A Colorful Life with Keiko Roy-Carey

In this episode, I sat down with Gody Zayobi, my college friend and impromptu French tutor from our days living on the same floor in the service and leadership residential learning community. Gody shares his journey of immigrating from Congo to North Carolina and learning English through immersion with little support. We talk about his passion for soccer and coaching youth, the importance of representation in his coaching and educational roles, and his commitment to advocating for multicultural needs and accommodations.

Gody opens up about what he misses about Congo, making a life for himself in the US and his journey as a recently married man. He beautifully describes how graduating university and visiting Congo more frequently allowed him to be "born again in the family" - reintroducing himself and learning who his siblings have become in their adulthood. This was a heartfelt conversation about bridging two worlds, the power of reconnection, and finding purpose through serving others.

Video on Spotify! For the first time in three seasons, I'm not the one asking the questions. My kindred, Kelsey Gaude, flipped the script and put me in the guest seat for this special episode.

In this intimate conversation, I share my own journey of creating a colorful life - the chapters that have shaped me, the community that sustains me, and the relationships that have taught me how to love and be loved. We dive deep into my experience of losing my mother and how grief has become one of my greatest teachers. I open up about the pivotal moments that led me to living more authentically and the ongoing work of liberation that happens when we choose vulnerability over perfection.

Kelsey, who knows me better than most, asks the questions to creates space for me to reflect on what it means to build bridges from inner wisdom to collective liberation, and how our personal healing work ripples out into our communities.

This conversation feels like a full-circle moment, being held and witnessed by someone who has walked alongside me through so many of these stories. It's a reminder that we need our people to help us see our own growth and grace.

Make sure to check out the bonus episode where our friends submitted questions that sparked even more beautiful revelations!

In this second part of my conversation with Dr. Jerrold Roy, my uncle Jerry takes us deeper into the roots of our family's resilience. He shares powerful stories about my grandfather's entrepreneurial spirit: from running a photography studio that captured memories for Black families, to owning a grocery store that grossed six figures in the 1970s. Through these stories, my uncle reveals where his own audacity and courage as a Black man navigating predominantly white spaces came from: our ancestors who refused to be limited.

But this conversation gets beautifully vulnerable as my uncle J reflects on love, relationships, and the inner work we all must do. He opens up about a conflict with one of his brothers that taught him profound lessons about projection and taking responsibility for our own hearts. In his 70s, he's still growing, still learning, still becoming. What a testament to the grace that flows through generations!

This is more than family history, it's a masterclass in resilience, vulnerability, and the ongoing work of being human. Let it inspire you to dig deeper into your own family stories and never stop growing, no matter your age.

I had the honor of my life to record a conversation with one of my mom's brothers, Dr. Jerrold Roy, aka my whimsical uncle Jerry. He is the historian of our family and sacred memory keeper. In this part one of a two part conversation, my uncle J shares the many lives he's lived: from his educational journey at Harvard and beyond as a Black scholar, to his early dream of being an actor and moving to Hollywood in hope of making it to the big screen. I ask him about his childhood, growing up in Chicago as one of 13 children and what he experienced. He shares formative stories from his adolescence and what led him to enlist in the military multiple times. This is a conversation rich in family wisdom. Make sure to listen to part 2 of this series.

Season 3 already- Eeeeek! In this episode, I sat down with Sam Wanamaker, my college friend and roommate for a month in Korea. We talk about that experience of immersing ourselves in art, culture, travel, language and constant change. That month in Korea changed our lives for the better. Sam shares how two phrases have carried him throughout different seasons of his life and why he thinks about them multiple times a week. Sam is a choral teacher for high school students and he explains how and why he has chosen it as his medium of creativity and purpose. Sam intimately shares with us how the passing of his mom transmuted their relationship in ways that may not have been possible if she were still here physically. This was truly a beautiful, personal and inspiring conversation.

"I had to trust life and believe that life loved the person who dared to live it." -Maya Angelou

In this conversation with Tom, a former colleague of mine, we discuss following our curiosities, holistic wellness, living authentically, radical activism, and how punk rock influenced his worldview at a young age. Tom shares how his upbringing impacted the way he moves through the world today and shapes some his parenting choices. As two career coaches who've worked with hundreds of clients, we share some universal lessons we've learned about humanity and the symbiotic relationship between mind, body, and spirit. Tom is a self-proclaimed disclosure advocate and UFO enthusiast; both topics have sparked some of my favorite conversations with him, and today you get to listen in. This episode is for curious minds.

Tom | LinkedIn for posts and integrative coaching

Tom | Work Ethics Podcast

Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Resource Library

How does one begin to write a description of something you truly have to experience for yourself? In this conversation with David Gaberle, a Czech photographer and artist, we discuss intentional living communities, westernization, life in Czech Republic under communism, micro dosing and mental health, planting roots and reconnecting with heritage, unlearning hyper-individualism, becoming more connected to body and how art can improve your life if you stick with it. This episode is truly for everyone, so listen and be soothed by David's buttery voice.

Follow David and his work below:

David | Instagram

David | AI2EYE photography course

David Gaberle "The Whisper of Soil" Film- GFX Challenge Grant Program 2022/ FUJIFILM

This next guest needs no flowery introduction, as he is always in full bloom. James is my surrogate brother and very best of friends. In this episode, we laugh. James and I reminisce on our most magical time in the Appalachian mountains of Boone, NC. We laugh some more. Through his childhood stories, James reminds us all that our inner child is always present and ready to come out and reteach us how fun it is to play. Why did we ever stop playing? James shares his "why" behind serving and how his upbringing informed his choice to keep volunteering and mentoring youth. We also chat all things dating in your 30s and the journey to meeting a partner. Then we laugh some more! This conversation will leave you feeling lighter, medicated by laughter.

Need life insurance? Email James: [email protected]

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⁠⁠⁠A Colorful Li⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fe Retreat⁠

In this episode I speak with a friend who, many years ago, opened my eyes to the wonders of living abroad. The mystery of life is a wondrous thing because a decade later, I learn than Fielding was inspired to move to Taiwan after seeing my journey in Korea. We discuss unlearning societal expectations of adulthood and discovering what truly makes us happy. Fielding opens up about his childhood in Japan and moving back to the States after his father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Fielding's resilience to live audaciously bleeds through this conversation. From building his own travel company, to writing music and exploring creative ways of living authentically, Fielding generously offers vulnerability as he shares his inner world with us. It is truly an honor to know such a magnificent human. This episode is for you because you're alive and breathing.

NY Times Article

Instagram

⁠⁠A Colorful Li⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fe Retreat⁠

This is a conversation with one of my favorite humans on planet Earth. Dominic and I reminisce on meeting in university, his British nationality, our serendipitous connections and cultivating a life that feels magical. As described by a friend, Dominic shares what it means to be "a new soul": someone who experiences life as if they're truly here for the very first time. He then retraces core memories of his youth, from his shy disposition to traveling cross-country as a teenager and unearthing a love of the natural world. Dominic is one of those people who make you feel alive in a single conversation-- this one is no different. We discuss the beauty and struggle in choosing vulnerability, doing scary things like singing at an open mic night, and taking risks in India. While sharing his love of nature with us, Dominic introduces the term solastalgia: the emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change. There's so much in this episode that will beckon you to explore the depth of your external and inner world. What an honor it is for us to exist at the same time as such a beautiful and inspirational soul.

Dominic | Instagram

Dominic | Photography

⁠A Colorful Li⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fe Retreat⁠