The Black Sheep Podcast

Peter Eagle Sims is a best selling author, co-founder of Giving Tuesday, FUSE Corps, and our very own BLK SHP. In the closing episode of season three, the host of the Black Sheep Podcast sits in the guest chair for the first time. During their candid conversation, Peter opens up to Farhoud Meybodi about his winding, and often tumultuous path, from a small mining town in Placer County California to igniting a movement to unleash the inner artist in misfits around the world.  https://boingboing.net/2020/08/25/listen-descendants-of-enslave.html 

Alexandra Wicksell is an old soul who's young at heart.  You probably haven't heard her name yet, but we bet you will soon. She's a personal growth advisor and creative consultant.  For a thirty-one-year-old, she has an enormous amount of insight and wisdom about finding your true self and your inherent superpowers.  This one is for you and your growth!  Alexandra's blend of deep intellect and sense of play made the conversation stimulating and fun, so sit back, pour a cup of tea, and be inspired by this European Black Sheep. For more about Alexandra, please see: https://www.awhumandesign.com

Adam Met is the “A” in the pop sensation band AJR, with his two brothers.  But the bass-singing rockstar is the last part of Adam we got to know at BLKSHP. He's a true Renaissance man, a PhD in waiting, and an emerging voice on environmental sustainability with a fascinating story of following his inner artist in different realms.  Listen to how Adam and his brothers started out contriving music in the three bunk bedroom where they grew up to becoming street performers to now changing the world.  If that's not BLKSHP, we don't know what is!  Planet Reimagined with Adam Met is available on Apple Podcast.

A writer, director, and entrepreneur, Farhoud Meybodi believes in the power of storytelling to entertain and help heal the political-social divide of the present day. As someone who has walked an unconventional path in life — a BLK SHP path as we'd like to say — he has adopted a unique perspective on America and on life. In this episode, Farhoud uses his brilliant storytelling to share his journey, and the experiences that shaped him into the unique person he is today.  

Ozcan Cikmaz is from Istanbul, Turkey. He is a quintessential black sheep and has inspired many. He is a world class athlete and a successful entrepreneur. In his early years, he challenged himself to do all kinds of crazy activities. He survived not just one but seven avalanches. Today you will hear some of his craziest adventures and what he learned from near death experiences.

Harold O'Neal is a world-class improviser, a pianist and composer, compared to Duke Ellington and Maurice Ravel by the New York Times.  Given that, it should be no surprise that Harold's conversation with Peter Sims was unlike any other we have featured. They imagine what it would be like to have their great grandparents — one a slave and one a slave owner — meet for dinner with them and a few other special guests. 

Tune in to Episode Four, where we sit down with Leslie Blodgett. Some may know her as the founder of Bare Minerals cosmetics, but we know her as a very humble person with a super creative streak, full of humor and curiosity. Join us as we unpack her inner artist and discover how she blends child-like playfulness into the grownup world. We'll also hear some words of wisdom from her new book, Pretty Good Advice.

For episode three, we're joined by a woman who wears many hats: Christy Turlington Burns.  She's a global supermodel turned social entrepreneur, for ten years an advocate for women and mothers around the world as founder of Every Woman Counts. An artist at heart, believe it or not she was once a punk who hung out with the skaters — surely a BLK SHP!  After moves across the country and family hardship, she began modeling as a teen, a side gig that suddenly exploded when she landed in New York. At age 26, she followed her curiosity for religion and philosophy to attend NYU, where she studied a myriad of subjects. Now, with Every Woman Counts, which celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, she and the EMC team are tackling the complications that may arise from pregnancy and childbirth. In this episode we dive into her journey, unfolding the unlikely routes Christy took to get there.

In West Philadelphia, he was born and raised… For episode two, we're sitting down with Troy Carter -- lifelong friend to Will Smith, former manager of Lady Gaga, and, of course, a great example of a BLK SHP.  Today, we're seeing people become “emboldened again” to make political changes, self-healing changes, and changes to the way we learn – and Carter wants to talk about it. Carter discusses his connection to his roots in Philly, the impact of trauma, and being a life-long learner.  Join us for a candid conversation with this music mogul.

For the first episode of this season, we're joined once again by Astro Teller to give a commencement speech to the Class of 2020. He explores how the future thinkers of the workforce are gaining their superpowers through this difficult time and emerging with radical solutions. Listen for the inspiring and honest commencement speech from one of BLK SHP's original misfits.  Click here to find Astro Teller's debut on the Black Sheep Podcast, “Astro Teller on Moonshots”  Click here to learn more about BLK SHP's current projects.

We are living in a fascinating time, through suffering, pain and darkness, these are the times when artists, misfits and social innovators are needed more than ever. If the first Italian Renaissance grew out of the Black Death, could there be a New Renaissance in the making coming out of this pandemic?

Sam Kass is the little brother President Barack Obama never had.  As the personal chef to the Obamas in the White House, Sam also co-founded a wellness movement with First Lady Michelle Obama.  His stories are rich, unvarnished, and fun — a perfect way to end Season 2 of the Black Sheep Podcast!

Miguel McKelvey came to NYC just over a decade ago, working at the bottom of a pyramid in an architectural design firm. Today life looks a lot different as co-founder of WeWork with a global passion, and billions of net-worth. But he's the same idealistic guy he was when he had to outsmart a large NYC rat over many days of toil and struggle. And, outsmarting that rat is an analogy for how Miguel finds purpose and meaning in life much more-so than any accolade. 

Creative confidence can be very hard. We are thrilled to present this very special episode of a conversation about how to find and harness creative confidence that was recorded at our annual “PowerShift” gathering in April in Los Angeles. Our host for this episode is Julie Pilat, a true OG of music and tech, who is on the board of the BLK SHP Foundation and hosts her own podcast "The Idea Fountain: Life Changing Conversation". In this episode, Julie speaks with the respected rapper Xzibit, who was also host of “Pimp My Ride” and Andrew Dost an accomplished songwriter and member of her band Fun.  The conversation was so inspired that Julie invited two other remarkable BLK SHP to the stage — Aloe Blacc and Jason Martin, aka the rapper “Problem”.  Sit back and be inspired by this real talk!

Amy Chan, an entrepreneur and relationship columnist, has a powerful voice, story, and message.  But, she has overcome a lot of darkness, loss, and hardship to find that voice, find herself, and invent a life.  She's one of those people who turns struggles into lynchpins for growth and renewal, rather than become a victim.  She shares here to use the power of framing to accept life and your emotions to catapult forward.  Today, Amy leads the company she founded: Renew Breakup Bootcamp.  No matter if you're married or single, this conversation is going to get you thinking!   Amy's company: https://www.renewbreakupbootcamp.com/ Amy's writing: https://www.justmytype.ca/about/

Victoria Canal is one of those amazing 20 year olds with a very old soul.  You hear that immediately in her voice.  She was born to sing and be a songwriter and producer, there's no doubt in her mind.  Some people find their purpose early in life, and yet in her youth, Victoria has fresh wisdom for us all.  She's already touched so many people, so deeply, and she's still doing her 10,000 hours of learning how to perform on big stages.  Catch her while you can!   https://www.victoriacanal.com/home https://www.instagram.com/victoriacanal

Phil Cooley is a bit like the Keyser Söze of Detroit. For people who marveled at Detroit's renewal and reinvention from the outside, his name was one of the most frequent to surface. He's a deeply passionate social entrepreneur with an artistic heart whose major ventures include Slow's BBQ, a Detroit institution, as well as Ponyride, a 28,000 sq/ft. space for makers, inventors, entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. We first met Phil and his black sheep brethren on our 2015 Black Sheep Bus Tour. They put us up at Ponyride, and we parked our bus there then, and again in 2018 when we returned to Detroit on the second tour. We hope you will enjoy this conversation with one of our heroes on the front lines of American renewal. https://slowsbarbq.com/ https://www.ponyride.org/

Victorine Deych is one cool cat. She grew up in Brooklyn, before the Hipsters broke it. She's a hip hop kid, with an edge. She is the definition of self-made, and her journey may not have been possible before social media. But, build a platform she has: brick-by-brick.  The brains and provocative brand behind the Victorine, "a collection of unique, wild-crafted, organic, and ethically sourced scents." She's got some insight for us all.  https://victorinenyc.com/pages/about

Liz Hernandez was a radio personality and reporter on E! News, MTV, and Access Hollywood. She rediscovered her passion for words and started her own company Wordaful to help people think differently. Liz shares on the podcast her career journey, her childhood in a big Mexican American family, and her favorite celebrity interview.

Kojak has co-written and co-produced some of the biggest pop songs of the past decade, including  Flo Rida's "Right Round"and Ke$ha's "Blow". Oh, and he's the funniest person we've had on the podcast so far. Hear some of the crazy stories from his life, from Worcester, Mass. to Brazil. And his advice for people who want to follow a creative existence.

What's it like to fight for democracy in the digital age? Nobel Peace Prize nominee Wael Ghonim was a key leader in the Egyptian revolution and shares how the experience felt- and why he thinks anyone would do the same. Today, he's revolutionary in another way: Wael is honest and vulnerable about his depression, and wants to bring more empathy into the world. Welcome to season 2 of The Black Sheep Podcast.

In a world of white sheep...we give voice to the artists, entrepreneurs, and activists who make the world more human. Join us for another season of inspiring conversations to unlock your inner artist, because no one can do that alone. Listen to the rest of the conversations on blkshp.org/podcast

Henry is President and CEO of 92Y, a cultural and community center in New York City, and the brain behind Giving Tuesday. He's also a writer, philanthropist, and deep thinker. Henry shares his BLK SHP identity as a Brit and New Yorker, the creation of Giving Tuesday, and how to train yourself to follow your most creative dreams. This is the last episode of season 1, we'll be back soon with more creative leaders in season 2.

Adam Foss is a criminal justice reform advocate, you may have seen his powerful Ted Talk called “A Prosecutor's Vision for a Better Justice System.” He talks on the podcast about finding his identity, creating unique metrics for success in the courtroom, and where we might find the next great civil rights leader.

Writer and artist Sarah Ladipo Manyika grew up between Britain and Nigeria, where she was surrounded by a culture of storytellers. She wrote the novels  “In Dependence” and “Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun”. She spoke with us about the artist as an outsider and using her power to highlight emerging voices on the literary scene.

IN-Q is a national slam poetry champion and multi-platinum songwriter. He shares his wisdom about about how vulnerability, inspiration, and poetry can be the answers the world needs most right now.

Throughout Patty McCord's life, she's kept one foot in art and music and one foot in the corporate world. With this BLK SHP mindset, Patty tore up the rule book for how we build culture in organizations at Netflix and beyond. Make sure to pick up Patty's new book Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility.

Charles Best has always had a knack for making things. He started with woodworking in his parents' living room and soon enough was building the first civic crowdsourcing platform of its kind. What's next? Let's find out! 

Artist and author Elle Luna has created a remarkable life for herself by knowing when to take a risk and not being scared to fail. Her willingness let the universe guide her on this journey has helped her avoid the "shoulds" and surround herself with the "musts." Come along and get inspired!

Vivienne Ming has experienced more than most. Much more. From starring on her football and track teams in high school as a teenage boy to being homeless for most of her 20's to finishing her neuroscience undergrad degree in one year, and finally to starting four of her own companies, Vivienne's life makes up one of the most compelling, complex, and inspiring stories you'll ever hear.

Entrepreneur Joe Sanberg has never let challenging circumstances hold him back. From a poverty stricken home to Harvard to becoming an amazing social entrepreneur battling big government, Joe's story shows us that we can all lift ourselves up to great heights. 

Debbie Berebichez has never taken no for an answer. From the first Mexican woman to graduate from Stanford University with a PhD in Physics to television and film star, Debbie has always defied the odds and her words of encouragement are infectious.

Astro Teller is a unique individual. Very unique! From calling the father of the hydrogen bomb and a nobel prize-winning economist his grandfathers, to his days as a roller blading, pajama bottom wearing student at Stanford to Captain of Moonshots at X (formerly Google X), Astro takes us on the incredible journey of a more than inspiring life. 

You know Aloe Blacc's music but you probably don't know that much about him. In the premiere episode of the Black Sheep podcast, the grammy nominated musician, singer, songwriter, and quintessential BLK SHP opens up about his struggles getting started — including getting fired from his first (and only) "job" at Ernst and Young. Listen. Learn. Enjoy to the extreme!    Songs in order of appearance:  BLK SHP Theme by Harold O'Neal  Beat Street Breakdown by Grandmaster Melle Mel  Roxanne by UTFO   Sound of da Police by KRS-One    Me, Myself, and I by De La Soul   Express Yourself by NWA   Passin' me By by The Pharcyde    I'm Bad by LL Cool J   On Production by Dr. Octagon   Levee Camp Holler via Alan Lomax Field Recordings    I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc   Mama Hold my Hand by Aloe Blacc   Love is the Answer by Aloe Blacc   Wake Me Up by Aloe Blacc