The Maison Gaton Podcast

Three Stylish Missions from the World of Madame J 16.06.2026 9Min.

Pull up a chair. It's 1951. The linen is crisp, the coffee is strong, and you and I have nowhere to be for at least an hour. This episode is inspired by Part 3 of The Misadventures of Madame J: Chortler on a Train, and three things it made me think about for all of us. Three stylish missions this week: Eat one meal alone. Unhurried. No phone. Order exactly what you want. Slow down for five minutes and pay attention to your surroundings. Notice the stylish clues hiding in plain sight. Write down the rules you've been living by and ask yourself. Which ones are actually serving you? There's also a stylish clue hidden in Part 3. Did you catch it? Come tell me in the comments on Substack. Read Part 3 at: maisongaton.substack.com Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Your Style Leaves Clues 02.06.2026 11Min.

Chortler on a Train, No. 1 is live on Substack today. This episode is the companion to it. Madame J notices what people wear because what people wear is information. She was a spy. That kind of attention doesn't retire just because the war ended. This week I talk about: What Madame J sees when she opens that curtain and looks at the dead man across the aisle Why I built her eye for style into the character from the very beginning What we all do every day without realizing it What your style is actually saying right now whether you intend it or not And the research rabbit hole that gave me a better detail than I imagined Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

She's Here. Almost. 29.05.2026 7Min.

She's Here. Almost. This episode is about what a story can do that an essay cannot. I have spent years writing essays about formidable women. About refusing smallness. About taking up space without apology. I meant every word of every one of them I have been sitting on this long enough. Madame J arrives Tuesday June 2nd on Substack. Five installments. Every Tuesday. Free to read. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Where do you want to be? 26.05.2026 8Min.

Where Do You Want to Be? This week I talk about the very human experience of looking for your reflection in someone else's record of the night, what I actually found when I looked, and the distinction that changed everything for me: I wasn't missing from the night. I was missing from the record of the night. Those are two different things. This week I talk about: The event, the Instagram carousel, and the very human pang that followed Why I looked anyway even though I told myself not to What I actually found in those videos The difference between being missing from the action and being missing from the record Where you actually want to be this season (not where you think you should be) Your mission should you choose to accept it: intentionally get in the photo record when it feels good to you. And move toward where you actually want to be. My hope is that this episode helps move you to the dance floor. Where do you want to be this season? Come tell me in the comments on Substack. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Writing Women You Actually Want to Meet 19.05.2026 12Min.

This week I want to introduce you to a woman you haven't met yet. And before I tell you about Madame J, I have to tell you about Elle. Elle was my imaginary friend when I was eight. A 1920s movie star with a jet black bob, cupid bow lips, and apartments in Paris, Hollywood, and New York City. Whenever I opened the imaginary door to her apartment I never knew which city I'd land in. Sometimes I held up a bottle of Palmolive soap and accepted awards alongside her while I did the dishes. She was the fun place to go. Madame J is not Elle. But there are qualities to her that remind me of Elle, as if these were real women who simply knew each other. This week I talk about: The childhood imaginary cast: Berg, Peter, Betty, and Elle What this season of life made possible that my eight-year-old imagination couldn't Why I wanted to write women I'd actually want to spend time with. She's not nice, but she's kind. The short story serial tradition: Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Beatrix Potter Bringing Madame J to life with illustrator Gemini.H My 26 girl cousins, the matriarchy, and the women we surround ourselves with Madame J arrives June 2nd on Substack. Five installments. Every Tuesday. Free to read. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays Gemini.H's work

Darling, the World Is Waiting: The Collection of Lovely Things Finale 12.05.2026 9Min.

Accomplishment Loneliness in Success 05.05.2026 18Min.

This week we're continuing our A Collection of Lovely Things series with a theme of Blue: Hopes, Dreams & Aspirations, and this week's room is a little different. The Blue room has comfy couches, table space, journals, notebooks, whiteboards. It's a space for dreaming. And more importantly, it's a space with a microphone in the center because this week we're talking about something rarely discussed among highly accomplished women. Accomplishment Loneliness. Not platitudes about goal setting. Not a vision board exercise. The real, lived experience of what it feels like to accomplish much and still feel completely alone in it. In this episode, the three faces of Accomplishment Loneliness: The Loneliness of Outpacing Your Circle The Loneliness of the Summit The Loneliness of Not Being Able to Celebrate Fully Your missions this week: Find the part of the good thing you're willing to share — and share it with someone If you reach a summit and it's not what you expected, find the emotion you can name and share that instead Communicate your expectations of celebration clearly and unequivocally — no hinting, no hoping Ask yourself honestly: am I doing this for the love of the thing, or for the applause? Accomplishment Loneliness is real. It's common. It's survivable. Say the quiet parts out loud. If this episode resonated with you — share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a review. It means the world. Until next time. Read the full Blue collection — essay, playlist, poem, style inspiration, and book recommendations — at: maisongaton.substack.com Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

How to Turn Your Home Into a Creative Retreat (No Travel Required) 28.04.2026 13Min.

This week we're continuing our A Collection of Lovely Things series with a theme of Green: Home & Environment, and it's all about turning the space you already have into the retreat you've been waiting for. The episode opens with a reflection on a self-scheduled weekend retreat: a whiteboard in the dining room, a pillow nest on the couch, and the question that started it all: do you want your home to feel like a museum, a workshop, or both? From there, we dig into three ways to reimagine your space as an incubator for creativity, ideas, and mojo. No travel required. Just a willingness to break a few self-imposed house rules. In this episode: The Museum Mindset Your Home as a Workshop Move Your Damn Chair Chapters: 0:23 Introduction: The at-home retreat concept, inspired by friends and a Substack essay by Jamie Attenberg 2:55 The Museum Mindset: Think like a curator, rotate your collections, display what you love, and treat your home like a children's museum you can actually touch 6:26 Your Home as a Workshop: Break the house rules, use every room differently, reclaim the forbidden chair, and let your home become a living breathing mastermind space 9:57 Move Your Damn Chair: The simplest entry point, a literal new seat can unlock a figurative shift in perspective and spark the mojo you've been waiting for Your missions this week: Embrace the museum curator mindset: gather objects, find themes, display and rotate what you love Break one house rule: use a space differently than you normally would Move your damn chair: literally change where you sit and see what shifts If this episode gave you permission to finally inhabit your home more fully, share it with a friend who needs the nudge. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a review. It means the world. Until next time. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

What Friendship Actually Looks Like for Busy Women 21.04.2026 13Min.

This week we're continuing our A Collection of Lovely Things series with a theme of Yellow Friendship Gathering, and it's all about the little pieces of ourselves we give to one another. The episode opens with a reflection on being truly known by a friend, the kind of friend who can read a book you wrote and spot little pieces of you scattered across every character. From there, we dig into what it actually takes to maintain real friendships as a very busy woman. Not the Instagram version, the real kind. And that means getting honest about three things: Time Energy Stage of Life Your missions this week: Ask yourself: What do I have time for in this season? What do I have energy for? What stage of life am I in? Walk through your home and look for gifts, trinkets, and items tied to friendships and look for chances to connect. Share your photo albums of gatherings and tag us on Instagram! If this episode sparked a conversation you and a friend have been needing to have — please share it with them. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a review. It means the world. Until next time, friends. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Micro Creativity and Bravery: The Orange Collection 14.04.2026 9Min.

This week on the Maison Gaton Podcast, we're stepping into the Orange Room, a space dedicated to creativity, whimsy, and permission to be a messy beginner. Drawing on a reframe from a MythBusters creator, we explore how creativity is really just problem solving in disguise, something you're already doing every day. Your missions this week: try micro creativity, be brave enough to be bad at something new, and take a color walk around your home. In This Episode: Why perfectionism is the enemy of creative flow How creative people are really just problem solvers Mission 1: Micro creativity — starting small to build momentum Mission 2: The bravery of being a bad beginner Mission 3: The orange color walk Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Petite Pleasures and Everyday Glamor: The Red Collection 07.04.2026 9Min.

Petite Pleasures and Everyday Glamor: The Red Collection In this episode: What petite pleasures and everyday glamor actually mean (and why it's a mindset first) Judith's personal story of finding glamor in the smallest of things, even a 99-cent Shasta soda Why you work too hard not to be savoring the life you've built How to do a Color Walk through your home and rediscover the gorgeous things you already own The two key questions to ask yourself this week to shift into a pleasure-first mindset Practical ideas: the good China, the red lipstick, the good candle…use it all, friend Your mission this week: Go on a red color walk through your home. Pull out 5–10 red items: beauty, home goods, clothing, trinkets, and actually use them. Enjoy them. Savor them. Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

A Collection of Lovely Things Part I 30.03.2026 6Min.

Welcome to the first episode of a new series! Step inside the Maison Gaton house: an eccentric, curated space full of trinkets, textures, and treasured collections. This episode is an invitation to take inventory of the lovely things you've gathered throughout your life, and to truly enjoy them. Timestamps: 0:00 — Welcome & introducing the Maison Gaan house 1:17 — Grandmother's Folgers coffee jar full of buttons and odds & ends 1:50 — Marguerite's mother's button tin 2:27 — The collections all around our homes and lives 3:16 — The invitation: take inventory and enjoy what's already there 4:05 — Introducing the six color themes for the series 4:38 — The colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue & Violet 5:24 — What to expect next week: Petite Pleasures & Everyday Glamors 5:49 — Each episode will include something practical to do In This Series: Red — Petite Pleasures & Everyday Glamors Orange — Creativity & Whimsy Yellow — Friendship & Gathering Green — Environment & Spaces Blue — Hope, Dreams & Aspirations Violet — Vision, Leadership & Passion If you know someone who might enjoy this series, please share it!Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Why I Abandoned the Airbnb at 2am 24.03.2026 9Min.

Why I Abandoned the Airbnb at 2am It started with a smell. In this episode, Judith shares the full story of abandoning a vomit-soaked London Airbnb at 2am — and what hauling a giant suitcase into a perfumed hotel in the middle of the night taught her about the year she was actually having. This is the episode that introduces the 2026 theme: Misadventures. In This Episode: The Airbnb from hell — feet, cheese, mold, a cracked window, and a ceiling that finally gave way Why we stay too long in things that clearly aren't working — sunk cost, pride, and not wanting to admit we were wrong How to let the year tell you what kind of year it is instead of forcing a theme onto January Why naming what's actually happening is the first move toward shaping what you want The difference between resisting reality and acknowledging it — with humor and levity Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: Ask yourself what the year is already telling you. What have you been tolerating too long? What is your proverbial vomit-filled hallway? You don't have to know where the hotel is yet — you just have to admit the smell is no longer acceptable. Timestamps: 0:00 Welcome & Introduction 0:09 The London Airbnb Horror Story 2:53 Why Did We Stay So Long? (Sunk Cost & Pride) 4:01 Rethinking the "Word of the Year" Approach 4:44 Letting the Year Tell You Its Theme 5:50 Introducing the Theme: Misadventure 6:38 Invitation: Name the Year You're Actually Having 7:09 Your Mission: What Are You Tolerating? 7:46 What's Coming Next on the Podcast & Substack 9:19 Closing & Call to Action Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

Episode 338 Tiny Creative Acts 17.03.2026 8Min.

The Lost Pleasure of Getting Ready 10.03.2026 11Min.

Episode 337: The Lost Pleasure of Getting Ready - 30 Acts of Resistance Through Style Why has getting dressed become a lost pleasure for busy professionals? Host Judith Gaton reframes intentional dressing as an act of resistance and shares 30 compelling reasons to find joy in your getting ready routine again. What You'll Learn Why the ritual of getting ready has lost its mystique How style and fashion are inherently political acts Why trivializing what women find pleasure in is problematic 30 acts of resistance through intentional dressing How to reclaim the pleasure of getting ready without perfection Episode Highlights [00:00] The lost pleasure of getting dressed [02:30] Getting ready as armor and creativity [08:45] Why this conversation matters during difficult times [12:20] Style and fashion as inherently political [15:40] Real-world examples: lawyers, doctors, nonprofit leaders [20:15] The 30 acts of resistance through dressing [25:30] Finding compelling reasons to care for yourself Key Quote "The goal is not perfection. It's intention. Let's take care of the aesthetics so that you can do your work unfettered and undistracted." Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays

First of the Month Files March 2026 04.03.2026 15Min.

Episode Overview In this special episode of the Style Masterclass podcast, host Judith Gaton introduces a new format inspired by her Substack's "First of the Month Files." She shares five things she's currently loving and working on, along with encouragement to pursue your own creative projects and find joy in the everyday. Key Takeaways Imperfect progress > perfect inaction Find your accountability buddy Share your art with the world Create phone-free, analog moments Take up space—we need you Connect 📮 Substack - Paid subscribers get monthly snail mail 📸 Instagram - Share your lemon recipes!

From Teacher to Mobile Bookstore Owner with Andie Geyer 20.01.2026 41Min.

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Andie Geyer, the owner and operator of Rebel Reads, a mobile romance and fantasy bookstore based in Redlands, California. Andie shares her incredible journey from third-grade teacher to entrepreneur, proving that you don't need to quit your day job to build a thriving passion business. Discover how Andie went from seeing a video to launching her pink mobile bookstore in just two weeks, and learn the two critical questions every aspiring entrepreneur should ask themselves before starting a business. Find Andie & Rebel Reads: Instagram

Process Over Outcome 2026 Goals 13.01.2026 10Min.

In this episode of the Style Masterclass podcast, the host delves into the concept of goal-setting, encouraging listeners to shift their focus from grandiose outcome goals to specific, daily processes. Sharing personal realizations and examples, such as making a million dollars, losing weight, creating a stylish wardrobe and writing a novel, the episode emphasizes that real progress and satisfaction come from the mundane, everyday efforts. Listeners are invited to embrace the process, savor the in-between moments, and cultivate a deeper relationship with themselves through consistent, intentional actions. 00:00 Introduction and Today's Topic: Goals 00:37 Personal Experiences with Goal Setting 01:20 The Problem with Outcome Goals 03:29 The Importance of Process Over Outcome 06:31 Practical Examples and Personal Goals 09:53 Conclusion and Call to Action Join us on Substack.

The Art of Leaving Room: Goals, Growth, and Grace 06.01.2026 11Min.

In this episode, Judith explores the tension between setting ambitious goals and leaving room for flexibility, creativity, and possibility—especially at the start of a new year. She shares personal reflections, style advice, and encouragement for high achievers to embrace both planning and the unexpected.

Why Women People Please and How to Break the Cycle with Sara Fisk 09.12.2025 41Min.

In this transformative conversation, Judith is joined by friend, colleague, and certified coach Sara Fisk, creator of The Stop People Pleasing Program and host of The Ex Good Girl Podcast. Together they explore what people pleasing really looks like beneath the surface, why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to it, how it shows up in both obvious and subtle patterns, and what it truly takes to break the cycle. Expect laughter, honesty, and powerful insights you'll carry into your day-to-day life. Connect with Sara Fisk Website: https://www.sarafisk.coach/ Podcast: https://www.sarafisk.coach/podcast