Change The Narrative with JD Fuller

Janja Lalich, Ph.D. is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. She has been a consultant to educational, mental health, business, media, and legal professionals, as well as having worked with current members, former members, and families of members of controversial groups.

A former Fulbright scholar, Dr. Lalich is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico, where in 2007 she was awarded the Professional Achievement Honor. Also, Dr. Lalich is the founder and director of the Center for Research on Influence and Control. She received a B.A. with Honors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has a Master’s in Human Development and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.

Dr. Lalich has written and lectured extensively and is author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, articles, and chapters. Her most recent book is Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships (Bay Tree Publishing, 2006), a fully-revised and expanded edition of her first book, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds, which has been the number-one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences.

What You Will Hear:

Strategy used to groom and recruit cult members.

Principles of influence.

Dr. Lalich’s personal experience in a cult.

Vulnerability and idealism in relation to cult recruitment.

Cultural differences in cults and types of cults.

Is Donald Trump a cult leader?

Cult on a national scale.

Abusive relationships and cults. Psychological entrapment.

How cults keep their members obedient. Transcendent belief systems.

Separating families

Older cults vs modern day cults.

Horrendous cults.

Consistency in new cults.

Advice on what to do if you might be a cult recruit.

Pandemic and cults.

Quotes:

“People get recruited at vulnerable points in their lives.”

“If there’s any common denominator among who gets in to cults, it’s idealism.”

“Most cults have answers to life’s biggest questions and shapes members in to believers.”

“We need to get the American public, especially young people, back to critical thinking.”

Mentioned:

http://cultresearch.org/ (Cultresearch.org)

https://gretchenday.com/ (Gretchen Day)

Chef, comedian, actress and show host Alex Thomopoulos joins JD and Suzy this week to talk about life in the spotlight, activism, authenticity and her newest ventures. Combining her love of comedy and food, Alex hosts the PBS show Moveable Feast with Relish.

What You Will Hear:

Alex’s trajectory from comedian to chef.

Using your privilege and platform responsibly.

Everyday accountability.

What pushes Alex’s activism.

Motivating people without alienating them.

Creating a voice of authenticity on social media.

Amplifying voices.

Odd DMs.

Moveable Feast and Alex’s other recent ventures.

New England.

Farmer Maria crush.

Quotes:

“Food and laughter evoke the same emotions in people.”

“When I see injustice or I see people being treated not fairly, I can’t ignore that.”

“I’m playing the long game on social media not just the short game and really building an authentic voice.”

“I feel it, I’ll say it and I don’t care.”

“I live in LA where nothing is real and nobody is nice.”

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”

Mentioned:

IG: @Alextcooks

https://www.pbs.org/food/shows/moveable-feast-with-relish/ (Moveable Feast with Relish (PBS))

Join JD and Suzy as they dive in deep with Dr. Chris Hoff talking about racism, white fragility, white priviledge in the mental health world. Chris is a storyteller, champion of curiosity, and author, entrepreneur, an innovator and educator and founder and host of the radical therapist podcast. Director of the California Family Institute in Costa Mesa and non-profit organization that provides desperately needed no and low cost care counseling for the community.

What You Will Hear:

Chris’s early education, perils, inspiration and journey toward therapy.

The title The Radical Therapist.

Chris’s 2017 Youtube video and quote about the need to start having difficult conversations about white fragility and white privilege.

The psychological impact of racism.

The Radical Therapist podcast and education.

Ethics and racism in therapy and the current state of affairs.

Being explicit about who you are and where you stand.

Hate and criticism.

California commission mental health services percentages.

System support for mental health services and politics.

California Family Institute.

Knowing who you can and can’t do therapy with.

Chris’s own white identity then and now.

Stepping in to help your community.

Quotes:

“We need to start having difficult conversations about ace, white fragility and white privilege.”

“The conversation around race can get tricky.”

‘Therapists should be paid for their work….therapists are going to have to be politicians.”

“Everything has to be conscious.”

“To change the world I gotta change myself.”

Mentioned:

http://www.theradicaltherapist.com/podcast.html (The Radical Therapist Podcast)

http://www.californiafamilyinstitute.org/ (California Institute )

https://drchrishoff.com/ (DrChrisHoff.com)

Best selling author and psychic medium Lisa Williams, joins JD and Suzy to talk about her life as a medium. In her youth Lisa was unaware that her ability as a medium was a unique gift. It was through a myriad of life experiences Lisa realized that her calling was to help others and change their lives, connecting those from this world to the next, giving readings with guidance and insight from the world of Spirit and bringing comfort and healing to those who are grieving. Adding to her titles as a host of 2 television shows, a podcaster, a teacher and the creator of her own International School of Spiritual Development, Lisa recently released her first guided meditation available on Amazon and itunes: Vasa a Guided Journey Home.

What You Will Hear:

What is a medium?

The Pea Story.

People of color in the medium world.

Ethics in diagnosing or reading someone.

Learning to shut things off.

One of Lisa’s most compelling readings.

Forensic cases.

Terrifying moments and giving people hope.

The purpose of being psychic medium.

Giving back

Lisa Williams International School of Spiritual Development

What does change the narrative mean to Lisa.

Quotes:

“Having people of color in the medium world…...it shows people that there is no stigma attached to what we do.”

“Most people can’t remember what they had for dinner last night, but they can remember verbatim what a psychic medium said to them 20 years ago.”

“As a psychic as a medium it is about giving people hope. It is about lifting their spirits, it is about giving them energy, resolution, comfort, healing.”

“My passion is enhancing and empowering people to do the readings world wide, to get the message out there.”

“People remember how you make them feel.”

Mentioned:

https://www.lisawilliams.com/about (International School of Spiritual Development)

https://www.lisawilliams.com/ (Lisawilliams.com)

https://www.amazon.com/Vasa-Lisa-Williams-Barry-Goldstein/dp/B08VF6LTLQ (Vasa a Guided Journey Home)

From Executive Producer of Entertainment Tonight for 17 years to launching The Talk on CBS daytime to going back to college in his 50s studying and teaching communications at California State University Northridge, to his newest venture as Head of Communications and Talent for Project Angel Food, Brad Bessey has lived a life of glamour and opulence all while remaining true to himself, his values and his truth. JD and Suzy sit down to talk with Brad about his experience in Hollywood and his dealings with racism, sexism and the lgbt community.

What You Will Hear:

Launching and being Executive Producer of The Talk

Sharon Osbourne and recent racism controversy

Media and systemic racism

Hiring the first black host of Entertainment Tonight.

Having representation at the table is not enough.

The importance and challenges of diversity in all levels of production.

The Sell Out factor

Rape culture and challenging toxic masculinity

Intersectionality and racism in the gay community

Heteronormative white culture

Ways that Brad has been humbled through his experiences.

Trends of dehumanization.

Being the only gay member of his family and an anomile in Hollywood.

Quotes:

“In my defenselessness, my safety lies.”

“The media is one of the biggest problems in systemic racism.”

“You need people of color in leadership roles who are not afraid that they will lose their job if they are true to themselves and to their culture.”

“You don’t need to say stop asian hate, you need to say stop white supremacy.”

“We are not successful yet in dealing with these issues of systemic racism, sexism and violence against our trans community.”

“Changing the narrative is a matter of survival.”

Mentioned:

https://www.angelfood.org/ (Project Angel Food)

Kevin Fazier

Nischelle Turner

Aimee Stephens

Known for dressing icons, Bradley Bayou is a true renaissance man. As an artist, a fashion designer, best selling author, tv star, father, partner and interior designer, Bradley found his calling through a serendipitous chain of events. At a young age, he quickly became one of the most sought after designers among buyers like Fred Segal, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th and Barneys. Bradley became the go-to designer for superstar black women after dressing Halle Berry. He has designed clothes for Queen Latifah, Monique, Oprah, Beyonce and many more. Inspired by the trends he was seeing, his experience and the scientific way he looks at design Bradley published his first book “The Science of Sexy” as a guide for women of all shapes and sizes to help them dress their best and boost confidence through fashion. We talk to Bradley about his journey in design and his observations of racism within the design and gay communities.

What you will hear

Bradley’s love of art.

How Bradley became a young, top designer.

Becoming the go-to designer for black female stars.

Similarities of racism in the design world and gay world

White privilege.

The Science of Sexy.

Exuding confidence.

What does changing the narrative mean to Bradley.

Mentioned

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Sexy-Unique-Figure-System/dp/1592402607 (The Science of Sexy)

Brian Dobbins is one of Hollywood’s most prolific managers and producers. He began his career at United Talent Agency where he amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience, he eventually started his own agency, Artists First. Using his years of experience, knowledge of development and passion for helping the unseen be seen, Brian has developed and impressive client list of young talent. Brian currently serves as Executive Producer on the award winning ABC series “Black-ish” as well as critically acclaimed “Grown-ish” and “Mixed-ish”. Brian’s producing credits also include Fox’s TV series “Do Not Disturb,” the Oxygen cable network series “Campus Ladies,” ABC and 20th Century Fox’s TV pilot “Adopted,” and the film “The Sea of Trees”. In this episode Brian shares his unique experience as a black man in Hollywood.

What you will hear

Brian's favorite memories.

An accident resulting in Brian learning the value of hard work, dedication and perseverance at an early age.

Being the first member of his family to go to college and his college experience.

Brian finds his passion for film and television.

Navigating Hollywood as a young black man in the 90s.

Realizing corporate structure was not a good fit.

Brian’s perspective on the current state of the United States.

Focus and work during the pandemic

The success of Black-ish.

The beauty of diversity.

Ensuring that there is diversity in Hollywood.

Protecting the artists and the fun part of Brian’s job.

The importance and impact of education.

Quotes

“I’ve learned there’s a way to be real and not say everything that’s on your mind.”

“Community is far more important than what’s going on around the world, actually, there’s problems everywhere.”

“If you laugh and your mouth is open, I say you are ready to be fed.”

“The more specific you are, sometimes, in telling a story, the more broadly you appeal to people because underneath that, we are all the same.”

“I don’t wake up everyday for people to tell me yes, I wake up everyday for somebody to tell me know.”

“When you are working with artists you are working with people who inspire change.”

“Artists are important to society.”

Mentioned

http://artistsfirst-la.com/ (Artists First)

Black-ish

Mixed-ish

grown-ish

Writer and Director Victor Gabriel joins us for a conversation about his life experience from a life of struggle, poverty and homelessness to becoming a therapist as well as a writer and director in Hollywood. Victor holds and MFA and has worked as a marriage and family therapist with survivors of trauma in Compton, Watts and South Central. As a graduate of the American Film Institute Vic has made it a mission to share the stories of those affected by systemic racism and oppression through film. His latest short film “Black Boys Can’t Cry” is currently being shown in festivals.

What you will hear

Victor’s upbringing and story.

Why should people know who Victor is.

Motivation and concept of Victor’s unique storytelling style.

Victor’s mission to connect with people.

The black man’s current experience in America.

The effects of oppression.

What white people need to understand about oppressive tactics that are perceived as justice.

Vulnerability.

The differences between the black male and female’s experience.

How Vic’s mental health lense informs his creative lense.

The advantage Vic had in film school as a result of his life and trauma.

How Vic’s need to create influenced his going from therapy grad school to film school.

Hollywood

Vic’s inspiration.

Quotes

“Vic is magic.”

“Oppressed populations are fighting over a crumb and trying to win something that nobody wants to win.”

“White supremacy is sociopathic.”

Mentioned

Mens trauma group

IG @weherekingsreign

Author, screenwriter and playwright Amy Ferris is a champion for women. After dealing with self esteem issues and suicidality throughout her life, Amy continuously searched for a community to help her find confidence, courage and hope. Amy has focused her time and energy on helping and encouraging other women. Her commitment to writing encouraging posts on facebook was spawned after one of her encouraging posts went viral. Realizing the need for encouragement and inspiration Amy has written inspiring posts daily for the las 9 years. Amy’s commitment is motivated by her mission to help every single woman to awaken to their greatness.

What you will hear

The evolution of Amy’s facebook presence and commitment.

Amy’s experience with suicidality

Becoming a Buddhist

Depression and trauma.

Amy’s passion and motivation to help women.

Feminist vs. Womanist

Reaching a diverse community of women and how communication varies depending on race and socio-economic differences.

The miseducation of America. White supremacy

Fear.

Living one’s truth.

Toxic femininity.

Ageing and the advice we would give our younger selves.

Women empowerment and acknowledging being enough and having enough.

The secret of marital success and loving good.

The Story Summit Writers School.

If you had one super power.

Quotes

“People need to be encouraged, people are looking for inspiration, people are looking for ways to get out of bed in the morning.”

“We all need to be inspired.”

“We all want to be part of a community. We all want to know that someone has our back and not stabbing us in the back.”

“Depression is not something that comes and goes like the flu.”

“Every mistake I have ever made has an opportunity to be turned into my mission.”

“We stand on the back of black men and women. The truth is white men were in power while black men and women were building this country.”

“Who you’re going to be at 65 is going to be the woman you have always wanted to be….at 10, at 13, at 14, at 18.”

Mentioned

https://www.storysummit.us/ (The Story Summit Writers School)

https://debraengle.com/books/the-only-little-prayer-you-need/ (The Only Prayer You Need - Debra Engle)

We sit down with producers Julie Stern and Curnal Achilles Ausilio to talk about Hollywood. Recently featured in Forbes magazine, Julie’s take on leadership, humanity, humility and hard work have made her one of the most highly respected and beloved producers in Hollywood. Growing up with a behind the scenes look into Hollywood Julie worked her way up from intern to production assistant to eventually to running production for major networks such as OWN, Lifetime and companies like Rese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Named “The General” by Oprah and the Duchess of York, Julie’s style of producing has made her a highly respected producer in Hollywood. Curnal Achilles Ausilio went from a successful acting career to directing and producing. While working as an actor, Curnal took an interest in the process by which a show is produced and eventually leading him to study production and becoming a producer producing shows like The Millionaire matchmaker. He is currently executive producer of The Profit on CNBC and is passionate about his role as a mentor to young Hollywood.

What you will hear

What is a producer and the many roles of a producer.

Julie and Curnal’s journey to becoming producers

Scary and challenging situations Julie and Curnal have faced.

Scripted and unscripted reality tv.

Diversity and equity in competitive reality shows

Julie and Curnal’s career goals.

The producer’s creative process and the amount of time, effort and teamwork it takes to produce.

White privilege, male privilege and gender equality in Hollywood.

How do you become a producer.

Mindset

Quotes

“Don’t ever forget who you are and take that time out and check in with yourself.”-Julie Stern

“Start off by doing the thing you really want to do.” -Curnal Achilles

“Any opportunity that comes your way, go for it.”-Julie Stern

“You have to have a supreme confidence and yet not have an inflated ego.”- Curnal Achilles

“Don’t miss your opportunity to humanize something.”- Julie Stern

Mentioned

Facebook Curnal Achilles Aulisio