Be Your Own Voice
Layer By Layer GO! – Episode 21
📅 Released: November 2, 2025
🎙️ Host: Don
🎧 Listen now on:
Buzzsprout (show page) |
Spotify |
Apple Podcasts |
Amazon Music |
Rumble (open in app)
This week, Don explores what it truly means to sound like you — in songwriting, cooking, and life. From Jim Morrison’s faux-British tone to the fearless originality of David Byrne, this episode reminds us that imitation might teach the basics, but authenticity makes the art. Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, and Byrne all owned their imperfections — and that’s what made them timeless. The takeaway? Don’t copy your heroes; honor them by becoming one yourself.
🕐 Timestamps
- 00:00 – Opening
- 00:14 – Be Your Own Voice
- 00:54 – Writing Lesson – Finding the Real Voice
- 01:49 – Life Layer – The Courage to Be You
- 02:20 – Journaling Prompts – Tune Your Frequency
- 03:04 – Recipe – Classic Coq au Vin
- 06:31 – Closing Takeaway
🍽 Recipe – 🍷 Classic Coq au Vin
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total: ~1 hr 10 min
🧂 Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 4 oz bacon or salt pork, diced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 medium onion (or 12 pearl onions), sliced
- 2 carrots, cut ½-inch thick
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and fresh black pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter + 2 Tbsp flour (optional for thickening)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
🔪 Instructions
- Brown the bacon: In a Dutch oven, cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Sear the chicken: Season and brown on all sides in the bacon drippings. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until lightly browned; add garlic for the final minute.
- Build the sauce: Stir in tomato paste, then add wine and stock, scraping up the brown bits.
- Simmer: Return chicken and bacon to the pot with thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer 40–50 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Finish (optional): Blend butter and flour into a paste (beurre manié) and whisk in for a silky sauce. Garnish with parsley.
📝 Journaling Prompts
1. “What three traits or habits do I hide in my art or daily life that might actually be my real signature?”
2. “When was the last time I felt totally like myself — unfiltered, relaxed, confident?”
3. “Whose voice echoes in my head when I create — and am I ready to turn that one down?”
☕ Support the Show
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📓 Companion Journal
Stay consistent with daily prompts and planning using the Layer By Layer GO! Journal.
🔗 Quick Links
- 🎵 Explore the Music Vault – Click here
- 🍽 More Recipes – Click here
🎧 Listen to the Episode
(Update with the direct Buzzsprout episode link once published.)