Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For Everyone

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. 

DetoxPod10: David Lawson

David Lawson is a comedian, producer and storyteller based in New York City. In this episode of Detoxicity, David talks about being a class clown and how he's always had the urge to perform. He also talks about keeping a positive attitude and not being weighed down by negativity or cynicism. These are all parts of a pretty wide ranging discussion that detours into the WNBA, anger management, the hetero male gaze and much more.

DetoxPod09: Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas is a co-creator and co-host of Life on the Swingset, a podcast that tackles sexual education and communication, with the focus on polyamory, open relationships and swinging. He is also an unrepentant geek, a husband and dad, and someone who’s greatly invested in his personal growth and the growth of others. As a former Swingset co-host, I was intrigued to chat with Dylan about how he balances his various roles, some of which people might view as mutually exclusive.We also talk about taking pride in the growth of your children, and about what it's like being a member of the LatinX community in a typically white space.

DetoxPod08: Peter Andre

Peter Andre is a writer, a producer/musician (as Zipped Lips), and an author who wrote THE book on masculinity...well, he wrote *a* book on masculinity, which is part of what gets discussed in this episode. In just a few short years since that book was published, Peter's opinions of what constitutes "manliness" have changed, as has society's. That change, with young people leading the way, is another focal point of this interview. Peter also talks about getting out of his comfort zone, dealing with social anxiety and introversion, and he shares the biggest thing he's had to un-learn about masculinity as he's gotten older.