• 46 minutes 59 seconds
    From Coloring Books to Culture Trips with Tiffany Heard of Hues of Africa

    Ep #121 — From Coloring Books to Culture Trips with Tiffany Heard of Hues of Africa

    Part of noseyAF's 31 Days of Black Business series 🖤

    What if the way we learn about Africa has been broken this whole time — and the fix is a coloring book?

    Tiffany Heard built Hues of Africa, coloring and activity books plus culture immersion trips after a six-week study abroad trip to Ghana left her crying because she didn't want to leave. What started as one book has grown into three, with group trips to Ghana, Tanzania, and Thailand and nearly 100 travelers taken across the world.

    What We Talk About

    • Why Tiffany chose coloring books, not a novel, as her entry point for teaching African history and culture — and how her social work background shaped that choice
    • How a chance conversation in a Target parking lot turned into five years of hosting group trips to Ghana, Tanzania, and Thailand
    • The unexpected turn: what a naming ceremony actually feels like, and why Tiffany believes you should never host a trip somewhere you haven't been yourself

    If you love origin stories that turn a personal obsession into a business, this episode is for you.

    All about Tiffany Heard

    You're gonna love Tiffany; she's a proud Howard University graduate, author, social worker, and world traveler who has explored more than 20 countries. As the founder of Hues of Africa LLC, she creates books and experiences that use coloring, culture, and conversation to inspire learning, connection, and exploration. She also speaks at schools and organizations about culture, travel, and entrepreneurship.

    Things We Mentioned

    • Hues of Africa - (books: Hues of Africa, Hues of HBCUs, and the newest release, Hues of Love, which pairs coloring and conversation cards to talk through love, grief, self-love, and more)
    • Culture immersion trips: Tanzania (late October), Thailand (November 9), Ghana (December 28–January 5)
    • Sweet Tiffys- Tiffany's personal travel page
    • International Interludes Tiffany's podcast on love and dating abroad

    Chapters

    • 00:07 — Introduction to Black Business Month
    • 03:31 — The Impact of Travel on Cultural Understanding
    • 11:22 — Cultural Immersion and the Spirit of Travel
    • 20:19 — Misconceptions About Group Travel Costs
    • 27:02 — The Journey of Hosting Trips
    • 34:22 — The Journey of Entrepreneurship
    • 42:40 — Navigating Dietary Preferences on Trips

    This series is supported by Off the Grid, a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients. Find them at offthegrid.fun 🖤

    Connect with Tiffany Heard


    Stay Connected

    📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch → Subscribe here

    🏡 Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook → Download it free

    More ways to connect


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported; thank you for being here. 💛🫶🏾 ⭐

    Rate & Review the Show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Stephanie Graham

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    4 August 2026, 9:00 am
  • 37 minutes 55 seconds
    Building a Green Space for Youth with Ted Gloster of The Forgin Initiative

    Ep #120 — Building a Green Space for Youth with Ted Gloster of The Forgin Initiative

    Part of noseyAF's 31 Days of Black Business series 🖤

    What happens when you come home during a pandemic and realize the community that raised you is stuck in survival mode?

    Ted Gloster left Detroit's District 2 in 2018 and came back during the pandemic — and instead of leaving again, he built The Forgin Initiative, a green space and after-school program teaching young people economic literacy, civic engagement, and emotional intelligence. This is a conversation about healing yourself before you can lead anyone else, and what it actually takes to build something from nothing.

    What We Talk About

    • Why coming home during the pandemic forced Ted to confront generational poverty, financial illiteracy, and a disconnect from ancestral history in his own community
    • How he built the Forgin Initiative from a 2017 idea into a physical green space and after-school program with three pillars: economic literacy, civic engagement, and emotional intelligence
    • The unexpected turn: Ted's raw account of the personal breakdown that led him to therapy, prayer, and healing — and why he believes leaders can't pour into a community without doing that inner work first

    If you love origin stories that don't skip the scary parts, this episode is for you.

    Chapters:

    • 00:07 - Introduction to Black Business Month
    • 04:35 - Understanding Community and Identity
    • 13:10 - Healing and Growth: A Journey to Self-Discovery
    • 25:01 - Challenges of Building Community Programs
    • 33:40 - Understanding Leadership and Community Building

    All about Ted Gloster

    Ted is our new best friend(he never confirmed this though LOL) he's a multidisciplinary entrepreneur: investor, lifestyle brand designer, mentor, and opportunity economist, among other things. He's in year three of running The Forgin Initiative, and what sets the program apart isn't just its diverse, hands-on approach to teaching economics — it's that it stays youth-led, holding both the organization and the young people it serves accountable to that principle.

    Things We Mentioned


    This series is supported by Off the Grid, a podcast + resource for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients. Find them at offthegrid.fun 🖤

    Connect with Ted Gloster


    Stay Connected

    📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch → Subscribe here

    🏡 Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook → Download it free

    More ways to connect


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported; thank you for being here. 💛🫶🏾

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Stephanie Graham

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    3 August 2026, 9:00 am
  • 32 minutes 40 seconds
    From Loss to Home Care Business with Que Maxwell of Two Caring Hearts

    Ep #119 — From Loss to Home Care Business with Que Maxwell of Two Caring Hearts

    Part of noseyAF's 31 Days of Black Business series 🖤

    What do you do with your grief when you couldn't save the people you loved most?

    Que Maxwell built 2Caring Hearts — a home care and wellness business serving elderly, disabled, and post-hospital clients — after losing her father and her husband suddenly, within years of each other, and feeling the weight of not being able to do anything for them. Now she and her sister run a home care agency that's grown to 14 families in just five months, built entirely on word of mouth.

    What We Talk About

    • How losing her dad at 13 and her husband years later turned personal grief into a calling to advocate for the elderly and disabled
    • Why she says "get a mentor" is the single best piece of advice for anyone entering home care — and the trial-and-error year it took her to learn that lesson
    • The unexpected turn: the client case that taught her to strengthen her intake questionnaire — and why she says families should never lie on the form

    If you love origin stories that don't skip the scary parts, this episode is for you.

    All about Que Maxwell

    You're gonna love Que! Que Maxwell is an entrepreneur, wellness leader, minister, and founder dedicated to helping women grow spiritually, personally, and professionally. Through her businesses, mentorship, and the Fly Girls Pray community, she empowers others to walk in faith, purpose, and resilience while navigating life’s challenges with grace and determination

    Things We Mentioned

    • 2Caring Hearts Home Health — serving the Tri-County area of South Carolina (Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston, Lexington counties)
    • Building While Bleeding — Que's book, first of a three-part series, available on Amazon/KDP and Barnes & Noble
    • Home care funding options: long-term care policies, MCOs like UnitedHealth/Humana, Medicaid waiver programs, and VA aid & attendance benefits for veterans

    Chapters:

    • 00:08 - Launching the Black Business Series
    • 01:51 - The Journey of Two Caring Hearts
    • 08:52 - Leading a Team: Insights from Entrepreneurship
    • 22:56 - Transitioning into Caregiving
    • 28:41 - Balancing Work and Family Life

    This series is supported by Off the Grid, a podcast for small business owners who want to leave social media without losing their clients. Find them at offthegrid.fun 🖤

    Connect with Que Maxwell


    Stay Connected

    📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch → Subscribe here

    🏡 Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook → Download it free

    More ways to connect


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported; thank you for being here. 💛🫶🏾

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Stephanie Graham

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    2 August 2026, 9:00 am
  • 44 minutes 26 seconds
    "Start With What You Have" Denzel Turner on Building Black Fridays

    Ep #118 — "Start With What You Have" Denzel Turner on Building Black Fridays Podcast

    Part of noseyAF's 31 Days of Black Business series 🖤

    What if the podcast you started on Zoom during 2020 became the reason you're now running black-owned business bus tours through Detroit?

    Denzel Turner built Black Fridays — a podcast with 200+ conversations with Black entrepreneurs — out of a need to get civically engaged after George Floyd's murder, and it's since grown into brand deals, a coaching business, and a literal bus full of people spending money at Black-owned shops. This is the episode that kicked off the whole 31 Days series — Denzel is the one who put me onto

    Black Business Month in the first place.

    What We Talk About

    • How Denzel went from doing Instagram Live in 2020 to building a 200+ episode podcast library, starting with nothing but Zoom and a free audio host
    • Why he started the Black Friday Bus Tour — a day-after-Thanksgiving event that's routed $7,000+ directly into Black-owned businesses across three tours
    • The unexpected turn: his "cheat code" theory of podcasting — that the show itself is marketing, and the real business lives on the back end (coaching, consulting, brand deals, speaking)

    If you love origin stories that start with "I just used what I had," this episode is for you.

    All about Denzel Turner

    You're gonna love Denzel he's a Detroit-rooted, self-taught, community-first media guy. He's been podcasting for almost six years, interviewed 200+ Black business owners, and still edits, hosts, and grows Black Fridays with the same "start with what you have" mentality he started with.

    Things We Mentioned


    Chapters:

    • 00:11 - Introduction to Black Business Month
    • 06:07 - Spotlighting Black Entrepreneurship
    • 08:35 - Exploring Black-Owned Businesses: The Birth of Black Fridays
    • 20:08 - The Importance of Marketing and Self-Promotion for Business Owners
    • 27:04 - Leveraging Technology for Business Growth
    • 29:40 - The Business of Podcasting
    • 37:26 - The Importance of Black-Owned Businesses in Our Communities
    • 41:10 - Community Building and Podcasting Insights

    Connect with Denzel Turner


    noseyAF Black Business Series is supported by:

    Off the Grid- grow your business with no social media, y’all!! Thanks for supporting the project! Off the Grid

    Stay Connected :

    📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch → Subscribe here 🏡

    Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook → Download it free

    More ways to connect


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛 ⭐

    Rate & Review the Show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits: Produced and Hosted by Stephanie Graham

    Lyrics: Queen Lex | Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    1 August 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 56 seconds
    More Than a Movie: Building Community Through Black Film with Black Film Club Collective

    This episode was recorded live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday, July 11, 2026

    Ep 117: More Than a Movie: Building Community Through Black Film with Troy and Chi of Black Film Club Collective

    What happens when a love of movies turns into a movement?

    This week, Stephanie sits down with Troy and Chi of Black Film Club Collective, a Chicago-based platform creating spaces for people to gather, watch films, and have the conversations that happen after the credits roll. From apartment screenings to citywide events, they share how film became a catalyst for community, connection, and cultural preservation.

    What We Talk About

    • How Black Film Club Collective grew from living room conversations into a thriving cultural community
    • Why film creates a unique space for connection, dialogue, and deeper understanding across cultures
    • How screenings became a way to rebuild community after the pandemic
    • The power of discussing movies instead of just watching them
    • What makes a film "Black" — even when people don't immediately think of it that way
    • How their Fine Lines exhibition evolved into a larger storytelling and archival project
    • Why community, memory, and family stories matter in preserving neighborhood history
    • The unexpected joy of becoming artists, curators, and filmmakers along the way

    If you love film, culture, community building, or thoughtful conversations, this episode is for you.

    Chapters

    • 00:00 - Introduction to noseyAF
    • 02:18 - The Origins of Black Film Club Collective
    • 20:23 - Exploring the House of the Collective
    • 25:56 - The Evolution of Screenings and Audience Engagement
    • 32:24 - Introduction to Fine Lines Project
    • 44:12 - The Journey of Artistic Discovery
    • 47:48 - Transitioning from Artists to Curators
    • 54:43 - Discussion on Black Films

    All about Troy & Chi

    You're gonna love Troy and Chi, they're thoughtful, joyful, and deeply committed to creating spaces where people can gather around Black storytelling. As the co-founders of Black Film Club Collective, they've built a Chicago-based platform centered on screenings, exhibitions, conversations, and cultural programming that celebrates Black film and visual culture. Their work brings together audiences, artists, filmmakers, and community members to engage with stories that inspire connection, reflection, and dialogue.

    Things We Mentioned


    Connect with Black Film Club Collective


    Stay Connected

    📬 Get the noseyAF Dispatch — all the month's episodes, straight to your inbox once a month. → Subscribe here

    🏡 Grab the Good Neighbor Playbook — practical ways to build stronger connections in your neighborhood. → Download it free

    noseyAF is a project of Stephanie Graham's art practice — photography, film, and documentary work rooted in community, culture, and everyday stories. → See the work

    More ways to connect


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Lyrics: Queen Lex | Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam | Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    15 July 2026, 4:00 am
  • 13 minutes 34 seconds
    Detroit WiFi Energy: Building 31 Days of Black Business

    Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!

    Join the noseyAF Dispatch 📬

    At the end of the month, your inbox gets a little happier all the month's noseyAF episodes sent straight to you.

    Ep. 116: Detroit WiFi Energy: Building 31 Days of Black Business

    Summary

    I'm checking in from Detroit with a little voice note from the middle of things.

    In this episode, I share an update on 31 Days of Black Business, the audio series I'm producing for Black Business Month featuring Black entrepreneurs from around the world. We talk about what it's like to build a large creative project as a team of one, what I've learned from interviewing business owners, and how a power outage, scheduling hiccups, and a trip to Detroit have all become part of the process.

    I also share reflections from the MDW Summit, where artists, organizers, and cultural workers from across the Midwest gathered to exchange ideas, build community, and imagine what's next.

    If you've ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of a creative project—or what it looks like to keep going when life keeps life-ing—this one's for you.

    What We Talk About:

    • An update on 31 Days of Black Business
    • Producing, scheduling, editing, and fundraising as a one-person team
    • How Threads unexpectedly helped me find participants
    • Lessons from the MDW Summit in Detroit
    • My ongoing Prom Season photography project
    • Power outages, missed interviews, and creative problem-solving
    • Why marketing your work matters just as much as making it

    Things We Mentioned:

    31 Days of Black Business

    MDW Summit (Midwest artist convening)

    Threads

    Black Business Month

    Sponsor Shoutout 💖

    Interested in sponsoring 31 Days of Black Business?

    I'm currently looking for sponsors who want to connect with a community of artists, entrepreneurs, and curious listeners. Reach out if you'd like to learn more.

    noseyaf.com/31dayspartner

    More Ways to Connect

    Email: [email protected]

    Subscribe to the noseyAF Dispatch

    Check out my work

    Follow me on Instagram @stephaniegraham

    Listen to more episodes

    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported—thank you for being here. 💛

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show.

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this.

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!)

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    30 June 2026, 9:00 am
  • 54 minutes 16 seconds
    Introducing: The Art Biz | Why Titling Your Artwork Matters

    Introducing: The Art Biz with Alison Stanfield

    Today's feed drop comes from a podcast that has had a meaningful impact on how I think about building a sustainable art practice: The Art Biz with Alison Stanfield.

    If you've ever struggled to title your artwork—or wondered whether titles matter at all—this conversation is for you.

    In this episode, Alison Stanfield sits down with artist, writer, and educator Fran Gardner to explore why titling artwork is much more than an administrative task. Together they discuss how titles help artists understand their own work, deepen their connection to the creative process, and communicate more effectively with viewers.

    One idea that stayed with me is Fran's belief that a title is the first step toward a work's independence. Long after a piece leaves the studio, its title continues to carry meaning, offering viewers a way into the work when the artist isn't there to explain it.

    As someone who loves titles and thinks of them as containers that give shape to ideas, I knew I had to share this conversation with the NoseyAF community.

    In this episode:

    • Why titling artwork is a creative practice, not an afterthought
    • How titles help artists better understand their own work
    • The relationship between writing and visual art
    • Developing a personal process for naming artwork
    • Why artists should resist outsourcing titles to AI or social media
    • The role titles play in communication, marketing, and audience connection
    • How thoughtful titling can strengthen an artist's professional practice

    Notable Quotes

    "A title is the first step toward your artwork's independence."
    "The writing is your studio work."
    "Your artwork is going to have a life beyond you."

    About Alyson Stanfield

    Alyson Stanfield has spent more than two decades helping artists build sustainable, professional creative careers. Through coaching, classes, writing, and The Art Biz podcast, she helps artists develop the systems, confidence, and visibility needed to thrive.

    Links referenced in this episode:


    Chapters:

    • 00:08 - Introduction to the Podcast
    • 05:27 - The Importance of Titling in Art
    • 18:26 - The Process of Creating and Understanding Art
    • 28:20 - Understanding Personal Symbols in Art
    • 34:51 - The Importance of Titling in Art
    • 44:41 - The Interconnection of Creativity and Teaching

    Connect with Alyson:

    Website: artbizsuccess.com

    Podcast: https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/

    Connect with Fran:

    Website: frangardnerart.com

    Instagram: @frangardnerart

    2 June 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Artistic Commitment: Sheri Rush on the Lifelong Path of Creativity (noseyAF Classic)

    Ep #114: Sheri Rush — a life in art, big paintings, and staying creatively alive (noseyAF Classic)

    Summary This one's for every artist who's ever wondered how to keep the fire going — through decades, through doubt, through life just getting in the way. Chicago-based painter Sheri Rush has been making art since childhood, and she brings a rare honesty to this conversation. We get into what it actually looks like to sustain a creative practice long-term, the residencies that changed her, how nature shows up in her work, and what's coming with her enchanted forest exhibition.

    Chapters:

    • 00:39 - Introduction to Memorial Day Weekend
    • 10:33 - Exploring the Artistic Journey
    • 19:40 - Transitioning Artistic Perspectives
    • 28:06 - The Impact of Art Residencies on Artistic Growth
    • 40:15 - The Upcoming Art Show and Its Themes
    • 45:34 - Exploring Liminality and Transformation in Art

    What We Talk About

    • How Sheri has kept a painting practice alive from childhood all the way through a full career
    • What artist residencies actually do for you — and why they're more than just a studio vacation
    • Her upcoming exhibition centered around enchanted forests (yes, it's as magical as it sounds)
    • The art of taking critique without losing your voice
    • Working big: the logistics and the feeling of large-scale painting

    All about Sheri Rush You're gonna love Sheri — she's a Chicago-based painter and total force of nature who's been deep in her craft her whole life. Her work lives at the intersection of landscape, memory, and big feelings on even bigger canvases.

    Sponsor Shoutout 💖 This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour

    Connect with Sheri


    More ways to connect:


    Support & Feedback noseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛 ⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find it 📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this: https://www.noseyaf.com/follow/

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!) Lyrics: Queen Lex Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    26 May 2026, 9:00 am
  • 59 minutes 56 seconds
    Doing Both: Art, Film, and Building Worlds with Aaliyah Shae

    Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!

    Join the noseyAF Dispatch 📬

    At the end of the month, your inbox gets a little happier — all the month's noseyAF episodes sent straight to you. → Subscribe to the noseyAF Dispatch

    This conversation was recorded Live at Lumpen Radio on Saturday May 9th, 2026

    Ep #113: Doing Both: Art, Film, and Building Worlds with Aaliyah Shae

    Summary

    This episode is for everyone who's ever looked at a film set and wondered who put that there, and why it matters. Aaliyah Shae is a Chicago-based production designer, photographer, and painter whose work is all about building worlds that feel lived in and deeply human. We talk about production design, what it actually means to create a "false reality" on screen, and how the small details, a hair tie on a nightstand, height markers on a door frame, are what make a story real. We also dig into Aaliyah's community work with the People's Panther Party, a Pilsen-based mutual aid organization she helped launch just before Halloween, and what it looks like when art and activism melt into one.

    Chapters

    00:00 — Introduction to the Episode

    00:36 — Exploring Design and Creativity

    20:33 — The Art of Storytelling Through Design

    33:55 — Community Engagement and Activism

    53:16 — People's Panther Party Updates & Free People's Press Launch

    What We Talk About

    How Aaliyah figured out she could do both : design and film and why "pick a lane" is not the only way to build a creative career

    What production design actually is and why every single thing on a film set has been accounted for (yes, even the books on the shelf — don't judge the books)

    "Life layers" — the small details that make a set feel real — hair ties, kids' drawings on the fridge, height markers on door frames

    How travel sparked her design eye — from a high school architecture program in Kentucky to France and Barcelona with her French class

    The film Portrait of a Lady on Fire — Aaliyah's go-to visual inspiration and why she says just Google the images

    Working in indie film vs. studio projects — and why she encourages every filmmaker to just write something and design the heck out of a room

    How the People's Panther Party got started — collective exhaustion, a plane ride back to Chicago the day before Halloween, and the realization that some kids were going to sit inside while everyone else trick-or-treated

    What they've done in just a few months — reverse candy drive, holiday grocery deliveries to 30 families, a bi-weekly grocery program, a grant win, and now the launch of Free People's Press, a quarterly community newspaper

    Her advice for anyone who wants to start showing up for their community — it starts with listening, not with having it all figured out

    Pilsen as a neighborhood — why she loves it and what it gets right about community

    The crossover between film and activism — and how craft nights became a sneaky good way to build community

    Things We Mentioned

    People's Panther Party — Pilsen-based mutual aid organization

    Free People's Press — their new quarterly community newspaper, available at Foxglove Coffee in Pilsen

    Foxglove Coffee — woman-owned coffee shop in Pilsen

    Aaliyah Shae's Website

    Portrait of a Lady on Fire — French queer period film, Palme d'Or winner at Cannes; Aaliyah's visual inspo pick

    CUSP — Chicago United Solidarity Project — organization that helped People's Panther Party secure a grant

    Pilsen Arts & Community House — one of the few free creative spaces in Chicago Aaliyah mentions

    Liberate Your Business — book by Becky Mollenkamp

    All about... Aaliyah Shae

    You're gonna love Aaliyah Shae — she's a world-builder in the truest sense. A Chicago-based production designer, set decorator, photographer, and painter, Aaliyah creates spaces on screen that feel like real people actually live in them. She also co-founded the People's Panther Party, a Pilsen-based mutual aid org doing bi-weekly grocery deliveries, community events, and now a neighborhood newspaper — all born out of the belief that you don't have to be a professional organizer to show up for your community. She started making outfits out of paper for her little brother. She hasn't really stopped creating since.

    Connect with Aaliyah Shae

    Instagram: @aaliyahshae

    Website: aaliyahshae.com

    People's Panther Party Instagram: @peoplespantherparty

    People's Panther Party Website: peoplespantherparty.org

    More ways to connect

    Email: [email protected]

    Subscribe to the noseyAF Dispatch

    Check out my work

    Follow me on Instagram @stephaniegraham

    Listen to more episodes

    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    13 May 2026, 1:30 am
  • 57 minutes 34 seconds
    Mutual Aid Isn't Charity with Eric Von Haynes (noseyAF Classic)

    Thank you for listening to noseyAF! So happy to have your ears!

    Join the noseyAF Dispatch 📬 At the end of the month, your inbox gets a little happier — all the month's noseyAF episodes sent straight to you. → Subscribe to the noseyAF Dispatch

    Ep #112: Mutual Aid Isn't Charity with Eric Von Haynes (noseyAF Classic)

    This is a noseyAF classic — a conversation originally recorded in 2024 with Eric Von Haynes that was edited and reshaped to air live on Lumpen Radio (WLPN Chicago 105.5 FM). Eric is a printmaker, designer, publisher, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago, and he brings real clarity to what mutual aid actually means — and what it doesn't. We dig into how it differs from charity, why reciprocity is the whole point, and how his community fridge network Love Fridge Chicago puts those values into practice across the city. Plus we get into his art, why print is a political act, and why he believes the strongest groups — not individuals — survive.

    What We Talk About

    • What mutual aid actually is and what it's NOT (hint: posting a Venmo link is probably just fundraising)
    • Reciprocity as the heart of real community care, and why transparency matters
    • How Love Fridge Chicago works, what it takes to maintain a fridge site, and why community buy-in is everything
    • The difference between mutual aid and charity — and why Love Fridge isn't a nonprofit
    • Horizontality, anarchist philosophy, and why Eric believes no one should be a billionaire
    • Photographing people receiving food and why that's straight-up othering
    • Printmaking as a democratic and political act — especially as a Black man in America
    • Flatlands Press and why getting ideas into physical multiples matters
    • That time a yoga studio started leaving flyers at a fridge site 🙄

    Things We Mentioned


    Chapters:

    • 00:00 - Introduction to Eric Von Haynes and Love Fridge
    • 02:21 - The Power of Mutual Aid
    • 20:29 - Exploring Mutual Aid and Community Support
    • 29:58 - The Importance of Community Engagement in Resource Distribution
    • 38:26 - Exploring the Differences Between Mutual Aid and Charity
    • 49:50 - Creating Diverse Spaces for Black Voices

    All about... Eric Von Haynes

    You're gonna love Eric he's a printmaker, designer, publisher, community builder, and co-founder of Love Fridge Chicago. He's also the president of the Chicago Printers Guild and the founder of Flatlands Press, where he creates and publishes artist books and printed matter for artists he believes should exist in the world. His work is rooted in anarchist philosophy, horizontality, and a deep belief that the strongest groups survive not the strongest individuals.

    Sponsor Shoutout

    💖 This episode is brought to you by Artist Admin Hour.

    It's a weekly Zoom session (Wednesdays, 7–9 pm Central) for artists to tackle the admin stuff they've been putting off — grant apps, residency applications, budgets, invoices — with body doubling, structure, and real community. Plans start at $65–$95/month, but if that's not doable, email Stephanie because getting this done matters. Check them out here: artistadminhour.com

    Connect with Eric Von Haynes


    More ways to connect:


    Support & Feedback

    noseyAF is listener-supported — thank you for being here. 💛

    ⭐ Rate & Review the Show — it gives the show street cred and helps new listeners find the show

    📣 Share noseyAF with a friend who needs to hear this

    Episode Credits

    Produced, Hosted, and Edited by Me, Stephanie Graham (teaching myself audio editing!)

    Lyrics: Queen Lex

    Instrumental: Freddie Bam Fam

    Cover Art: Emma McGoldrick

    14 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 3 minutes 11 seconds
    31 Days of Black Business — A New noseyAF Series

    This episode is a quick update about what’s coming next for noseyAF.

    In August, I’m launching a new series called 31 Days of Black Business — 31 conversations with Black business owners throughout Black Business Month. The idea came after hearing about the month from Denzell Turner of the Black Fridays podcast and getting inspired to try an everyday podcast challenge.

    Throughout August, I’ll be talking with Black business owners about how their businesses got started, what they do, and how we can support them.

    If you’re a Black business owner (or know one), applications to be part of the series are open through April 30.

    In the meantime, the feed may look a little different while I work on recording and producing the series. Expect a few solo episodes and occasional feed drops while I get everything ready.

    Thanks for listening, and I can’t wait to share this series with you.

    Apply for 31 Days of Black Business Here

    Check out Denzell Turners Podcast "Black Fridays'

    Chapters:

    • 00:13 - Season Seven Reflection
    • 00:30 - 31 Days of Black Business: A New Series
    • 01:07 - Launching a New Initiative for Black Business Month
    • 02:33 - Transitioning to New Content
    • 02:53 - Reflections and Feedback
    • 03:07 - Farewell and Future Conversations

    More ways to connect:


    8 April 2026, 1:45 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App