Pickles & Pasta with Steph and Jay
Welcome to Pickles & Pasta—a podcast about living creatively, loving boldly, and staying grounded in a world that often feels anything but.
Steph and Jay met (or as Jay says “reconnected”) just before the pandemic and have been building a life—and a creative partnership—ever since. Together, they live, work, and support each other’s ventures while navigating the messy, beautiful chaos of modern life.
No agendas. No sides. Just real conversations—sometimes deep, sometimes hilarious, always honest.
This is their space to talk about creativity, connection, relationships, and everything in between.
Pull up a chair. Let’s dig in.
About Steph
Stephanie Rado Taormina is the CEO and founder of Have Some Fun Today, a lifestyle brand inspired by her late father's mantra to live boldly and joyfully. With over 25 years of experience in branding, fashion, interiors, and entrepreneurship, she brings a sharp creative vision to everything she touches.
A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Stephanie has reignited her fine art career since 2021—creating emotionally driven abstract work and building a growing marketplace for contemporary art. While integrating her artistic voice into the evolution of HSFT, she also maintains an independent studio practice focused on exhibitions, fine art prints, and creative collaborations.
As co-host of the podcast Pickles & Pasta with Steph & Jay, she brings thoughtful, unscripted insight to conversations about creativity, culture, and navigating modern life.
About Jay
Jay Schweid is a native New Yorker, creative entrepreneur, and cultural shapeshifter with a career that’s anything but conventional. From launching JCS, a bespoke racket service trusted by tennis icons like McEnroe and Agassi, to co-founding The Spot—a legendary South Beach lounge with Mickey Rourke—Jay has always lived at the intersection of bold ideas and real-world impact.
He went on to create high-touch concierge and event services for celebrity and HNWI clients, and in 2012, launched ephelants, a media company focused on streamlining film and commercial production. Built to challenge industry inefficiencies, ephelants fuses creativity with technology to empower storytellers at every level.
Now, Jay is building Village—a visionary entertainment platform that will revolutionize how projects move from concept to distribution. By bringing together creators, fans, and investors,Village is designed to democratize the entire entertainment ecosystem and give everyone a seat at the table.
On Pickles & Pasta, Jay brings sharp insight, unapologetic creativity, and a relentless curiosity for what’s next.
Pickles & Pasta with Steph and Jay
Pickles & Pasta EP21 - Holidays, Creativity, and Knowing When to Slow Down
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Episode 21 - Holidays, Creativity, and Knowing When to Slow Down
In this episode of Pickles and Pasta with Steph and Jay, a simple catch-up turns into a thoughtful look at creativity during the holiday season and the push-pull between momentum and rest. They unpack how December’s packed calendars and cultural expectations can derail focus, while still offering surprising inspiration through new experiences and shared adventures. They also talk about resisting the pressure to constantly sell, promote, or discount creative work, with Steph choosing to focus on making art right now and Jay reflecting on how hard it is when “slowing down” feels imposed instead of chosen, all while touching on consumer culture, originality, and creating with intention. They wrap with humor and a rapid-fire round on winter comforts, music habits, and the annual events that quietly shape their creative lives.
Topics Covered:
- Creating during the holidays and how seasonal energy affects focus
- The tension between slowing down and maintaining creative momentum
- Events, stimulation, and how new experiences fuel inspiration
- Selling versus making and owning the value of creative work
- Consumer culture, trends, and the search for originality
- Choosing rest and reflection without losing purpos
- Rapid fire on winter favorites, music, and influential annual events
A reflective, honest conversation about honoring your creative rhythm during a season that pulls you in every direction. Whether you’re slowing down, speeding up, or somewhere in between, this episode is a reminder that intention matters more than timing.