Change The Narrative with JD Fuller

Author, Activist, Educator and fierce Social and Civil Rights Leader Dax Devlon Ross has dedicated and committed his life to identifying and dismantling structures of power and privilege.  He holds a Journalists Doctorate from George Washington Law School.  He has been honoured by the National Association of Black Journalists for his investigative reporting and he has been featured and recognized in some of the most esteemed forums including Time Magazine , the Guardian, NY Times and Washington Post.  He has authored 6 books, including his newest, Letter To My White Friends.

What You Will Hear:

• The story behind Dax’s name and how he uses it as his own kind of Mantra.
• Being arrested at the age of 19 and the impact it made on his life.
• The liberatory and transformative effect of Dax’s visit to South Africa.
• Dax’s consulting business:  Disruptive Equity Venture.
• Making a greater impact in the world..
• Ally vs. Abolitionist
• Connecting and aligning with other people and movements
• The continued diminishment of and minimization of darker people around the world.
• 2 different responses to Dax’s book Letter To My White People.
• Deep beliefs and how they operate within everyone.  Unlearning to learn something new.

Quotes

“It’s about helping people shake it up to the extent that they are ready and willing to begin to do the work they want to do in order to become who they believe they could be, should be in the world.”

“It is very important to continue to bring in and connect with other peoples and movements.”

“The enticements of access are so alluring, the are too seductive for people.”

“In order for me to survive in your world I had to go through the crucible to do some deep, deep work around myself.”

Mentioned:

Rachel Mason is an accomplished artist, musician, filmmaker, producer, therapist, mommy and partner. Her work has been featured in some of the most prestigious museums in the world including the Whitney Museum, LACMA and the Art Institute in Chicago.  As a creator and a writer she produced the acclaimed Netflix original documentary Circus of Books, a poignant film about a jewish couple running a gay porn book store offering a rare and delicoious glimpse in to an untold chapter of queer history.

What You Will Hear:

• Rachel’s self description.
• Creativity vs commercial success.
• Taking care of mental health and the importance of therapy.
• Therapy vs. Pharma and medical insurance.
• The accomplishment of getting something into the mass media and the team work it takes.
• Rachel’s parents porn bookstore.
• The challenges and rewards of collaborations.
• Political activism.
• Upcoming projects.

Quotes

“Being an artist was a security blanket.”

“Art really saved me from all this social anxiety.”

“Straight people are not the enemy.”

Mentioned:

IG @futureclown

Melody Li is a change maker and a force.  Melody uses their voice and passion as a queer person of color to affect change and celebrate all identities and abilities in all bodies.  Melody is a licensed marriage and family therapist, entrepreneur, a keynote speaker, a podcaster, an educator and an activist.  They developed and founded The Inclusive Therapist offering a safer and simpler way to find culturally responsible and social justice therapists centered on the needs of black and indigenous people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community.  Melody is also passionate about animal welfare.

What You Will Hear:

• Who is Melody Li?
• Building community and spaces with the intent to offer culturally responsive, justice and liberation oriented support for service users.
• Mental and transdisciplinary liberation .
• Reclaiming and restoring wellness to marginalized communities
• Racialized trauma and intergenerational trauma
• Learning to cope
• Racial hierarchy, capitalism and white supremacy
• The Inclusive Therapist

Quotes

“Conversations about culture often times is usually in the footnotes.”

“My culture is integrated with all forms of my well being.”

“If I am not actively dismantling and disrupting these systems that hold so much power that can do harm then I am complicit in the harm.”

“Not only is racialized trauma the impact of an act of violence, but it is the toll,the weight of navigating the world and not being able to relax into safety.”.

Mentioned:

The Queen of Shade is an Intellectual entertainer, content creator, mentor, brand ambassador, singer songwriter, Shaman and social media influencer. The Queen sits down with JD and Suzy to discuss her journey, lifestyle and podcast

What You Will Hear:

• Mentoring, its influence and importance
• Figuring out how to manage mental health and career
• Family, broken family and relationships
• Having to be medically withdrawn from college
• Therapy and the motivation to become an entertainer
• Destigmatizing therapy
• Dave Chapelle
• Being LGBTQ and black
• Working as a phone sex agent

Quotes

“Even if you come from a broken family you can still make something out of your life.”

“When rappers and musicians get out of the hood, they can’t go back.”

“Therapy is the only reason I am now a successful working entertainer.”

“The black communinty needs to understand we are queer we’re gay and black. You don’t get the option to only support our blackness”-TS Madison

Mentioned:

Katrina Strohl is a Navy veteran, an aviation structural mechanic who has literally turned her life around.  She is now a certified career coach and host of  the “Absolutely Not” podcast which  is dedicated to creating a healthy workplace.  She sits down with JD and Suzy to tell her story including her own struggle with mental health.

What You Will Hear:

• Resilience being the theme of Katrina’s life right now
• Intersectionality and identities
• PTSD, NDD and alcoholism diagnosis during Katrina’s military service
• Katrina’s journey from military service to entrepreneurship
• Katrina’s multiple attempts to take her own life and how that drove her to become a counselor.
• Boundaries, self awareness and the importance of both.
• Psychological first aid
• Foster care system the good and the bad.

Quotes

“My opinions and ideals come in a rainbow effect.”

“I didn’t know how to name the harm that was being placed upon me.”

Mentioned:

Supermodel Cristina Ferrare was put under contract by the Ford modeling agency when she was just 16 years old.  She is also a mother of 7, a grandmother  an amazing cook, an entertainer, a New York Times Best Selling author and a cancer survivor.  She uses her humor and truth to reflect on her life and share her story everyday.  Kristina joins JD to talk about all the ways she is flourishing.

.What You Will Hear:

• Kristina’s childhood and passion for cooking
• Transition from high school into modeling at the age of 14.
• Big psychological impact of early success and dealing with rejection.
• Biggest accomplishment and biggest failure.
• Multiple myeloma diagnosis.
• The importance of a good attitude, laughter and forgiveness.
• Men being caregivers and self realizations.
• Becoming an author and entrepreneur.
• Food for Thought book and taking responsibility for your health.
• Flourish Body, Mind, Soul
• Being authentic, passionate and truthful.

Quotes

“I express my love and appreciation for all my friend through food.”

“Sometimes your chain has to be pulled in order for you to go in the direction you’re meant to go in.”

“I learned that failure is opportunity disguised as disappointment.”

“I believe food is medicine for your body.”

“You have to take control of your own life and your own health.”

Mentioned:

MAX Factor

Eileen Ford

Cosmopolitan and Vogue magazines

Featured everywhere from the New York Times to TMZ, writer, director and actress Jessie Kahnweiler, uses her art to openly share her experience.  She is sought after for her voice that ranges from the comedic to the tragic to the real and always honest and humble.

What You Will Hear:

• Jessie’s philosophy on life
• Dealing with bulimia, healing and recovery
• Being in tune with your body.  The difference between 20s and 30s
• Starring in “The Skinny”
• Access
• Privilege
• Taking power and control of your own destiny
• Advice
• Changing the narrative through self compassion

Quotes

“Creativity is such a lesson in resilience.”

“There’s a lot of horrible, awful, unjust things in the world but you have a choice with how much you contribute to that.”

“If we were nicer to ourselves what kind of world would it be?”

Mentioned:

IG @Jessie_Kahnweiler

Kevin Collins is an Ivy league educated author and professor who teaches screenwriting, television and film.  He started his screenwriting career on the acclaimed Showtime series Soulfood.  After a short stint in Hollywood he transitioned to authoring a series of Sci-Fi books, The Unveiling and the Adventures of Zoku.  In this episode Kevim shares his story, his imagination and new, exciting and upcoming projects.

What You Will Hear:

• Socio economics narrative vs. the black narrative.
• The Black experience supporting White supremacy.
• Kevin’s realizations and barrier destruction upon moving to Africa.
• Racism in America and the negative impact and collateral damage of white supremacy.
• Life altering events. Suffering and attachment.  Vipassana meditation and tools to cope with attachment and suffering.
• Accepting change.
• Non-textbook lessons learned and taught.  Kevin’s evolution as a storyteller and writer.
• Sumerian mythology.
• White Supremacy Playbook Decoded.  Replacement theory: misogyny and controlling black men.

Quotes

“It only takes a few generations to not know anymore.”

“We are doing a lot of the work for white supremacy on our own.”

“Suffering comes out of attachment.”

Mentioned:

Vipassana Meditation

Zuko

Filmmaker, Innovator and Artist Robert Broadhurst sits down with JD and Suzy to discuss the impact of understanding and owning his role as a white man of privilege and it’s influence on his life. As an editor, Robert’s work  has spanned Emmy award nominated television, documentary, film and commercials along with work for brands including Adidas, Apple, Nike, Balmain, DKNY, H&M, Alexander Wang and Equinox.  As his role as an editor became more comprehensive and creative, naturally evolving into directing.  His extraordinary film, “An Occurrence at Arverne”, is his directorial debut.

What You Will Hear:

• JD and Roberts connection and past
• Responsibility and obligation as a white person of privilege
• Robert’s experience, as a white man, trying to tell the story of a black man
• Black and White responses to Robert’s film
• Social climate’s impact on the acceptance of “An Occurrence at Arverne”.
• JD’s influence on Robert
• Change the narrative by first understanding the narrative and your role in the narrative

Quotes

“I felt a responsibility and an obligation as a white person who has enjoyed privilege alot of  my life, to contribute to the conversation and hopefully pull the veil back for other white people like black people have for me.”

“At some point you have to realize you’re in the Matrix.”

“You’ve got to be ready to accept and own your role in it.”

“You’re not going to change the world unless you change yourself.”

Mentioned:

@Robertbroadhurst

Beloved

James Baldwin

World renowned speaker, wife, activist, motivator and brilliant psychotherapist Carolyn Costin is the world’s leader in eating disorders. She joins JD and Suzy in conversation about her journey from anorexia to becoming one of the world’s most respected therapists, coaches and experts on eating disorders and recovery.  Carolyn recovered from anorexia nervosa, earned two masters degrees, became a teacher and began her career as a psychotherapist.  After treating her first eating disorder client in 1979, Carolyn recognized it was her calling. Her successful treatment of those with eating disorders led her to bring her philosophy to the public through her speaking, her books and the founding of her unique residential treatment center, Monte Nido.

What You Will Hear:

• Carolyn’s story and battle with eating disorders and studies
• Eating disorders and their roots defined
• Recovery length, process and completion
• Creating change in patterns
• Stereotypes vs. reality of who has eating disorders
• Marginalized communities, diversity and cultural sensitivity with eating disorders
• Multicultural lens
• Diagnostic criteria vs. real life
• Racial trauma, trauma bonding and eating disorders
• The healthy and unhealthy voice
• Treatment centers vs. individual treatment
• Feeling badly during change
• Changing the narrative
• Becoming a coach

Quotes

“Genes load the gun and environment pulls the trigger.”

“To be recovered you no longer will betray your soul.”

“Being traumatized is when you can’t integrate the affect of an experience.”

Mentioned:

Erin Jones was born in the United States but raised in the Netherlands, where her parents worked as teachers at the American School of The Hague. Erin speaks four languages and returned to the United States in 1989 to attend Bryn Mawr College, where she earned a BA in Comparative Literature with a focus on literatures of the African Diaspora. Erin later earned her teaching certificate at Pacific Lutheran University with endorsements in English, French and ELL. She was named Most Innovative Foreign Language Teacher in 2007 and in 2008 she was selected as the Washington State Milken Educator of the Year. Erin served three years as Assistant State Superintendent for Student Achievement in Washington State, where she was responsible for working with educators and policy makers to create policies and practices that would better serve students of color and students otherwise disenfranchised. Based on a desire to be closer to students and teachers, Erin recently took a position as the Director of Equity and Achievement for the Federal Way School District, a large, very diverse district south of Seattle.

What You Will Hear:

• Erin’s story:  Born in Minnesota and raised in the Netherlands
• The impact of being of mixed race and being raised by white parents
• Erin’s first black experience and the aftermath
• Cross racial adoption
• Learning and understanding what it means to be black in the United States
• Being different and being ok with it
• Colorism
• Mission statement
• Seeing beauty and brilliance in people
• The importance of being present with people
• Civil discourse
• School and Politics in America
• Running for office
• Bridges to Heal Us

Quotes:

“Understand what it means to adopt children of color.”

“I model for my students, you’re never one thing.”

“I’m too big for a box.  I refuse to let myself be boxed in.”

“I’m going to show up with all of me.”

“Privilege in itself is not bad, it’s what you choose to use privilege for.”

“I want to create brave spaces where people can become the best version of themselves.”

“It takes courage to be exactly who you are.”

“Political is not democrat or republican.  Political is how we talk about power in the world and how people engage with power.”

“Everything about school is political.”

Mentioned:

.JD and Suzy sit down with Joshua Cruz to talk about removing the stigma of mental health.  Joshua is a queer man of color who is unafraid to dance to the beat of his ownd drum and lip-sync to his favorite songs.  Pulling from his own life experiences and using the skills and tools he’s acquired Joshua coaches queer men of color to help reignite self worth and build meaningful relationships as a mental health advocate.

What You Will Hear:

• Josh’s identity in his youth.
• Josh losing his mother at a young age.
• Abuse, shame, pain and the aftermath.
• Representation and identity.
• Finding the right therapist.
• Being honest with yourself.
• Identifying as queer.
• Reciprocity and healing.
• Validation and social media.
• White supremacy’s impact on opportunity and services.

Quotes:

“One of my values is to be honest and to be courageous.”

“Our worth sits within us.  It’s in our spirit.”

Mentioned:

JD and Suzy talk with the Vigilante Vegan, Stewart Mitchell.  Stewart is an advocate for human and animal rights. His journey began when he started to trust his instincts and questioned the business of practices with food companies.  This journey led him on this quest.  His book, Kayla the Vegan has hit a societal nerve.

What You Will Hear:

• Taking care of your family and responsibility to family.
  
• Fatherhood and Stewart’s father
  
• Removing the stigma of mental health
  
• Stewart’s mental health journey and the motivation and impact of his book
  
• Depression and therapy
  
• Becoming vegan
  
• Feeling vulnerable
  
• Hatred and fear
  
• The direct effect of the corporate food system on disenfranchised communities
  
• Stewart’s self published books
  
• Seeing animal as people
  

Quotes:

“Most vegans and most animal rights activists, they come from pretty damaging backgrounds.  They see the innocence in animals.”

“One thing I have a problem with is people that say black lives matter, but they are transphobic.  How can you be one and not the other.”

“With a little bit of kindness we can help people make the connections between themselves, animals and nature.”

“We become so advanced in life that we become a detriment to ourselves when now we discriminate against people who don’t look like us.  We treat people differently that don’t do the things that we do.”

‘If we could see the personhood in animals it would help us reconnect to who we are in conjunction with animals and the planet.”

Mentioned:

IG @Vigilante_vegan

@theres.beauty.in.the.darkness

Michelle Meow is a radio personality and a prominent voice for the LGBTQ community.  Michelle is the creator and host of the Michelle Meow Show, Michelle's goal and mission are to construct opportunities for people to listen in to deep conversations to develop an understanding and use empathy.  The Michelle Meow Show can be heard in San Francisco and nationally through the Commonwealth Club and on KPCWTV and channel 44 in San Francisco. Michelle has been the co-host of the SF pride parade broadcast and she served as the president of their board of directors from 2014-2018.  She is a self described LGBTQ+ history geek, informations sponge and lover not a fighter.

What You Will Hear:

• Michelle’s family and early influences growing up in Stockton, CA.
  
• Trauma as a kid of a refugee family, growing up poor, single parent home, person of color and queer.
  
• Obstacles Michelle has faced along her journey.
  
• Influence and motivation to start the Michelle Meow Show.
  
• Financial support, investment and resources for LGBTQ initiatives.
  
• Fundraising.
  
• The narratives we create for ourselves. Being low-key.
  
• Intersectionality between racism, white supremacy and mental health within the LGBTQ community.
  
• Systemic phobias, recognizing, acknowledging and believing.
  
• Anti-racism, ending racism and doing the work.
  
• Middle child experience, impact and overcoming.
  
• Being the child of immigrant parents.
  

Quotes:

“Everyday that you don’t fight for yourself will be the day that you’re silenced, and for many queer people we know silence equals death.”

“The gift of your trauma is your resiliency.”

“I’m actually a professional extrovert.”

“If we really want to break the cycle of racism in this country we really have to come together to fight some of these institutionalized ways of keeping racism alive.”

“I’ll never, ever let go of the fact that it’s human to create a foundation for people to feel comfortable enough for them to tell you their truth and for you to believe it.”

“You always have to evolve and recreate yourself, especially as an LGBTQ person and an artist.”

Mentioned:

Mayor Michael Tubbs

Internationally acclaimed writer, performer, content creator, media strategist, podcaster, singer/songwriter and columnist Siouxsie Q joins us to talk about intersectionality of politics and activism within the adult film industry.  As a content creator and writer Siouxsie uses her platform to bring awareness and create action focused on feminism and sex worker rights.

What You Will Hear:

• Who is Siouxsie Q?
  
• The intersection between politics, adult film and activism.
  
• Political aspects of being a porn star.
  
• Prop 60.
  
• Sex worker rights.  Criminalization of survival.
  
• Combating brown and black bodies being feticized while being minimized by racism.
  
• Mental and emotional health in the adult entertainment industry.
  
• Polyamory.
  
• Behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
  
• Whore Next Door column.
  
• Prop 35.
  
• Content production.
  
• Dismantling white supremacy
  

Quotes:

“We have to remove the excuses that police have to harass and profile and harm our communities.”

“Elected representatives are largely uninformed about the realities of the work that so many people are doing now more than ever.”

“It’s a habit to find the truth in any situation.”

Mentioned:

IG and TikTok @youramericansweetheart

Twitter @youamericansw

Lizzy Grossman found her passion for wellness after struggling with her weight for years.  After successfully loosing 100 pounds  she set her focus on helping other people live their best life one mindful choice at a time.  Lizzy is a personal coach for WW.  She has always loved cooking and has found passion in reimagining recipes to meet healthy habits.

What You Will Hear:

• Lizzy’s role at WW formerly known as Weight Watchers.
  
• Lizzy’s personal weight loss journey.
  
• WW’s diversity.
  
• Fixing the root instead of constant dieting.
  
• Therapy and mental health during the weight loss process.
  
• Why weight and eating disorders carry so much shame.
  
• Hitting rock bottom.
  
• Education and learning.
  
• Advice for weight loss.
  
• The kindest place on the internet.
  
• Healthy boundaries
  

Quotes:

“Changing how I viewed myself and how I took care of myself changed my life.”

“So often today we are programmed to turn to food for every emotion.”

“Strong is the new sexy.”

“Do not focus on the scale as much as you focus on every other win around you.”

“I don’t let what the scale says make me decide I’m not going to make healthy choices the rest of the day.”

Mentioned:

IG: @lizzysirgey

The conversation continues with self described edutainer, George Lee aka Conscious Lee, mixes education and entertainment to be purposely provocative.  As an activist, educator, social media sensation, consultant, speaker, podcaster, family man, transformational icon, Conscious uses his platform to educate and entertain with the mission of spurring critical thinking. Conscious holds a Bachelors in African and African American Studies and a Masters in both Human Resource and Diversity Development.  Spark your critical thinking with JD and Conscious as they discuss a wide variety of topics including gaslighting, racism, afro-pessimism, black culture, white supremacy, white fragility, LGBTQIA+, black censorship and trauma.

What You Will Hear:

Post traumatic slave syndrome, mental health, racial trauma, psychological manipulation.

How does mainstream media work against black and brown people.

Independence and ownership in the black community.

Black twitter, the commodification of blackness, black fungibility.

LGBTQIA+ community, accountability and self reflection.

Changing the narrative: 3 questions

Why should I care?

What is the motive?

Who is writing?

At what cost do you value representation?

America is a big ass piggy bank analogy.

The value of skin color.

Quotes:

“You should be able to see yourself as the bad guy or the bad person.”

“I’m not scared to be wrong.”

“We celebrate black people that are integrated into white spaces and places.”

“Correlation is not causation.”

“Just because you can be integrated or heard in a space doesn't mean you are valued in that space.”

“We are lost in the sauce of integration and representation.”

Mentioned:

Unheard

Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. She has been a consultant to educational, mental health, business, media, and legal professionals, as well as having worked with current members, former members, and families of members of controversial groups.

A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Lalich is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico, where in 2007 she was awarded the Professional Achievement Honor. Also, Dr. Lalich is the founder and director of the Center for Research on Influence and Control. She received a B.A. with Honors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has a Master’s in Human Development and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.

Dr. Lalich has written and lectured extensively and is author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, articles, and chapters. Her most recent book is Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (Bay Tree Publishing, 2006), a fully-revised and expanded edition of her first book, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, which has been the number-one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences.

What You Will Hear:

• Strategy used to groom and recruit cult members.
  
• Principles of influence.
  
• Dr. Lalich’s personal experience in a cult.
  
• Vulnerability and idealism in relation to cult recruitment.
  
• Cultural differences in cults and types of cults.
  
• Is Donald Trump a cult leader?
  
• Cult on a national scale.
  
• Abusive relationships and cults.  Psychological entrapment.
  
• How cults keep their members obedient. Transcendent belief systems.
  
• Separating families
  
• Older cults vs modern day cults.
  
• Horrendous cults.
  
• Consistency in new cults.
  
• Advice on what to do if you might be a cult recruit.
  
• Pandemic and cults.
  

Quotes:

“People get recruited at vulnerable points in their lives.”

“If there’s any common denominator among who gets in to cults, it’s idealism.”

“Most cults have answers to life’s biggest questions and shapes members in to believers.”

“We need to get the American public, especially young people, back to critical thinking.”

Mentioned:

Chef, comedian, actress and show host Alex Thomopoulos joins JD and Suzy this week to talk about life in the spotlight, activism, authenticity and her newest ventures. Combining her love of comedy and food, Alex hosts the PBS show Moveable Feast with Relish.

What You Will Hear:

• Alex’s trajectory from comedian to chef.
  
• Using your privilege and platform responsibly.
  
• Everyday accountability.
  
• What pushes Alex’s activism.
  
• Motivating people without alienating them.
  
• Creating a voice of authenticity on social media.
  
• Amplifying voices.
  
• Odd DMs.
  
• Moveable Feast and Alex’s other recent ventures.
  
• New England.
  
• Farmer Maria crush.
  

Quotes:

“Food and laughter evoke the same emotions in people.”

“When I see injustice or I see people being treated not fairly, I can’t ignore that.”

“I’m playing the long game on social media not just the short game and really building an authentic voice.”

“I feel it, I’ll say it and I don’t care.”

“I live in LA where nothing is real and nobody is nice.”

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”

Mentioned:

IG: @Alextcooks

Join JD and Suzy as they dive in deep with Dr. Chris Hoff talking about racism, white fragility, white priviledge in the mental health world. Chris is a storyteller, champion of curiosity, and author, entrepreneur, an  innovator and educator and founder and host of the radical therapist podcast.   Director of the California Family Institute in Costa Mesa and non-profit organization that provides desperately needed no and low cost care counseling for the community.

What You Will Hear:

• Chris’s early education, perils, inspiration and journey toward therapy.
  
• The title The Radical Therapist.
  
• Chris’s 2017 Youtube video and quote about the need to start having difficult conversations about white fragility and white privilege.
  
• The psychological impact of racism.
  
• The Radical Therapist podcast and education.
  
• Ethics and racism in therapy and the current state of affairs.
  
• Being explicit about who you are and where you stand.
  
• Hate and criticism.
  
• California commission mental health services percentages.
  
• System support for mental health services and politics.
  
• California Family Institute.
  
• Knowing who you can and can’t do therapy with.
  
• Chris’s own white identity then and now.
  
• Stepping in to help your community.
  

Quotes:

“We need to start having difficult conversations about ace, white fragility and white privilege.”

“The conversation around race can get tricky.”

‘Therapists should be paid for their work….therapists are going to have to be politicians.”

“Everything has to be conscious.”

“To change the world I gotta change myself.”

Mentioned:

Best selling author and psychic medium Lisa Williams, joins JD and Suzy to talk about her life as a medium.  In her youth Lisa was unaware that her ability as a medium was a unique gift.  It was through a myriad of life experiences Lisa realized that her calling was to help others and change their lives, connecting those from this world to the next, giving readings with guidance and insight from the world of Spirit and bringing comfort and healing to those who are grieving. Adding to her titles as a host of 2 television shows, a podcaster, a teacher and the creator of her own International School of Spiritual Development, Lisa recently released her first guided meditation available on Amazon and itunes: Vasa a Guided Journey Home.

What You Will Hear:

• What is a medium?
  
• The Pea Story.
  
• People of color in the medium world.
  
• Ethics in diagnosing or reading someone.
  
• Learning to shut things off.
  
• One of Lisa’s most compelling readings.
  
• Forensic cases.
  
• Terrifying moments and giving people hope.
  
• The purpose of being psychic medium.
  
• Giving back
  
• Lisa Williams International School of Spiritual Development
  
• What does change the narrative mean to Lisa.
  

Quotes:

“Having people of color in the medium world…...it shows people that there is no stigma attached to what we do.”

“Most people can’t remember what they had for dinner last night, but they can remember verbatim what a psychic medium said to them 20 years ago.”

“As a psychic as a medium it is about giving people hope.  It is about lifting their spirits, it is about giving them energy, resolution, comfort, healing.”

“My passion is enhancing and empowering people to do the readings world wide, to get the message out there.”

“People remember how you make them feel.”

Mentioned:

From Executive Producer of Entertainment Tonight for 17 years to launching The Talk on CBS daytime to going back to college in his 50s studying and teaching communications at California State University Northridge, to his newest venture as Head of Communications and Talent for Project Angel Food, Brad Bessey has lived a life of glamour and opulence all while remaining true to himself, his values and his truth.  JD and Suzy sit down to talk with Brad about his experience in Hollywood and his dealings with racism, sexism and the lgbt community.

What You Will Hear:

• Launching and being Executive Producer of The Talk
  
• Sharon Osbourne and recent racism controversy
  
• Media and systemic racism
  
• Hiring the first black host of Entertainment Tonight.
  
• Having representation at the table is not enough.
  
• The importance and challenges of diversity in all levels of production.
  
• The Sell Out factor
  
• Rape culture and challenging toxic masculinity
  
• Intersectionality and racism in the gay community
  
• Heteronormative white culture
  
• Ways that Brad has been humbled through his experiences.
  
• Trends of dehumanization.
  
• Being the only gay member of his family and an anomile in Hollywood.
  

Quotes:

“In my defenselessness, my safety lies.”

“The media is one of the biggest problems in systemic racism.”

“You need people of color in leadership roles who are not afraid that they will lose their job if they are true to themselves and to their culture.”

“You don’t need to say stop asian hate, you need to say stop white supremacy.”

“We are not successful yet in dealing with these issues of systemic racism, sexism and violence against our trans community.”

“Changing the narrative is a matter of survival.”

Mentioned:

Known for dressing icons, Bradley Bayou is a true renaissance man. As an artist, a fashion designer, best selling author, tv star, father, partner and interior designer, Bradley found his calling through a serendipitous chain of events. At a young age, he quickly became one of the most sought after designers among buyers like Fred Segal, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th and Barneys.  Bradley became the go-to designer for superstar black women after dressing Halle Berry. He has designed clothes for Queen Latifah, Monique, Oprah, Beyonce and many more.  Inspired by the trends he was seeing, his experience and the scientific way he looks at design Bradley published his first book “The Science of Sexy” as a guide for women of all shapes and sizes to help them dress their best and boost confidence through fashion. We talk to Bradley about his journey in design and his observations of racism within the design and gay communities.

What you will hear

• Bradley’s love of art.
  
• How Bradley became a young, top designer.
  
• Becoming the go-to designer for black female stars.
  
• Similarities of racism in the design world  and gay world
  
• White privilege.
  
• The Science of Sexy.
  
• Exuding confidence.
  
• What does changing the narrative mean to Bradley.
  

Mentioned

Brian Dobbins is one of Hollywood’s most prolific managers and producers.  He began his career at United Talent Agency where he amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience, he eventually started his own agency, Artists First.  Using his years of experience, knowledge of development and passion for helping the unseen be seen, Brian has developed and impressive client list of young talent. Brian currently serves as Executive Producer on the award winning ABC series “Black-ish” as well as critically acclaimed “Grown-ish” and “Mixed-ish”. Brian’s producing credits also include Fox’s TV series “Do Not Disturb,” the Oxygen cable network series “Campus Ladies,” ABC and 20th Century Fox’s TV pilot “Adopted,” and the film “The Sea of Trees”. In this episode Brian shares his unique experience as a black man in Hollywood.

What you will hear

• Brian's favorite memories.
  
• An accident resulting in Brian learning the value of hard work, dedication and perseverance at an early age.
  
• Being the first member of his family to go to college and his college experience.
  
• Brian finds his passion for film and television.
  
• Navigating Hollywood as a young black man in the 90s.
  
• Realizing corporate structure was not a good fit.
  
• Brian’s perspective on the current state of the United States.
  
• Focus and work during the pandemic
  
• The success of Black-ish.
  
• The beauty of diversity.
  
• Ensuring that there is diversity in Hollywood.
  
• Protecting the artists and the fun part of Brian’s job.
  
• The importance and impact of education.
  

Quotes

“I’ve learned there’s a way to be real and not say everything that’s on your mind.”

“Community is far more important than what’s going on around the world, actually, there’s problems everywhere.”

“If you laugh and your mouth is open, I say you are ready to be fed.”

“The more specific you are, sometimes, in telling a story, the more broadly you appeal to people because underneath that, we are all the same.”

“I don’t wake up everyday for people to tell me yes, I wake up everyday for somebody to tell me know.”

“When you are working with artists you are working with people who inspire change.”

“Artists are important to society.”

Mentioned

Writer and Director Victor Gabriel joins us for a conversation about his life experience from a life of struggle, poverty and homelessness to becoming a therapist as well as a writer and director in Hollywood.   Victor holds and MFA and has worked as a marriage and family therapist with survivors of trauma in Compton, Watts and South Central.  As a graduate of the American Film Institute  Vic has made it a mission to share the stories of those affected by systemic racism and oppression through film.  His latest short film “Black Boys Can’t Cry” is currently being shown in festivals.

What you will hear

• Victor’s upbringing and story.
  
• Why should people know who Victor is.
  
• Motivation and concept of Victor’s unique storytelling style.
  
• Victor’s mission to connect with people.
  
• The black man’s current experience in America.
  
• The effects of oppression.
  
• What white people need to understand about oppressive tactics that are perceived as justice.
  
• Vulnerability.
  
• The differences between the black male and female’s experience.
  
• How Vic’s mental health lense informs his creative lense.
  
• The advantage Vic had in film school as a result of his life and trauma.
  
• How Vic’s need to create influenced his going from therapy grad school to film school.
  
• Hollywood
  
• Vic’s inspiration.
  

Quotes

• “Vic is magic.”
  
• “Oppressed populations are fighting over a crumb and trying to win something that nobody wants to win.”
  
• “White supremacy is sociopathic.”
  

Mentioned

Mens trauma group

Author, screenwriter and playwright Amy Ferris is a champion for women.   After dealing with self esteem issues and suicidality throughout her life, Amy continuously searched for a community to help her find confidence, courage and hope.  Amy has focused her time and energy on helping and encouraging other women. Her commitment to writing encouraging posts on facebook was spawned after one of her encouraging posts went viral.  Realizing the need for encouragement and inspiration Amy has written inspiring posts daily for the las 9 years.  Amy’s commitment is motivated by her mission to help every single woman to awaken to their greatness.

What you will hear

• The evolution of Amy’s facebook presence and commitment.
  
• Amy’s experience with suicidality
  
• Becoming a Buddhist
  
• Depression and trauma.
  
• Amy’s passion and motivation to help women.
  
• Feminist vs. Womanist
  
• Reaching a diverse community of women and how communication varies depending on race and socio-economic differences.
  
• The miseducation of America.  White supremacy
  
• Fear.
  
• Living one’s truth.
  
• Toxic femininity.
  
• Ageing and the advice we would give our younger selves.
  
• Women empowerment and acknowledging being enough and having enough.
  
• The secret of marital success and loving good.
  
• The Story Summit Writers School.
  
• If you had one super power.
  

Quotes

• “People need to be encouraged, people are looking for inspiration, people are looking for ways to get out of bed in the morning.”
  
• “We all need to be inspired.”
  
• “We all want to be part of a community.  We all want to know that someone has our back and not stabbing us in the back.”
  
• “Depression is not something that comes and goes like the flu.”
  
• “Every mistake I have ever made has an opportunity to be turned into my mission.”
  
• “We stand on the back of black men and women.  The truth is white men were in power while black men and women were building this country.”
  
• “Who you’re going to be at 65 is going to be the woman you have always wanted to be….at 10, at 13, at 14, at 18.”
  

Mentioned

Henry Mauldin is a producer and talent manager.  His company Hendar Media develops and  produces award winning scripted and non-scripted film, television and digital content.  Henry recently produced “The Lucky Ones”.  A film directed by Debra Wilson that tells the love story of a couple diagnosed with Schizophrenia.  Listen to our conversation with Henry about the film and how it spotlights the mental health issues in the black community.

What you will hear

• “The Lucky Ones” documentary film plot and purpose.
  
• Schizophrenia definition and the invisibility and stigma of mental illness in the BIPOC community
  
• Economics, one of the major issues in the black community.
  
• Systemic problems that play into the mishandling of mental health episodes.
  
• The difficulty of getting funding for the creation of “The Lucky Ones” and the depth of that struggle.
  
• The effect of Reagan’s policies on the mental health community and homelessness.
  
• The love story in front of and behind the camera between the couple featured in “The Lucky Ones.”
  
• Barriers that Henry has encountered and how he has navigated them as a black creator.
  

Quotes

• “The lower your socio-economic class, the harder it is to get treatment and the harder it is for people to understand what is going on.”
  
• “Our largest mental health facilities are jails.”
  
• “Systems are failing people beginning in elementary school.”
  
• “Police aren’t equipped and yet they are the first ones called when there is a mental health crisis in a community they aren’t from and they aren’t connected to.”
  
• HenDar’s  upcoming projects.
  
• The takeaway Henry is hoping people will get from “The Lucky Ones”.
  

Mentioned

HenDar Media

Debra A. Wilson

Human rights activist, speaker, entrepreneur and innovator Buck Angel joins JD and Suzy to talk about his journey as a transgender man and  mental health in the transgender community.  Born a female in the 60’s, Buck struggled psychologically, physically and emotionally trying to find and understand his own identity throughout his childhood and adolescence.  Living through a roller coaster of eating disorders, suicide attempts, psych wards, drug abuse, prostitution and depression, Buck attributes his successful transition to having medically transitioned with a therapist.  Buck Angel’s message of empowerment through self-acceptance and encouragement of everyone to be comfortable in their own skin has struck a passionate chord with people around the world. As he demonstrated in recent appearances at Yale, Cornell and many other universities and events, Buck inspires people to think outside the box and is educating an entire generation on the fluidity of sexuality and identity politics.

What you will hear

• Buck’s early life as a female and the physical, emotional, social and mental struggles of gender identity at a time when it was not a socially acceptable or common topic.
  
• Buck’s suicide attempts
  
• Modeling, homelessness, prostitution, drugs and rehab.
  
• The absence of mental health being mandatory in people’s transition and the adverse effects.
  
• Generational differences in the process of transitioning.
  
• De-transitioning.
  
• Intersectionality of race in the transgender community.
  
• Buck’s personal journey learning about compassion, abundance, communication and education.
  
• The effects of celebrity and the expectation of representation.
  
• Sexual wellness.
  
• Continued activism and speaking out.
  

Quotes

• “My therapist saved my life.”
  
• “If you don’t talk to a person who has the ability to find out what’s going on with you, you may be making the wrong choice.”
  
• “If you let people leave in peace, you watch the world uplift.”
  
• “White people need to stand up.”
  
• “Do the one thing you do, do it well and it will speak to many.”
  

Mentioned

Former LAPD officer and author Brian Bentley grew up in Los Angeles. Raised with the principles and importance of contributing to the community, Brian focused on a career in law enforcement with the goal of bridging the gap between community and the police.  Experiencing discrimination, racism, sexism and corruption during his time in training and on the job motivated Brian to write his books.  Publishing his first book, One Time: The Story of A South Central Los Angeles Police Officer, with the purpose of improving the community and giving other officers the courage to speak out resulted in Brian being terminated and facing charges. Brian was the subject of an extensive  investigation that included over three hundred allegations of misconduct and seven months of surveillance.  Brian has written three books, One Time: The Story of a South Central Los Angeles Police Officer, Honor without Integrity and Hit Me Once, Hit Me Twice.  He keeps a busy schedule hosting the Starting Point podcast, continuing to write and coaching high school track.

What you will hear

• Brian’s shocking experiences of discrimination early on in his police academy training.
  
• The continued discrimination as Brian began working for LAPD.
  
• The negative effects of Brian’s experiences as a rookie officer.
  
• Social acceptance of anger issues amongst police officers.
  
• What motivated Brian to write his book including the murder of his colleague Kevin Gaines by another colleague.
  
• The backlash Brian received after publishing his first book.
  
• The culture of violence, racism, sexism and anger within law enforcement
  
• The knowledge that police officers can get away with police brutality and murder.
  
• Police officers are meticulously taught how to circumvent citizen’s civil rights.
  
• Violence addiction.
  
• Veterans within law enforcement.
  
• Psychological effects of being a police officer.
  
• Brian wrote his book with the purpose of improving the community and giving other police officers the courage to speak out against the malfeasance within law enforcement.
  
• Fear and retaliation within law enforcement.
  
• The need for change.
  
• How Brian was able to overcome his experiences and maintain his mental health
  
• Black Lives Matter
  

Quotes

“As a black police officer you can’t go anywhere and make a formal complaint.”

“Police officers don’t feel like they can get away with brutality and murder, they know they can.”

“Police officers are experts in circumventing your civil rights.”

“Police officers suppress their emotions and their morals.”

“It’s a tough job psychologically.”

“The lack of access and poverty breeds crime.”

“Law enforcement is not what suppresses or stops crime.”

Mentioned