At 19, Taylor Mackenzie Mieszkuc is already a decade into her musical journey — and in Part 1 of this conversation, Jessica Curtis and Rob Sermerano dig into how it all began.

Taylor takes us back to a third-grade production of Peter Pan that lit the spark, the sixth-grade ukulele that turned her into a songwriter, and the Teen Beach Movie moment that led to her very first song, "Miss Invisible" — written from the perspective of a quiet friend overshadowed by outgoing siblings. Pretty introspective stuff for a 12-year-old.

We also hear the story behind her newly released single "Matches," written at 14 during the height of COVID lockdown and inspired by the cinematic music video for Aria's "Mulholland Drive." Taylor shares what it was like walking into Black Sheep Studios and hearing a full band play her song "Boy at the Beach" back to her for the first time (spoiler: she may or may not have had a minor meltdown on camera), plus a preview of her upcoming song "Glimmering Gold," a deeply personal track about the search for lasting friendship.

Along the way, Taylor opens up about her influences — from Taylor Swift (the "blueprint") to Conan Gray, Sabrina Carpenter, Mimi Webb, and country artists like Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson — and who she hopes to inspire with her own music: the girls, guys, theys, and everyone in between who just need a safe space to feel seen.

Currently studying music education at Bloomsburg University, Taylor is learning everything from piano to percussion to violin, and it's clear this is only the beginning. Stick around for Part 2, where we go even deeper into her story.

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In part two of their conversation with male breast cancer advocate Jake Messier, Rob and Jessica dig into the naming debate — should breast cancer even be called breast cancer if the word itself keeps men from getting checked? Jake pushes back on the idea of rebranding, arguing that softening the language only deepens the stigma, while making the case that a simple line in sixth grade health class could eventually save thousands of lives. From self-exam reality checks to the story of a doctor who refused to screen a man for breast cancer in 2024, this episode is a candid look at how far awareness still has to go.

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Former Marine and marketing executive Jake Messier was 52 years old when he discovered a lump and waited months before getting checked — because, like most men, it never crossed his mind that breast cancer was something he needed to worry about. Now a stage four patient and one of the most visible advocates for male breast cancer awareness, Jake opens up about the isolation, stigma, and systemic blind spots that make this diagnosis uniquely devastating for men. From being turned away from support groups to becoming the first male patient featured in a Susan G. Komen national campaign, his story is a master class in turning personal crisis into a movement.

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