Ep 417 - Ashton

Ep 417 - Ashton

Author: Emma and Fin November 5, 2025 Duration: 1:20:26
Ashton grew up in a super conservative and religious home, didn't date in high school, and had her first kiss when she was 18... But that was then. Things are a bit different now! Ashton is now in her forties and has been practicing polyamory and non-monogamy for about 15 years. As she describes it, when she found polyamory it was as if the heavens opened up and the angels sang. While she's no longer a member of the fundamentalist church she grew up in, she has been very involved in the United Church of Christ since college and at one point was even a Deacon. Ashton's friendships are often ambiguous as she prefers to let connections find their natural level and she currently has what she calls "a squad of lover-friends." Join us today for this wonderful conversation as Ashton shares with us her journey of exploring her sexual and relationship identities while raising a daughter and being a dedicated member of her local church community. Ashton also helps lead and organize non-monogamy events and groups in the Fargo area. You can find more information here! Check out the full show notes here. Join us at Relationship Recess in May 2026! Join the most amazing community of open-minded humans on the planet!   Click here to order your very own NNM shirt! $10 Off - Online STI Testing

Emma and Fin have spent more than fifteen years navigating the landscape of non-monogamy together, and their conversations extend far beyond their own marriage. In their Normalizing Non-Monogamy-Personal Stories of Polyamory, Swinging, and Beyond podcast, they create a space for the kinds of honest, nuanced discussions that often happen only behind closed doors. Each episode is built around a conversation with someone from across the vast spectrums of gender, sexuality, and relationship structure. While you’ll hear from many people who identify as polyamorous or within the swinging community, a significant number of their guests share stories that defy easy categorization-they’ve crafted unique, personal dynamics that work specifically for them. The result is a collection of genuine narratives that highlight the practical realities, emotional complexities, and profound joys found in these varied ways of loving and connecting. By focusing on individual experiences rather than abstract theory, this podcast moves the topic from the realm of taboo into everyday life. Listening feels like sitting in on a thoughtful, compassionate, and sometimes surprisingly ordinary chat between people who are simply figuring out what brings them fulfillment. Emma and Fin’s long-term perspective as a couple provides a steady, relatable foundation for these explorations, making the entire series feel grounded and accessible whether you’re deeply familiar with these concepts or just curiously learning.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Normalizing Non-Monogamy -  Personal Stories of Polyamory, Swinging, and Beyond
Podcast Episodes
Ep 429 - James [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:39
James has been exploring non-monogamous relationships for over 17 years and has been a proud member of the kink scene for over 11. His journey has taken him around the world through many twists and turns, including a don…
The Power of Play [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:02
We are so excited about this conversation with Gary Ware that is all about the power of play in life and in relationships! Gary is co-hosting our upcoming in-person event May 1-3, 2026 called Relationship Recess! You can…
Ep 428 - Ms. WillowKat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:12
Ms. WillowKat is all about living the one life we get to the fullest and zer zest and passion for life is infectious! We cover a lot of topics in this fantastic interview… Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, leaving the c…
Ep 427 - Natalie: Round 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:27
Natalie and her husband have been in an open relationship of some sort for over 25 years and about four years ago her husband’s partner moved in with them. We first had the pleasure of talking with Natalie a little over…
Ep 426 - Rashid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:45
Rashid is in his early thirties and first learned about non-monogamy in his mid-twenties while in a monogamous partnership that lasted about a decade. Like so many of us, he thought something was wrong with him because h…
Ep 425 - Marcia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:56
When Marcia’s high school boyfriend left for college they decided to try opening their relationship… However, it was the late nineties in Georgia so there weren’t many resources or support available for anyone exploring…
Ep 424 - Jill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:57
Jill is in her mid-forties and has just come through a really big transition in life after recently ending her longterm partnership and marriage. Non-monogamy is fairly new for her as well and while she feels that it’s p…
Ep 423 - Megan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:25
Megan has been exploring various flavors and styles of non-monogamy for most of her adult life and one of the things we love about her story is that it hasn't been a linear path. Like many of us, she grew up surrounded b…
Ep 422 - Kevin: Round 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:25
When we first talked to Kevin on Episode 45 he’d been married for over a decade and he was in a handful of new-ish relationships. Nearly seven years later, he’s been married over 20 years and describes himself as being i…
Ep 421 - Elaine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:53
When Elaine first started dating she fell in love with multiple people pretty much right away and felt so much shame about it that it drove her to end the relationship she was in. She tried serial monogamy for a while an…