Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For Everyone

DetoxPod 121 : Cornell Verdeja-Woodson (DE&I Specialist) Round 2

I'm super stoked to be bringing Cornell Verdeja-Woodson back to the podcast. Cornell is the head of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the meditation app "Headspace" (I've used it, it's great) and also runs Brave Trainings, LLC, an organization that provides a starting point for organizations to unpack sensitive diversity topics through authentic dialogue.
Cornell and I discuss his journey over the last year and a half, and his goals for the future. We talk the future of DE&I, the self-care that's involved with handling such weighty topics on a regular basis, parental relationships, coming out stories and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
Follow Cornell on Instagram and Twitter!

DetoxPod Bonus: Bill Bodkin Returns!

Bill Bodkin originally appeared on Detox back on Episode 33. He is the founder and editor in chief of The Pop Break (a pop culture website) and hosts so many podcasts that even my workaholic ass had to take my hat off and bow in his honor. 
We revisit many of the themes from our original chat in this episode, including coping with COVID-19 as an immunocompromised person and struggling with self-doubt as a worker, a spouse and a parent. We also talk about the pitfalls of modern doctors, Bill discusses his newfound abstinence from alcohol.
Bill is one of my dearest friends. I'm very proud of him, and I know it takes a lot for him to be this vulnerable. I hope you enjoy the show!

DetoxPod 120 : Colby Smith (Writer/Comedian)

My guest for this episode of Detoxicity is comedian and writer Colby Smith. Colby and I began our acquaintance about six years ago while debuting our respective Radio Free Brooklyn shows. He has moved on to co hosting the podcast "Honey Baby Sweetie Love", which takes a humorous look at online dating. 
 
Our conversation touches on our radio experiences, but Colby also details the course that led him from semi-rural beginnings to New York City. He speaks poignantly on friendships and the frustration he’s often faced attempting to advocate for himself. On a lighter note, we also touch on Colby’s never ending niceness and Elton John fandom. 

DetoxPod 119 : Ty McKinnie (Singer/Musician)

Ty McKinnie grew up in suburban Atlanta and moved to NYC for grad school. He is a multi-faceted creative; singing, acting, doing theater and aspiring to produce and direct films. In our conversation, Ty shares the long road to self-acceptance as a gay Black man brought up in the American South in an environment that was not immediately supportive. He talks about the people who paved the way for his coming out, shares a meaningful conversation that he had with an ailing relative, and goes deep into his post-COVID agoraphobia. I hope you all enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Let me know what you think in the comments!

DetoxPod 118: Billy Mack (Musician/Dad/Business Owner)

In this episode, I'm talking to Billy Mack, a musician and stay at home Dad based in Pennsylvania. Billy writes "happy songs about being uncomfortable" and we spend a lot of time discussing his emotions in various contexts. We talk about touring the country as an independent artist, and the highs and lows that come with it. The conversation covers child-rearing, traditional gender roles, therapy, antidepressants, and much much more. I hope you enjoy!

DetoxPod 117 : David Schulze (Co-Founder, Poly Camp NE)

I met David Schulze at Swingset Takes Desire! last year and we hit it off immediately. David and his partner Laura run an event called Poly Camp NE, which brings together polyamorous and lifestyle-adjacent people for a long weekend of activities, community and fun in the mountains of New Hampshire. During our chat, which was recorded maybe a week before the 2022 edition of Poly Camp happened, David and I talked about his evolution through non-traditional relationship structures, his experiences with diversity growing up in white-ass Maine (my words, not his), and his desire to rid himself of ingrained toxicity--something I'm sure we can all relate to. Enjoy the listen--this is a good one!

DetoxPod 116 : Nabil Ayers (Memoirist/Entrepreneur)

Nabil Ayers is the president of Beggars Group, a family of independent record labels, and has worked in or around music his entire life. This shouldn't be surprising when you consider his mother was a dancer and his father is legendary jazz and R&B musician Roy Ayers. Earlier this year, Nabil published a memoir entitled "My Life in the Sunshine", which explores his history and that of his family. He and I chat about his upbringing, and the bigger issues of identity and culture that pop up because of that. We also discuss entrepreneurship, representation, and the thin line between acceptance and forgiveness.
Connect with Nabil on IG & Twitter at @nabilayers!

DetoxPod 115 : Jarret Berenstein (Comedian/Writer)

Jarret Berenstein is a writer and comedian best known for pointed political satire. I met him when we were both on Radio Free Brooklyn. If you're interested in offbeat improvisational comedy, his show Famous Dead People might be your jam. Whenever I interview comedians, I wonder what the impetus was for them to decide they wanted to be funny as a profession, and Jarret discusses that during our conversation, in addition to how his more confrontational commentary goes over in environments that may not be as friendly to his politics.
 
Jarret and I go deep into several topics, including his journey with depression and the various pharmaceutical options (some legal, some not) he undertook to medicate. We also go into some depth about his upcoming nuptials, and why Jarret feels like he's already a married man even though he hasn't officially taken the trip down the aisle.
 
You can find out more about Jarret by going to his website, jarretberenstein.com. He is also on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok as jarretberenstein.