Over the last 14 years Ryan has been practicing non-monogamy in various configurations including a quad, a triad, and also being with his partner monogamously as life required at times.
Ryan also shares his experience in navigating relationships as someone who realized a few years ago in his late thirties that he’s autistic. As he describes it “It would be easier for me to solve a Rubik’s cube with my feet while blindfolded than to read non-verbal and social cues.” Even though he doesn’t have a medical diagnosis, his realization is helping him find tools that have made a huge difference in his life.
This is a wonderful conversation and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Check out the full show notes here.
Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!
Click here to order your very own NNM shirt!
$10 Off - Online STI Testing
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Ep 414 - Eileen
"It's funny... I was monogamous for nine years with a man and now I'm a lesbian and I'm polyamorous... So, life can really take you by surprise."
There really isn't a better synopsis than that of what our conversation today with Eileen is about. Her story is incredibly powerful and shares echos of previous interviews we've had with women who thought for so long that they were super straight only to realize that wasn't exactly the case. Eileen digs into her journey of coming out and embracing polyamory in a a confusing world where neither of those "options" are really even options for most young women.
A bit more about Eileen from her website:
I'm Eileen Hanley, an actor, singer, filmmaker and Aries originally from Portland, Maine and based in New York City. My work uses both comedy and drama to explore the dichotomy of good and evil, focusing on complex, morally grey queer women.
I am passionate about telling stories of complicated, deeply flawed people struggling to do the right thing. I like to see people get messy, on screen, onstage, in song, and that is the type of work I like to make.
Learn more about Eileen and all of her work including her short film "What Are We?" on her website!
Check out the full show notes here.
Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!
Click here to order your very own NNM shirt!
$10 Off - Online STI Testing
About Normalizing Non-Monogamy - Interviews in Polyamory and Swinging
Hi! We’re Emma and Fin! We’re a married couple in our thirties who have been exploring non-monogamy for over 15 years. Every week we interview people from across the spectrums of gender, sexuality, and relationship styles to hear their amazing stories.
Many of our guests identify as swingers or polyamorous. However, quite a few have redefined non-monogamy in their own way by creating a unique dynamic that works for them. We hope that by giving a voice to the diverse community exploring non-monogamy that we can show people they are not alone and inspire them to embrace their true selves so that, together, we can open minds and live authentically without shame.
We hope you enjoy the show and who knows, maybe someday you’ll even be up for sharing your own story. We’d love to hear it!
Listen to Normalizing Non-Monogamy - Interviews in Polyamory and Swinging, On Purpose with Jay Shetty and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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