OneWorldYourStory

We are back in action with a brand new episode for y'all this week! New Year, same pandemic. Tune in today as we share the first Corona Diaries of 2021! On today's episode, we are joined by Curtiss Johns. Curtiss is a 36 year old actor from Colorado and recalls giving and receiving less than 10 hugs since the pandemic began last March. Having spent the previous 25 years of his life as a professional actor (mainly in live theatre), overnight, well really in a course of 11 hours, he found himself having lost all booked and upcoming shows. Listen in to learn how he and his friends reinvented what theatre could look like during these virtual times and where things stand now as we head into this next year.

Alton is the owner of Mac Nation Cafe in Indian Hills, Colorado. They feature 47 (wow!) kinds of mac and cheese in a beautiful setting outside of Denver. Alton is a native of this small town, and has carved out a loyal following for her family run business. Business was booming in the beginning of the year - Alton had just remodeled and added a bar inside when the COVID-19 lockdown hit the industry. Though this year has been an insurmountable challenge for many restaurants, thankfully Mac Nation is still in operation because of Alton and her family’s creative adaptations and loyal customer base. Check them out at https://www.mac-nation.com/ or stop by if you’re in Indian Hills!

Yousra joins us from Cairo, Egypt. She has worked remotely since before the pandemic, as an account executive for an American company, and for years was the only person in her community with a remote job. Things have changed this year, but she talks about the challenge in finding a remote job from abroad, the differences between Egyptian and American work culture, and the advantages of working for an American company abroad.

Beth joins us to talk about her experience parenting through a pandemic. She is a mother of a 6 year old daughter and two year old son, and while parenting is a challenge in the best of times, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges. In the formative years of a child’s life, each day is precious, and the norms we expect for child-rearing have been turned upside down, from limited social interaction, on-line schooling, and grappling to understand what the world is going through. In addition, as a registered nurse, Beth also wrestled with the question of whether to return to work - to help people in need, at the risk to her health and the safety of her family.

Jamie, our host and the creator of the OneWorldYourStory Podcast opens up for a solo podcast about her experience being single through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dating is tough, and the restrictions and fear that come along with the pandemic have made it even more difficult. Jamie talks about the struggle to find someone for the right reasons, with a heaping helping of self-love and respect. If you’re feeling alone, or wanting that special someone to hold through this difficult time, join us for this honest conversation.

Erica joined us for a conversation about mental health and trauma. Her younger brother passed away when she was just 4, leaving her family reeling from the loss. It took years for Erica to even address her feelings on the loss of her brother. Though trauma is a buzz word we hear a lot these days, it’s tough to pin down. Erica’s take: trauma doesn't have to be a life altering event; it can be a stream of endless worry and distress, or just a lingering emotional response that you can’t quite get rid of. There are so many manifestations of trauma, what really matters is that we acknowledge our feelings and work on ways to cope. Erica opens up about her struggle, her journey into therapy, and even some strategies she has employed for dealing with her anxiety and depression.

Rachel joins us for a conversation about sex, relationships, and choice. Rachel talks about how the lack of sex education in our culture can leave young people, especially young women at a loss. For her, it led to a long journey to become the confident woman she is today. She survived an abusive relationship, and a difficult decision to have an abortion at age 20. As hard as that decision was, she believes that it is about choice - “To overturn something like Roe v Wade is not just a threat to our physical bodies, but to our equal rights here in America in the global landscape.”

Chloe joined us on the podcast to have a refreshingly open discussion about women’s reproductive rights and her decision to have an abortion in 2015. For a topic that directly affects half the population (and it affects you too boys,) this is something that we tend to shy away from in our daily lives. Chloe courageously talks about her experience, her family history of the BRCA gene giving her an 87% chance of contracting breast cancer and 50% chance of ovarian cancer and how that affected her decision, and what she might say to government officials who seek to regulate women’s bodies and choices.

Chad is a self-described "creator," and that's an understatement. He is a graphic designer, printmaker, musician, blogger, and entrepreneur, all while holding down a full time job at a Fortune 500 company. Chad's passion for his varied pursuits overflows in our conversation, as we touch on his background in design, the charged political climate that inspired him to take his writing from social media to its own platform, and finding a passion that drives you, no matter the financial benefit. Chad's website/blog/web store @theblxckmrkt (blxckmrkt.com) is a collection of art, fashion, music and writing, designed to celebrate the diversity within Black culture, while supporting other Black creators and their work. "Black Culture is not a monolith. We are a diverse collection of stories, Get experiences and accomplishments. We are shaped by our struggles as much as our successes. We are a story of perseverance. A story or hard-work. We are a story of hope. The BLXCK MRKT was founded on the principle that we are far more complex that the environments in which we find ourselves. and that context is what we hope to bring to the light."

Diane Chang is a Brooklyn based chef and writer. She runs her own catering and private chef business called Eating Po-Po’s - a tribute to her grandmother, but when she was approached to open a Sichuan restaurant in Mexico City last year, she jumped at the opportunity. The restaurant was just 3 weeks away from its opening date of April 1 when Diane felt compelled to fly back to New York to be closer to her family during the COVID-19 pandemic. The small, majority Chinese community that her Mother lives in outside of Los Angeles had been whispering about a new pneumonia-like disease since November, and the prospect of a closing border was too much to bear. Diane shares her experience with the loss of that exciting new restaurant project, but she has much to say about the positive impacts of the new world that we’re living in. She has begun volunteering in a community garden in East New York, returned to creating food in her own kitchen for Eating Po-Pos, and has hope that the restaurant industry will spring back in a more positive and inclusive way. We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Michelle faced the COVID-19 pandemic head on as a nurse in a NYC hospital. As the number of cases grew, her team - usually in the recovery room for surgery, watched elective procedures wane and knew they would become the front line of the fight against the virus. Though the response was uncertain, and chaotic at times, she joined a determined team of doctors, nurses and hospital staff as they built up a unit from scratch, and cared for hundreds of patients over the past 5 months. Despite the harrowing ordeal, Michelle has glowing words for the healthcare workers that worked around the clock to treat so many people. "I have always been proud to be a nurse and to be surrounded by smart and inspiring healers every day at work. Going through the horrific challenges of a global pandemic that peaked in NYC only heightened that pride, and showed me how resourceful, resilient, and tough we truly are." We are so happy to host Michelle on the podcast, and to honor the heroes that worked so hard to ward off this pandemic. To do your part to support our healthcare workers, she has just three words for you. "MASKS WORK!" and "VOTE!"

We were so happy to welcome Aviv Lang to the podcast! Aviv is a filmmaker and traveler from New York, who was in the midst of a year's long travel when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. First hearing of the virus from Northern Thailand, it became more and more apparent to Aviv that it was unsafe and irresponsible to continue his travels, and he just made one of the last flights back to New York before Australia shut its borders for the duration of their extensive lockdown. Check out Aviv's work at visualvariance.co/films, and follow him on instagram @avivgoeseast and @visualvariance We hope you enjoy this conversation, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Victor is back to share the story of his re-birth after his COVID-19 illness. If you remember from last week, Victor had quite a scare with his COVID experience, even sharing that he felt that he "sat with death" in an intimate journal entry that he read aloud in last week's episode (make sure to listen back!) Victor is now back in a new light. He is fresh off a meditation challenge, with a renewed spirit and drive to create. We talk about his transformation, the journey back to the light, and his relationship with the changing dynamics of his hometown of New York City. Join us for this refreshing and positive conversation, and remember Victor's motto: "Love is Medicine!"

Victor, a yoga instructor and New York City native, came on the podcast to tell his story of contracting COVID-19. He fell ill with the virus on March 10, almost a week before New York implemented it's extensive shutdown. Victor fortunately was able to self isolate and ride out his illness, but not without significant physical and mental distress. As a yoga teacher, how to practice when his body was physically depleted by the virus, how to pay rent during a months long shutdown, and wondering if we'll ever get back to normal. Victor says there's no normal to return to, but he believes that while we are all affected by this virus, we have love as medicine to bring us to the other side.

Pauline came on the podcast to talk about a hidden toll of the COVID-19 pandemic; victims of domestic abuse. During the pandemic, domestic abuse reporting has actually gone down. Sadly, this simply means that incidents are going unreported as children and women are stuck at home with their abusers. Pauline recently began volunteer work with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, advocating and working cases for foster children who have been victims of domestic abuse. She shares with us the incredible value of helping these children, as well as her personal story of escaping an abusive marriage and the journey to overcome the trauma that remains after such a relationship. You can sign up to volunteer with a local CASA/GAL program, or donate at their website https://nationalcasagal.org/.

Derick is an author from New York City based in North Carolina. His debut novel, The Unlikely Through Hiker, is the story of how he went from a city dweller in NYC to the grueling months long Appalachian Trail through hike, despite never having camped a night in his life. The book is a humorous account of Derick’s through hike, from his struggle to stay bathed and fresh to his NYC standards, to the beauty, danger and pure adventure of the wilderness. The people he meets along the way are central characters, but really it's the story of one man accomplishing a crazy goal that he was entirely unprepared for, which ended up changing his life forever. Tune in to listen to us discuss Derick's epic hike, his book, how race and racism play into the world of the outdoors, and so much more! You can purchase a signed copy (get them while they're hot!) of “The Unlikely Through Hiker” at Derick’s website https://www.dericklugo.com, or on Amazon. Make sure to follow him on instagram @dericklugo, on facebook at www.facebook.com/derick.lugo and to subscribe to the OneWorldYourStory Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Derric Harris, AKA D the Smiling Yogi is a yoga teacher in New York City. As you can tell by his persona on instagram, D keeps on smiling, even when things get tough. In this episode, we get into his upbringing in Chicago, what it's like to be a Black male yoga teacher, and D leads us on a powerful guided meditation. His smile is not a retreat from difficult topics, though. “In the face of ignorance, hatred and racism, I will show up boldly, and choose to be a beacon of light. Send more joy and compassion out into a world that is in desperate need of that energy, especially in our country.” Follow his instagram @dthesmilingyogi for updates for his studio classes, live Zoom yoga classes, schedule, and donation info. If you enjoy this conversation, don't forget to subscribe, and follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory!

The Rainbow Prince is a filmmaker, painter and UFOlogist from California who recently moved to the UK. He is an activist, and has been rising as a voice of the Black American experience in the UK. He has been interviewed by @leftlionmagazine about police brutality in America, and recently spoke at a #BlackLivesMatter protest in Nottingham. His psychedelic experiences inform his activism, and his iconic “Cops Need LSD” motif, featured on protest posters and t-shirts has gone viral. Make sure to follow @rebelstilskin on instagram, and check out his online store at Goldenpyramidstv.bigcartel.com to buy a “Cops Need LSD” t-shirt, poster or follow his custom painted jean jacket series (Want!)

We are so happy to welcome Samson Goddy to the OneWorldYourStory Podcast! Samson is a software developer from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and came on the podcast to discuss his experience with racism while traveling in the USA, how Africans see the USA, as well as the complicated relationship between ethnic groups in Nigeria. Find the OneWorldYourStory Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and everywhere you listen to podcasts, and don't forget to follow our YouTube Channel, and our instagram page @OneWorldYourStory

David is an Ayurvedic doctor, Vedic astrologer, ordained minister, and scholar. He began the COVID-19 pandemic with a choice: follow the US government's recommendation and come home, or stay on the Isle of Erraid, where he had been living. Erraid is a privately owned island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago off the coast of Scotland. Through a non-profit, the Findhorn Foundation, David was volunteering, helping to maintain the island alongside a tiny group of like-minded homesteaders. They eat what they grow, they use recycled rainwater for drinking and cooking, and overall, it seemed like the safest place to be as the world plunged into an unprecedented medical emergency. If you enjoy this conversation, don't forget to subscribe, and follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory.

We are so happy to welcome Joe Buckner to the OneWorldYourStory Podcast. Joe is the founder and visionary behind Beautifully Savage, a boutique boxing studio in Fort Collins, CO. Joe spent his youth as an athlete and went on to play college football, but through a series of unfortunate events, life took an unexpected turn for Buckner and led to a season of homelessness. He overcame this challenge, became a businessman and entrepreneur and now is on a mission to teach others how to fight their own internal battles through self-reflection, dedication and persistence, both at the boxing gym, as well as in his motivational speaking career. If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to check our our YouTube channel, follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes and Spotify.

Yonnas is a first generation Eritrean-American. He is a musician, and recently moved back to Denver, CO to work in the marijuana industry. He talks about the differences between Africans and African-Americans, and the struggle for equity for Black people in the marijuana industry, and everywhere in American society. He is passionate about racial justice, and he believes that the only way to heal the wounds of the past is with financial reparations. If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to like and subscribe, follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory, and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgPxt_84a72RuUNeOh5PlPQ

The United Races is two 19 year old activists, Treon and Yahshiya, who have been organizing protests in New York City in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the epidemic of police violence against Black people in America. Their protests have drawn tens of thousands of marchers and been photographed by the New York Times. We are so proud to host the new generation of activists on @OneWorldYourStory Make sure to follow @theunitedraces on instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgPxt_84a72RuUNeOh5PlPQ for more great conversations!

Hayden Quinn is an Australian chef and TV personality, traveler, podcast host and author. He is here to talk about what it was like in Australia during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, what that meant for his business - The Cube Gym, and what it was like filming Season 2 of his show “Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn” during the global shutdown. For the Aussies listening, make sure to check out the season premiere of @tasteofaustraliahq on @channel10au on Saturday July 25! And for those inside and outside of Australia, follow @hayden_quinn on instagram, @therovingmicpodcast and https://www.haydenquinn.com.au/ for more information.

Maryella is an artist, an activist and healer from Los Angeles, but currently living under lockdown in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With expertise in developing provocative content, Maryella enjoys elevating community outreach and spearheading Art Direction. Jamie and Maryella go way back, so it is a special pleasure to welcome her onto the podcast! As Maryella says, "Wake up and stay woke. Let's work!" We hope you enjoy this conversation! Don't forget to subscribe here, or wherever you enjoy podcasts, we are available on iTunes, Spotify and more - and don't forget to follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory.

Luna is a scholar and activist in Denver, Colorado. She recently completed a Master's in Social Justice & Ethics, Latinx Studies and Theology at the Illif School of Theology, and is entering into a Ph.D in Anthropology and Social Change. She speaks on the concept of "anti-blackness" and how it is endemic to the current systems of power in our nation, intersectionality and the challenges of self identification, and the striations of privilege that permeate our society across cultural lines. She even put Jamie on the spot a little bit, (gotta listen to find out where!) but we aspire to raise the difficult conversations and try to answer these hard questions in the search for connection. We hope you enjoy this conversation! Don't forget to subscribe here, or wherever you enjoy podcasts, we are available on iTunes, Spotify and more - and don't forget to follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory.

Sam is a yoga teacher in Denver, Colorado, but that is just the latest life he has led. Born in Eritrea, he emigrated to Germany to study, and then later to the United States. He has had multiple careers, but he became a yoga teacher after self-healing a severe back injury through 5 years of yoga practice. Sam is an "African-American" in the literal sense; he speaks about the immigrant experience, and eventually being forced to confront his skin color, though he never saw it as something that made him different until he raised a son in the USA. We hope you enjoy this conversation, please like and subscribe to hear more, and don't forget to find our page on instagram @OneWorldYourStory

Jonny is a singer and musician in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in Philadelphia, and attended an all-boys Catholic school. His life has been marked by different spheres of White and Black people, and talks about floating between the two; being part of the private school world that some would call "privileged" at times, but still having to listen to his parents warnings about dealing with the police as a young Black man. Jonny also talks about why things are different for him now - how he has been called to activism in a new way during this political movement. We hope you enjoy this conversation, don't forget to like and subscribe, and follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew happened to be in a treatment program for alcoholism.You might think that a closed environment like an addiction treatment center would be a safe place to ride out the pandemic, but the virus made it inside. Listen as he tells his personal story of how he chose to get sober, and what it was like to be closed off from everyday life, yet still at risk from this insidious virus. If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to like, and subscribe, and follow us on instagram @OneWorldYourStory

Connor grew up in Nebraska and Colorado and speaks to the experience of growing up Black in America and dealing with the police and the justice system. Though his father was a police detective, he was still targeted and absorbed for a time by a justice system that seemed in many ways to be rigged against him because of his skin color. Now he is a radio host, and a Media Marketing Director in Denver. Join our conversation as we talk about everything from casual racism in high school to the prison experience, gentrification, and of course, the current movement for racial justice in America.

Welcome to The Floyd Files. The murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man at the hands of Minneapolis police has rocked the nation. The unequal treatment of Black Americans, and the continuing violence has sparked a powerful protest movement. The Floyd Files is a continuing conversation about race in America, that we hope opens the door to greater allyship, and mutual understanding across our divided country. Join us for this conversation with Dionna Smith, Global Director of Diversity and Inclusion at PowerToFly.

Luc, an entrepreneur living in Harkstede, a small village in the northeast of Holland, shares what it's been like owning a gym in the Netherlands during this time, AND his new business - his idea for what kind of world we could have. Watch and hear Luc's message of love and community. Don't forget to like and subscribe, and follow us on instagram @oneworldyourstory

Alessandra, a recently divorced mother of 2 teenage boys, has been living and working in Istanbul for the past 14 years. Originally from Brazil, she had been running her own business in Turkey and shares her story of how Covid-19 has impacted her business and her life. Have a watch and hear how things have been going in Istanbul the last few months. We hope you enjoy her story! Find us on instagram @oneworldyourstory, and thanks for watching!

Sean, an actor and tour guide, who has been living in Prague for the last 4 years, shares his story of what it's been like living in the Czech Republic from an American perspective, and how the government there took care of him as a freelancer. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow us on instagram @oneworldyourstory

Alya, a language translator originally from Kazakhstan, has been living one hour (by train) outside of Shanghai for the past five months. She journeyed to this new country for a job, and within weeks of her arrival in early November, life began to change. Have a watch to hear her story as a foreigner in the country where all of this began. Don't forget to subscribe on itunes and follow us on instagram @oneworldyourstory