Knew Normal

What do hugs, drugs and pugs have in common? They all have special place in the heart of this weeks guest, Alex Hooper! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alex to talk about life and comedy and living life comically. Alex Hooper is a stand-up comedian, actor and professional roaster who delights crowds by blending dark humor with silly positivity. He is best known for his appearances on America's Got Talent, being one of a select few contestants to have been asked to return after being eliminated. His comeback on season 15 is one of the greatest moments in televised comedy I've ever seen! In 2018 Alex released his debut comedy album Hugs. Drugs. Pugs. It hit #1 on Amazon and #3 on iTunes Best Selling Comedy Records. And in 2022 he released is sophomore comedy album Calm Down Peasants on A Special Thing Records To say Alex is a serious pug lover is an understatement. For 2018 he created The Pug Yoga Calendar to raise funds for pug rescue: Pug Nation of LA. Ellen Degeneres spotlighted the sold-out 2018 Pug Yoga Calendar on The Ellen Show. Alex has been named by Funny Or Die as one of the 15 Funniest Comics to Follow. His TV credits include: America's Got Talent - Seasons 13 & 15 Comedy Central's Roast Battle Comedy Central's Corporate Fox's New Girl TVLand Nickelodeon and the truly prodigious, Bad Girls Club. We cover a lot of terrain in this conversation. My only regret is not getting it out sooner but, it's here now and sometimes done is better than perfect! I'm on a new mission and playing catch up while moving forward. I hope you enjoy this part of the journey. Thanks for rocking with me. CONNECT WITH ALEX: WEB: www.hoopercomedy.com IG: @hooperhairpuff BUY HIS BOOK ROAST YOURSELF TO HAPPINESS BOOK ALEX ON CAMEO OFFICIAL SHOW SPONSOR: www.veggiekicks.com PARTNERHSHIP: @tripapp CREDITS Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: Thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! WEB: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

J. Michael Trautmann is an actor, mathematician, gambler and an old college pal from the Old Pueblo. Since graduating from the UofA with his BFA degree in acting and directing J Michael aka J Mac took to the mean streets of HollyWOO. You can see him as Iggy Milkovich in the Showtime series Shameless and a bunch of other sh*t but that''s not what we talk about. This conversation explores what it takes to overcome the limitations in our set of given circumstances, as artists and as people in general. We work to strip down the facade and look into what drives our choices. We talk about confidence and self sabotage and how to stay true to yourself in a place where the pressure is on to be somebody else. I hope you enjoy this episode with J Micheal Trautmann! J Mac's LINKS: IG: @jmacdakid IMDB GRASSDOOR ("FLOWER" Delivery Discount

EPISODE 10 It's a milestone y'all! Ten episodes seems small but feels huge for me! This weeks show dives deep into "meta" territory with Katerina Baratta, LAc, MSOM. We talk about mindfulness and a variety of its applications to everyday life. Did you know, doing the dishes can be an act of mindfulness? Katerina is a mind-body-spirit health practitioner, licensed acupuncturist, writer, and teacher. She specializes in helping women heal their relationship with food and build confidence by learning to nourish all aspects of themselves. Having completed a B.A. from the University of Vermont in Psychology, yoga teacher training, numerous medicinal herb courses, and a 5-year master's program in Chinese medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM), Katerina works from the premise that mental health is rooted in the body, and physical health is shaped by the mind. Through a unique combination of holistic nutrition, positive psychology and wellness coaching —as well as transformative bodywork, acupuncture, medicinal herbs, yoga, and qigong— Katerina helps women adopt a nourishment mindset so they can stop the diet-binge cycle and self-sabotage, and transform more than just their body. She also teaches a course at NUNM on personalized and seasonal health and wellness, and leads workshops around the globe. Aside from MindBodyGreen, Katerina's work has been featured in The Huffington post, Yoganonymous, WuHaus, BIWA, and her website has been recognized as a top natural health website by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. You can connect with Katerina on her website, KaterinaBaratta.com and on Instagram, @KaterinaBaratta, where she posts about nourishment, stress management, and personal transformation. KATERINA'S LINKS: IG: @katerinabaratta WEB: www.katerinabaratta.com ARTICLES CREDITS Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: Thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! WEB: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

EPISODE 9 Rudi and Jules Kennard are authors, Co-Founders of Innate Evolution, international speakers, parents and a married couple! Between them they have experienced the death of a partner and teenage daughter, homelessness, domestic violence, and crippling burnout and bankruptcy. As a creation of these direct life experiences, they now share a missing link to resilience and a deeper silence behind the non-dual-aliveness and creative nature of life. They are the originators and authors of the book 'Wholality: The missing link to love' and their courses and resources have now reached over a million people. Their main message is helping others uncover a ‘Wholeness' within that can carry them through any life circumstance. That we are creator beings and have innate energetic gifts to profoundly expand and re-create our lives. Their message is not about transcending our human experience but fully embracing our Whole human experience. Freedom is not in a particular state of mind but in experience. JULES & RUDI LINKS: IG: @nnate_evolution WEB: www.innateevolution.com BOOK: Wholality™ : The Missing Link To Love FACEBOOK TWITTER YOUTUBE CREDITS Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: Thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! WEB: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

EPISODE 8 This week opens us up to a conversation about breathwork and ancestral healing with the incredibly talented Jay Bradley. Jay is a Breathwork Healer/Teacher, he is also the Founder of Breathe on It and Chakra Balms. Through his own personal journey with breathwork, Jay has created a personal brand that has inspiration and transformation in its DNA. With those 2 words guiding his vision, Jay Bradley's work brings about profound change in his clients, through the modalities of Breathwork, Ho'oponopono and Ancestral Healing. We dive deep all of these topics and more in this wide ranging conversation. Check Jay and his work out at the links below. CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE GUIDED BREATHWORK SESSION W/ JAY! JAY'S LINKS: IG: @breatheonitwithjay IG: @chakrabalms WEB: www.breatheonit.net BOOK: Live Look Feel FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/breatheonitwithjay TWITTER: www.twitter.com/breatheonit YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/breathonit CREDITS: Vocals by Max Strom Vocals by Andew Huberman Vocals by Mark Wolynn Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: Thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! WEB: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

EPISODE 7 This week I have the privilege of sharing a conversation with John San Juan. John is a multi-hyphenate creative with abs of steel. He is an LA based Yoga instructor that embodies what a living practice can be. We go deep in this episode about all things Yoga, creativity and transformation. John shares his knowledge, wisdom and experience on the journey to becoming the polymath he is today. A Cornell grad who left the Hollywood machine to cultivate the best in himself in order to teach others to do the same. Through Yoga and other means John advocates for mental health and brings his teaching to under served communities creating a wake of devoted students who can attribute a piece of their happiness to knowing and working with him. JOHN'S LINKS: IG: @john.san.juan WEB: www.john-sanjuan.com CREDITS: Vocals by Bruce Lee Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: Thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! WEB: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

SEASON 2 EPISODE 1 aka EPISODE 6 At least thats what I'm going with, 5 episode seasons, why because I can! This week my guest is actor JEFF FRIEDMAN. Jeff is the cover guy for the Nice Jewish Guys 2021 Calendar and star of the Amazon Prime feature film It's Not You It's Me. This wide ranging conversation is light hearted and hilarious. Jeff and I go deep on topics such as self victimizing language, the perils of Hollywood and confusing world of online dating, not to mention living life as pets. Please enjoy the up-leveled production value and delightful conversation! JEFF'S LINKS: IG: @thejefffriedman Nice Jewish Guys 2021 Calendar Unprofessional Series It's Not You It's Me Eyebuydirect.com CREDITS: Vocals by Lera Boroditsky Cover Art by Jacob Breckenridge www.jacobbreckenridge.com IG: @jacobi_brecks Music by The Gigantics CONNECT & SUPPORT: As always thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! Web: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

Do you like stories? This week I go inward and sift through the past and reflect on what it feels like to fail in front of your hero. It happened. It was a magical start to the adventure of a lifetime. Then the universe intervened and imprinted the deep knowledge of humility into my experience. Message received. After all, he was just helping... As always thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! Connect & Support info below: Web: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

This week we learn from Abbéy Odunlami Ph.D. Aside from being a friend he is an interdisciplinary artist that is creating space for people to participate in their own evolution. His work is both academic and experiential. His podcast Field Station 5 is a great place to start to learn about his work and get educated beyond the books. Humanity is changing faster than ever and Abbéy is keeping in step with his finger on the international pulse helping us better understand how to use the spaces we inhabit for the betterment of us all. As always thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! Connect & Support info below: Web: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

Episode 3 is a doozie! My guest today is Tryshe Dhevney. A Sounds True recording artist and Harmonic Sound Healer. She is the founder of SoundShifting and the Crystal SoundEngergy Training series. Tryshe is also my long time friend a mentor. Her work spans decades of training, where she has helped organizations and individuals find whole health and healing through the power of their voice. Her work really began after a fatal diagnosis was reversed after several months of treatment and deep work with crystal tones and sound. She is an inspiration and a keeper of deep embodied knowledge and wisdom. I hope you find value in her work and learn to harness the power of your sound fo the better of all humanity. Tryshe's Links: Web: https://soundshifting.com Facebook YouTube IG: @TrysheDhevney As always thank you for tuning in to Knew Normal! Connect & Support info below: Web: www.knewnormalpodcast.com Spotify Playlist Show Merchandise Buy Me A Coffee?

KNEW NORMAL with BRIAN NEUFANG This episode it about playfulness. As a value in life and skill for the ages, playfulness comes in many ways and forms, and it changes over the years. My guest Lucia Brizzi is an actor, comedian, and coach. She takes the playing field of personal well being and turns it into a space for transformational creativity. Be sure to check out her work, engage and get out of your comfort zone soon, it's for your own good really! www.luciabrizzi.com IG: @luciabrizzi IG: @talianadabrava

KNEW NORMAL with BRIAN NEUFANG A Podcast about mastering life's challenges and changes. We're here on some Radical Practical Mystical Physical Spiritual Shit. Your exploration of self as living art starts here! This is a podcast about the emergent constant in all of our lives, the one thing that stays the same. CHANGE. How can we embrace it? How do we become resilient in the face of it? Can we master it? Tune in every week for edutainment and interviews from the subcultural circles of creators of things from around the world. Tying humanity together with the threads of rites and rituals of connection. Knew Normal is the podcast of your dreams, if your dreams were never fully realized and you still live to tell the tale of those unrealized dreams. A podcast for the seekers & finders, the closed hearts & open minded. The journey of one man reimagining how his life could be for the rest of the world and the good of all humanity. Welcome to Knew Normal! This first episode is more of an introduction. A brief description, a context for the content. The who, what and why of Knew Normalness. Hope you stick around for the journey and come back for more.