Talking Shoppe with Deming-Rivers Social Club cover art

Talking Shoppe with Deming-Rivers Social Club

Talking Shoppe with Deming-Rivers Social Club

By: Deming-Rivers Social Club
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The best ideas don’t happen in a high-pressure boardroom; they happen during the post-work exhale, over a scoop of ice cream, when you finally feel safe enough to say the truth.

Welcome to Talking Shoppe, the official podcast of the Deming-Rivers Social Club (DRSC). We’re Dr. Essence and Dr. Emily—licensed psychologists, wives, and organizational culture consultants. It didn't take us long in the clinical world before we recognized that a lot of what gets labeled as an individual “mental health” problem is actually a systemic culture problem. You shouldn’t need a year of therapy just to recover from your 9-to-5.

This is what happens when two psychologists stop talking shop and start Talking Shoppe.

At DRSC, we believe psychological safety shouldn't be seen as the "cherry on top" for an organization. It’s the base layer that keeps the whole system from melting. In each episode, we’re moving the conversation from the therapist’s couch to the ice cream shoppe to deconstruct the "messy middle" of human services. We’re diving into the systemic cost of burnout, the identity work that actually matters, and the reality TV drama of office politics.

We don’t do corporate filler or vague wellness talk. We provide grounded, unpolished, and sometimes slightly unhinged psychological insights for anyone holding up the community. Whether you’re a nonprofit executive facing the "Founder’s Trap," a manager stuck in the impossible middle, or just someone exhausted by being in survival mode, Talking Shoppe is your space to chill, chat, and finally exhale.

Pull up a chair, grab a scoop, and let’s talk some shoppe!

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Episodes
  • When Education is Not Enough: Turning Knowledge into Action

    When Education is Not Enough: Turning Knowledge into Action
    May 26 2026

    In Episode 7 of Talking Shoppe, Essence and Emily discuss busy weeks, and do their “work wife, work overlord, and work nemesis” segment. For their last Mental Health Awareness Month episode, they focus on why awareness without accurate education and application falls short, noting there’s no formal channel for learning mental health outside training for becoming a therapist. They connect workplace functioning to mental health through executive functioning, explain how stress disrupts frontal-lobe processes, and outline executive functions. They propose curriculum topics. They close with their weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

    00:00 Welcome Back Episode Seven

    00:36 Life Updates

    02:14 Work Wife, Work Overlord, and Work Nemesis

    05:35 Mental Health Awareness Month

    06:31 Awareness Versus Education

    12:26 Training Without Application

    15:20 Why Mental Health Matters

    18:48 Executive Function

    25:48 Emotion-Based Policies

    27:36 Auditing Mental Load

    31:32 Making Education Culture

    32:47 Self Advocacy at Work

    38:52 Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

    49:28 Wrap Up
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    52 mins
  • The Value of Community

    The Value of Community
    May 22 2026

    In episode six of Talking Shoppe with Deming-Rivers Social Club, Essence and Emily open with their “work wife/work overlord/work nemesis” game. They continue their Mental Health Awareness Month revamp and focus on connection and community-building, prompted by a comment from a viewer. They discuss identity, values, code-switching, and how safety must be explicit, highlighting finding an affirming church that clearly welcomes LGBTQ+ people and helped them build community. They close with their weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

    00:00 Welcome Back Episode Six

    00:53 Work Wife/Work Overlord/Work Nemesis

    03:50 Revamping Mental Health Month Awareness Month

    07:10 Why Connection Matters

    09:04 Identity Values And Community

    10:44 Code Switching And Reinvention

    13:04 Finding Friends

    20:59 Finding Harvest

    22:49 Safety Builds Community

    24:07 Beyond Awareness to Connection

    26:42 Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T

    37:39 Wrap Up and Thanks
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    38 mins
  • The Problem with Mental Health Awareness Month

    The Problem with Mental Health Awareness Month
    May 13 2026

    Emily and Essence return to Talking Shoppe noting that they skipped recording last week to protect their mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month. After a “work wife, work nemesis, or work overlord” game. They discuss how awareness months often stop at posts and slogans without creating foundational change. They debate whether “stigma” is overstated compared to lack of access, citing barriers like long waitlists, poor-quality care experiences, and insurance complexity that disproportionately impact marginalized groups, and argue the month should emphasize education, assessment, action, connection, advocacy, and system accountability. They share underrated and overrated mental health tools. They close with their weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. segment.

    00:00 Welcome Back

    01:31 Work Wife, Work Nemesis, or Work Overlord

    06:11 Awareness Versus Action

    08:02 Stigma Or Access Debate

    17:09 Grassroots and Systemic Change

    23:12 Underrated vs. Overrated Coping Skills

    30:39 Choosing Coping Skills

    31:50 Beyond Awareness Month

    33:26 Mental Health Month Takeaways

    34:58 Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T Segment

    41:15 Wrap Up
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    43 mins
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