Live, Lift, Love Podcast

Had an amazing time talking health and wellness with Roshni, The Vegan Khaleesi (IG @roshnisanghvi). Our convo starts with Roshni, discussing her shift from studying clinical psychology to fitness due to returning home to support her dad and his health. We discuss the importance of health being a lifestyle change vs the quick fix it's become due to social media. We also touch on Roshni's focus on supporting clients with body issues, psychodietetics, connecting with people who aren't privy to health changes, dynamic meditation, alternative forms of fitness, and adapting her business model due to COVID.

Had an amazing time talking with Karen Nicolas, Director of The Haiti Tree Project — a non-profit that works with Haitian farmers and communities to support and expand reforestation efforts through financial and educational support. We start off by discussing Karen's journey from Catholicism to discovering spirituality in the mountains of Asheville through Ananda Marga and relief work. Karen shares her shift in perspective in experiencing a new culture and the desire to give back and support. We share cultural perspectives, from my life in the predominant Caribbean neighborhood of Flatbush Brooklyn to her experiences living in Haiti, and the importance of community and looking to the future. Less than 2% of Haiti’s native forest remains. We discuss The Haiti Tree Project — it's inception, the initial challenges, the work needed to support Haitian farmers and communities, and using tech to create a greater connection between donors and the trees and farmers. We also discuss impacts of Climate Change, on reforestation, the cause of deforestation, the importance of biodiversity in growing, the demise of industries in Haiti, and I answer a challenging question in what I'd like to offer Haitians to promote growth, freedom, and autonomy. Please check out their work at TheHaitiTreeProject.org. As a non-profit, donations are essential in supporting their mission and the farmers and communities of Haiti.

I had an amazing time talking health, wellness, and the brain with Neurologist and Epileptologist Dr. Philippe Douyon, MD (IG philippe.md). We start by discussing the beginning of his journey in becoming a neurologist, having the passion at a young age, dealing with uncomfortable spaces in medical school, and graduating while in kidney failure. We transition into his early years as a neurologist, finally finding his place after a long night alone and on-call, and comparing early workflow to current. Our conversation ends with all things brain! We discuss the importance of exercise, being the leader of your brain, dealing with depression, brain dysfunction causes, as well as marijuana, addiction, and psychedelics effects on the brain. Dr. Philippe also explains the work behind and his Take Charge of Your Brain in 30 Days! course, answers questions from some of my IG followers, and gives tips on optimizing your brain health.

Had an amazing conversation with Steff and Muddy, two leaders behind Denver's Melanated Mic Night (IG @melanatedmic). We start by discussing what led Steff and Muddy into activism, focused on doing more for BIPOC communities. We touch on community importance, being consistently active in any capacity, organizing, and breaking free from systemic oppression. We also discuss being first-generation Americans and the balance in finding identity in the U.S. while also honoring the culture and history of our parents and ancestors. The episode closes out discussing Melanated Mic Night, a weekly community gathering of all people to support and amplify the voices of BIPOC community members. Steff and Muddy share their most memorable moments and the rally to support one of the lead protestors, Trey Quinn.

Too many words to express how much I enjoyed the dialogue with the good brother, Temi (IG @ ViewsFromACap). We start off discussing the identity challenges non-African-American Black people face(ed), especially as children. Temi expressed the importance of research and history in finding himself and a balance between being Nigerian at home and Black in the U.S. We follow-up discussing my fears (and others) about Hip-Hop becoming whitewashed like all other music genres Black people have pioneered. We close out with Temi discussing being on the verge of suicide three times and finding that it wasn't his purpose to end his life at those moments. Temi discusses finding his passion for photography through his last experience, the importance of self-healing, balancing creativity with life to free himself from depressive states, and the importance of moving forward. Lastly, Temi shares the story of his current fitness journey. And we discuss the importance of finding a healthy journey to invest in yourself today for tomorrow.

So much discussed in this episode with my guest (IG @quentinthepoet! We start off discussing racist terrorist threats toward a bookstore owner and community in Philly, and the ever-present terror of the Black experience in the U.S. From there we discuss Q's life journey. From being bullied by his older brother and being the black sheep of the family to finding his voice and freedom through acting and leadership roles at a young age. Quentin shares his experience with losing faith in Christianity but finding more of himself through spirituality, reading, curiosity, love, discipline, and a well-rounded healthy lifestyle. Throughout the episode, we discuss the layers of queerness; what being Queer means to Q, how it's shaped his life experience, and the experience/awareness of existing in unique spaces as a queer Black man. We touch on the dangers of imbalance within ourselves, toxicity and closemindedness of people, and the importance of love in acceptance of others and self.

n this episode, I'm joined by a good and long-time friend Celina (IG@ somos.movimiento to discuss health wellness and movement. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We start our discussion talking about quarantine in Buenos Aires and readjusting to change. We transition into our main topic and discuss Celina's passion for movement at a young age and becoming a professional dancer/showgirl. From there, we discuss Celina's evolution of movement, from dancing to pilates, from pilates to yoga, and from yoga to competitive pole dancing. We touch on the importance of breathing, the joy of just doing what feels right, and the benefits of movement and exercise for mental, physical, and spiritual health. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We end our discussion talking about family and being a new mom for the second time around. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

On this episode, I'm joined by my good friend Jon (IG@themkidsdaddy__) We discuss the broader acceptance, growth, and love of Anime, comics, and nerdom by Black people currently thanks to the Marvel movies. We then jump into being badass kids and question the point of some of the acts we committed. Jon shares his story about being an Air Force kid, moving around and feeling displaced, and finding his wife in college before joining the Air Force. We close out discussing being a Black father with three kids, navigating the different personalities of his kids, the importance of communicating with children, how having a third child — especially a daughter— changes parenting, coping with COVID, and Jon shares some possible career paths for his kids. (Sorry for the delay in getting this out on Wednesday. Technology issues mostly. And I also had some mic issues, so my sound isn't clear as usual.)

In this episode, I'm joined by Sequoia Rhian (they/them), an actor, model, and coowner of Young Statements, a brand focused on reducing the number of children who are sexually and physically abused by highlighting the importance of consent. We start our conversation discussing Sequoia's life pre-COVID, including breaking through successfully as an actor, and their newly found success in being a hand model. From there, we begin our main discussion on the Young Statements brand and its inception. Sequoia shares the transition from initially selling cat toys with their business partner, to shifting into a new business model focused on teaching the importance of consent to both children and adults while empowering children. Sequoia shares their childhood experience of being physically and sexually abused as a child, finding out their father was a registered sex offender, taking the first step in speaking up, feeling alone and disconnected, and having church as a support system through the trauma. We talk about the importance of communication and language in raising children, finding ways to empower children by giving them a voice at an early age, and the importance of therapy to work through emotional pain and trauma. If you or someone you know wants to take the first step in talking to someone about sexual abuse and trauma, please reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673. Available 24 hours every day). Or Google "RAINN" for a live chat option. Additionally, Young Statements (YoungStatements.com) is offering 15% off all purchases using coupon code: LLLDISCOUNT. Ten percent of all sales support Defend Innocence, an organization that inspires hope in women who were sexually abused as children or adolescents, by providing healing services through retreats, support groups, and online resources.

In this episode, I'm joined with my good friend and photographer Tatiana (IG @Tatianafoto). We start the discussion talking about growing up in NYC and navigating through the chaos. From there we discuss her life as a photographer; childhood moments that inspire, what moments make it through her lens, and what photography has brought into other aspects of her life. We also discuss finding your passion, the process of fine-tuning your skills, not being hard on yourself on "off" days, and the importance of support and community in all aspects of life and creativity.

The Live, Lift, Love Podcast is back! My co-host Shari and I kick off this new season with a deep and multi-layered conversation on compassion. How do you find it? How do you keep it? And who deserves it? We start off with this episode with a check-in on how we've both been. I define what "life experience" means for me, along with how I've redefined prayer through reading and evolving my spirituality. I also share my new perspective on why life is a big circle jerk. We then dive into the main topic of compassion, based on an IG conversation we had last month, we discuss victimization, finding significance in this life experience, and share a fun and layered dialogue on reconnecting the Black experience and spirituality; and why it's important. Lastly, Shari brings up the importance of ethics, and how one can define ethics to find compassion.

In the final episode of my Black Lives Matter series, I speak with Taro (Twitter @PerilTaro). We discuss the Denver protests, finding your role in social movements, diverse cultural representation in media, and our perspectives on defunding the police. We also talk about our interests in learning about other cultures, the need for more community connection and dialogue, views on socialism, pandemic hobbies, the Denver Protests subreddit being a resource, and Taro's end goal for the protests and the movement.

In episode 5 of the Black Lives Matter series, I speak with Isabella (Twitter@ isabellaaaa21), a prominent figure in the Denver protests. Isabella shares a bit of her background and life leading into the May/June protests in Denver. She talks about racism in college, learning about leadership and advocacy while in college, and feeling connected with DC due to its diverse and vibrant Black population. We also discuss our realization of the segregation of Aurora, watching the Denver protests narrative shift, the entitlement people feel as self-proclaimed leaders, co-opters weaponizing Blackness to control the narrative, PSL's (Party for Socialism and Liberation)work in Denver these past few years, and how Generation Z views the millennial generation.

In Episode #4 of the Black Lives Matter series, Earl Poyser (IG @the.almighty.odd) and I focus on Black history and the Black experience in the United States. Earl starts the discussion with his parents guiding him into learning more about the Black experience since school offered limited information. We then transition into a list of topics including: the realization of Blackness as a child, being indoctrinated into whiteness through the public school system, terror lynching vs. lynching, conditioning fear into the minds of Black people, the history of Black violence porn, whiteness being a mental condition, and the dichotomy of Black people being either superhuman or subhuman in the eyes of irrational white minds. We end with discussing interracial dating, raising a biracial son, and with Earl's vision for making the Black experience right in the United States.

In this episode, Felicia (IG @Feli_Knows)and I have a two-part discussion. First, we discuss being a refined vagabond, her career as an aerospace engineer for commercial airlines, being a minority woman in a white male-dominated field, the importance of connecting with minority organizations especially, in those types of fields, and transitioning into Fintech. In the second part we continue the Black Lives Matter conversation, but look at it from an objective perspective. Topics include: leaving identity politics behind, the rise of privilege, the present and oncoming social divide, not supporting the concept of "white guilt", white privilege vs. socioeconomic privilege, the instant gratification culture, empowering the community as individuals to reconnect what's been socially taken away from all people, and a lot more.

In this episode, my 15-year old niece makes her return to discuss her perspective on Black Lives Matter. We discuss what protesting means to her, the importance of having a good group of diverse friends who support human rights causes, and giving up on brands that made no effort to show what side of history they're on. Additionally, we talk about police response being a reflection of officers not even trying, the feelings of being upset at your white friends because they look like your oppressor, doing counter-racism bullying work, experiencing racism in kindergarten, and she also shares her end goal for the movement.

We're back! In the first episode of my Black Lives Matter series, my cohost Shari-Joy and I return to discuss the movement that is shaping the world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We start out by discussing some of our own racial identity moments (Shari discusses being biracial and the terror she received as a child. I discuss being in an interracial relationship and the internal struggles I've felt. We then discuss what it means to be racist and try to find the root cause behind it. Additional topics include my experience accepting being in a tribe at a recent protest, white privilege, America being the "land of opportunity", racism being the lowest form of prejudice, and the need to keep organizing and pushing the BLM narrative forward. We close out with our end goals for equality in this world.

In this episode, John W (Twitter @KingofRums), and I discuss so much surrounding politics, social perspectives, and COVID-19 implications on society. Topics range from learning about "white southern culture" in a town in New Jersey, John running for Town Council as a Democrat in a Republican town, being able to challenge and question your own beliefs, stepping out of your comfort zone to take risks and sacrifice a little to bring change, and hopefully, current events creating the spark that society needs to hold people in power accountable for their actions.

In this special episode, I talk to my teenage niece about her thoughts on everything going on. We discuss her early thoughts when the pandemic began, adjusting to "home school" life, how she and her friends are staying busy, and her hopes and concerns for the upcoming weeks.

In this episode, my cohost Shari-Joy and I discuss our views on the current state of the world due to the Coronavirus. We share perspectives and frustrations with misinformation and arrogance and understanding that no one really knows what tomorrow will bring. We share stories on possible underlined conspiracies, including 5G implications, infertility, and the "alien" signal that was revealed in Feb and no one has really touched on. We also touch on the long term effects of technology and the benefits of technology in a time like this. Most importantly, we discuss the appreciation for the Earth being able to heal as pollution declines, and the belief that this event will support a mass awakening of the masses to reconnect with our individual self, each other, and the Universe.

In this episode, Nicholé Nicholas, creator of The Unemployment Experiment (IG @the_unemployment_experiment), joins me to discuss her brand and how to navigate unemployment mentally, spiritually, and financially. We start the conversation discussing the coronavirus pandemic and its future implications and then transition into discussing the desire for creating The Unemployment Experiment. We touch on slowing down once unemployment hits to process what's happening, not viewing unemployment as a reflection of your worth, budgeting, becoming a DIY master around the house to save money, finding your hobbies and passions while unemployed, coping with rejection when applying for jobs, it being OK to lie a bit on your resume, job resources for finding work, and using the current "free" time to build for yourself and find yourself.

In this episode, my cohost Shari-Joy and I choose sides on the idea of unconditional love. I read a post I wrote four years ago that discusses the need for love to have one base condition to truly flourish. Later on, we discuss the idea of soul mates and twin flames, the importance of establishing your own individuality in self to love others, and removing ego in relationships to build more. Lastly, we discuss the idea of critical thinking dying out, and judgment being natural but making an effort to find reality in those judgments to live your truth and better understand others.

In this episode, my cohost Shari-Joy and I discuss motivation. We discuss the different layers of motivation and different ways to motivate people. Shari touches on motivation through verbal acknowledgment, while I admit I don't know how to motivate people outside of just working. We go left a bit and discuss the idea of unconditional love but bring it back to how motivation as children, sets the tone for why we rely on others. Lastly, we discuss how race/culture plays a part in motivation and perspective of life achievements.

In this episode, The Hungry Feminine, a psychotherapist and creator of TheHungryFeminine.com, joins me to discuss masculine and feminine energy. We start our discussion with eating disorders, addictive behavior, and the manifestation of The Hungry Feminine. Later in the show, we discuss the importance of understanding masculine and feminine energy; the differences in each, the need to find a balance between both to live a healthier life, and the dangers of allowing one energy to lead your life for too long. I also get therapized a bit in focusing on my relationship with my mother and learning to see her energy balance in a new light. Toward the end of the show, I get depressed (in a good way), realizing the importance of the feminine in what I want to achieve in life.

In episode 6, my co-host Shari-Joy(IG sharijoy.s)and I discuss fighting to exist as your true self. Shari covers the importance of spirituality in being your authentic self, authenticity being the key to spiritual awakening, and the importance of honoring yourself throughout life and what that looks like when communicating with others. We also discuss tribalism/groupthink and how groups can take away from your authentic self if you make them the foundation for your existence. Additionally, we talk about finding authenticity within the races we're pre subscribed into socially, and I discuss how the end goal of some religions is to take away from your individuality/authenticity.

In part 2 of our Spirituality discussion, my co-host Shari-Joy(IG sharijoy.s) and I finish up our conversation. We start by discussing our individual spiritual journey. Shari goes on to discuss her love language search, the importance of love in spirituality, respecting individuality through seeing how it parallels with art and the life experience, and how Lupus has impacted her physical and spiritual life. We also discuss moving through pain, finding a routine, giving yourself permission, balancing the mind, body, and spirit, making time for what matters, and the importance of discipline in life.

In part one of this two-part episode, I'm joined by an old/good friend, Shari-Joy (IG sharijoy.s) to focus on spirituality. We discuss what's led to the beginning/awareness of our own spiritual journey, and we work to define what spirituality means in our lives. We also talk about astrology, more specifically Virgo traits, and how those traits manifest in our social interactions/relationships and our own spiritual journey. Additionally, we touch on the topics of love, conditions of love, servitude through love, and the importance of personal growth.

Live, Lift, Love finally returns! In this episode, I'm joined by my good friend Stephanie St. John. We discuss childhood trauma, our own most traumatic and lingering childhood experiences, how we've healed, and how others can heal whether through therapy, good friendships, or just self-work.

In Episode 2, Clifford discusses watching the Tony Robbins documentary, I Am Not Your Guru. Christian introduces a new segment titled, The Next Step, where both he and Clifford break down the beginning stages of starting a journey into health and fitness: the -Importance of health/fitness, deciding on personal goals, and choosing self-training or personal training.

In Episode 1 we introduce the podcast, discuss our fitness and health history, our current goals, and our long term goals. Christian discusses watching the CrossFit games as an outsider.