We recently connected with Nadelyn Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Nadelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

As a host of a podcast centered around history and wine, my job as a 2nd Grade teacher helped me embark on this creative journey the most. In that position, I was responsible for teaching Social Studies classes twice a week for 30 minutes each. If you factor in transitional times and calming down 20 8- and 9-year-olds, those 30 minutes turned into 15 minutes. I had to come up with creative ways to integrate history into my other lessons, so I would refer to interesting historical facts or figures in math and science lessons. These facts really intrigued my students, and they began begging me to teach Social Studies during their free time. I knew if I could get 8-year-olds excited about history, I could find a way to get adults interested. This idea gave birth to my podcast “Wine’n Through Time.” In each episode, I explore interesting people, places, and events in history while incorporating a wine in each story.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Nadelyn Harris, also known as Monay, and I am the host of the Wine’n Through Time podcast. I am a former teacher who loves history and wanted to create a unique way to spark an interest in history amongst adults. Before I started my podcast, when I asked most of my peers if they enjoyed learning about history, most of them responded negatively. When I asked why, their dislike is mostly associated with the manner in which they were exposed to it. Terms such as “boring” are often associated with history, which I believe is far from the truth. I know a lot of adults enjoy wine and would like to learn more about it, so I thought combining my love of history and wine would be a great way to expose adults to both. A lot of adults who listen to my podcast are new to the world of wine, so I offer a wine tasting journal that walks them through the wine tasting process. I also offer wine glasses that they can use to sip their favorite wine while listening to my episodes. As a young black woman, I know there are not many people who look like me in either of these areas, so I am grateful I have the opportunity to explore topics in a way that others wouldn’t. I am really proud of my ability to use my platform to present history in a fun and creative manner. I knew I was onto something special when my mom called to discuss my episode about the White House.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the end of my first season, I decided to file for divorce. On top of navigating a difficult divorce, I was also working a very demanding job. I was very excited about launching my second season, but I was zapped creatively. I tried to push myself creatively, but my body and mind were tired. I had to make a difficult decision to delay my second season to give myself an opportunity to address these difficulties and to also take care of myself physically and mentally. I found that once I allowed myself to rest, my creativity increased, and the topics I tried to pull out of thin air suddenly fell into my lap. It was difficult for me to step away, but I learned to give myself grace and celebrate the small steps towards progress.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative is seeing how my podcast inspires my listeners. Several of my listeners have told me how they did not realize history could be so interesting until they started listening. I enjoy learning about how they take the time to further research a topic they have listened to on my show. I also enjoy hearing about the listeners who are confident wine drinkers now. The wine world can be very intimidating, so I pride myself on my ability to provide my listeners with the basic knowledge needed to confidently order and discuss wine with almost anyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.winenthroughtime.com
• Instagram: winen_thru_time
• Facebook: Wine’n Through Time Podcast
• Youtube: Wine’n Through Time