What Excites Us!

Soft Cock Week, Cuddles, and Consent: A Sex Geek’s Deep Dive with Michelle Renee

What happens when you mix professional cuddling, surrogate partner therapy, and a playful rebellion against toxic masculinity?
📄 Episode Notes:In this episode, I’m joined by the amazing Michelle Renee — Surrogate Therapy Partner, Professional Cuddler, and all-around sex geek. We explore her trauma-informed approach to intimacy work, the inspiration behind the delightfully subversive Soft Cock Week, and how understanding responsive desire can change the way we think about sex.
Michelle also opens up about her own journey, and we wander into all kinds of delightful rabbit holes — from the Wheel of Consent to why safe, non-sexual touch is just as important as sexual pleasure.
Whether you’re curious about the world of surrogate partner therapy, want to rethink desire, or just enjoy unapologetic conversations about pleasure and connection, this episode has you covered.
📚 Resources & Mentions:
Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent
Brian Gibney
Cuddlist
Embrace Surrogate Partner Resource Group
Movember
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski — Website
Shameless Sex Podcast
Reid Mihalko
🌐 Connect with Michelle:
Website: meetmichellerenee.com
Social: @meetmichellerenee
Soft Cock Week: softcockweek.com
💌 Learn more about the show:whatexcitesus.com

Kink Doula, Truth Teller, and All That & Mo’ with Mollena Williams-Haas

"What happens when you blend radical honesty, deep kink wisdom, and laugh-out-loud real talk? You get Mollena."
In this episode of What Excites Us, I’m joined by the incomparable Mollena Lee Williams-Haas — writer, educator, International Ms. Leather 2010, host of All That and Mo’, and the fierce voice behind the Kink Doula project.
We dive into how Mollena is helping folks step into their truth through personalized kink and leather coaching, why inclusive education matters (and how it so often misses the mark), and what it really means to prepare your body — and your mind — for kinky play.
You’ll hear wisdom, side-eye-worthy truth bombs, and one of the best comebacks of all time, alongside warm and hilarious banter about travel quirks, overpacking, and more.
💥 Heads-up: There’s a bonus episode coming next week exclusively to Patreon, where I share the raw, unedited version of this conversation — even more laughter, tangents, and intimacy. You're going to want to hear it.
🔗 Mentioned in the episode:
🎧 All That and Mo’ Podcast📚 Playing Well with Others by Lee Harrington & Mollena Williams📚 The Toybag Guide to Playing With Taboo📸 The Adipositivity Project by Substantia Jones — Visit the site

Creating Safer, Sexier Communities: Sex Positive World Explored with Jamie Cawelti

How Do We Build a More Sex Positive World? A Candid Conversation with Jamie Cawelti
What if healthier, happier sex lives started with community, consent, and compassion?
In this inspiring and educational episode of What Excites Us, I sit down with Jamie Cawelti of Sex Positive World, a global volunteer-run nonprofit working to shift societal attitudes around sexuality through education, empowerment, and connection.
We explore:🌍 How Sex Positive World supports communities across the U.S. and Europe💬 Why open conversations about boundaries, consent, and touch are essential💡 Tools for cultivating more confidence, freedom, and joy in your erotic life🏳️‍🌈 How sex positivity intersects with gender, relationship styles, and justice✨ Jamie’s personal journey into sex positivity—and how you can start your own
Whether you're curious about kink, polyamory, safer sex, or pleasure activism, this conversation offers tangible takeaways and trusted resources to support your growth.
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
Organizations & People
🌐 Sex Positive World
📱 Jamie Cawelti – @ExploringJamie on all socials
💬 MakeTimeForTheTalk.com
🎓 Marla Renee Stewart
🎤 Andrea Allan – @andreacomedy69
Books to Explore📘 Love's Not Color Blind by Kevin A. Patterson📘 The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy & Dossie Easton📘 Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown📘 Good Sex: Getting Off Without Checking Out by Jessica Graham
🎧 Listen and learn at WhatExcitesUs.com💖 If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it helps so much!

Tell-All with Master Arch: Findom, Sadism & Sexual Power

Master Arch is my guest for this episode. He is an OG findom and lifetime sex worker who identifies as an emotional sadist and slut. He’s constantly pushing the envelope in content creation and in how he shows up in his fetish work.This conversation is not for the faint at heart or timid sexual explorer.We dive into some extreme play talk and views on being a dom, living life to the fullest, and exploration of mining trauma for play. Arch describes himself as an arrogant master financial dom who knows what he wants and has clients who provide it for him. I ask that if you choose to listen you do so with an open mind. You don’t have to agree with everything he says, but to be able to understand you do need to truly hear.To learn more about Master Arch he can be found onTwitter at @AllForArchHe is MasterArch on FetLifeOr his website is www.AllForMasterArch.comWe met online as a part of a Facebook group for sex professionals who have been to Sex Geek Summer Camp, a wonderful place to learn how to better promote your sexuality business, and network.Find out more at sexgeeksummercamp.com

Swipe Left on the B.S.—Modern Dating with Tonya Holliday

Online Dating Can Be a Mess—But It Doesn’t Have to Be
This week on What Excites Us, I’m joined by the fabulous Tonya Holliday, host of the Swipe Left (or Right) podcast, where modern dating meets hilarious honesty. We talk about how her show was born from her own wild online dating experiences—and she brings the same juicy, real-talk energy to this episode.
We get into the gritty and the gorgeous parts of dating apps, including:
💥 How to create an online dating profile that actually works💥 The truth about “first contact” and meeting in person💥 Why coffee dates are the MVP of first dates💥 Setting boundaries and staying safe without killing the vibe💥 Dating fatigue, green flags, and surviving ghosting with grace (or rage)
Whether you’re swiping left, right, or just deleting the apps again, this episode is full of relatable laughs and seriously helpful tips.
🎧 Subscribe to Swipe Left (or Right) wherever you get your podcasts.🖤 And if you enjoy What Excites Us, please rate, review, and subscribe—it really helps others find the show!
More episodes, resources, and coaching at WhatExcitesUs.com

Exploring Light and Dark Eros with Lucia Gabriela

What If Healing Could Be… Sexy?
This week on What Excites Us, I’m joined by the powerful and passionate Lucia Gabriela, a trauma-informed intimacy coach, Tantra facilitator, and the creator of Tantrikink®—a method that fuses the sacred energy of Tantra with the raw power of kink and BDSM.
Lucia shares her personal journey from healing cancer as a teen to becoming a transformational guide helping others reclaim their sensuality, erotic power, and body-based wisdom. We dive into:
💥 How resentment shows up in the body—and relationships💥 The role of intention, sensation, and energetics in conscious kink💥 The importance of full-body awareness in every scene or intimate experience💥 Her Tantrikink® approach to healing through erotic exploration💥 Why your nervous system needs slowness and reverence
While the July workshops mentioned in this episode have now passed, the conversation is packed with insights and practical gems you can start using right now to deepen connection, embodiment, and pleasure in your life.
Whether you're curious about conscious kink, tantra, or integrating trauma-informed tools into your intimate world, this is one you don’t want to miss.
🔗 Learn more about Lucia’s work at SacredLoveTemple.com and FloridaKinkBDSM.com🎧 More episodes, resources, and coaching at WhatExcitesUs.com

Men Have Body Shame Too

Are We Hurting Men Without Even Realizing It?
In this solo episode of What Excites Us, I (Gwyn Isaacs—certified sex coach, eternal ranter, and your permission-giver-in-chief) crack the mic open to talk directly to men—and everyone who cares about them. Because, friends, we need to talk about body shame, penis anxiety, self-worth, and the hidden ways patriarchy messes with men too.
Inspired by real listener questions, this episode dives into topics like:
Why “Big Dick Energy” might be doing more harm than good
How to actually use affirmations that work (without cringing)
What to do when your penis isn’t doing what you want it to
Why shaming men for their bodies has to stop—like now
We also touch on vagus nerve support, aging and erections, and how learning to love on your own body can shift everything. Whether you’re a man or someone who loves one, this one’s for you.
🔗 Coaching, lube recs, and more at WhatExcitesUs.com

Fertility Awareness, Hormones & Body Literacy for All with Sam Leeson

Did you know that understanding your body’s natural cycles can empower you—whether or not you ever plan to get pregnant?
In this episode, I’m joined by fertility educator and inclusive family planning expert Sam Leeson to explore why fertility awareness is essential for everyone, not just those trying to conceive. We talk about body literacy, how to teach kids to feel at home in their bodies, and the hormonal journeys that affect us all—including unique insights for trans and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks.
Sam, founder of babyREADY and babyREADYlgbtq, brings over 20 years of experience helping individuals and families take charge of their reproductive journeys—with compassion, clarity, and a deep respect for diversity.
✨ Curious about how fertility awareness could change your relationship with your body?
Tune in to find out.
🔗 Learn more at babyREADY.info🎧 More episodes at whatexcitesus.com

Feathers, Legends & Liberation: Inside the Burlesque Hall of Fame with Dustin M. Wax

What do fan dances, fierce femmes, and the Riot Grrrl movement have in common? In this episode, we step behind the velvet curtain of burlesque history with Dustin M. Wax, director of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
We explore how this one-of-a-kind museum came to be, why preserving burlesque’s rich and rebellious history matters, and the role gender has played in both classic and neo-burlesque. Dustin shares stories of legendary performers like Tempest Storm and Lili St. Cyr, insights into the art form’s transformation, and advice for anyone drawn to the stage—pasties, politics, and all.
✨ If you're a fan of performance, sex-positive history, or reclaiming your body through art, this one's for you.
📍When you're in Vegas, don’t miss a visit to the Burlesque Hall of Fame in the Downtown Arts District.More info: burlesquehall.com
Lydia Thompson and her contribution to 19th century American Theater: https://editions.covecollective.org/chronologies/lydia-thompsons-contribution-19th-century-burlesque-theater-america
Tempest Storm comes up a few times: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_Storm https://www.burlesquehall.com/tempest-storm/
Sally Rand: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13902628/the-burlesque-pioneer-who-fought-censorship-and-multiple-arrests
Every Rocky Horror’s Fan Favorite, Lili St. Cyr: https://www.burlesquehall.com/museumathome-burlesque-legends-lili-st-cyr/
A little bit about the Riot Grrl Movement: https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/brief-history-riot-grrrl-space-reclaiming-90s-punk-movement-2542166
The Something Weird Video Channel https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingWeirdDotCom/featured
An Interview with a couple of Burlesque Legends, including Jennifer Fox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTxj2Vi94sM
A little bit about Hedy Jo Star: https://zagria.blogspot.com/2012/01/hedy-jo-star-1920-1999-showgirl.html
The post mentioned about Marinka: https://www.burlesquehall.com/transgender-day-of-visibility-honoring-marinka/
Aida Overton Walker’s Wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aida_Overton_Walker
Tony Midnite’s Wiki Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Midnite
About Jennie Lee: http://redhotsburlesque.com/2013/legend-jennie-lee/
About Sherry Britton: https://burlexe.com/burlesque/burlesque-icons/sherry-britton-burlesque-history/
 

Laced in Confidence: Sensuality, Self-Love & Lingerie

Can lingerie be a tool for self-love and empowerment—not just seduction?
In this episode, I sit down with Luna Pearl, a sex coach-in-training at Sex Coach U, meditation coach, and the founder of Pink Pearl Lingerie and Lingerie Talk Magazine. Luna believes in getting sexy for yourself first—and she’s here to share how lingerie can unlock confidence, sensual embodiment, and joy.
We explore:💫 Why lingerie is Luna’s superpower—and how it can be yours too🩷 How comfort is the key to feeling sexy🛍️ Tips for buying lingerie (in-store and online)👯‍♀️ And a powerful take on the myth that women don't support each other
Whether you’re lingerie-curious, building body confidence, or exploring sensual tools for empowerment, this episode offers inspiration, real talk, and actionable insight.
✨ Learn more about Luna at Pink Pearl Lingerie🎧 For more episodes, visit whatexcitesus.com📝 Please rate and review the show—it helps so much!
🔗 Curious about becoming a certified sex coach? Check out Sex Coach U🎀 Into vintage beads? Explore heybeads.com
Keywords: lingerie empowerment, body confidence, sensuality, sex coaching, embodiment, comfort lingerie, how to buy lingerie, women’s empowerment, sensual tools, Pink Pearl Lingerie, Sex Coach U