Episodes

hi hello hey, it’s us — Cassandra Mendez and Casey Greer Newkirk (!!!!) Wow, wow, wow. What a whirlwind it’s been since Case got married!! We couldn’t be happier here at Rare with Flair, and instead of keeping all that wedding bliss to ourselves, we’re sharing it with you in a super special two-part extravaganza! In part 1, Case walks us through the many exciting (and exhausting) decisions that went into planning her big day. We play “This or That: Wedding Edition,” where Cass asks Case about ...

hi hello hey — do you smell that?? smells like a new episode! Welcome to the next installment of our Sensory Series, where we talk about all the things we love about our non-visual senses! Last time, we discussed our favorite sounds, so this time we’re talking about our favorite smells. Like our sounds episode, we didn’t just pick smells that are generally “good” — we also chose some that evoke specific memories, places, and joyful feelings. And speaking of joyful feelings… we’re so happy to a...

hi hello hey — we’ve got some questions. And by questions, we mean ChatGPT came up with some questions for us to answer! We’ve done full episodes on some of the questions we answer, but for a little “flair” break from our recent “rare” episodes, why not talk about some very unimportant opinions? if you ever have a question for us, you can always DM us on Instagram or email us at hello@rarewithflair.com! related episodes For more little things that make us happy, check out 54. happy little th...

hi hello hey–do you hear that?? it’s a new episode! Once upon a time, we did an episode about our favorite things, which included a few favorite smells. As visually impaired women, we’re still visual people, but we also rely on our other four senses quite a bit. We thought it would be fun to create a little “Sensory Series” exploring our favorite things from each nonvisual sense (and maybe our least favorites too?). To kick things off, we’re talking all about our favorite sounds! Some are univ...

hi hello hey, we’re making our canes accessories now. We’ve done many an episode about mobility tools, but it’s been two years since we last talked canes, when Case got her all-pink cane and Cass got a No-Jab cane. We’re back—and thanks to our friends at Ambutech, we’re here to debut canes for all seasons, including matching beautiful, bedazzled canes and a cane setup specifically made for the outdoorsy! Besides showing off our new additions, we take our canes for a stroll down memory lane to ...

who could’ve predicted we’d still be hi, hello-ing, and hey-ing 6 years later?! Wow, podience! We can’t believe this is our SIXTH podaversary. 2020 seems like a lifetime ago, and we had to take a beat to think about everything that’s changed since then. Since recording in our parents’ houses during a global pandemic, we’ve each made a myriad of changes, both large and small, all while keeping the pod a constant in our evolving lives. While “things change” isn’t exactly breaking news, we wanted ...

hi hello hey, we lost our voices but filled our hearts We’re back from the 2026 albinism conference in Columbus, Ohio, and somehow managed to fit a week’s worth of memories into just three short days. Join us as we recap volunteering at the HPS Network booth, speaking on panels, rehearsing and performing with the Person with Albinism (PWA) Choir, trying adaptive sports, dominating (or attempting to dominate) trivia night, and catching up with friends from all over the country. We also share al...

hi hello hey — the old Rare with Flair can’t come to the phone right now. why? because they’re busy ranking Taylor Swift albums. After an unexpected little summer hiatus, we’re finally back behind the microphones and so excited to kick off the second half of the season with an episode we’ve somehow never done before. We’re ranking every Taylor Swift album in a full-blown tier list. From debut to Showgirl, we’re sharing our hottest takes, defending our rankings, and proving that even our “lowes...

hi hello hey — apparently our eyeballs demande Back in 2022, we dedicated an entire episode to our experiences with glasses and contacts, and while our diagnoses haven’t changed, our relationships with corrective lenses definitely have. So naturally, it was time for a sequel. This week, Case shares her journey from trying progressives to fully embracing bifocals (granny-core, but make it functional), while Cass talks about wearing tinted contacts more often to help with photophobia and why the...

hi hello hey — apparently we needed more hobbies??This week, we’re catching up on all the deeply important developments in our lives: hair journeys, nail journeys, emotional support apps, LinkedIn games, coloring books, rock climbing, baking projects, and the media consuming habits of two visually impaired women with access to streaming services. Basically, this is our annual “what are we into lately?” episode where we talk about the random little things currently bringing us joy and occupying ...

hi hello hey — we’re visually impaired Hopefully this isn’t news to our audience considering we’ve made nearly 150 episodes of us yapping, largely about our blindness. We’ve done many an episode about disclosing our disabilities in different settings — jobs, friendships, dating, and learning how to say just enough without accidentally info-dumping on unsuspecting strangers. Even with the same jobs and friends, we still find ourselves disclosing all the time, but nowhere does it feel more const...

hi hello hey… we’re not ready to be back Physically, we’re home, but mentally, we’re still at the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Conference. This year was extra special because we secured a Grant—Newkirk, that is. Case’s fiancé, Grant, joined the conference chaos for the first (and certainly not the last) time, and it made everything even more fun. We get into the excitement (and vulnerability) of bringing someone new into a space that feels so unique to our community—and spoiler alert: Grant was w...

hi hello hey, guess who has the best job?? us, because we don’t have to drive! We’re all well aware of the perks of driving—the privacy of your own car, the freedom to go anywhere at any time—but what about the perks of being a passenger princess (or prince)? Driving takes visual, mental, and physical energy that we simply don’t have to spend, which means more room to save money, relax, and stay relatively safe. We also talk about the importance of finding ways to navigate semi-independently a...

hi hello hey, you hungry? well… you’re about to be! Before we get into this week’s ep, thank you for your patience while we took a little break. Between travel and being sick, we wanted to wait until we had the time and energy to bring you a quality episode—and now we’re back and, frankly, starving. Want some snacks?? It’s been a minute since we did a “flair” ep, and this one was actually a brilliant idea from our girl ChatGPT (hate if you will, but she’s helpful!). You loved when we ranked as...

hi hello hey, welcome to a normal day in our lives! If you’ve heard even one episode of our show, you know we tend to save some of our best blind/disability moments for the pod to really bring our lovely listeners into our world. Whether it’s helpful perspective for listeners without disabilities or catharsis for listeners like us, we usually pull out the wildest ones. What you may not know is that those big, shocking stories actually happen somewhat sparingly. The little moments? Those happen...

hi hello hey, get ready for a real love fest today Do you ever spend so much time with someone that you slowly start becoming them? Or worse… you start liking things you swore you’d never like? After nearly 12 years of friendship (and almost 6 years of being best friends), we’ve influenced each other in ways both small and genuinely life-altering. From music, style, and products to deeper things like our perspectives, habits, and who we’ve grown into as people, we honestly wouldn’t recognize ou...

hi hello hey… oh, are you waving at us?? We’ve done many an episode about the unique situations we find ourselves in while navigating a world with limited vision, and this one offers a fresh take on a very enduring experience. After living for 30 years (an average of our ages), we’ve realized our brains aren’t exactly built for speedy visual processing. When your vision is limited, your brain gets less information to work with—and sometimes it feels like it’s just… buffering. This isn’t a visu...

hi hello hey, yes—we’re still out here watching cartoons, and we’re very excited to talk about it. This is our third installment in our cartoon-watching series (affectionately known as Buddy Watch). We keep joking that only three of you care, but based on the messages and suggestions we’ve received, we know there are some very dedicated cartoon lovers among you. If you’re newer to Rare with Flair, cartoons are one of our many shared loves. We’ve been watching shows together almost daily since ...

hi hello hey, happy 2026! And more importantly… welcome to season SEVEN of Rare with Flair! 🎉 There’s no better way to kick off a new year than with one of our favorite traditions: vision boards. This year’s boards are our most ambitious yet, with over ten focus areas each—covering everything from mind and health to home, spirit, and the big-picture dreams we’re calling in. We love the practice of setting intention at the start of the year and creating something tangible we’ll see every single ...

hi hello hey, what do you mean 2025 is over?? We truly cannot believe another year (and season SIX of Rare with Flair) is coming to a close. Before we get sappy, we’re keeping up our longtime tradition of recapping the year. These episodes mean a lot to us—they’re like little time capsules of what our lives looked like at the end of each year. It’s also a chance to pull back the curtain just a bit and let you in on what we were up to throughout the year (with boundaries, of course). Oh—and ther...

hi hello hey — let’s chat about accessibility! We’ve touched on accessibility throughout past episodes, but this week we’re giving it the spotlight it deserves. It’s a topic close to both our hearts — especially Cass’, since she works in digital accessibility! There’s a common misconception that making something accessible somehow makes it worse, but in reality, designs created for people with disabilities often end up benefiting everyone. In the accessibility world, this is known as the curb-c...

hi hello hey, we finally got our Hogwarts letters!!! Okay, not really, but our long-awaited trip (a year and a half in the making!) finally happened. We took Rare with Flair to Universal Studios Florida and spent two magical days exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We’re not superfans, per se, but we absolutely adore the cozy vibe of a well-told story about best friends adventuring in a beautiful fantasy world. Naturally, we showed up in full house-pride outfits—Casey in Ravenclaw b...

Case + Cass unpack the blurry line of helping too much vs. not enough, and why that “middle ground” makes them feel truly included.

Case + Cass face off in a friendship fight club game debating hot takes like pineapple on pizza and the right way to eat cereal.