Niche to Meet You is anthropological exploration into the hidden corners of life through the lens of its subcultures and hobbies. Each episode blends journalism and curiosity to reveal how people find belonging and community—and themselves—in the things they love. From professional Santas to wild-turkey conservationists to speed puzzlers, host Leslie Eiler Thompson uncovers what our obsessions say about who we are and what connects us.
A deeper look at lingering questions after the 4-part miniseries.
This is a special bonus episode of Niche to Meet You following our mini-series about Warhammer 40,000. The Niche to Meet You podcast profiles little-known hobbies and niche subcultures where misfits are making meaning.
EPISODE NOTES:
We welcome Ariana Scalfo, fitness professional and 40k player. Her voice is heard in the 4th episode of this series, and our full conversation was good enough to make into a lightly-edited bonus episode. The video version of this episode is on YouTube if you want to watch us talk.
Ariana and her partner run a fitness company called Complete Human Performance, which essentially trains human Space Marines. They developed a program based on the Warhammer-verse incorporating lore and narrative into a fitness routine. We talk about that in this conversation, along with 40k affecting folks outside of gameplay, the meaning to be found in the silliness, and why women aren’t as prevalent in the hobby (though, it’s getting better!).
LINKS:
SHOW CREDITS:
Senior producer/host: Leslie Thompson (IG: @leslieeilerthompson, leslieethompson.com)
Associate producer: Chris Thiessen
Mini-series topic consultants: Robert Taylor, Marcus Fulbright, Ariana Scalfo
Episode mastered by Kevin Morris
Show theme composed by Abigail Flowers
Show artwork by Rachel Hardacre
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
