Happy 25th episode, everybody — and welcome to the Season One Finale of That Wasn't The Plan.

Emily and Courtney sit down to close out Season 1 the only way they know how: completely unscripted, slightly unhinged, and somehow still kind of profound. Courtney opens with a literal cliffhanger, lands the plane on a calm, clear decision about her own health at 46, and then the two of them spend the rest of the episode doing what they do best — laughing, oversharing, and somehow turning a discussion about late-night jelly bean habits into something genuinely sweet.

This one's a love letter to Season 1. They recap their favorite guest moments, reflect on what the show has become, and set up what's coming in Season 2 — launching July 23rd.

Thank you for 25 episodes of listening, laughing, and showing up for this show. Season 2 is going to be even better. Go back and revisit your favorite episodes from Season 1 while we're away — and tell us which ones you want more of.

📎 Mentioned in this episode:

• Lindsay Brockman's tooth-flying moment: watch around the 45-minute mark of the Lindsay Brockman grief episode on YouTube or Spotify

💌 Have a story, a question, or feedback on Season 1? We want to hear it. Email us at thatwasnttheplanpod@gmail.com or visit thatwasnttheplan.com

📲 Find us on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube — search @thatwasnttheplan. All episodes are also up on Spotify and YouTube if you want to see our faces (filters and all — full transparency).

🎧 Season 2 launches July 23rd. Until then — please subscribe, leave a review, share us with a friend. It genuinely helps more than you know.

That wasn't the plan, and we will see you in Season 2. K bye. 🥂

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This week's guest, Jonathan Fitzgerald, showed up with a life story that none of us were fully prepared for.

Jonathan grew up the middle child of ten in Sarasota, Florida, in a family that could only be described as a force of nature. His parents — both only children, for the record — moved to Virginia to help found a Bible college and wound up with 48 grandchildren. His father delivered seven of the ten kids at home after reading nine books on childbirth, built a prototype birthing chair in his garage, and tried to patent it. Nobody roasted him at his 50th birthday party because everyone was too busy crying about how much they love him.

Jonathan's life goal since his teenage years was simple: be an amazing husband, be an amazing father, have as many children as possible. He did all of that. And then the 2008 housing crash wiped out his painting business, his marriage unraveled under the weight of financial stress and lost communication, and he found himself — sober, broke, and completely on his own — raising five kids between the ages of two and sixteen while working 7 to 5 for someone else and coaching two of them in football.

He never missed a practice.

"I've got way more content." — Jonathan Fitzgerald. He's coming back.

💌 Got a story you want to share? We'd love to hear it. Reach us at thatwasnttheplanpod@gmail.com or visit thatwasnttheplan.com

📲 Find us on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube — search @thatwasnttheplan podcast

🎧 If this one made you laugh, cry, or call your dad — subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it.

That wasn't the plan, and we will talk to you next week. K bye. 🥂

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(We open with Courtney's puppy accidentally getting marijuana poisoning. This is relevant because it sets the tone perfectly for an episode about a man whose life has taken approximately seventeen unexpected turns.)

This week's guest is Richard Ault — and his coworkers call him the most interesting person in the world. After about ten minutes, Emily and Courtney stopped arguing with that assessment.

Richard is a biologist by training, a technologist by accident, and a high school teacher by something that can only be described as the universe intervening at exactly the right moment. His story runs from a latchkey childhood in Bethesda, Maryland to the Arctic tundra, from a rooftop party in San Francisco that accidentally launched his tech career to the inside of Napster during one of the most chaotic moments in music industry history — and then back down: addiction, bankruptcy, almost moving into his car, and finally, improbably, joyfully, back into a classroom.

He's been sober for 13 years. He hiked to nearly 12,000 feet with his students two weeks ago. His favorite band is Tool. He is exactly who he appears to be.

Richard's closing answer to "what's the kindest thing anyone's ever done for you?" might be the best we've ever gotten on this show.

"It's stupid and corny, but — that wasn't the plan." — Richard Ault, nailing it.

💌 Have a story, a question, or something you want to share? Email us at thatwasnttheplanpod@gmail.com or visit us at thatwasnttheplan.com

📲 Find us on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube — search @thatwasnttheplan_podcast

🎧 If this episode moved you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear that the bottom isn't the end of the story.

That wasn't the plan, and we will talk to you next week. K bye. 🥂

Support the show