Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For Everyone

DetoxPod 137 : Ahmad Jooma (Artist/Creator)

Hi Folks!
this episode features coach & creator Ahmad Jooma, who I believe is my first guest from the UK! One of Ahmad's missions is to help young people conquer fear by using art, and one of the ways he does so is via his character "Shook Man". He and I chat about the origins of this character, as well as his own journey to self-confidence. You'll hear a lot of very familiar Detoxpod buzzwords like "authenticity" and "vulnerability". Why? Because those qualities are fucking important (as overused as that terminology is getting).
Enjoy the episode.

DetoxPod 136 : Larry Jaffee (Journalist/Author)

This episode finds me chatting with Larry Jaffee, who started and runs an initiative called Making Vinyl, which focuses on the manufacturing and upkeep of vinyl production in the music industry. Larry also wrote a book called Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century, about the re-emergence of vinyl records over the course of the last fifteen years or so (something I, as a major music nerd, have been keeping a keen eye on).
Larry goes deep for this one. We discuss their growing up in the racially fraught Sixties, busing and being a part of "white flight" out of NYC into Long Island, we talk about relationships, parenthood and divorce, and we talk about Larry's ongoing quest to come to terms with their non-binary gender identity. 
Anyway, our assigned hour went super fast and we had to do a hard stop because we both had other commitments, but rest assured, there will be a Part II at some point. In the meantime, enjoy!

DetoxPod 135 : Sean McNamara (Musician)

Hey Everyone, this week's episode is a chat with musician (and my former co-worker) Sean McNamara. Sean and I talk about culture shock (he grew up in suburban Connecticut and went to college in New Orleans), grief and loss (his mother passed away when he was in his early twenties), dad rock (Sean is a white guy in his early thirties--i feel like that demo splits into three camps: hip-hop fan, Wilco fan, and redneck bro-country fan), therapy, anxiety and more.
 
Find Sean on Twitter at @listentoseanmc
Find Sean on IG at @seanmcmusic

DetoxPod 134 : YAWNYBLEW(Songwriter/Musician)

Johnny Gonzalez is an L.A. based/NYC born multi-disciplinary artist. He is Grammy nominated for his work with H.E.R. and currently co-hosts a podcast called "BIIGGER Than Our Dreams", based on his experiences being a plus-sized queer POC artist. I was fortunate to guest on an episode a few months back.
Johnny and I talk about the masculine/feminine dynamic in queer culture and "signaling"/stereotypes. We, of course, dive deep into intersectional identities and feelings of belonging, finding out what it takes to become comfortable in your own skin. It's a really good conversation, and I hope you enjoy it.
Find YAWNYBLEW here: https://yawnyblew.com/ and on most socials as "YAWNYBLEW".
 
My appearance on the "BIIGGER Than Our Dreams" podcast can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va2Hw5s8OyQ&t=41s

DetoxPod 133 : Benny Benack III (Musician)

Benny Benack III is a trumpeter and jazz/standards vocalist originally from Pittsburgh PA and now making his home in Harlem, NYC. He's built up quite a following over the years, and has a new album scheduled to be released this spring.
Benny takes us through his childhood, where he almost seemed pre-ordained to be a musician (most of his family works somewhere in music). We talk about jazz's reputation as kind of a stick in the mud genre and what he's doing to keep things relevant to younger folks. We also talk about the brutal schedule most gigging musicians have to endure, and how he handles the constant influx of gigs-flights-gigs. Benny is also very vocal about social issues and goes deep into what it took for him to get comfortable enough with himself that he can discuss issues surrounding race and sexuality.
You can follow Benny on socials at bbjazziii.
 

DetoxPod 132 : Adam Bernard (Journalist/Cancer Survivor)

This week's episode features someone who does interviews for a living, journalist Adam Bernard. Adam and I met many years ago when I was doing the PR thing professionally and reaching out to music bloggers. His Adam's World blog is still very much active. He's one of the Last of the Mohicans when it comes to music bloggers.
More germane to this interview is the fact that Adam is a testicular cancer survivor. He and I discuss his journey through discovery/diagnosis and remission/recovery. It's a fascinating story and also really underscores the fact that we need to make sure we and our loved ones a) do checks on our own bodies so that we recognize when things are off and b) actually go to the doctor on a regular basis, and not just when an issue has become too problematic to ignore.
We also talk Crossfit, having an active sex life after surgery, and much more. Hope you enjoy Adam's story!

DetoxPod 131: Orie Givens IV (Journalist/Reporter)

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking to one of my favorite human beings, Orie Givens IV. Orie is the director of communications for an LGBTQIA+-related non profit and I originally befriended him because of his work as a producer and host of the radio show Queer State of Mind, which airs every Saturday on Radio Free Brooklyn from 12-2 PM Eastern. Orie has had a long career in broadcast journalism, having served as a reporter for Spectrum News here in New York and in his home state of Ohio and as a writer for the legendary Advocate. 
 
Orie and I discuss many different facets of his life journey, including our mutual but not monolithic experiences as queer Black men. He discusses being impacted by addiction at a very young age, and looking to break the cycles of generational trauma many of us find ourselves struggling to come out on the right side of. We also go in depth about the experience of living in New York City vs. living in the midwest, as Orie has ping ponged between both environments over the course of his adult life.

DetoxPod 130 : Mike Guichet (Psychotherapist)

My intention wasn’t to post two episodes dealing with sex and relationship therapy back to back, but…here we are. Mike Guichet is a psychotherapist specializing in sex therapy. He’s based in Northern California, which appears to have a booming need for practitioners! Mike and I met five or six years ago at a conference in Toronto, and our conversation covers not only why he does what he does for a living, but how his career has helped with his own personal development and exploration. Aside from his career, Mike is a devoted parent, and he speaks passionately about his responsibility as a father, husband and partner.
Mike's website is https://michaelguichetsextherapy.com/