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The Hunterdon Collective is a community podcast about the people, places, and stories that shape Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Each episode highlights the people behind our towns — honoring the past while exploring the future of our growing local community.
16 Episodes
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Send a text In this week’s catch-up, Lina opens up about how hard it can be to feel grateful during a difficult season of parenthood. Meanwhile, Valentina talks about her first two months of homeschooling her daughter: what she’s learned, what’s surprised her, and why it’s been such a fulfilling change for her family’s rhythm as a small business owner and a musician’s wife. It’s an honest, reflective, and comforting conversation about finding peace in imperfect seasons, redefining suc...
Send a text In this episode, we sit down with Valentina's husband, musician and creative Ben Weinman to unpack how social media has evolved from the early days of MySpace and message boards to today’s hyper-curated feeds and algorithm-driven culture. We reflect on what it means to “have a following” in 2025, the strange overlap between performance and authenticity online, and how the internet has reshaped our sense of community, creativity, and self-worth. It’s a raw, honest conversation ab...
Send a text This week, we sat down with Ally Norton, owner of The Corner in Flemington, to talk about her powerful journey of reinvention. Ally opened up about taking a leap of faith and walking away from her corporate career when the stress began to take a serious toll on her mental and physical health. Along the way, she discovered she has ADHD, underwent weight loss surgery, and has since lost over 100 pounds—transforming not only her body but her outlook on life. We dive into what it take...
Send a text Summer was… a lot. 🌞 In this episode, Lina and Valentina get real about why they’re both over it. Lina shares how her “fun” summer plan of mixing different camps for her son turned into a schedule nightmare and a budget shocker when she saw the true cost of summer camp. Valentina opens up about why “back to school” looks totally different for her family this year as she steps into the world of homeschooling. From juggling unpredictable weeks to dreaming of the sweet structure of f...
Send a text Has gentle parenting gone too far? In this episode, we sit down with parenting coach and early childhood expert Danielle Lindner to unpack the growing backlash against gentle parenting. Danielle shares why the approach is often misunderstood, how it can easily tip into permissive territory, and what boundaries kids actually need to thrive. We talk about: The difference between gentle and permissive parentingWhy “being nice” isn’t the same as being effectiveHow to set firm li...
Send a text What happens when the life you thought you wanted turns out to be the very thing burning you out? In this episode, we sit down with the radiant and rebellious Michelle Keinan, somatic therapist, mom, wife, and former 6-figure online coach who walked away from the hustle, the clients, and the “you’re so successful” compliments to pursue something totally unexpected: becoming a DJ. We dive deep into what it really means to live a rich life (spoiler: it’s not about money), how to esc...
Send a text On this episode of Can I Be Honest, Valentina sits down with Christina from the Radical Stepmoms podcast for a raw and revealing conversation about what it really means to be a stepmom. Navigating discipline and household rules, dealing with tricky dynamics with the bio-mom, they cover the real-life challenges (and joys) of blending families. They dive into questions like: — Does it matter how old the kids are when you join a blended family? — How do you bond wit...
Send a text In this episode, our friend Lena talks about how the pandemic changed everything for her in terms of her son's education and how she pursued a homeschool route for him. She also wanted to pursue an education style that allowed her to spend more time with her son. Now at 13, she describes what her relationship is like with her son after homeschooling for the last few years. Lina shares her personal experience being homeschooled during middle school and how it shaped her views...
Send a text In this deeply emotional episode, we sit down with Michelle Thornton—a former teacher whose world was turned upside down by the devastating loss of her daughter. What followed wasn’t just grief, it was a complete spiritual awakening. Michelle shares how that unimaginable pain cracked her open, igniting a journey that led her to leave the classroom and step fully into her purpose as a Life Path Mentor and Spiritual Teacher. We talk about what it means to surrender to the unknown, h...
Send a text This week we’re diving headfirst into the viral Emma Grede interview on Diary of a CEO. You know—the one where she came for remote work culture and had opinions about modern-day leadership? Valentina (popular coffee shop owner) and Lina (corporate mama at a global tech giant) share their hot takes on Emma’s bold claims. We also go there: 💻 Why we AGREE with a lot of Emma's hot takes 👶 Why we’re not fans of gentle parenting 📈 What work-life balance actually looks like wh...
Send a text Trigger Warning: This episode discusses addiction, death, and grief. Please take care while listening. In this deeply emotional episode, Lina and Valentina sit down with Amber to have a conversation that doesn’t get talked about enough: what it’s like to love someone and co-parent with someone who struggles with addiction—and what happens when they don’t survive it. Both guests are now parenting after the loss of an ex-partner to substance abuse. Together, they reflect on: Loving ...
Send a text In this episode, Valentina and Lina get honest about marriage and modern relationships, and why love isn’t always pretty...or easy. They share how they met their partners, what keeps them together, and what almost drove them apart. Spoiler: it’s not always fairy tale vibes. There are some hot takes, including that instant gratification culture is ruining modern relationships and the myth that relationships should be “effortless”. They unpack why so many couples throw in the towel ...
Send a text Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of war, violence, antisemitism, and the events of October 7th. Please listen with care. In this powerful episode of Can I Be Honest, we sit down with Lielle, an Israeli-American who shares her personal story of living in Israel, volunteering during the Israel-Hamas conflict, and navigating her Jewish identity in the wake of October 7th. We talk candidly about the Israel-Gaza war, the impact of antisemitism, and what it’s like to ho...
Send a text Money conversations don’t have to be boring — or stressful. In this candid episode, we sit down with personal finance coach Kim Eberbach to unpack how the way we grew up shaped our money mindset (for better or worse), and how those patterns show up in our marriages today. Kim is the owner of WiseHer Wealth and is dedicated to building women’s financial wellbeing. We dive into why talking about finances with your partner can feel so hard (and how to make it easier), how to b...
Send a text In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of home birth with a raw, real, and unfiltered conversation. Our guest Janelle shares her full home birth story — from her decision to skip the hospital to the emotional (and hilarious) moments that unfolded during her natural birth experience at home. 🏡 🍼 We’re asking all the hard questions: ➡️ How do you prepare for a home birth? ➡️ What if something "goes wrong"? ➡️ What role does a midwife really play? ➡️ What would she chan...
Send a text In this first episode of Can I Be Honest, we skip the polite chit-chat and dive straight into the good stuff. Get to know us as hosts and human beings in this first episode!
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