Chit Chat with the Queer and Creative

Gina Pecoraro created the LGBTQ company, Seven Even Clothing after being married to a man. When she came out back in 2008, she noticed that there wasn’t many clothing options to represent who she was. Years prior to getting married, a good friend of Gina’s would always call me her seven. Seven standing for the seven letters in the word lesbian. He would call Gina out on being gay way before she was ready to accept it. So after coming out, she put that nickname to good use! Gina and I discuss her journey with her clothing brand and how it came to be what it is now. We also discuss her creativity with the process and what inspires Gina when it comes to creating her clothing. Seven Even actually has a new athletic line that Gina discusses creating with her business partner, Cody. Gina and I discuss her coming out journey and what she feels is the importance of everyone’s story.

Be sure to check out Seven Even Clothing:

SevenEvenClothing.com

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com

Jamie Hazelton is the founder of Whole You Health and a proud trans lesbian. Jamie works with LGBTQIA* individuals and allies who are experiencing highly stressful lives and partners with each person to help them feel recharged and rejuvenated. This week, Jamie and I discuss what inspired her to become a health and wellness coach and what that means to her. Jamie uses her personal experiences to help reach people in the LGBTQIA* community. We also discuss the importance of therapy and coaching and what it means to us. Jamie and I talk about the journey of coming out, especially around the holiday season (10:10). Jamie has recently created a YouTube channel that she uses to connect and inspire others in the community. We discuss the importance of connecting with others in your community and ways to do so during these times. Jamie truly believes in creating a space where people can feel open and accepted!

Be sure to stay updated with Jamie:

Instagram: @wholeyouhealth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholeuhealth (https://www.facebook.com/wholeuhealth)

Website: http://wholeuhealth.com/ (http://wholeuhealth.com/)

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva

Edy Nathan MA, LCSWR is an author, public speaker and licensed therapist. She is an AASECT certified sex therapist, hypnotherapist and certified EMDR practitioner with more than 20 years of experience. In her expertise as a grief therapist she interweaves her formal training as a psychotherapist with breathwork, guided imagery, ritual and storytelling. Edy and I discuss her journey of becoming a grief therapist. Edy shares her views on some way to make it through the loneliness of this pandemic.

Be sure to connect with Edy:

https://edynathan.com/ (https://edynathan.com/)

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com

As a Queer Guide, Hannah Strenger helps individuals navigate their coming out journey so that they can live their best, most authentic life. Growing up in a small, conservative town and being raised Catholic, Hannah understands the isolation and internal struggle of coming to terms with your sexuality. She is on a mission to make sure no one has to walk that journey alone. Hannah and I discuss her journey on becoming a guide and how she became her authentic self. We also touch on how the pandemic has affected our lives and our careers. You can often find Hannah loving on her adorable rescue rabbits or walking around one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.

Be sure to follow Hannah on Instagram:

@HannahStrenger

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com

I always enjoy speaking with Rick Clemmons and look forward to sharing that pleasure with you. Rick Clemmons is a coach, a motivational speaker, author of “Frankly my Dear, I’m Gay”, podcast host of “Life Uncloseted” and part-time wine connoisseur.

Rick and I dive into his joy of living in wine country (3:20) and how he ties it in to his business and marketing skill-set. We discuss how he connects with other queers and the natural attraction to one another, especially during the hard times of a pandemic. Rick also discusses how the internet and social media has progressed through his life and the effect it has on him and his career now, along with what he feels is the difference between coaching and therapy and what it means to him.

Make sure to follow Rick on Instagram @therickclemmons

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva

Daniel Northway-Frank has created a new network called The Queer Shopping Network. Daniel is a queer father in Toronto and has created The Queer Shopping Network. The Queer Shopping Network is a shopping network specifically for the LGBTQ+ and their creatives! Daniel had the idea to support others in the community. Daniel’s goal is to help promote and help make others aware of queer community-run businesses, especially if they’re local businesses. Daniel and I discuss his journey and inspiration for The Queer Shopping Network and what he hopes to come from it. Daniel and I also touch on some points on mental health in the queer community. Daniel hopes to grow The Queer Shopping Network and it’s audience and continue to follow his dream.

Be sure to check out Daniel:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerShoppingNetwork (https://www.facebook.com/QueerShoppingNetwork)

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com

Come retreat with me in Puerto Rico!

https://www.melissadasilva.com/1-1-transformational-retreat/ (https://www.melissadasilva.com/1-1-transformational-retreat/)

“Guide me and heal me so that I might be of greater service to others” is her life mantra~

Chamica Dennis’ entrepreneurial spirit and desire to empower others lead her on a spiritual journey to finding her voice. She was being called as a healer and she answered. On her journey back home she rediscovered her sensuality and her sexuality, more importantly she found herself. Chamica was called to a more indigenous and Eastern holistic approach of treating the whole person and the importance of women’s health. It was then that Monarch Zen Healing Arts was created and she began sharing her medicine with the world. It is now her passion and purpose with the world. It is now her passion and purpose to facilitate other women infreeing themselves and reclaiming their body sovereignty.

Today she teaches women how to find their voice, releasing shame and guilt (7:58), how to show up authentically and reconnect with their bodies through breath, movement and energy healing which allows them to work through anxiety and stress to experience life as they were meant to be.. Wild and Free.

She is also the creator of Sacred Womb Talk and currently teaches workshops throughout the valley, hosts retreats, teaches private yoga, reiki, life and soul coaching and is a C.H.T.

Follow Her on Instagram @thebutterflymystic and @venusmooncreations

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva

Lynn Casper is a certified life coach and has been a podcast host for almost ten years! When the pandemic hit, Casper missed the simple connection of just sitting down in a coffee shop to get some work done. Lynn decided to make an online atmosphere for the queer community to come work together in an open environment. Casper and I discuss their journey as a podcast host and how they have kept the passion for their work for ten years. We discuss how the pandemic has affected all of our lives and how modern technology has really been such a light during these times. We also discuss Casper’s new job working for radio, and how we think radio and podcasting will adapt in the future.

Be sure to check out Casper’s websites:

http://lynncasper.com/ (http://lynncasper.com/)

Homoground Podcast:

https://homoground.com/ (https://homoground.com/)

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva

Savannah Hauk is an author and podcast host. Savannah juggles a full-time job on top of doing all of her projects! Savannah and I discuss the journey of cross dressing, and what she personally has had to overcome. We also discuss the difference between being transgender and cross dressing. Savannah’s whole experience as a trans woman took a turn when she made the move from New York City to South Carolina. Now, Savannah continuously tries to use her personal journey to help others, like herself grow in her area. Savannah and I also discuss her journey as an author and how her personal experiences have affected her writing. Savannah hopes that people can use her journey to help guide others discover their beauty inside and out.

Be sure to check out Savannah on her social media:

Facebook:

@savannahhauk

Instagram:

@savannahhauk

Website:

http://www.livingwithcrossdressing.com/ (http://www.livingwithcrossdressing.com)

Savannah’s Podcast:

@thefoxandthephoenixpodcast_

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com

Daralyse Lyons is a journalist, an actor, and an activist. She has written more than two dozen full-length books, a handful of short stories, and countless articles, performed in various plays and in improv comedy shows. As a Biracial woman, she has made it her mission to stand for a more integrated world. As a sexually fluid person who has had relationships and experiences with both men and women, she has had to find her place amidst a multitude of communities that attempt to erase her orientation and has been a voice within the darkness. After writing an award-winning children’s book (I’m Mixed!) about embracing her multiethnic heritage, Daralyse found her passion and her purpose educating others about the need to embrace all aspects of themselves. Since then, she has written and spoken extensively on the subject of diversity. Her perspective is one that looks to acknowledge the past while refusing to become incapacitated by it. As a Biracial, multiethnic and sexually fluid woman, she is uniquely empowered to use her seemingly disparate background as a catalyst for cross-cultural understanding. Daralyse and I discuss what inspires her creativity. We also talk about the journey of Daralyse’s sexualty and eating disorder. Daralyse hopes to grow in self-exploration!

Be sure to check out Daralyse:

https://www.daralyselyons.com/ (https://www.daralyselyons.com/)

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for weekly episodes, and follow me on Instagram @realmelissadasilva and check out my website melissadasilva.com