- 18
- Episodes
- 22
- Ratings
- 2024
- First episode
About It Is Your Birthday
An indie podcast reflecting on the year that was and the year that will be with those celebrating another revolution around. It's less about the confetti and more about the contemplation—it's a celebration of life and the relationships we all have with time.
- Publisher
- Najib Aminy
- Category
- society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 5 Aug 2024
- Latest episode
- 24 Dec 2025
Latest episodes
18 episodes in the feed.
24 Dec 2025
December 2025: Jesus, ft. Reverend Billy from the Church of Stop Shopping
Remember the story where Jesus enters the Temple and overturns the tables? (https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/jesus-and-the-money-changers/) It’s the one that asks uncomfortable questions about money, power, and what doesn’t belong in sacred spaces. When Reverend Billy Talen began preaching in the heart of Times Square against the Disney corporation and Mickey Mouse in the late 90s, many thought he was doing the same thing. But he insists, he wasn’t. More than 25 years later, he’s become America’s leading anti-consumerist pastor, preaching a different kind of end times with a focus on profits and rising seas. On this episode of It Is Your Birthday, we’re joined by the leader of the Church of Stop Shopping for a conversation on consumer culture and the meaning of Christmas amidst a warming planet that keeps trying to get our attention. Come listen. LINK HERE Show Notes: Reverend Billy's early work (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPlfp3qvjwg&pp=ygUTcmV2ZXJlbmQgYmlsbHkgMTk5OQ%3D%3D) Hollywood Bowl performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiUCeJ5b1dY&list=RDZiUCeJ5b1dY&start_radio=1) What Would Jesus Buy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpZF6e4cj3o&pp=ygUcd2hhdCB3b3VsZCBqZXN1cyBidXkgdHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D) See more about the Church of Stop Shopping here (https://revbilly.com/)
20 Nov 2025
November 2025: Sayre Quevedo
Having a birthday on November 22 means you know that is the day John F. Kennedy was shot. It also means having a few lonely birthdays, at least if you live in the U.S., because it sometimes falls on Thanksgiving. In this episode of It Is Your Birthday, Sayre Quevedo talks about the unique experience of trying to celebrate yourself while the rest of the country is focused on giving thanks, talking about the traffic, and pretending to like certain relatives. As a Sagittarius sitting right on the Scorpio cusp, Sayre talks about the weird math of wins and losses, the personal relationship with failure and time, and comes prepared for this conversation with a reading of a special poem. Give this episode a listen and join me in wishing Sayre a happy birthday. Editor’s Note: Sayre and I also share the same birthday. :) Listen to some of Sayre's work here: The Quevedos (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4elW8aFgUuHKbYFsqgRIl7?si=7FOI-jbgTveHTdYfhf1slQ) Re:Construcción (https://www.sayrequevedo.com/re-construccion) Weekend World (https://www.sayrequevedo.com/weekend-world)
30 Sept 2025
September 2025: Ashley Cleek
One of the more memorable cards I’ve received was shortly after a mishap. A timing issue. A misalignment in travel plans—it was the worst (relax, I’m exaggerating). And while the whole experience felt trivial in that moment, the memory stands grand in part because of this card. Admittedly, I don’t remember exactly what the card said, but it was something along the lines of “Sorry, it didn’t work out.” A little humor/humour can go a long way. Had I taken Ashley Cleek’s advice, I would’ve saved this card so I could reminisce in great detail at a whim’s notice. Ashley saves her cards, birthday cards especially, nestled away like treasures, each one a tiny fragment of memory, placed in a small red suitcase, ready to be opened like a time capsule at a moment’s notice. Imagine flipping open a clasp, sifting through years of celebrations, apologies, inside jokes, and love, each card a miniature relic of a moment that would otherwise be lost. Ashley is our guest in this month’s episode, and her story is about more than keepsakes. It’s about memory, family, and what it means to share a birthday not just with the world, but with her own son.
2 Sept 2025
Summer 2025: Jess Shane
Summer is over, and good riddance. Well, no, not really, who doesn’t like summer? And technically, despite what the fashion police wants you to think, the season doesn’t come to an end for another two-and-a-half weeks. So, wear those white pants (https://www.history.com/articles/no-white-after-labor-day-origins-fashion). But as fall lurks right around the corner, how was this summer? Top five or barely a contender? A friend of mine, who probably won’t read this, has a theory that no one is truly thriving right now. When pressed for economic indicators, charts, and graphs, the friend will instead point to a vibe index. It just feels like everyone is going through something. And when I spoke to Jess Shane, audio creator and host of the show, Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative (https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/shocking-heartbreaking-transformative), she, too, was wrestling with this expectation of thriving. In this economy? Get out of town. Jess celebrated her birthday back in June and has achieved some pretty significant milestones. Still, she, like many, is trying to make sense of what that actually means. Granted, this interview took place in June, and this episode is now out in September. In a way, this show, too, is hardly thriving. But maybe that’s the point. To thrive is so 2010s, back when people were leaning in, moving fast, and breaking things. Let’s just all slow down instead. (and listen to this episode) It’s so much better. Show Notes: 1. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative (https://radiotopiapresents.fm/shocking-heartbreaking-transformative) 2. 'Perfect Woman (http://www.cbc.ca/radio/loveme/i-m-on-your-scent-1.4234475)' 3. Céline Dion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8fHNdrZTSI&list=RDj8fHNdrZTSI&start_radio=1)
10 May 2025
May 2025 (Mother's Day Special): Happy Birthday to Carmen Cusido
Carmen Cusido is turning 42. According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy), this year should answer a lot. But for the past few years, having her birthday hover around Mother’s Day hasn’t been the easiest, given that it hasn’t been long since her mother passed away. In our conversation, Carmen shares what it’s like to lose both parents, learning to handle the grief and recover in the wake of all that loss. We also talk about: Deep-frying cookies for mom Grief and guilt, even on your Birthday Whether we should ban “How are you?” from society If you’ve ever lost someone, felt pressure to be okay, or wondered whether turning 42 is supposed to feel like this, this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen now. It’s cheaper than therapy and comes with more cake, figuratively speaking.
28 Apr 2025
April 2025: Happy Birthday to Violet
This April, Violet is turning six years old. It’s been a minute (and a half) since I was six, but interviewing Violet about her special day was a treat in itself. Have a listen and you’ll see why.
26 Mar 2025
March 2025: Happy Birthday to Avery Trufelman
Avery Trufelman had 33 to look forward to because it was her Jesus year. But 34? What happens at 34? There is no Taylor Swift album for that, sadly, if you’re into that kind of music, I guess? In our conversation, we touched on fashion, the New Testament, and the existential dread that comes with creation. Have a listen and subscribe to Avery’s podcast on the culture of fashion and clothing called Articles of Interest (https://open.spotify.com/show/6XKe8xy5P16OLrkBW9oz0k?si=2631d54020a84215). You’re gonna like the stories you hear, I guarantee it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6twxRLVHxk).
2 Mar 2025
February 2025: Siddhartha Mahanta
This episode is a few days late, but thankfully, we’re still in Pisces (https://www.costarastrology.com/zodiac-signs/pisces-sign) season, which, if you embody, means you might be empathetic and compassionate. Siddhartha Mahanta is a Pisces. He was kind enough to come on the show to talk about his late February birthday and entering his middle age, life on the other side of 40. Mahanta has spent the last several years working as a journalist in places like Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and The New York Times. But not once has he worked on a story about birthdays. As an editor, he’ll concede that, yes, the reader is often transfixed by beginnings and endings, but Mahanta’s approach to the middle is somewhat cosmic. Have a listen at your leisure, and let him know that you listened (https://x.com/sidhubaba?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)!
30 Jan 2025
The January 2025 Birthday Month ft. Mia Lobel
Mia Lobel has some relatives who have lived up to 109, so her latest birthday, the big 5-0, isn’t all that big in the grand scheme of things. She says it's more of a halfway point—partly because she’s still actively trying to figure out some big life questions, notably what to do about “work.” She’s no stranger to it, she’s built a career in podcasting well before the industry was cool, lucrative and/or established. She’s helped bring shows like Revisionist History and Broken Record. She became one of the bigwigs at Pushkin Industries, only to leave in true 2023-style, with a substack post (https://freelancecafe.substack.com/p/why-i-left). Lobel now covers the audio industry (https://freelancecafe.substack.com/), hoping to challenge fellow colleagues and executives to chase sustainability rather than profit. She joined me in talking about her mid-January birthday in December 2024, the angst of celebrating and reflecting and why she could never become a school teacher.
9 Jan 2025
Happy Belated Birthday Sylvia Manheim
The average life expectancy for someone born in the United States is slightly more than 77 (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/life-expectancy.htm). But that was decades ago for Sylvia Manheim. During the late summer of 2024, the former switchboard operator turned educator, turned hospital administrator, turned college administrator, turned 99. And while she’s just shy of celebrating her centennial, she’s in good company, one of 1.9 million (https://www.thoughtco.com/living-past-90-in-america-3321510)Americans who have made it past 90. To say that she’s lived a life is an understatement. Listen to this week’s podcast episode to hear about Sylvia’s advice on relationships, regret, and hope. And please remember, if you like what you hear, please help spread the word!
23 Dec 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Komail Aijazuddin
It’s the holiday season, and if you’re observing, you’re probably struggling, or have struggled, to buy gifts for the special people in your life. But why not just get a gift for yourself? Artist and writer Komail Aijazuddin started this tradition when he was 16 and living in Lahore, Pakistan, to celebrate his birthday. His first gift to himself was a watercolor paint set that played a pivotal role in the trajectory of his life. Komail now lives in New York City and just published his first book, Manboobs: A Memoir of Musicals, Visas, Hope, and Cake (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/207003966-manboobs). It’s a memoir about growing up gay in Pakistan, moving to the United States post-9/11, and struggling with weight. Komail is a humorist, but many reviewers of his book focus on one central theme: heartbreak. On this episode of It Is Your Birthday, we unpack what it’s like to confront how outsiders may see your life. Listen here, especially if you’re wondering what gift Komail got himself this year. Please join me in wishing Komail a happy birthday by listening to this episode and telling him about it (https://www.instagram.com/komailaijazuddin/?hl=en).
17 Oct 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Zainab Shah
Growing up, you eventually learn that diamonds are forever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwbEuzJCnqI) and that every kiss begins with Kay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uDeH0HBTnA). But when Zainab Shah was still a student, she took a class on gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary pop culture where she learned the truth about diamonds—how they’re not scarce (https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/12/diamonds-de-beers-corporation-rare-marketing/676270/), the backstory behind De Beers’ marketing campaign (https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/diamond5.htm) and how that campaign shifted (https://www.reuters.com/article/business/de-beers-banks-on-diamonds-are-for-me-idUSKBN1X720W/) with the rise of female purchasing power across the globe (https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/21/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-female-economy/). But girl boss culture should, Zainab argues, is a manifestation that we could all do away with. Yas queen. Zainab is an immigrant to the U.S. who has spent the last decade living in Brooklyn, but it’s only in her last couple of years that she’s spent more trying to unlearn the expectations and pressures that come with that dynamic. Please join me in wishing her a happy birthday, listening to this episode, and then telling her about it (http://@zainabshah).
13 Sept 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Priska Neely
I am not good with money. The world of finance feels like invented chemistry, where the equations make sense only to a select few. Sorry, Jerome Powell (don’t worry; I don’t think he is a subscriber), but every time you make the news, I assume it’s because bad news is coming—something about the markets and interest rates—then my eyes start to glaze over, and then I feel helpless and realize how I will likely never own a home. And I am sure I am not the only one who feels a certain way when a peer or friend successfully converts the myth of the American dream into a reality and becomes a new homeowner. “Congratulations.” Right. Sure. Notice the period? Here’s the thing: I don’t feel that way about my friend and former colleague, Priska Neely. She moved from California to Alabama and is now helping run an award-winning newsroom in Birmingham—and she’s become situated in a whole new lifestyle. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out why you can’t help but root for Priska, American dream be damned. Also, it’s her birthday, and by the end of this conversation, I trust you’ll join me in genuinely saying, “Congratulations!” (tell her here (https://x.com/priskaneely?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor)) Or, at the very least, you might learn a new tune to sing for others on their birthday.
6 Sept 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Klarika
Klarika works in advertising, and I can’t tell if she reads Inc. Magazine. It’s not something that came up in our conversation about her upcoming 35th birthday. To be honest, I’m not sure why it would. But what did come up in our conversation was the importance of building community in a new place, thinking about confidence and her very own relationship with time, and that’s the first time I heard about polychronic time. Maybe there is an article in Inc. about it (there is (https://www.inc.com/the-build-network/mutlitasking-productivity.html)), but it was a pleasant surprise, along with her approach to making time for friends, family, and herself. Join us in wishing Klarika a happy birthday by listening to this episode and tell her (https://www.instagram.com/booghosty/?hl=en) that you listened! (or just check her nail game 💅💅💅)
23 Aug 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Shereen Marisol Meraji
Gates. They are everywhere. Watergate (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/timeline.html). Bridgegate (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/nyregion/george-washington-bridge-scandal-what-you-need-to-know.html). Tan-suit-gate (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKurQ8B04AA). It’s hard to know when the facts of life merit such a distinction, but for Shereen Marisol Merjai (https://x.com/RadioMirage), the moment arrived on her 40th birthday. She was at her mom’s house and had one small request for her big day—a homemade cheesecake. And then…the floodgates opened. P.S. On September 5th, Shereen’s new Audible podcast, “How I Get It Done,” will drop. Be on the lookout for it, give it a listen, and subscribe. ✨✨✨
16 Aug 2024
It Is Your Birthday: LaNisa Frederick
If LaNisa Frederick (https://www.instagram.com/lanisafrederick) had her way, she’d reply “grown” anytime anyone asked her about her age. It’s a response she originally read in a Variety interview with Abbott Elementary’s very own Janelle James (https://variety.com/2023/tv/features/janelle-james-age-abbott-elementary-future-sexy-roles-1235587065/) who said: “I’m grown. I have a 20-year-old son. I’m not ashamed of my age or anything like that. But for women — and everybody knows it and acts like they don’t — it gives an idea of what you are in people’s heads." But there is no box to check for “grown,” and LaNisa knows that if she herself tried to kickstart that trend, she would receive very few callbacks, making the whole being an actor thing even more difficult than it already is. We chatted with LaNisa, who plans to release her podcast, “Black and Cultivated,” in the fall. The show is about the Black and Brown experience in cults. We ask her what birthdays in a cult were like, her own relationship with age in the entertainment industry and what this year’s birthday means for her. “I’m grown. I have a 20-year-old son. I’m not ashamed of my age or anything like that. But for women — and everybody knows it and acts like they don’t — it gives an idea of what you are in people’s heads,” James says.
12 Aug 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Earlonne Woods
Earlonne Woods has spent more than half his birthdays in prison. He’s not there anymore, but he doesn’t treat the day any differently; in fact, this year, he’ll be working on his “born-day.” Join us in wishing Earlonne a happy birthday by listening to this episode and tell him (https://www.instagram.com/earlonnewoods/?hl=en) and the team at Ear Hustle (https://www.instagram.com/earhustlesq/?hl=en) you listened!
5 Aug 2024
It Is Your Birthday: Al Letson
We speak with Al Letson, the host of Reveal, a playwright and TV writer, as he celebrates his upcoming birthday.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 5.0 / 5
- 11 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 11 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 63
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 51
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