LIZ’S COFFEE CONNECTION

Tired of all the bad news? Liz’s Coffee Connection is a weekly podcast hosted by Liz Hirsh Naftali, featuring real conversations over coffee with thoughtful voices from all walks of life. Each episode explores stories of heart, humanity, and hope—reminding us what’s still good in the world. Part healing balm, part caffeine pick-me-up for the soul, this podcast invites you to stop doom scrolling, start joy scrolling, and remember that we have far more that connects us than divides us.

LIZ’S COFFEE CONNECTION is a news podcast hosted by Liz Hirsh Naftali, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Liz Hirsh Naftali hosts LIZ’S COFFEE CONNECTION, a news show with 100 episodes published.

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  Episode #53

  Todd Gloria Grace, Grit, and a City Built for Everyone S4E1

  Sep 29, 202638 min

  Todd Gloria is San Diego’s first mayor of color and first openly gay mayor — a legacy rooted in a grandfather who wore a three-piece suit every day, even to mow the lawn, just to be seen as a man worthy of respect. In this conversation with Liz, Todd opens up about the shy kid who found his voice, why he’d rather tell people what they need to know than what they want to hear, and how he’s tackling San Diego’s housing crisis as mayor and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

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  Episode #52

  Francisco Palomares: Painting a Visual Diary of Downtown LA | S3E22

  Aug 11, 202619 min

  Liz sits down with East LA-born painter Francisco Palomares in his downtown LA studio for a conversation about art, migration, and belonging. Francisco walks through paintings inspired by childhood car rides with his mom through the fashion and flower districts, his 2022 piece “City of Inmates,” and the piñata paintings that explore both celebration and what it feels like to be “the other.” He shares how a high school teacher's encouragement led him to Ryman Arts and a scholarship at USC, how his mother's journey from Michoacán inspired his “Homage to My Mothers” series, and why he sees vulnerability as essential to being an artist. The conversation closes with Francisco's rapid-fire favorites and his reflections on the small, everyday moments that bring him joy.

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  Episode #51

  Charlie Edmiston: Art, Legacy, and Finding the Studio That Was Meant to Be | S3E21

  Aug 4, 202621 min

  Liz sits down with LA-based contemporary artist and muralist Charlie Edmiston for a conversation about creative freedom, mentorship, and the pull of home. Charlie traces his path from a childhood spent constantly drawing, through Otis College where he found his way from graphic design into fine arts, to the years he spent supporting his art practice with freelance design work so he could paint without pressure. He opens up about the moment his work started selling in a meaningful way, the toll of making art to please collectors, and how he found his way back to creative freedom. Charlie also shares the personal story of how his grandfather's downtown LA clothing store led him, decades later, to his dream studio in the same neighborhood — the historic Bendix Building. The conversation closes with Charlie's rapid-fire favorites and his reflections on choosing joy, even through difficult moments.

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  Episode #50

  Jonah Elijah: Painting Memory, History, and the Bad American Dream | S3E20

  Jul 28, 202626 min

  Liz visits the Los Angeles studio of painter Jonah Elijah, whose work reimagines childhood memory, Black history, and identity through portraiture, assemblage, and sculpture. Jonah walks through a globe sculpture series exploring the history of the term “Globetrotter,” an assemblage piece built around a spinning bicycle wheel from his old Houston neighborhood, and an ongoing “Prayer Series” rooted in his own childhood memories. He shares how growing up in Houston's Third Ward and playing sports for most of his life led him, almost by accident, to painting in a college class for non-art majors — and how that class changed the course of his life. The conversation also covers his “Bootlicker” series, his surrealist “Bad American Dream” body of work, and his reflections on freedom, respect, and what joy really means to him.

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  Episode #19

  Lindsay Pinchuk: Truth, Advocacy, and the Power of Connection | S3E19

  May 26, 202648 minS3

  <p>Liz sits down with Lindsay Pinchuk for a conversation about leadership, Jewish advocacy, storytelling, and the power of community. Lindsay reflects on how summer camp shaped her confidence and independence, how growing up in Detroit’s Jewish community gave her a foundation of tradition and belonging, and how October 7th became a turning point in her public voice. From building Bump Club and Beyond into a national community for mothers, to creating Dear FoundHer for women entrepreneurs, Lindsay has built her life around connection. In this episode, she shares why stories matter, why everyone has a role in fighting ha...

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