Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For Everyone

DetoxPod18: Matt Block

Matt Block is a co-owner of the entertainment  and management company la reserve (whose roster includes Bryan Carter, Alexander Claffy, Benny Benack III and more) and also is the senior manager of in-house labels for the music collaboration platform Splice.
 
In this episode, Matt discusses being a workaholic and attempting to find a proper work/life balance. We also discuss having a strong bond with your family, growing up immersed in music, standing out in school as a jazz nerd, dealing with anti-Semitism, being the son of a psychologist and much more.

DetoxPod17: Chris Bullard (Founder of Mental Health Charity Soundmindlive)

Chris Bullard is the founder of Sound Mind Live, a non-profit organization that aims to amplify the conversation around mental health via music. In this episode, Chris and Mike Joseph discuss the timeline of events that led to his founding this organization. He talks about his time as a touring musician, his history of manic episodes and eventual bipolar diagnosis, being an emo kid, and the stigma that even the medical community places on mental health. You'll also pick up a couple of tips for healthy living!

DetoxPod16: Brian "BSKi" Collazo (Musician, New Dad)

Brian Collazo (known professionally as BSKi) is a singer and songwriter based in New York City. In this episode of #detoxpod, Brian talks to Mike Joseph about life as a professional musician. He explores his "Nuyorican" heritage and explains why he wants his brand new daughter to grow up knowing her heritage. You'll also hear great stories about career near-misses, some inside baseball about the music industry, and Brian reminisces about the time he appeared on "It's Showtime At The Apollo!"

DetoxPod15: Sammy Pisano

Sammy Pisano is a young professional and owner/founder of Breakfast in Bed Media.
This episode finds Sammy discussing his transitory upbringing as a "military brat" and his exposure to different cultures, culminating in teenage years spent in rural/suburban North Carolina. Sammy has plenty to say about the racism he experienced in his younger years, and the less overt racism he experiences in corporate America. He also discusses how the discipline he grew up with has influenced his ability to assume a leadership role in different facets of his life.

DetoxPod14: Christopher Cruz

Christopher Cruz is a technology professional, a designer/visual artist, and a musician/label owner. During this chat, Christopher takes us through his journey from East to West Coast, from being raised by his parents to think freely to his experiences with racism as a touring musician. Along the way, he shares his thoughts about pursuing your passion professionally, work/life balance, and how his complete uproot and a new relationship has changed him for the better.
You can find Christopher and check out his artwork on Instagram at moof_draws.

DetoxPod13: Dave "Deee" Bellevue

Dave "Deee" Bellevue is a vocalist for the "alternative/hip-hop" group Oxymorrons. As a musician, Dave has toured and/or performed alongside the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Bruno Mars and Fishbone. In this episode of Detox, Dave discusses bending genres and making music that is sometimes thought of as atypical for Black people to make. He also discusses his work as a mental health advocate and activist, his life as someone who emigrated to America from Haiti, his occasional bouts with "impostor syndrome" and how he's dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also about ten minutes of bonus content after the episode is complete. This episode was recorded before the recent uprisings in the U.S. due to continued mistreatment of Black people (largely by law enforcement) and at the end of the episode, there are various charities listed that are sympathetic to the cause

DetoxPod12: Blake Caliguiri

Blake Caliguiri is an NYC-based IT professional, photography, and musician. His work can be found here. In this episode of Detoxicity, the key word is "evolution". Blake discusses being allowed to grow and change as a person, from a little kid obsessed with the cowboy mythology to a hardcore music-obsessed teenager to getting married at a young age and being forced to confront some of the behaviors he learned growing up and become a better partner and person.
This is the first Detoxpod with bonus content! Continue listening after the closing theme (shout out to the composer, Calvin Williams!) to hear a quick funny exchange between Blake and Mike Joseph.

DetoxPod11: Samuel Shin

Samuel Shin is an emotional and spiritual coach based in the San Francisco bay area. His practice specializes in men's work, and in his work, he tries to bring together Eastern and Western therapeutic philosophies. Samuel discusses these philosophies during this episode, and also discusses how he came to specialize in men's work and the steps he took towards healing himself.