On this episode of Couple collective, I interview an individual rather than a couple. TJ is the founder of Studio Pod, a podcasting studio in San Francisco where I have been recording the latest episodes. He discusses being married to someone he was in a relationship with for a quarter of his life and how he bounced back. Tune in and learn why being selfless and not putting your needs and wants upfront might actually be harmful, and how timing plays a key role when getting involved with a new person.

If you are interested in a particular topic we discussed, below I’ve included time stamps that you can click on to jump ahead (only on Spotify)

• (02:47) - On TJ’s current relationship status and his former marriage: “I think when I ended and I moved back, that was kind of like the scariest thing to think about is like… starting over”
• (06:08) - TJ elaborates on what he means by saying he was "aggressively single"
• (09:20) - I ask TJ, "Did you not know who you were in your last relationship?", and he provides his family and friends thoughts
• (17:02) - Why does timing matter?
• (21:29) - “I see myself as like a piece of clay, and I can mold myself to the person that I am with [...] and it gets me in trouble.”
• (23:04) - What do you want to take from a platform like Couple Collective? - “I just want to know how couples deal with adversity”

This particular episode was recorded and edited by StudioPod in San Francisco; you can tell the quality is a vast improvement from my earlier episodes. If you are local to the Bay check them out; if not, but want editing love and help with your show notes, they can help you out too. As always, you can continue to engage beyond the podcast on the website www.couplecollective.com and via our social channels @couplecollective; I want to hear your stories and your feedback. If I’m bringing value, please subscribe and share with those that may pull value from this as well. If you find value in the idea behind Couple Collective, but feel I am missing the mark, please let me know what you would like to see and hear. Much Love!

Cover art by Laurie Berger (www.laurenjanestudio.com)