Bourbon Beer & Bold Conversations Podcast

My podcast partner, Clayton Sinclair III, died about 30 days ago. I'm still processing this loss, as many are. Since this is happening within Mental Health Awareness Month, this episode is about losing someone close and the mental illness that can arise. I'm sharing in hopes that others who struggle with grief and perhaps depreciation might benefit from hearing my story. This is incredibly personal for me as a white man since the rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men. In 2021, men died by suicide 3.90x more than women.

It is with deep sadness I do this monthly episode without my podcast partner, Clayton Sinclair III. Unfortunately, Clayton passed away a few days ago. I'm distributing this episode to honor him and our amazing guests, and to continue with our podcast mission. Rest In Power, My Brother.

It's the clash between WOKE and anti-woke. So what new term will DE&I practitioners have to deal with next? What is it? Where did it come from? What's up with it now? What's the impact on DE&I efforts? What to do at individual and organizational levels?

When it comes to DEI, why do so many companies pledge their support for these efforts while falling short of taking real action? In this episode, Sean and Clayton talk to Charity Hughes, an HR super professional, who illuminates the root causes of this misalignment and what companies can do about it.

Developing white men as allies for DE&I is a bold and courageous approach to taking change to the next level. It's good for white men to improve their leadership effectiveness, it's good for Outsider group members (BIPOC and women) to have some of the burdens lifted, and it's good for companies, communities, and society. Real change only happens if influential white male leaders fully engage and are on board with DE&I values and goals. The best way to capitalize on white males' power and influence is to give them a meaningful role and purpose in the diversity work.

In this second episode focused on Hispanic Heritage Month 2022, Sean and Clayton finish up their conversation with special guests, Carolina and Guillermo, who drop some real gems and shed light on the diversity within the Hispanic/Latin community!

In this episode, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) by gaining rich perspectives from our guests, Carolina Betancourt and Guillermo Guereque. Carolina was born in Venezuela and Guillermo in Mexico, and they have lived in the U.S. for many years. This conversation demonstrates the diversity of the Latin community and why HHM is so important to them, their community, and our country. To learn more about why we celebrate HHM, please click this link: https://learninglab.si.edu/news/top-8-reasons-why-and-how-we-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month  

In this episode, we talk with Jessica Kiragu about the culture of whiteness and how it shapes identity. Jessica is a white therapist working out what it means to be white and focuses on co-creating space with white people to explore stories of race and racial identity. http://jessicakiragu.com/my-story/

Sean and Clayton celebrate PRIDE Month 2022 with a very special guest and friend of the show! Also, check out a few PRIDE Month resources... Steel String Brewery LGBTQIA+ Community Gifting

To commemorate Juneteenth, we combine bourbon with Black history. A perfect time to have a bold conversation with The Black Bourbon Guy. Che Ramos, the Founder, joins us to discuss some history within the beverage/whiskey industry and the lack of Black representation. Then, we try to tie the past to the present Juneteenth.

According to WebMD, Judy Singer, a sociologist who has autism, started using the term "neurodiversity" in the late 1990s. It refers to the concept that certain developmental disorders are normal variations in the brain. And people who have these features also have certain strengths. In this episode, Clayton and Sean discuss Allyship and what that means in a neurodiverse world.

In celebration of Women's History Month 2022, we talk to Mary H. Davis about her work to empower black women by helping them redefine success!

We are a nation of boxes... Everyday our porches are littered with them. So, one would think we know what they are for. And yet we continue to put people in them - metaphorically of course! Listen to the story of a woman who has struggled to get out of boxes ever since she immigrated to America! You'll learn something; we did!

In this episode, Clayton and Sean discuss Black History Month, its origins with Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and how it's showing up today in the U.S.

Sean and Clayton get a little teachy this episode - breaking down how context matters in shaping our perceptions, our interactions, our very reality. Context is the explainer behind how two people in a situation can react to what's going on around them in sometimes wildly divergent ways. In short, context is everything! Listen in and learn how context might be influencing your actions and how to counter it when necessary.

Yes, sometimes fatigue sets in for us practitioners. We started Bourbon, Beer, and Bold Conversations over 18 months ago to have difficult conversations about race and many other topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Like others, we get tired of everything being about race, or Black and white. And, most things are about race, discrimination, and racism. We share our perspectives and feelings so you too know we have to give ourselves some grace sometimes, acknowledge it, work through it, and get back at it!

Sean and Clayton dive into Ableism with special guest, S. Barton Cutter. Cutter who talks with a cerebral palsy accent implores us to listen to him with not just our ears but our hearts - to feel what he says - and to let go of the need for intellectual perfection!

In this episode, Clayton and Sean recognize Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 by exploring their Afro-Latina guest's life and professional experiences.

In this episode, Clayton and Sean discuss the three layers to approaching DE&I - Individual, Group, and Organization/System/Societal. The objective is to help listeners see their environments in broader ways. When one does this, they have the potential to have more meaningful and bold conversations about differences. 

Join Sean and Clayton for a quick recap of Season 1. They'll talk about their favorite episodes, what they learned give you a sneak peek into what's coming in Season 2!

June is pride month in the U.S., sow we amplify another voice from the LGBTQ+ community. During this episode, you will hear the dynamic story of Michel Huff, an attorney, former police officer, bi-racial, and transgender male with over seventeen year of experience in law. Join us as we scratch the surface, exploring what it means to be transgender in America.

Celebrating PRIDE month with a very special guest and fellow diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner - Jim Kankula! Celebrate good times... You know the rest!

June is Immigrant Heritage Month in the U.S., so we share a unique and joyful story from Jide Idowu. Jide came to America from Lagos, Nigeria, when he was around eight years old. He holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and describes himself as a "data ninja!"

While people have labored for years to add more truth to the telling of the American story, The 1619 project and Critical Race Theory are the boldest efforts yet. And the backlash to these efforts is just as bold! Join us as we try to lift some clarity out of the muddy waters of change.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And while most of us know our level of physical fitness; what's your level of mental health fitness? Listen in as Marcel Henderson helps you find out while debunking many commonly held beliefs about mental health.

So, George Floyd's murderer was convicted. But, was justice really served? Sean and Clayton share their opinions along with what we can do to continue the fight for equality and inclusion!

Marisol Capellan joins us to discuss the current state of women in leadership and provides guidance to help acquire, grow, and retain leadership talent. Marisol is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Management at the Miami Herbert Business School, and a doctoral student for the Higher Education Leadership (Ed. D) program at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development. She is also the CEO and co-founder of The Planning Management Company, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in social media entrepreneurship consulting, career development advising and personal development coaching.

Join us for our second installment in celebration of Women's History Month as we share a drink with Libby Pollock and discuss her ground breaking work with the Rankin Foundation.  

For our first podcast of Women's History Month, we are honored to host Dana Calder of Spreedly. Dana educates us about the challenges women face getting into STEM and what she is doing to mitigate those challenges and empower other women to reach their dreams! She even drops some knowledge about the unsung women who blazed the trail for her and what male allies need to do to build on this progress!

As we close out Black History Month, we finish our BOLD conversation about criminal justice with Lawrence Bartley who talks about rehabilitation versus retaliation, why private prisons are failing us and gives us all some homework assignments. You can find Lawrence at the Marshall Project where he is a journalist. He is also a frequent CNN and MSNBC contributor.

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we dive into one of the most divisive areas of our bold conversations - criminal justice! Lawrence Bartley spent close to 30 years in prison. Now with the Marshall Project, this frequent CNN and MSNBC contributor joins us to discuss his experience within a biased system and where we go from here!

Remember when we talked about the Implicit Association Test and Unconscious Bias? No? Good! Because on this episode we celebrate Black History Month with a special guest - NeuroCoach Keshawn Hughes! And she has the in-depth skinny on Implicit or Unconscious Bias! So, forget what you heard us say and tune in for real expertise!

3 "I"s have dominated news coverage over the past few weeks - Insurrection, Inauguration and Impeachment. In this episode, Sean and Clayton have a bold conversation about how race intersects with all three and where to go get your "news" now that Parler has been de-platformed! Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

We promised you the occasional episode where we would do a little "teaching". Well, "promises kept" (see what we did there)! Join us for a discussion on unconscious bias with a focus on gender bias. We discuss what unconscious bias is and how to mitigate its impact - both at home and at work. We even discuss our recent results on an implicit bias test! Yeah, we go there! Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

Instead of continually trying to channel women's thoughts, we invited a couple of our favorite women on the podcast to give us their reactions to the ongoing saga that is the 2020 election. Jen and Nicole share their astute (and funny) takes on the ongoing election saga, why it played out the way it did and chances for national unity. And, yes, they are smarter than us which is why you will want to listen to them! Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

The 2020 Presidential election is over, sort of... almost, maybe? On the last episode we talked about the divide between black and white folk in the context of the 2020 election. This is part two where we discuss what can be done about the divide - if anything! Are we destined to be one human race living in separate worlds signified by skin color? Listen in as we break it down. Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

The 2020 Presidential election is over, sort of... almost, maybe? Sean and Clayton provide "instant" reactions to all that has transpired and breakdown the continuing divide between white people and black people. Yes, it's another bold conversation! The first of two episodes that look at the dynamics of the recent Presidential election through the lens of racism mixed in with a little sexism. Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

Do Brown folk sometimes get a pass from white supremacy for being lighter skinned? Are Brown issues drowned out because of the BLM movement? Well, we've got answers for you; or more specifically, Latania Marr y Ortega has answers for all of us. A long-time educator committed to teaching the importance of equity and family engagement in education, Latania joins us as we close out Hispanic Heritage Month! You don't want to miss it!

Ever wonder if the world will be in better hands with our future generations? If the "next generation" will grow up to behave a little less divisively than yours? Well, wonder no more! Declan (son of Sean) and Clay (son of Clayton) drop some amazing insights as they talk about race from the perspective of their generation. They address what's happening in the streets, on social media and the work that everyone will need to continue to do to end systemic racial oppression!

If you want to be an ally, you have to first acknowledge that there are circumstances that exist that necessitate allyship! Sean and Clayton continue to discuss how racism has played out for them with real life examples from a black and white perspective. They also discuss what black people need from white allies and how white people can become true allies. This is the first of two episodes that explore the impacts of racism in the U.S. and how white people demonstrate allyship. Hosted by Sean Levitt and Clayton Sinclair III.

If you want to be an ally, you have to first acknowledge that there are circumstances that exist that necessitate allyship! Sean and Clayton discuss how racism has played out for them with real life examples from a black and white perspective. They also discuss what black people need from white allies and how white people can become true allies. This is the first of two episodes that explore the impacts of racism in the U.S. and how white people demonstrate allyship. Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.

You've seen the news. Another black man shot in the back by the police. And in the aftermath, a white kid shoots two protestors after coming from another state to Wisconsin in defense of property. Sean and Clayton take a unique stance on this issue. Black pain is important but everyone is talking about that. Listen in as we explore a decidedly whiter viewpoint. You'll definitely learn something from our unusual take on the oh so, usual!

In this prologue episode Sean and Clayton discuss their diversity journeys and why they are coming together now, in this way, to do this important work. Hosted by Sean Leavitt and Clayton Sinclair.