Allergic to the Ordinary
Allergic to the Ordinary is a podcast for people who refuse to live, think, or create on default settings. Hosted by Jamie Gasparovic, the show explores identity, ambition, creativity, and reinvention through unfiltered conversations and sharp personal insight. It’s for those who feel the itch for more, and are ready to design a life that actually fits them.
Allergic to the Ordinary
1. The Whale Blubber Incident: Why Being "Difficult" Is Actually Your Superpower (with Jamie Gasparovic)
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What if everything you've been told about being easygoing, going with the flow, and not making waves is actually keeping you from living your own life?
This is the launch episode of Allergic to the Ordinary, where Jamie introduces the ethos behind the show: it's not about what your life looks like from the outside—it's about how you got there. From refusing to eat fake whale blubber in kindergarten to saying no to everyone before meeting her husband at 22, to getting logical about having kids she never thought she wanted, Jamie breaks down the difference between living on autopilot and making intentional choices.
This isn't a design podcast. This is about questioning defaults, trusting yourself over authority, and refusing to eat the whale blubber just because someone put it in front of you.
What We Cover:
[00:01] The suburban paradox: how the most "ordinary" life can be the most intentional
[02:00] The whale blubber incident: kindergarten rebellion that set the pattern
[05:30] Authority figures and gaslighting: why pushing back makes you "the problem"
[11:00] The intentional path: marriage, kids, and doing life on your terms
[14:00] The wallpaper principle: intent is everything
[21:00] The invitation: where are YOU eating the whale blubber?
Quotes Worth Saving:
"It's not about what your life looks like. It's about how you got there."
"Most of the time when I've been told I'm being difficult, I've actually done nothing wrong. I've just refused to make myself smaller so someone else could feel more comfortable."
"Two people could have the exact same wallpaper, but one chose it because it reminded them of their grandma's kitchen. The other has it because they needed wallpaper and it was blue. Same wallpaper, completely different story."
"This show is permission to question everything, to dig your heels in when something doesn't feel right, to trust yourself more than you trust the default path."
About Jamie:
Jamie Gasparovic is the founder of Studio Gaspo, a luxury interior design firm. She's been questioning authority and refusing to eat whale blubber since kindergarten. She lives in the suburbs with her husband Ryan (her first boyfriend), two kids, and a dog, while approaching marriage, parenting, business, and design with radical intentionality.
Connect with Jamie on Instagram @jamiegasparovic
Check out Studio Gaspo
Your Turn:
Where in your life are you eating the whale blubber? Where are you going along with something just because that's what you're "supposed" to do? Examine one area where you're on autopilot and ask: Is this actually my choice, or am I following a script I didn't write?
DM us your answer and we might feature it in an upcoming episode.
If ordinary has ever felt suffocating, you’re in the right place.
Follow Allergic to the Ordinary for conversations on identity, ambition, and designing a life that doesn’t play it safe.
Hosted by @jamiegasparovic
A Studio Gaspo production