Taking Off The Mask
216 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago -Taking Off The Mask is an experience of getting real. Providing young men and men a space to have real conversations about life, challenges, joys, heartbreak, dreams, failures, and whatever is ready to be revealed. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support
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Episodes
154.The Key to Public Speaking - with Gerry Sandusky, Speaker, Consultant, and Voice of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens
August 15, 2023 23:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MB“I’ve always been, quietly, a fearful kid growing up. And there’s always that fear in the background. It probably wasn’t until I was in college - fear was the only form of motivation that I knew.” - Gerry Sandusky Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Gerry Sandusky. Gerry is the voice of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, and he’s a broadcaster and communications coach. As Gerry puts it, “I show leaders how to become presenters people cancel plans to hear.” And, wouldn’t you know it, Ge...
153. Where Schools Are, and Where Schools Need to Be - Three Year Anniversary Special
August 08, 2023 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MB“I became trained to feel that I always need to be doing something. To get loved. To get respect. To be appreciated. When I look back, it wasn’t healthy. But it was the reality.” - Ashanti Branch In this solo episode of Taking Off The Mask, Ashanti Branch looks at the past, present, and future - of schools, of himself, and of the Ever Forward Club as it approaches its 20th anniversary. (0:00) Ashanti introduces the episode and the concept behind this podcast. (5:15) Ashanti reflects on wh...
152. How to Form Genuine Connections with Students - with Donovan Hall, Youth Empowerment Advocate, Educator, Coach
August 01, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 70.9 MB“Sometimes I just want someone to sit with me and say, ‘I know you’re scared.’ And I never had that when I was a kid, and I don’t have it now.” - Donovan Hall It’s our THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY episode and this conversation is a SPECIAL ONE! Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Donovan Hall. As a youth empowerment and development advocate, Donovan is currently speaking, coaching, creating content, and working on creating his first docuseries about youth in America. Donovan, with his...
151. Leading with Love, Building Trust - with Ken Mossman, Executive and Leadership Coach, Writer, Podcaster
July 25, 2023 23:00 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB“When I’m having a good time, I feel like my soul and my spirit are in the room. They’re both present and in the room. And if I’m not enjoying myself, then I feel like I’m disconnected from those bigger parts of myself.” - Ken Mossman Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Ken Mossman. An executive and leadership coach who’s specialized in working with men for two decades, Ken has an international clientele from a wide range of industries – from finance, academia, and tech, to entr...
150. How to Un-learn Grind Culture - with Saed Hill, Psychologist, Speaker, Connector, Mentor
July 18, 2023 22:57 - 53 minutes - 49 MB“We’re different adults, this is a different situation, and you don’t have to be that child anymore. You can be, for that child, what you needed when you were their age. And we can do that now. And we can do that differently. That’s how healing happens.” - Saed Hill Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Saed Hill. Saed is a Counseling Psychologist, and the Assistant Director of Prevention and Masculine Engagement at the Center for Awareness, Response, and Education (CARE) at North...
149. How to Get Through Heartbreak - with Manj Bahra, Transformation & Relationship Coach
July 11, 2023 23:00 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MB“Everyone’s always thinking about what they don’t have. We can always be looking at each other thinking, ‘he’s got something I don’t have’ or ‘she has this.’ You take that focus away from what you do, and it’s that hedonic treadmill where it’s never enough.” - Manj Bahra Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Manj Bahra. Manj is a transformation and relationship coach, who’s found a specialization in being a “Heartbreak Coach.” But overall, it’s not about heartbreak; Manj has been ...
148. TOTM Face to Face #15: Advice from a High School Graduate - w/ Wenceslao & Mohandas
July 04, 2023 23:00 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBSay not, “I have found the truth,” but rather, “I have found a truth.” Say not, “I have found the path of the soul.” Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.” - The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Mohandas. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Host. You can get to know more about him in episode 123. Mohandas is the Ever Forward Club’s prior Youth Host. As they share their masks, play our Adventure Card Game, and dis...
147. What Whiteness Takes Away from White People - with David Dean, Political Educator, Speaker, & Writer
June 27, 2023 23:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB“Racism has been used as this tool for centuries to divide and conquer, and to separate ordinary people of different colors, and to keep them from working together to challenge the corporate domination of working people and the planet.” - David Dean Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by David Dean. David is a political educator, speaker, and writer dedicated to supporting white people to engage in multiracial social movements with emotional strength, political clarity, and fierce ...
146. Inspiration for Late Bloomers - with Tyrone J. Dangerfield, Filmmaker
June 20, 2023 23:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB“Keep on keepin’ on. Because, believe it or not there’s someone who’s looking at you in a way that you don’t even see yourself.” - Tyrone J. Dangerfield Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Tyrone J. Dangerfield. Tyrone is a Writer and Independent Filmmaker, born and raised in Oakland, CA. With deep generational family roots in the Bay Area, he loves researching his family history and is heavily influenced and fascinated by stories on both sides of the law. Currently working in a...
145. Navigating Social Self-Doubt - with Drew Barvir, Mental Health Advocate, Investor, & Entrepreneur
June 13, 2023 23:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MB“I’m generally more shy and reserved, and I think I’ve naturally gravitated towards more extroverted people because they take up space and it makes me feel more comfortable.” - Drew Barvir Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Drew Barvir. Drew currently is enrolled in Stanford’s MBA program. Growing up, members of Drew’s family had their battles with mental illness, and, partly because of these past experiences, he’s now building a startup in the adolescent mental health space: S...
E144. TOTM Face to Face #14: A Student Learns What His Teacher Hides - with Wenceslao & Mr. John Jimenez
June 06, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 62 MB“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.” - On Children by Kahlil Gibran This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Mr. John Jimenez. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Host. You can get to know more about him in episode 123. John is one of Wenceslao’s teachers at City Arts and Leadership Academy. As they sh...
E143. The Difference Between Self-Love and Self-Compassion - with Diego Estrada, Alegrador de Vidas / Brightener of Lives - Monterrey, Mėxico
May 30, 2023 23:01 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MB“I knew that if I wanted to control the outcome before someone was about to make fun of me, or judge, or criticize; it was better for me to be the first one to make a joke about myself.” - Diego Estrada Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Diego Estrada. Born and raised in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mėxico, Diego currently speaks at conferences and delivers workshops on authenticity. Diego lists his job title as an Alegrador de Vidas; the closest translation to English is a “Brighten...
E142. How Curiosity Can Bridge Relationships - with Christopher Veal, International Speaker & Author
May 23, 2023 23:00 - 49 minutes - 45 MBEver Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Christopher Veal. As a former Marine officer, combat veteran, and Black man, Christopher leverages all this and his 25 years of experience in executive development as a global influencer and speaker on evolving masculinity, and as the author of The Whole Man. A huge part of Christopher’s life has been holding difficult conversations. And in this episode, Ashanti and Christopher explore the territory of difficult conversations, the mindsets requ...
141. The Critical First Step for Every Educator - with Jerome Hunter, Co-founder & Chief Academic Officer, Seattle School for Boys
May 16, 2023 23:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MB“What keeps me hopeful is our students. Our students and our youth, they’re fearless; they’re committed; they’re open-minded. They have always been the anchor to the work that I do. When they realize that they’ve got adults that care for them and that believe in them, they give it right back. That’s something that I’m really grateful for.” Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jerome Hunter. Jerome is the co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at Seattle School for Boys. A proponen...
140. It’s Scary to be Curious - with Jeremy Mohler, Therapist, Writer, & Meditation Teacher
May 09, 2023 23:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB“It’s just this cycle I’ve been on for so long. What would it be like to not distract yourself with the work thing, but also not go to the numbing out thing - and just be present in all the stuff? That’s the life I want. I want to feel more.” Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jeremy Mohler. As a therapist, writer, and meditation teacher, Jeremy offers therapy and life coaching to people struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout; men navigating modern masculinity; and wh...
E139. TOTM Face to Face #13: How a veteran teacher builds trust with students - with Wenceslao & Bryan Hill
May 02, 2023 23:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MB“In the end, I want you to trust me. There are some students - they don’t always like me, but they know I got their back. And sometimes you can’t have both at the same time, and I think growing as a teacher is constant communication, constant trust - how do you move forward even when somebody’s gonna have a challenge?” - Bryan Hill, Spanish Teacher, City Arts and Leadership This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Bryan Hill. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Ho...
Bonus Episode: High Tech High: Unboxed, featuring Enrique "Chikle" Lugo
April 28, 2023 23:00 - 38 minutes - 88.8 MBPlease enjoy a special BONUS episode, which originally aired on the podcast High Tech High: Unboxed. In the episode, educator Enrique "Chikle" Lugo shares how he helps students of color navigate white spaces. Learn more about High Tech High at www.hightechhigh.org. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support
E138. Chasing Feelings - with Jordan “Dxtr Spits” Holmes, Entrepreneur, Performer, Nerd
April 25, 2023 23:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MB“With How Men Cry, we’re not even really just talking about physical tears. It’s really about all the different ways that we can cry out, essentially from not processing pain or trauma or some of these things that we hide behind the mask.” - Jordan “Dxtr Spits” Holmes Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jordan “Dxtr Spits” Holmes. Dxtr’s motto is to "live life like an experiment, you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control the product you become". He explores exp...
E137. On Shame, Terrors, and Beauty - with David Bedrick, Teacher & Writer
April 18, 2023 23:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MB“I’m not trying to glorify suffering. If people can find ways of suffering less, I think that’s a really great thing. But I also find some beauty in - if we all sat around and talked about how terrified we were, I would rather be in that group than a bunch of groups who think they’ve healed it all.” - David Bedrick Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by David Bedrick. David is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-Based Studies where he teaches therapists, coaches, and he...
E136. The Healing Arts - with Justin Zhu, Activist & Entrepreneur
April 11, 2023 23:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MB“We see a lot of the fighting, but if you actually look at some of the famous martial artists, they’re also well-known for their healing abilities. So a complete system is martial arts and healing arts - the yin and the yang. We can’t only just be fighting; we’re going to get hurt. This is part of the healing arts that we need to have in our arsenal.” - Justin Zhu Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Justin Zhu. Justin is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Stand with Asian ...
E135. TOTM Face to Face #12: A Student and His Teacher - with Wenceslao & Patrick
April 04, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 56 MB“The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” On Teaching, by Kahlil Gibran This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Patrick. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Host. You can get to know more about him in episode 123. Patrick taught We...
E134. Fathers, Sons, and Bullies - with Paul Newell, Educator, Facilitator, & Author
March 28, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MB“This is how you can communicate. This is how you can express. This is what tough can be. You being able to speak your truth about what’s happening is tough and courageous. Most people would just keep it to themselves.” - Paul Newell Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Paul Newell. Paul is a Men’s Health and Well-Being Teacher intent on co-creating a heart-full culture of men by guiding himself and other men to vibrate authentically in body, mind, and spirit. He facilitates pers...
E133. Connection over Perfection - with Pellegrino Riccardi, Award-winning Keynote Speaker, Author, & Communication Skills Trainer - Norway
March 21, 2023 23:00 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MB“I’ve always been funny. As a kid I was funny. Always funny. But then ask me why I was funny, and the story’s not funny.” - Pellegrino Riccardi Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Pellegrino Riccardi. Raised in the UK in an archetypal Italian family, as a young adult Pellegrino balanced a career in education and music. He moved to Norway in the 1990s and, long story short, now works as a keynote speaker, with audiences varying from kindergarten school employees to the largest mu...
E132. Warrior Compassion - with Sean Harvey, Chief Compassion Officer, TEDx Speaker, Author, & Interfaith Minister
March 14, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 70.8 MB“As men, it’s often our terminal uniqueness that we think we’re the only one struggling with ‘x’ and so we’re not going to bother or burden anyone else with this thing because it’s so minuscule. Yet it’s actually so powerful in ways that it can derail us.” - Sean Harvey Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Sean Harvey. The Chief Compassion Officer of Warrior Compassion Men's Studio, Sean is also a TEDx Speaker, Author, and Interfaith Minister whose book, “Warrior Compassion: A M...
E131. TOTM Face to Face #11: If Music Could Talk - with Wenceslao & Camilo
March 08, 2023 00:00 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MB“Pleasure is a freedom-song, But it is not freedom. It is the blossoming of your desires, But it is not their fruit. It is a depth calling unto a height, But it is not the deep nor the high.” On Pleasure, by Kahlil Gibran --- This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Camilo. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s new Youth Host! You can get to know more about him in episode 123. Camilo, age 15, is a friend of Wenceslao’s and already a prolific music producer. As they...
E130. Stuck at the Intersection[ality] - with Steve Vassor, “Do-Gooder” & DJ
March 01, 2023 01:04 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB“We on the progressive side have twisted up intersectionality. And we’ve twisted it up such that we have not agreed - metaphorically speaking - to move through the intersection unified. We’ve gotten stuck in the intersection. And while we’re there people are making up new rules. And those new rules show up as new words. And everybody got a new word. So we can’t move because we’re in this biblical Tower of Babel.” - Steve Vassor Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Steve Vassor. A...
E129. Embrace The Suck - with Ross Leppala, Coach, Guide, Speaker
February 22, 2023 00:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBHelp is available. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Dial 988. “There is nothing comfortable about powerlifting. I have an ability to embrace the discomfort. I have an ability to embrace the suck. Now I just have to also apply that to outside of the gym. There’s gonna be moments of discomfort, ...
E128. The Self-Healing Mind - with Dr. Gregory Scott Brown, Psychiatrist, Mental Health Writer, Author
February 15, 2023 00:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBHelp is available. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Dial 988. “The suicide rate among men is 3 to 4 times what it is among women. However, women tend to be diagnosed with depression - one of the primary risk factors for suicide - about twice as often as men are. Does that mean that men are nev...
E127. Brothers From Another Mother - with Sunny Bahuguna & Mayank Sohani, Co-Founders and Hosts of the Bottled Up Podcast
February 08, 2023 00:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MB“I value my life based on how other people value my life. People see different sides of you, and they can only judge you by that side that they see. That’s how this stuff works.” - Mayank Sohani Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Sunny Bahuguna and Mayank Sohani. As the hosts of the Bottled Up Podcast, Sunny and Mayank provide a platform for people to share their journeys and mental health stories, in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. Notably, this is our first three...
E126. Grounded AF!!! - with Joe Bernstein, Coach, Facilitator, Mentor & Soul Guide
February 01, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB“I just never wanted to be in that bucket with everyone else. I’ve always had this need to differentiate in a way that often has distanced me from people and from groups. I say all that and then there’s times where I’m like, ‘How come I never feel belonging?’ There’s some part of me that’s terrified of belonging, so I separate myself by being worse or better.” - Joe Bernstein Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Joe Bernstein. As a Coach and Facilitator, Joe is passionate about m...
E125. TOTM Face to Face #10: A Message to Parents - with Wenceslao & Angel
January 25, 2023 00:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBThis TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Angel. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s new Youth Host! You can get to know more about him in episode 123. Angel is a member of the EFC Social Emotional Leadership Academy. In fact, Angel and Wenceslao recorded a podcast together a year ago. As they share their masks, play our Adventure Card Game, and discuss all things friendship, parenting, and even the American dream, the growth they have demonstrated in this episode is stag...
E124. I Wish My Dad… - with Romal Tune, Author & Social Impact Entrepreneur, Atlanta, GA
January 18, 2023 00:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MB“The journey I'm on is trying to unpack my story in a way to find out who I am without my trauma. And what does life look like and how is it lived if I stop living through the lens of my trauma and the things that have been challenging for me, and really focus on purpose.” Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Romal Tune. Romal is a father, author, social impact Entrepreneur, and VP of Strategic Partnerships at TMS Global. Along with his main purpose - to help people heal their st...
E123. It Takes Trust - with Wenceslao S., High School Student, Speaker, Musician from San Francisco, CA
January 11, 2023 00:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBEver Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Wenceslao S. Wenceslao is a high school student based in San Francisco, CA, and an aspiring musician and car racing aficionado. Wenceslao is also Ever Forward Club’s new Youth Host! Signing up for duties as the new host is a big deal for Wenceslao, someone who struggles with social anxiety. In this conversation, Ashanti and Wenceslao discuss what it took for him to take this role, while both looking to the future and looking back on how far Wen...
E122. Oakland to Mexico, and Back Again - with Ashanti Branch
January 04, 2023 00:00 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MBThis December, Ashanti went on his (somewhat) annual trip to Mexico. In this podcast, Ashanti reflects on the trip, spreading the Million Mask Movement, and returning to the Bay Area for a New Year’s Eve celebration filled with juxtapositions… (1:40) Ashanti recaps his trip to Mexico City and explorations with Rohit Tigga and Rodrigo. Then, he looks ahead at what’s in store for the Ever Forward Club this coming year. (8:30) Ashanti tells the story of his trip back to the Bay Area and atten...
E121. Let’s Be Weak, Brothas - with Phillip Tyler, Community Advocate
December 28, 2022 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB“I was 50 years old when my son took his life. At that point in my life, I was in the best shape I’ve ever been. Bench 400 pounds, squat 550, deadlift 550, but I wasn’t strong enough to save a life.” - Phillip Tyler Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Phillip Tyler. Phillip is many things, including an Air Force Veteran, former Corrections Lieutenant, and a former Vice President and President of the Spokane NAACP. But Phillip boils it all down to being a community advocate, and ...
E120. If You Miss Somebody, Call ‘Em - with Zeke Crawford, Professional Basketball Player based in Lausanne, Switzerland
December 21, 2022 00:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MB“Something my mom always says - and she makes it seem so simple - is, ‘If you miss somebody, call them.’ We have no excuse not to communicate with the people that we want to talk to.” - Zeke Crawford Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Zeke Crawford. Zeke is from San Francisco, California, and Zeke and Ashanti first connected when Ashanti held a workshop at Zeke’s Stuart Hall High School. Currently a professional basketball player based in Lausanne, Switzerland, Zeke loves to tr...
E119. Out of Your Mind - with Alexander Inchbald, Climate Artist, Bestselling Author, Founder - The Masterpiece Movement
December 14, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MB“Painting in a blizzard, painting in gale force winds - those experiences are experiences where I realized we are not separate from ‘it’. It doesn’t matter what label you give to ‘it’ - universe, divine, energy, God, spirit. You give it whatever label you want to give it. What I realize is we’re not separate from it, and the only thing that creates the idea that we could be is our mind.” - Alexander Inchbald Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Alexander Inchbald. A climate artis...
E118. If These Walls Could Talk - with André Portela, Young Educator, Eternal Learner, & Student based in São Paulo, Brazil
December 07, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MB“I started to be selfish because I didn’t want to be hurt… Even how someone’s day was… If it didn’t matter to me, then I would not give it attention. This is awful. This is awful… Walls that I put around myself to block myself from being hurt… When you start to do this, you start to be alone.” - André Portela Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by André Portela. 20 years old and from Fortaleza, Ceará, André now lives in São Paulo, Brazil. He is set to graduate with a degree in Educ...
E117. Everything And Everyone All At Once - with Gidai Maza, Speaker, LMFT
November 30, 2022 00:00 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MB“We all create this idea that we’re OTHER, rather than, ‘our experiences may be other, but, actually, our emotions are identical.’” - Gidai Maaza Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Gidai Maaza. Gidai is a son, father, husband, and community member. Having survived the refugee camp experience with his mother by way of Ethiopia in the early 80s, Gidai turned his trauma into awareness and insight that inform how he views people's pain. Now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,...
E117. Everything And Everyone All At Once - with Gidai Maaza, Speaker, LMFT
November 30, 2022 00:00 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MB“We all create this idea that we’re OTHER, rather than, ‘our experiences may be other, but, actually, our emotions are identical.’” - Gidai Maaza Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Gidai Maaza. Gidai is a son, father, husband, and community member. Having survived the refugee camp experience with his mother by way of Ethiopia in the early 80s, Gidai turned his trauma into awareness and insight that inform how he views people's pain. Now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,...
E116. White Allyship - with Jason Biehl, Antiracist Educator, History Teacher, & Writer
November 23, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB“White folks need to realize that something’s been done to us - that we’re raced. Like, we’re not actually white… We were Polish, we were German, we were Irish. We’ve lost that ethnicity we’ve lost that culture, and our legacy is taking it from other folks, right? I still have work to do on exploring my own family… We actually have more ability to research our people and find them, and yet we still don’t do the work. Why is that? ‘Cause we’re afraid of what we’re gonna find.” - Jason Biehl ...
E115. Modern Day Straitjackets - with Dax-Devlon Ross, Author, Equity Strategist, Speaker, and Social Entrepreneur
November 16, 2022 00:00 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MB“One of my deep beliefs and convictions is that we live in a society where people are hyper-focused on getting their point across and having their point of view heard and seen. And therefore they do not develop the muscle and/or ability to provide people the same space and latitude that they want for themselves. So I’ve taken it upon myself to be someone who stands in that gap, who sits in that gap, who holds the tension of [that gap].” - Dax-Devlon Ross Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch i...
E114. Mama’s Boys and Traffic Cones - with Jim Young, Coach, Author, Comedian, & Speaker
November 09, 2022 00:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MB“It’s like having orange street cones there. You see ‘em. You know they’re there, but you can blow past them and it’s not going to stop you. That was my story ten years ago... I had to say it’s not about some external circumstance. It’s about what am I choosing.” - Jim Young, on chasing self-worth through work Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Jim Young. In addition to being a wildflower collector that loves working in his garden, Jim is a men's burnout coach, an improv comedi...
E113. TOTM Face to Face #9: What Goes Unsaid - with Mohandas & Selim
November 01, 2022 23:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB“I think that - something I think we should just say and admit in life - is that the large majority of your day you can’t expect to be experiencing happiness. Happiness has to be something that’s abnormal otherwise it wouldn’t be real… I have a very busy schedule, and I feel like I’m always trying to get something. I’m kind of always trying to be happy - and you should always try to be happy - but I think we don’t say you’re not going to be happy a lot of the time… And it’s just normal.” - S...
E112. Living in Truth and Honesty - with Marcelo Peterlini, Educator, Programing Director - Latin American Leadership Academy
October 25, 2022 23:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MB“I’ve been seeking truth in life more and more. For such a long time, I felt like my truth wasn’t accepted in spaces or whenever I even tried to speak truth that was denied, in a sense. And for me, it has been a liberation of really being able to just live in truth and honesty - of what really matters to me and my own feelings and internal life.” - Marcelo Peterlini Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Marcelo Peterlini. Marcelo is from São Paulo, Brazil, and is currently working...
E111. Call Me Man - with Man Le, Husband, Father, Nurse, & EFC Alumnus
October 18, 2022 23:00 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBE111. Call Me Man - with Man Le, Husband, Father, Nurse, & EFC Alumnus “If I walk into a room, they’re gonna feel it. They’re gonna feel my positivity. I’m trying to smile as much as possible, especially with the job that I’m doing. I got to be able to - regardless of what the situation is - show a smile, be positive. You run into some tough situations with the job I’m in. So, I just got to do my best to show the positivity, to light up the room somehow.” - Man Le Ever Forward Club’s Ashan...
E110. Formative Years In The Police State - with Muhammad Bilal, Filmmaker and Educator
October 11, 2022 23:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MB“I find that when I was a kid I wasn’t validated a lot, and I wanted that. I used to internalize that… So I always felt like not having that in my formative years - that validation, that love, that security - it affects me now. So for me, going through therapy and going all the way back… those formative years are really important. The picture, the self-perception, you have as a kid, a lot of that stuff stays with you.” - Muhammad Bilal Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Muhamm...
E109. TOTM Face to Face #8: Lifelong Friends - with Mohandas & Eli
October 04, 2022 23:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MB“The hardest day - the one that comes to mind - is moving from Oakland to San Luis Obispo. ‘Cause that hurt. A lot. ‘Cause I was leaving my home, I was leaving the home that I knew… It was a new place… And it was new people and I was leaving everyone that I knew and really loved, like you and Ishmael and Gabriel and… I was leaving you. And that really hurt.” - Eli This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Mohandas and Eli. Mohandas is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Host, whom you can ge...
E108. Boulders and Mentors - with Marcus L. Strother, President & CEO of Mentor California
September 27, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 69.7 MB“The great positive stuff comes to you, and it’s like a nice little charm you can put in your pocket. But, when somebody comes down on you, it’s like a boulder that just sits on your shoulder. And it’s like, why’d I let that be the thing? Why can’t that be the charm where I’m like, ‘Alright yeah it’s there, but I got all this positivity. And I’m going to surround myself in that.’” - Marcus L. Strother Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Marcus L. Strother. As President and CEO o...
E107. Convergence: The Death Ceremony - with Ashanti Branch
September 20, 2022 23:00 - 25 minutes - 23 MB“I need to take a look at myself in the mirror, and accept exactly who I am right now, on the journey of being who I really want to be.” In the coastal forests of Oregon, there is a mirror hammered onto what remains of an old tree. Framing the mirror are the bones of a bull that has long passed. And, in this special episode of Taking Off The Mask, Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch shares what he said to the mirror, to himself, a year ago during Convergence 6 - an event held by Sacred Sons....