Happy holidays folks,

It’s a few days before the new year and I am writing to you from an E170 (?) headed to my hometown, Chicago, for some R&R with the family. Airplane mode always inspires reflection, so I decided, knowing I’ll get sappy, now is the time to write this end of year letter to you all.

Despite (*gestures vaguely*) everything, my corner of the universe is doing relatively okay and that’s largely because of you, the listeners, who make my day-to-day at Witch, Please Productions easeful and sustainable. Thank you for being a fan, a listener, a subscriber, a Patreon supporter, etc. It all matters and it all makes our podcast possible.

This project began over ten years ago with Hannah and Marcelle self-producing Witch, Please, a scholarly Harry Potter podcast. In 2020, Hannah and Marcelle re-launched the show with Not Sorry Productions and in 2021 I joined as producer. We went independent in 2022 and launched a new flagship show (Material Girls) in 2023 — as well as our beloved side projects Making Worlds and Gender Playground.

If you know all this already, forgive me for the walk down memory lane, but I myself regularly need to take a beat, look around and honor the road I’m on! It’s a winding one — it’s also fabulous. Every year has been a blast and no year has been the same.*

In fact, one of the only constants is YOU.

Some of you started listening to Material Girls and/or Gender Playground this year, proving that what we do is still valuable in a saturated podcast market. Some of you, like myself, found Witch, Please during the re-launch with Not Sorry and then proved that the show was sustainable as an independent venture. And many thousands of you were on the Hannah and Marcelle train before I jumped aboard. You were early listeners who encouraged two friends to keep making their podcast for fun — and you stuck with us through all the changes. No matter when you became part of our audience and extended community, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

As we look ahead to 2026, we are so grateful we get to continue bringing accessible scholarship to the public — and that we get to do that in conversation with you.

From the bottom of my heart and the tips of my toes,**

Coach

* For example, one year Zoe made incredible monthly comics that simply need to be revisited!!! Here’s a coloring page she made, too.

** If this doesn’t makes sense, take a listen.

It is NOT too late to gift a Patreon subscription to friends and family. Start the New Year RIGHT by supporting indie creators for as little as $5 USD/month (it’s 10% less if you purchase the annual membership!).

We have fun over there! For example, here’s a Patreon supporter suggesting a title for our imagined foot tier.

We are going on break for the month of January — kinda. :)

In lieu of Material Girls and Material Concerns episodes, we will be releasing a mini season all about ~ *DRUMROLL* ~ The Pitt!!!!!!!

Remember The Pitt?? Or has Heated Rivalry knocked it out of your brain?

Well it returns January 8th for a second season and given our team*** was lowkey obsessed, we figured there was no better way to keep ourselves and our feed occupied as we prepare for season three of Material Girls.

Pitt-y Party is hosted by Marcelle, Gaby and Zoe. Episodes drop on the Wednesday before new episodes of The Pitt release (on Thursdays)! That means you’ll have plenty of time to be caught up on the show, or you can join Hannah’s plan (to listen without watching the show).

Our intro episode drops January 7th in the Material Girls feed. Keep an eye out and spread the word to the Noah Wyle fans in your life!

***mostly Gaby

And Now… Some Highlights from 2026

Making Worlds

We completed a full year of Making Worlds, our video podcast about imagining otherwise.

Gender Playground

We released Season Two of Gender Playground which featured so many amazing guests I still go back and listen for their wisdom.

Material Girls

We released 19 regular episodes and successfully moved weekly through our Material Concerns episodes (which I get to be on!).

Daddy Live Show

In July, we went to Vancouver for a live show with Helen Zaltzman and Martin Austwick. Auto Syndicate performed our theme song LIVE for the first time ever and we got to meet a ton of listeners which was the real highlight.

In short, our audience was fab, as were our guests — and our outfits. Want a taste of the show? Check out this sick intro video.

We talk about the show and our trip to Vancouver a bunch in our latest Material Concerns episode.

Here are two photos that will only make sense if you listened.

A Final Shoutout to Our Team

Thank you so much to Ruth who stepped up this year to help make transcripts happen! To Malika without whom I’d have a panic attack every 4-6 days. To Reese for being an incredibly patient and generous collaborator on Gender Playground. To Raimi for teaching me and the whole team how to be kinder to ourselves and others. To Zoe who is both brilliant and silly — and always ready to say yes to making kooky merch ideas happen. To Gaby for always making me laugh and agreeing to produce a mini-season so I can take a breath. To Hannah and Marcelle for changing my life.

See? I told you I’d get sappy.