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Starting this season, I wanted to lean into gratitude for someone who was a catalyst in helping me get started as well as behind the scenes several on site events around MA. Madison Niles, aka the Side Quest Queen, is a model, actress, all around creative and soon to be nurse in the Boston area.
Madison is someone who has major aura and you can’t help but shine in her presence. Thank you again Madison!
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Local Threads Podcast on all audio platforms https://local-threads.transistor.fm/
Local Threads is produced, edited, and hosted by Molly Rae
Info@localthreadspodcast.com for inquiries
Music by: Moby Gratis
Creators and Guests
Host
Molly Rae
What is Local Threads?
Local Threads is a storytelling podcast documenting the voices of New England's creative community. Artists, organizers, and culture makers who shape spaces, movements, and shared experiences.
Welcome to the first episode of Local Threads of 2026. This episode is a little bit different because I'm not gonna record the intro and outro separate. We're just kinda winging it. This is gonna be a retrospective of last year and we hope for in 2026 and also to introduce Madison, someone that has been helping me on this journey since the beginning. Before it even existed, I'd just go over there and talk to you at it wasn't your mom's store.
Madison:Tammy's store. At Tammy's store. Oh my gosh. Yes. That was literally the beginnings of it all.
Molly:Before we get into that, tell everyone who you are.
Madison:Oh, well, hello, everyone. My name is Madison. I am an actress, newly signed model, creative, and soon to be nurse here in the Boston area.
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:I'm just starting out my creative journey behind the scenes and in front of the cameras in whatever capacity
Molly:that can to be in front of
Madison:Yes.
Molly:You know?
Madison:And I actually am starting to, like, feed into that side of me. Yeah. Like, you know, I think fearing the attention is, a big thing to get over. But once you get over that hump, you're like, oh. And I have, like, things to say, and so I want to share these things with people.
Molly:Yeah. Well, I've loved your vibe from the jump. So to get into how we met, I covered it last season when I had a store. And right down the hall, you're working at a A store that sold mostly like glass goods and crystals?
Madison:Yeah. Crystals, glass goods, vintage clothing, and jewelry. Mhmm.
Molly:Yeah. And I would always be having a full on crash out and go talk to Madison because she is literally like zen all the time. Like And I'm not. It's like I'm zen
Madison:on the outside, zen to others Yeah. But I relate to the chaos so We just
Molly:have such a calming energy. It's just like, okay. Cool. I'm having a panic attack, but Madison's chill. I'm chill.
Molly:It's all good.
Madison:Yeah. We're gonna come chill by the crystals. Like, get what we need to get off our chest, come up with a game plan, and go get some chips from the arcade.
Molly:Shout out to everyone at Winsmith Mill. One of my guests are actually three of my guests, maybe more. I'm trying to think. So No Rhyme or Reason is at Winsmith Mill.
Madison:Mhmm.
Molly:True to Peril is at Winsmith, and Millforge is on the same complex. And there's a lot of other businesses. Definitely go support them.
Madison:Yeah. There are so many fabulous vendors. Yeah. Shout out to Winsmith.
Molly:It's a cool place. Haven't been there actually since I moved out, moved studios. Oh my gosh.
Madison:Yeah. I don't think I've been there either.
Molly:Doing. But anyways, so we met at the mill and then yeah. I had this idea of the podcast and we got I don't remember how we ended up getting together. Like, maybe I told you about it. We we set up today to work on the podcast.
Molly:My studio was not finished. Yes. In typical Molly form, I was a mess. And if you're watching on video, then you can see the sign, the Local Threads sign. But if you're not watching on on video, it's essentially the same as the logo on the podcast cover Yep.
Molly:Or anywhere on socials. We made Local Threads with scrap sample fabric that another vendor had given me. Mhmm. Because I just hoard You had the tubs of fabric. Yeah.
Molly:It's insane. But I am the type of person that can't get projects started because I have ADD. So, like, all these other things need to happen before I could get to that point of, like, making these, and you were like, no. We're gonna do it now. And I'm like, you know what?
Madison:Yeah. Hell yeah. You're right. Yeah. Girl, what and it's funny.
Madison:You have a d h you have ADD. I have ADHD. So I think the key here is to have somebody with ADD and somebody with ADHD, and, like, things might actually get done. Think so. We need somebody with the directive and somebody with the energy to,
Molly:like, go. I do not have the energy. I'm like, no. I can't do that. I have to sweep this corner that I haven't swept yet.
Madison:No. You know, like, my process of
Molly:Molly make no sense.
Madison:Make the list and I will execute each one. Ugh. I just can't make the list. Couldn't put the list together. Look at it again.
Molly:I have so many to do lists in my it's kind of embarrassing. So, this got made and it turned out so good. Like, I could get a neon sign, but like there's no there's no backstory. There's no like canon moment. Like, this was the moment where I was like, oh, I can go to the next step now.
Molly:And that was huge for me, and that's why I'm like so grateful for you. Also, you made the intro for the video. So if you guys don't know, this is also a YouTube podcast, and there's a really cool intro, and Madison made that. It's like an animation. Yeah.
Molly:I wouldn't be here this far. I mean, I would have gotten somewhere, but I wouldn't have gotten here. So you got me over that, like, edge. I needed that push. What's your sign again?
Molly:I'm a Pisces. You were like, I'm a Pisces. We're getting this done. I remember that. It's getting done today.
Molly:I remember that.
Madison:No. No. No. Well, I just wanna say thank you for, like, letting me be a part of the foundations of this wonderful podcast. I just feel like I feel like we both, like, didn't know what was going on.
Madison:No. But I think when you came to me with your vision of what you wanted this podcast to be, it was just something so new. And then having that little bit of foundation where I knew who you were and the background that you came from and working in the mill together, like, I just believed in the dream so much, and it's something that I wanted for myself. Like, selfishly, like, I want a podcast that I can listen to and, like, find out about all these cool local creators and events and, like, just keep up on non fast fashion world at that. So it was something that I felt was really necessary, and that's what made me feel like, oh, no.
Madison:No. No. No. We're gonna do it. Like, one thing about me is when I see somebody who has a vision and a passion, like, I just wanna help bring that vision to life.
Molly:I mean, I'm flattered that you even saw that in me because and not just somebody that was yapping.
Madison:He decided to do that. No. All great ideas start with a yap session. Yeah. But I think what it was is like me coming and being like, let's actually do this and you being like, no.
Madison:Let's actually do it. Like that like, you actually were the catalyst for it yourself and being like, no. I will accept this help and, like, get the ball rolling.
Molly:Yeah. And I've been really historically stubborn about that in the past, like, not letting people help me or even looking for help. Like, it's really hard for me even though I am not a professional anything in this realm yet. Audio, video, editor. But I feel a responsibility to the people and the stories that they tell.
Madison:And it's also hard to release control over something that you have created because you're like, no. I the vision started here. It's only somebody else's vision that you're coming into.
Molly:So But it's also really fun to to know well, not fun. It's really comforting to know that, like, okay, Molly, you said some stupid shit. Cut that. Cut that thing. That's really the
Madison:Yeah.
Molly:The tea.
Madison:No. We need that. That's okay.
Molly:So, yeah, after that, I kinda blacked out. I don't even know. No. We you helped me do some promos. Yep.
Molly:That was I don't even use a teleprompter now. I just say stuff.
Madison:Oh my god.
Molly:It's a mess.
Madison:The teleprompter moment. Yeah. That was hilarious. I just want you to know that you gave me, like, my background for being able to say, like, yeah. I can, like, do some videography Yeah.
Madison:And, like, some photography and, like, some editing.
Molly:Like but yeah. What? We were like, I know. And I hate the the original videos because I was so I don't know. What am I reporting the weather?
Molly:What
Madison:is this? You were actually Yeah.
Molly:I know. What? I it was not it. Well, when you're new Yeah.
Madison:It's hard being in front of a camera even if there's nobody behind it.
Molly:I know we did query f, but did we do something before query f?
Madison:That is such a good question. I think we
Molly:might have. I don't even remember. I don't even remember.
Madison:No. I think query f might have been our first. Yeah. We did do something else together too. Boston
Molly:Caribbean Fashion Week.
Madison:Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Madison:Yes. Yes.
Molly:So Maria F was awesome. Shout out to True to Apparel. Shout out True. She had new releases coming out, new dresses, and she let us buy them before they dropped. Mhmm.
Molly:So that was great. And they were so cool.
Madison:So comfortable. So like fashionable. I wear mine. I have not stopped wearing mine.
Molly:Love people
Madison:are tired.
Molly:I'm so up because it's so comfortable. Yeah. It's comfortable, but it's chic.
Madison:Yeah. Like it doesn't look like it would be not that it doesn't look like it would be comfortable, but you're like, oh, once you get into, you're like, oh, I can, like, run a marathon in this dress and then show up to the fashion event afterwards.
Molly:So, yeah, that was really awesome. What was your favorite part about just like the Queer AF fashion show experience? Oh god. I think,
Madison:obviously, the fashion show itself was absolutely fabulous. Yeah. I love seeing the final pieces. But I think because I was there for the behind the scenes of it, I did like the behind the scenes a little bit more because I just felt like we got to have a deeper dive into who the creators actually were.
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:The story behind their brands, exactly interviewing some of the models. Like, I just felt it gave me that connection to then watching the fashion show itself and being like, oh my gosh. Like, I can see, you know, the inspiration behind this or that. So I really enjoyed the interview process, but, you know, I'm a socialite anyways. So I love
Molly:Oh, that's was really out of my comfort zone because I'm awkward. And I was just like, I don't know what to say. And then I enter like, I only use, like, a tenth of the content that I took because I just haven't had time to go through it. Mhmm. And there were I need to send some of that to Love Your Labels anyways.
Molly:But, yeah, that was a lot.
Madison:It was a lot. It was like boom, boom, boom. We're here. We're there. The models are running everywhere.
Madison:They're trying to fix clothing. People are trying to eat a little bit of dinner. Like, you've got coordinators running around. Like, it was absolute chaos, but in the best way possible. And I think you did really good for, like, your first, like, on the spot interviewing.
Madison:Like yeah. I think I think you did fabulously. And I think even though, like, everybody can be a little bit awkward, but, like, you're just funny with it, and it's not like
Molly:I left the house because I was running late. We were both running late.
Madison:We were running so late.
Molly:Oh my god. So Query F is a fashion show hosted by Love Your Labels or put on entirely by Love Your Labels, a nonprofit out of Worcester. And I live South Shore. You live
Madison:I live in Boston. Well, I'm in Arlington now, but Boston proper.
Molly:Yeah. It's so
Madison:like an hour each.
Molly:And traffic was there was some other, like, thing going on.
Madison:I think there was like a game or something going on,
Molly:like Or or oh, what? It was that rave. Oh, yeah.
Madison:There was a rave going on across the street. I
Molly:Worcester's its own thing because like, how did what do you mean you're having a rave on a random, like, September Friday night? It was a Saturday night. I don't even remember what day. Yeah. Saturday or Friday.
Madison:And the rave was getting out at the same time the fashion show was getting out. So, like, it started at six maybe.
Molly:Yeah. It was wild.
Madison:Don't know what Worcester has going on, but I'm into it.
Molly:I'm I'm here for it. Like, Worcester is cool.
Madison:Yeah. Agreed.
Molly:And
Madison:then we had fun, and then the year ended, and it was, like, so great. We went to dinner once. I I think that was that after Queer No. What did we do? Because we went to dinner after an event.
Molly:It was Queer Boston Caribbean.
Madison:It was Boston. Seaport.
Molly:I had like a thing to say about Queer Eye, but I don't remember. And that's why I'm like brain dump right now.
Madison:It'll come back to
Molly:us.
Madison:But if
Molly:I didn't have you there, I would've been terrified. My husband can't get behind the camera. I'll get so mad. Who else is gonna get behind the cam? Me.
Molly:You know?
Madison:Just know it's me every time. And I will gladly.
Molly:Because he likes to he just yeah.
Madison:You have to I think with this, you have to, first of all, I think, to a certain extent, a consumer of content. And he's not. Right. Right.
Molly:Like He I ask him to I'll be like, check my stories or check my DMs that I sent you. And he's like, where is And I'm like, get out of here.
Madison:Oh, babe. No. Go down to the mail. Mail emblem.
Molly:Yeah. What? Okay.
Madison:You know, my favorite is you ask somebody to take a picture of you, and they instantly hold the camera sideways. And I go, oh, no. No. No. No.
Madison:Honey, give it back.
Molly:Give it back. Too low.
Madison:Oh, yeah. The down the down at the waistline.
Molly:Yeah. I can't even
Madison:Hold up. Nobody needs to see my nose here. It's like Yeah. We're okay. No.
Madison:I got you.
Molly:There was yeah. Honestly, if I had to do that by myself, I would I would've lost it.
Madison:I honestly would've lost it as well.
Molly:Local You Threads podcast into 2026.
Madison:Hey, y'all. My bad. No. I'm kidding. No.
Madison:But, like, gladly. And, honestly, I would've been a hot mess if I had to go there by myself too. So you were supporting me while I was supporting you. I know that.
Molly:Was even shocked they wanted to read through the podcast. And I continually get shocked of people that want to do the podcast. It's just me. You know.
Madison:Why? Who doesn't wanna be a part
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:Of this wonderful movement?
Molly:Well, know, like some people don't, and that's fine.
Madison:Yes. No. That is. That is. But don't be surprised when people want to because this is a wonderful platform.
Madison:You're I've
Molly:had so many more yeses than I have at all had noes. And I think I've only had two noes. Hello? Yeah. Like and one person was just like, I don't like talking.
Molly:I was like, you know what? Fair.
Madison:That is so real. See? So you didn't even really get two notes. Yeah. It was like one Yeah.
Madison:Out of a million. Yeah. And you'll have a million more. But I think like impostor syndrome, we have We're to talk about
Molly:not doing that anymore in 2026. No. Know. Are so many Left. Other things happening that are also, I wanna hold space for that.
Molly:Okay. We wanna recognize the world The world, the country, the city, the town, the street is not right. No. We're not here to ignore that. Local Threads is here to connect you with your community.
Molly:And I don't know a lot of things, but I do know community is the answer to a lot of them. Yes. Find your people and And love on them. Yeah. Find your joy in the middle of everything else.
Molly:Because there I took a shower today for the first time in four days probably because depression and anxiety and fear and anger and all of those things are real. Everyone's dealing with them. It doesn't matter if you're doing something that you absolutely love. Doing anything right now is real hard if you are even at all tuned in to what is happening. Current events.
Molly:Yeah. And so just holding space and acknowledging that. Things may come up here and there in the podcast this year, and art is political. We'll never I'll never steer away from that. Yep.
Molly:But I hope that people can find a small ounce of joy in the middle of the dumpster fire that is current events. Yeah. On a daily basis. Like, it is so exhausting. So and I don't have kids, and I can't imagine having them right now.
Molly:So I used to be very much, like, black and white of, like, how can you not know what's going on or whatever?
Madison:Mhmm.
Molly:And I understand it a little bit better, more rooted in empathy and understanding, like, they're trying to keep their kids regulated.
Madison:Yep. And not even that, but, I mean, for me, working you know, I spent the past two and a half years working at an early education center in Mission Hill and working with, you know, low income populations, you you don't have time. People are surviving. And Yeah. You know, if this is your reality, you know, just know I'm sending positivity and light and and hope your way, but it is so hard to pay attention to the constant negative events that are happening while you have so many
Molly:Obligation.
Madison:Obligations and struggles. Like, on a daily basis. Everything is overpriced. Overpriced. You can't get care for your kids.
Madison:You know, you're trying to maintain your job. You've got all this illness going around. Like, it's just so much. There is so much else that some people have to focus on, and I don't knock them for it. You don't have time for politics when you're trying to figure out how to feed your you and your family for the day.
Madison:You know? But for those who do have the time to, like, keep up with current
Molly:It's your response. Politics. If if you have the time and the privilege
Madison:It is.
Molly:It's your responsibility.
Madison:And it's also your responsibility to talk about it. Like, not everything has to be a debate, an argument, an obligation to speak about what's going on. You can enlighten somebody. You can change somebody's point of view, or you can yourself be enlightened by another point of view you never thought you might have.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. For sure. So just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that this isn't a place for glazing over the reality. This is a place that I wanna uplift and talk about things that are happening in the community, but that's where we're at in 2026.
Madison:Yeah. No. And it's sad, but it's real. But I also have so much hope because of podcasts like yours, people in the world like us who are like, it sucks, but we are gonna find our little pieces of joy, and then we're
Molly:gonna get right back to it Yeah.
Madison:Alright. In whatever capacity that
Molly:the the hope wagon yesterday. Today is January 31, and it feels like January '65. Mhmm. Yesterday, I like, because I I took, like, a month off in December of social media, like, altogether. It wasn't honestly, it wasn't enough.
Molly:I was not prepared.
Madison:To come back to it all. Yeah.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. But not only that, like, I just feel like I'm parroting the Internet too much. Like, I'm just a parrot. And like, where did what are these even my thoughts?
Molly:Ew. Like, I was I was creeping myself out. It's like, I saw this on Instagram or like, I saw this video on YouTube, the fuck up already. Mhmm. But anyway it's it's sad, but it
Madison:is a reality. Like, a lot of us do get our information from the Internet, and I think there's nothing wrong with that. We are in the era of technology. Yeah. Like, you cannot hide from that.
Madison:Yeah. But, like you like you had the mindset to do is taking a step back. What sources am I consuming on a daily basis? These sources that are actually stating facts? Are they sources that are in alignment with my morals and my ethics?
Madison:So I'm not consuming information that goes against what I'm thinking, you know, subconsciously.
Molly:The algorithmic nature of social media has kind of just made me sick to this point. Ultimately, like, there's so much rage. And I 'm gonna try not to repeat myself all year long because I probably will.
Madison:I mean, that's human nature.
Molly:Yeah. But primarily, I wanted to also say that this podcast is recorded in advance. So some of my guests may be talking on a subject, and in real time when that's released, it may be a scenario in which that contradicts. So just keep that in mind when you're listening to any podcast, honestly, because people I'm recording, like, 20 episodes before I release the first one. So Right.
Molly:The order in which they release, I don't know. But this one's number one. I'm also gonna try to put in trigger warnings this year. I do have some people that have I mean, everybody's experienced some kind of trauma.
Madison:Right.
Molly:And there'll be some sensitive topics this year. Yeah. More real, more raw. Yeah. But also not every episode's gonna be like that.
Molly:I love a laugh. I love a giggle, and I feel like last year
Madison:a laugh and a giggle, honey.
Molly:Yeah. I feel like last year was too, like I don't know. I don't even know what. Last was Yeah.
Madison:Last year was serious, and Loki January is very serious too.
Molly:Everything is everything serious. Everything's scary. And I don't want this podcast to be, like, serious.
Madison:No. But I think staying true to who you are Yeah. There will be aspects of it in there because I'm in my self girl era.
Molly:Hello? So I wanna know everyone's trauma.
Madison:Okay.
Molly:I wanna help you through.
Madison:No. Like, hold my hand when I say this. We will get through it.
Molly:Exactly. Together. We're gonna cry. We're gonna we're gonna laugh. We're gonna break shit probably.
Molly:Hello? But I have been this year, I've been making stuff. Finally, I don't know. Like, before I wasn't making things, I had like this block similar to like starting the podcast. When I had a store, the whole point was so that I would make stuff and sell it.
Molly:I never made anything because I was sourcing vintage, cleaning vintage, pricing things, like, whatever, making content as one does as a store owner, but also, like, just sucked all the creativity out of me. Yeah. And then this has been fun to just, like, make stuff outside of the podcast for just me Yeah. And my friends. I've been making stuff for people.
Madison:Yeah. What kind of stuff?
Molly:Like the leather notebooks, and I made I made I've just been, like, painting on I made some collage. That was that was fun
Madison:as I love a collage. Yeah. I love a collage. Me too.
Molly:Yeah. I took a, like, painting that somebody was getting rid of, and I was just like, yeah. I'll take it. Because I was like, I can cover it up. It took me two years to, like, do actually do maybe it was a year.
Molly:I don't know. Every what is time?
Madison:It's not real. I will tell you that for a fact. Because it does not COVID showed us that all.
Molly:Something broke in the matrix when that happened. We For sure. Timeline jumped.
Madison:Yeah. Something. For sure.
Molly:Yeah. We're different.
Madison:Nothing is real anymore. Days of the week, time, doesn't matter. What matters is what's in your heart and maybe due dates that pertain to payments
Molly:loosely. Know what I mean? Sometimes when I feel like it. Right. Listen.
Molly:Heard. No. Seriously. Come get. I'm just kidding.
Molly:I'm a pay my stupid.
Madison:You know what I meant that in the sense of? If you will be receiving payment for your work.
Molly:Oh, yeah. I'm a need
Madison:Oh, honey. Somebody to pay me this year. Paying bills? Goodbye. Yeah.
Madison:You know where I live if you need that that bad.
Molly:I'm pretty sure. Come on. Don't come get me, Salem, but I'm pretty sure I have a ticket. I haven't paid in Salem for like a year. I probably have a warrant out my arrest.
Madison:You need to stop because I literally have a bill. Oh my god.
Molly:Have one too.
Madison:City of Boston. Don't listen to this. Got a ticket. I was just like in such a bad mood that day. Let it fly off my windshield as I drove away.
Molly:So I
Madison:was that mad. Literally forgot That's about so Boston coded. Forgot about it. My parents literally text me the other day. Hey.
Madison:Did you, like, not pay this ticket? It's, like, tripled in price. I'm like, I said I was gonna pay it and I forgot about it yet again.
Molly:Yeah. Thank you. Well, what happened for me? I was in Salem and I have a EV and I had it plugged in and I paid the EV like charger thing. Right.
Molly:And so in my mind, why do I need to pay for parking? I'm paying for parking.
Madison:That is the parking payment.
Molly:We got on a tangent here. We'll take it back to November.
Madison:Was that one the Yeah. The fashion
Molly:Boston Caribbean Okay. Good. Got you. I hate that I had to leave early because there are really great designers, but One had to leave thing I do know is that that was a cool show. A lot of talent is in Boston.
Molly:So much. There's so many fashion shows. I've never seen anything like it.
Madison:Mhmm.
Molly:People have this desire to create here, whether that's being a model, being a photographer, being a videographer, creating fashion, and I just haven't experienced that before in a city. Like, I've lived a lot of places, but this one, I just feel like there's this undercurrent, like, pulse of it Mhmm. That doesn't get attacked.
Madison:Yeah. And that's something that I am starting to realize as I'm branching out into the creative field here in Boston is there is so much going on. But it is like an undercover, like, unless I think Boston hasn't really created a space for creatives. Like, Boston is known as the like, an education capital, medical capital, not too much in the arts, I feel like, or if so, it's catered to a very specific demographic. White.
Madison:Yes. Which is, like, not even historically what Boston is actually built on, which is so funny to me. But, yeah, I think when the piano factory, if anybody, you know, anybody likes the history of Boston and the South End, there was a piano factory that was bought in the late seventies, I believe, early eighties. And the Piano Factory was actually the hub of creative energy in the city of Boston. Piano Factory was an old piano factory that got converted into income based housing for artists in Boston.
Madison:It's a gallery. It still exists. It does. Unfortunately, it has been sold out to people who don't respect creative spaces or historical buildings. So I'm not sure.
Madison:I think it's luxury apartments now, but some it is. I think one or two of the original renters in the Piano Factory still live there. I think they got protected by the by the state or something, so they're able to keep their units. But but yeah. So the Piano Factory was really, like, the hub, and it started a lot of artistic movements here in Boston.
Madison:And so once that kinda got wiped out, I think
Molly:People just kinda dispersed.
Madison:Kinda stopped. Yeah. Dispersed and kinda stopped seeing Boston in that artistic sense, but it's definitely coming back. And I'm so grateful to all of the creatives that are working hard now, the young creatives. Shout out Art Plug Yeah.
Madison:In Boston. Yep. I'm gonna say Don Don Noir Models, the agency that I'm signed with. Shout out to y'all. But there's just people so many people who are committed to recreating that scene and kind of building that fire back up.
Molly:Yeah. It just doesn't even stop with Boston. I mean, all through Massachusetts and New England, there's just, like, such cool things happening. Yeah. I got a lot of cool guests this year.
Molly:Heck yeah.
Madison:Oh, yeah. It's hard to top last year.
Molly:Everybody was cool last year too.
Madison:I'll say shout out the hustle list as well. Yes. Just did a content day or went to their content day a couple weeks ago, and that was just a fabulous event. But, like, creating spaces for young creatives to come in and giving them that environment and the tools. She had so much podcast equipment, camera equipment there, so many different backgrounds, backdrops, and then just brought the people in.
Madison:And I was like, where are you ever gonna find a space like this where you could just come in with people from all different walks and brainstorm together and network and laugh? I wish I would have
Molly:been able in the mindset of attending because I just wasn't. There'll be there will be more. So when did you because I remember last we talked, I don't remember if you had decided you were gonna go to nursing school or not or if you had applied. I can't remember. Yeah.
Molly:I think I was
Madison:no. It's so funny. I actually got in I got accepted into Curry and Northeastern in June 0, okay. Of last year. Okay.
Madison:But I was, like, keeping it mum. Okay. Because I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I didn't choosing Curry, and I put my deposit down in December for their accelerated program. It's a little sixteen month gig for people who already have a degree.
Molly:You're perfect for nursing because you care. Like, you just radiate that, like, energy, so people are gonna you're just like, I'm so glad people still want to do that job.
Madison:Yeah. After everything. It's interesting. I think, like, a lot of people do go into it because of the money Yeah. And the flexibility.
Molly:I don't think you can.
Madison:But you can't. And that's why I think there are so many, sorry, terrible nurses in the healthcare field right now. And that's why I'm doing it as my second degree because I had initially wanted to go in right out of high school for nursing, but I got two, three years into the program, and I was like, my passion is not there. And, like, when you realize how fundamental nurses are to the healing process in the medical field, like in the hospital, they are the barrier, but the last barrier between all of the medical, like the health care professionals and the patient. And you just have such a responsibility.
Madison:I don't think that they get compensated enough for what they do, but like when people are like, oh my god. Nurses make so much when you look at what they actually have to do I couldn't do it. It's a lot. But I agree with you and the fact that I care, and I
Molly:Your presence is comforting. So I know, like, for me, someone who is all the time afraid that they're dying, like, I would be fine. I'm like, okay. And, you
Madison:know, I'm gonna hold your hand and look you dead in your eyes and say, you're not dying. Either one. Maybe when we when we're not on the podcast, like, there's a different script, but no. I'm kidding. No.
Madison:No. No. But I don't know. I just I feel like, honestly an inherent duty to care for people that I come across. And I think I've never I've been grateful enough to never have a moment in my life where I didn't feel like I had somebody who care for me.
Madison:And I think maybe it's my gratitude and awareness of that that fuels my drive to be a caring person when I come across somebody. Because I'm like, you never know where people are coming from and care like, love in whatever capacity you receive it in can change you and it can heal you. And I think love has done so much for me that I wanna freaking give that to, like, everybody. I want everybody to be able to experience the love I've been grateful enough to get in my lifetime so far.
Molly:Well, how much did your mom being a nurse, like, influence you?
Madison:Oh, so actually, I'll be third generation nurse. Oh my gosh. So my nana and my mom both are nurses. It's so interesting to me. I grew up watching trauma in the ER, like, at three years old.
Madison:I was watching trauma in the ER.
Molly:Show?
Madison:Yeah. It used to be on TLC. It was, like, a real, like, real reality TV.
Molly:Than me, and I was, thinking back in the nineties. No.
Madison:No. No. We're watching trauma in the ER. TLC is a baby story. Like and so I wanna go into L and D nursing, labor and delivery for those who don't know.
Madison:But I think I was just I have always had an inherent interest in it. And honestly, my mom wanted me to go in for nursing. I think everybody can see how good of a nurse I would be. But when I decided to switch majors and go into English, she did not you know, I didn't feel like I was letting anybody down by switching over. But I'm very grateful to have her now that I'm back in it because I can, like, you know, just ask her, like, get background real life nursing information.
Madison:Exactly. Exactly. So it's really nice to have that support system. She's an incredible nurse. I mean, knows so much way beyond the scope of what she's actually worked in just because of life experiences.
Madison:You know, once you become a nurse, you're everybody's nurse. Yeah. So she she's dealt with things that aren't even on the nursing scale. So, just such an inspiration. And definitely, I feel like it's an honor to go into the same field as her.
Molly:Oh, she's such a light as well.
Madison:Oh my god. She's an angel on earth, Oh my god. Yes. No. No.
Madison:Seriously, like, I not to be cheesy, but I just like feel so You hit
Molly:the lottery with your family.
Madison:I hit the freaking lottery with my family. Like, love, love, love them down. Could never have I've never met your dad. Hoped. Oh, yeah.
Madison:No. You need to. He's the the only guy in the house. Feel bad for him, but, you know, whatever. But, no, you you definitely have to meet him.
Madison:He's another one. Like, just electrician, like, basically has renovated our two family home. Broke his neck. By himself. Oh, yeah.
Madison:Broke his neck.
Molly:Casually broke his neck.
Madison:Playing playing tag with me and a random girl at the neighborhood playground when we were younger.
Molly:And then just went home.
Madison:And literally casual no. I think he did go home actually. Yeah. And my mom was like, mm-mm. Yeah.
Madison:That was actually before her nursing degree too, which is funny. She was like, mm-mm. I just don't feel right. That's right. Like, let's go.
Madison:Yeah. No. Crazy, crazy things. But, yeah, he's another one. Just like the ultimate handyman.
Madison:So smart in politics, mathematics, engineering, like crazy. Crazy. Yeah. And then my sister who's the artist, self taught watercolors, acrylics. She actually works at Gateway Arts Gallery in Brookline.
Madison:Shout out to Gateway Arts. Go and check her out. You can purchase her pieces in the gallery or online. They're digital. But yeah.
Madison:So such an amazing, talented family.
Molly:She's also a media.
Madison:Oh my gosh. Yes. Let's never forget that. Yeah. Yeah.
Madison:We we had our moments in that house. I remember one morning coming down. She's got her pendulum. She's, like, communicating with spirits over her bowl of Froot Loops. And I was like, stop right now because there's already entities in this house, and I don't wanna wake up to them standing over my bed.
Madison:Yeah. Thank you.
Molly:Ripping them
Madison:I can hear is my mom back. What the pendulum down, Olivia? We're not messing with spirits this morning.
Molly:No. I love that. It's always got the, like, ghost hunting app. Mhmm. Which I'm trying to recruit a crew to go ghost hunting.
Molly:You have to do it. Oh, I'm on your content creator journey.
Madison:I would 100%. And we're dragging Olivia. I don't care. Scared or not, she has to go. You started it.
Madison:Mhmm. Let me know. Keep me posted.
Molly:I will. Summer.
Madison:And I'll bring my non believer boyfriend. Yeah. Yes. Exactly. To have a non Yeah.
Molly:Same. He's the same. I'm like yeah. Literally, this podcast is just a trap so that I can get people to to form a ghost hunting tube.
Madison:Count me in. We need
Molly:Abby, and it would be so fun.
Madison:I hope you guys know, like, get ready.
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:Stay tuned. When you see it, sign up for it.
Molly:So what else? What else? What else we got? Okay. So we'd went through last year.
Molly:Last year was kind of a blur.
Madison:And Nice. You helped
Molly:me with so much and were there. Like, the some of the biggest moments, like, Cory F was a big moment when huge. I spoke a little bit about this on the the podcast last year, but, like, when I first moved to Boston in 2022, I couldn't even go to public restaurants at all. Mhmm. Like, I could not read the word anxiety in a book.
Molly:I was not well. And I saw my moments. Like, anxiety is a journey. It is. TSD is a journey.
Molly:That's why I have a podcast, and I don't work for anyone except for myself. Amen. But for me to do, like, the interviews and stuff, just interviewing people on a podcast is already one thing. I'm comfortable with it now, but last year, oh my gosh, it was nerve racking. It was a lot.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Because I never know how the converse they they were always awesome conversations, but because I was, like, not used to it, afterwards I I, like, crashed. But, I was really nervous for query f. But, no, I remember I was talking about how we were late.
Molly:I left for the fashion show with my hair wet and I put like a bunch of product in it and then it just got really frizzy as hell. So all the videos, I I can't look at them. I was like, what the fuck? Really? Because usually I'm like, my hair is I put a lot of emphasis on my hair.
Molly:Yes. Fresher. One minute. If my hair was a human being, they would be so
Madison:Stress out. Erotic. Yeah. They'd be so stressed out because I'm like, you need to be perfect.
Molly:And that's why I had barely any hair left, a stub ever. But but I at that point, I didn't care because I had somebody with me. I don't not just anybody though, Madison, because you helped me chill. And you like, all the technical shit, you just had it. Yeah.
Molly:So I was like
Madison:Which is so funny because, like, literally my first time dealing with any of that equipment, but I
Molly:was like that stupid thing the day before, and it was going crazy. Crazy. It was was
Madison:two week leaking in a way I've never seen equipment called?
Molly:A gimbal. It was a gimbal.
Madison:I wanted to call it gimbal. Yeah. Did you I think you did
Molly:call Gimbal. Wobbler. I hate that.
Madison:Gimblage. Whatever. What is it? A gimbal. Gimbal.
Molly:Yeah. Dumb. I hate it. Like, you can't
Madison:It had a mind of its own, and it would be crazy because I would, like, get the perfect freaking shot. And then all of a sudden, it would, like, twitch. Yeah. And I'd be like, cool. Of course, do a cardio.
Madison:Video interview. Yeah. I'm like, great. It's not like she needed this content at all for anything after this moment.
Molly:And there is nothing worse than feeling like your hair looks like shit and then being around a bunch of amazing drag queens. Oh my god.
Madison:But girl, you looked fabulous. Like, seriously. I think we all, like, have this thing where, like, when you have expectations for yourself, you're like, ugh, I can see every little thing that's wrong with me. But on the outside, like, now I will say from the day I met you, you've never had a day where you look like All the same. I'm like, what's going on with Molly today?
Molly:You should have seen me this morning. And honestly
Madison:I did. When I walked in the door to the studio and you looked fabulous, and I said, okay.
Molly:All week, everyone that's been, like, doing the preproduction interviews with me for scheduling podcast probably like, oh my god. You don't look like your Instagram.
Madison:Stop. But you know what? People need to know. Behind the scenes, honey, we're not always glamorous.
Molly:I don't care.
Madison:When the girls are working hard, I don't have time to be in full phase, and I'm not gonna wake up and blow dry my hair for three hours Cause I have things to do. But when I sit down at this podcast table,
Molly:sometimes that's sleeping between meetings. I'm not going to lie.
Madison:You have to.
Molly:I do that
Madison:girl. I sleep in between my classes. People are like, oh, do you wanna, like, get started on that project? And go, mm-mm. I have a project, and it's sleeping in the parking lot for thirty minutes.
Molly:Parking lot? Oh my god.
Madison:Girl, I sleep in it. I'll park right in the sunny spot. That's my blanket.
Molly:Such a good idea.
Madison:It is. Sleeping in the car is amazing. Shout out to sleep My tired busy girlies know. Yeah.
Molly:Couldn't be me. I'm too tall, I think.
Madison:I used to do that on my lunch break. Girl, sit in the driver's seat, recline all the way back, and push the seat back. Gone. Yeah. Thirty minutes thirty minute lunch break.
Madison:I'd be like, I'm in the parking lot.
Molly:Come find me. I can't sleep with, like, all that shit going on. I need, like, a little cave. But I do think the sun would be nice.
Madison:It is. You could even keep just a little sleep mask in your car. I'm telling you, ma, I have a blanket
Molly:in
Madison:my car right now. Like, I'm not joking. Boston series. Literally. And I'm not losing my parking spot.
Molly:Yeah. Like, no. I'll go eat my car or watch. Hello?
Madison:Innovation.
Molly:Yeah. It's called time management.
Madison:It actually is. Yeah. That's why I love you guys don't have it.
Molly:Gotta get on this level. Ignatian. Car nap. So when do you you start nursing school on Monday.
Madison:I started. No. What? Yeah.
Molly:I thought you didn't start yet.
Madison:No. I started on the twentieth. Yeah. So we're, like, going into our third week. The quizzes are starting.
Madison:I am nervous.
Molly:You're gonna do But, yeah, like No doubt.
Madison:I don't have it. I took out student loans. Like, I don't have an option to not succeed right now.
Molly:But I feel like when you do have that pressure, it's necessary. Mhmm. You know how hard it is? Like, now this is gonna sound really tone deaf, but, like, having a podcast and having nobody to answer to is almost worse. Yeah.
Molly:It is. Like, I don't know what it is. And maybe there's like a complex and maybe I need to look it up. Like, what is it exactly that keeps me from working so hard for myself that I would for other motherfucking people? Girl.
Madison:And that
Molly:drives me crazy. I don't know what that's called. I really do. A disorder for that.
Madison:I mean, like, probably, do we need another one added to our list? No. I think
Molly:it's just being raised in capitalism.
Madison:You know what I think it is? I think it is I think it all boils down to self confidence and self esteem. Because when you I feel like not specifically your position, your scenario also.
Molly:Self esteem sucks.
Madison:I'm not a psychiatrist or a therapist, but I feel like in myself because I have the same issue of, like, why am I why will I literally jump start some podcast when I have a million projects and things I wanna do for myself? But I think it all go boils down to fear, not feeling like, I don't know, not necessarily that you're not, like, deserving of the work that you would put in, but in a low like, in a small sense, kind of. Yeah. Of, like, not believing that the end vision could be real. Yeah.
Madison:And so you're like, why would I even put in that work when I'm just gonna fail?
Molly:Yeah. I think there's probably that, but also, like, we're so trained to be a cog in the machine unless you're, like, you know, someone that's promoted a lot. And if you're a woman or a POC, no.
Madison:Hello. Hello.
Molly:So you're always like looking for that approval. And there's no accolades coming from, you know, when I hit publish. Like, yes, people do DM me and thank you. If you enjoy the episode, please DM me. Tell me how much you love it so I can keep going.
Madison:That hit a pat on the We need the support.
Molly:But yeah, it's hard. It is hard. It's weird. Like why am I gonna go? I don't know.
Molly:You know what else?
Madison:I do know. I think it's also hard, like managing a business when you have anxiety and depression. Yeah. I mean, have functional depression and thank God because that is the thing that gets me up some days. But like, there are those days where we're just not doing anything for three days at
Molly:a It's hard. It's hard. It's a lot worse now. It says, but I'm not kidding when I say this podcast gets me out of bed.
Madison:You need a purpose and a drive.
Molly:Yeah. And I think that is similar to people that do any kind of creative or anything. I thought it was so cheesy, like, oh, you need to find your purpose. Like, I just But you actually do. You really have to.
Molly:You can't do anything for just the money. Mhmm. You have to care because once you don't care, it's going to eat you alive and kill you.
Madison:It really does. Soul sucking things.
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:Like, when people are like, why have you worked 17 different careers by '28? I'm like, because you have to keep moving. Yeah. When you're in a place that doesn't feed you, it doesn't matter how much money you're getting. Yeah.
Madison:You have to find what feeds your soul.
Molly:Like, I'd rather work 10 jobs than ever go back to the career I had before.
Madison:Mhmm.
Molly:It was really it was good money. It's nothing to shake a stick at. You know? Like Yeah. The same.
Molly:I mean
Madison:I, like, don't even know, but I feel like, yeah. I'm not scared of that. I don't know.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Oh.
Madison:We're running with Yeah.
Molly:But I'll never do it again.
Madison:No. 100%. I mean, I I'll do
Molly:manual labor. I honestly much rather do manual labor.
Madison:I love a manual labor job. Yeah. Like, when you just get in there, no thoughts Yeah. All vibes.
Molly:Just working with your that's why I love art so much is because once you, like, start painting or, like, anything you have to do, use your hands and your mind at the same time. Yeah. Oh, there's just like a peace with it. Mhmm.
Madison:It's therapeutic. It is so therapeutic. Very much so.
Molly:I used to laugh at like art therapy and like all the not laugh, but think, oh, okay. You know? Yeah. I don't buy into you know? But I was an, like, an idiot to be honest I with was I was
Madison:You were just uninformed.
Molly:Yeah. I was uninformed. And machine.
Madison:Yeah. You weren't doing therapeutic things to know the benefits of it.
Molly:Drinking and working a lot. Hello? Because that's what you have to do when you're working in a corporate space.
Madison:Like, people don't realize, like, you fall into these unhealthy habits because you're subconsciously holding in that misery and unhappiness of being in a place day in and day out. We spend so much time in our jobs. When you work a nine to five, you spend more time in that job with your coworkers than you do outside.
Molly:Yeah. It has to matter.
Madison:It has to matter. And that was with my last job working as a family partner. Like, the pay, honey. Okay. Mommy was working two jobs, three jobs.
Madison:But the fulfillment that I got from walking into that building every day and interacting with the wonderful people and children and educators, it made up for it. Like, I honestly was crying my eyes out at my on my last day. Didn't even think I would feel that way.
Molly:All the people, like, made you a cake or Yeah. You a cake
Madison:and, like, decorated the word. Oh my god. It was so sweet. Like, my families just gave me so many thoughtful gifts, so many cards, heartwarming messages. The classroom's all decorated posters for me.
Molly:And people will remember you. Like, when you're doing something like that, like, you never know the impact you'll have on somebody.
Madison:I was surprised by the messages. I mean, I had parents that came up to me that I had maybe had three conversations with in my entire time being there, and they were like, thank you so much. You don't understand like the impact that you had on me and my kids and you helped me with this. You helped me with that. I helped the parent go back to school.
Madison:I helped parents find housing and clothing and food and stuff. And like, for me, it's my job. Yeah. You know, I'm doing not doing it because I have to. Obviously, I wanna help all these families succeed, but I'm gonna do that whether you thank me or not, whether you wanted it or not, whatever.
Madison:So it's just so incredible to see at the end of it, even the people that you didn't think you impacted, like Yeah. They noticed.
Molly:Let's talk about what are you hoping for this year?
Madison:Oh god. This year. So many wishes and hopes. Well, I'm hoping to successfully pass all of my nursing classes with A's. Easy peasy.
Madison:Duh. I really wanna continue, my expansion into the creative field. Yeah. I'm hoping for some You definitely belong for sure. Photoshoots.
Madison:I'm starting to realize that. I think I was keep my own fear was Yeah. Keeping me from You're natural. I enjoy. Thank
Molly:you. I try. And you do really well on this content.
Madison:I'm trying. I think I have, like, that oppositional defiance disorder where I'm like, when I know it's something I have to do in order to get to where I wanna be, I'm like, I don't wanna do that, though.
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:But then I'm making reels, and I'm like, wait. I love it.
Molly:Yeah. That's like, what? Mine is if somebody tells me to read a book or watch a show.
Madison:Oh, yeah. No. It'll never get watched. But you could tell me about
Molly:literally me telling you to watch I Love LA before this.
Madison:Oh, no. No. No. And know that, like, I'm actually gonna look into that one, though. But tell me about it, but don't say, you should watch this.
Molly:If you don't watch this, I'm gonna
Madison:kill Oh my god. That one, I'm like, well, I guess I'm dying tomorrow. Yeah. Exactly. Because I'm gonna purposely text you I didn't watch it.
Madison:Shout out
Molly:to my friend, Adam who won't stop about interview with The vampire, and that's why I haven't seen it.
Madison:Oh god. I haven't even heard of that one.
Molly:It's the it's on AMC or something.
Madison:Oh. Oh, so more photoshoots, more music videos.
Molly:Oh, yeah. You did a how many music videos did you do last year?
Madison:I did two last year. One on a boat, and one was kind of had a setting to it. But, yeah, those were, like, so, so fun.
Molly:You'll have to send me the links. Only probably
Madison:Oh, definitely will. Yes. Yes. Definitely. And then what else did I do last year?
Madison:Well, I wanna do more acting. I miss acting. Haven't done an acting gig since 2023, so that would be really great to get back out there. And, yeah, some photo shoots. My cousin is a photographer, Megan Janey photography.
Madison:I've done some shoots with her. That beach shoot that I did on the full moon in August That was cool. Was with her. Yeah. She's phenomenal.
Molly:So, yeah, you just wanna keep on keeping on.
Madison:I really do just wanna keep on keeping And I'll get in some beach days this summer. Yes. While I can because
Molly:I I know the water's not too cold. I
Madison:I don't even I'm not even there for the water anymore. I'm really there for my tan. I need to I wanna be in that sand. That's true. Mhmm.
Madison:Yeah. What are you hoping for for the new year? I'm hoping to
Molly:just have more listeners. Yeah. I mean, I can't support people all the time financially, like buying stuff from them or buying tickets to stuff. But, you know, if you're at an event or whatever, just try to show up in person as much as possible. Yeah.
Molly:I want the whole summer to be free to like, just show up for people. Yeah. Wherever that is. Because that's fun. Like It is.
Molly:I might not want like, I commit to things, and then I'm like,
Madison:oh, shit.
Molly:I gotta do this. But I'm really
Madison:like, this Commit when you're in a good mood Yes. And then when it comes up, you're like Past feeling so antisocial today.
Molly:Past me is always an extra but I'm not always that way. I mean, I'm looking forward to the query f this year.
Madison:Oh, yes. Necessary.
Molly:I'm looking forward to the Revelry Ball, which is February 28. This podcast will be released after that, but the podcast will still release every two weeks.
Madison:Yes. I'm excited.
Molly:Thanks for listening. Thanks, guys. And taking a chance on a new podcast because that's 20 really 26, be more proud of yourself. Allow yourself to be proud of just putting yourself out there, even if it's making art for yourself, going and being around people that you've never met.
Madison:Dude. Do more of that. Waking up every day and getting out of bed and putting two feet on the ground or two of whatever you have or just getting up out that bed because I'm not gonna be an ableist right now
Molly:Yeah.
Madison:Is a freaking accomplishment. These are dark, crazy, depressing times, and I think anybody who can get up every day and freaking inhale and say, I'm gonna do my best is, like, that's an accomplishment Yeah. In and of itself. Hope hope breeds a lot of other wonderful things.
Molly:Yeah. Twenty twenty six. For all your help. Out. I'm excited to get see what we get into.
Molly:You are the side quest queen. And, actually, I put that down as, like, your title.
Madison:Please do. No. Because I am the side quest queen. No.
Molly:I love that. I really do.
Madison:I just wanna say thank you for letting me be a part of this journey, the foundation of this wonderful podcast, and giving me the opportunity to grow myself, like, in a technical field, you know, doing a little bit of editing here, allowing me to be in front of the camera. Yeah. So grateful for that. Please. So grateful.
Madison:But I am so excited to see what you are going to get into this year, but also what adventures we can get into together. I thought we were going to. Oh, honey. Well, I
Molly:mean, yeah, in February. The ball. Yes. We're going to the ball.
Madison:We're going to the ball. The
Molly:ball, y'all.
Madison:The ball, darling.
Molly:Okay. So the thanks for listening to this week's episode. Thanks, Kyle. We'll be back to the normal structure next episode, but
Madison:we're back, baby. Okay.
Molly:Bye. Peace.