Conversations in Courage

Hi Friends! 

We've missed you! We have so much to talk about, but until then please enjoy these 13 extra special episodes called The Inclusivity Series. 

Created by Ashley in collaboration with lululemon, this series of conversations attempts to answer the question: How do we make the wellness industry more inclusive? 

Over the course of these 13 conversations we talk about wellness, fitness, anti-blackness, diet culture, climate change and much much more. 

What started as a call to action to be better wellness practitioners has morphed into lessons on allyship and vulnerability.

Each speaker brings something incredible to the table and we hope you'll enjoy them all! 


If you love what you hear, please share it with your friends! 
Need to reach out? Fill out the form on our website: www.thecouragecampaign.com 

Cheers, 
Mark + Ash 


About the speaker: 

Based in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Sidney Baptista is the founder of Pioneers Run Crew and PYNRS, an all-new genre-defining brand of performance streetwear. He is the host of the Fitness in Color Podcast, a father, and an individual passionate about the power of running to create connections, elevate voices, and champion change. 
You can find Sid on instagram
 @sidbap
@pioneersrc
@fitnessincolor
@pynrs_

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

What do video calls, your online photos, liquid dish soap, food and racism have in common?  Virtually everything.  In a world where what consume (physically and digitally) contributes to some amount of waste and/or impact on us as a human race, we have to be intentional about educating ourselves and the actions we take daily to move the needle.  Join us in this episode to hear from Deborah Dull, technology leader, world traveler and Circular Economy thought leader to learn how to connect the dots....

Deborah prefers to be on the move, with new experiences, new flavors, new streets to explore. She’s a city dweller. So this last year has been a challenge and she and her partner have been on the go when it’s safe! Before covid, you’ll find Deborah bar hopping in the middle of the day, laptop in tow, and creating friendships around the world. By day she’s into supply chain (totally not as boring as you think) and how we can prevent the looming doom on our environmental horizon by using the supply chain! By night she day dreams of the next Airbnb she’ll live in (full time!), and is in constant search for the *best* precious few items she carries in her carry-on. Find Deborah at @circular_nomad across social media platforms.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

This week it's just Ashley sharing a few thoughts on how to further your own social justice journey. The 3 main points include: 1. What does it mean to "give up your privilege"? 2. Check on your BIPOC friends. 3. Inventory your external environment, and start making small changes...today. 

We know this time is heavy. We know folks are hurting. And we know the burden cannot fall on the shoulders of those who are and have always been victimized. We hope this episode, like all of the episodes, empower you to keep moving forward in the fight for equity and justice. 

If you'd like to attend the Inclusivity Series, you can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/inclusivity-workshop-series-tickets-146895308823?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

This episode is important to us not just because its guest is a dear friend of ours but also because the school she represents is directly connected to the work of The Courage Campaign.  

Within, we talk about one of the fundamental components of allyship: weighing Intention vs Impact.  What we say may not always be received as intended and that gap can leave individuals (especially students) feeling unseen, unheard and unrepresented.  It is important that we not only act with empathy but that we are also prepared to be corrected (despite having the best outcomes in our hearts) and admit when we are wrong.  This discussion is a call-to-action for the army of well-intentioned people who are looking for ways to crystalize and deepen what allyship actually entails.

Erinn Buxton is the Climate and Restorative Practices Coordinator at the Joseph Lee K-8 School, in Boston Public Schools. Erinn previously worked in community mental health and in partnership with the Joseph Lee School as a school based clinician. Erinn's experience in counseling with students and families highlighted the impact of oppressive systems on mental health. Erinn's desire to challenge these systems, amplify voices that had been silenced and work to bridge opportunity gaps only grew, and led to her passion working to support and advocate in all areas of social justice. 

 Erinn focuses on supporting the community across grade levels and working to repair harm among community members when conflict arises. Erinn works closely with partners (hello Courage Campaign) to identify how we can bridge opportunity gaps through resources and increased access.  

Erinn believes deeply in increasing student and family voice and working to deconstruct the oppressive systems that negatively impact students and families.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

Recognizing that we are far from experts on parenting (especially since the little one is not here yet), we wanted to share our perspective on our journey to date and the elements that have worked for us.  We believe that much of the magic and power of  successful relationships weigh heavily on dialogue, stated expectations and ongoing self-awareness.  We also believe that is an  x-factor when it comes to the process of ensuring we are ready to raise a child.  

Support the show

Don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Questions? Comments? Curiosities? Reach out!

Via Instagram:
Ash @blackgirlmagicmama
Mark @bushidoandbourbon

Via Email:
[email protected]

Interested in The Courage Campaign? Visit here:
www.thecouragecampaign.com
@the.courage.campaign

Donations
https://www.pledge.to/the-courage-campaign

This week we hear from four incredible individuals who have navigated their way through their journey as artists in very different ways. While their voices are unique, the thread that runs through will be recognized by anyone who strives to live a life versus just make a living.  Resilience, authenticity, courage and allyship are all on stage within this two-hour episode.

Matt Seiiji Ketai is Japanese- American writer and actor originally from Abq, New Mexico. As an actor, Matt’s New York credits include: Abingdon Square (reading, WP Theatre), LIAR (workshop, dir. Tamilla Woodard), Oedipus (La Mama), La Ruta (workshop, Working Theatre), Xander Xist […] (premiere, wr. Jeremy O. Harris), Mom Play (premiere, wr. Sarah Delappe), among others. Regional credits include: Hot Cross Buns (workshop, Seattle Rep), Regretfully, So the Birds Are (reading, Ojai Playwrights Conference), Dracula (Williamstown Theatre Fest), A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep.), Ideation (New Rep), among others. Film/TV: Egg Day, Start Up, Startup. As a writer, Matt's work has been produced throughout New York and New England (most recent productions include: Blue. (PrideFest 2019– New Wave) and God’s Game (Brunch Theatre - 2020). He was a semi-finalist in the ATX television pitch competition (2021) and his screenplay From Top to Bottom was a quarterfinalist in the 2020 WeScreenplay TV competition, among others. He has written for the web-series “Love In NY” and for Bad Guru Productions (Start Up, Start-Up). And in 2019 his  solo show Spiral. was a Critic's Pick at the United Solo Festival and was featured at the FGP 2019 anti-gala. Training:  BFA Boston University, MFA Brown University. Instagram/Twitter: @mattketai www.mattketai.com

Alexis Green (she, her)  is a professional actor and director living in Chicago. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Alexis earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Arizona State University and an MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep. Since graduating, Alexis has traveled acting and directing for various theatres around the country. Most recently, Alexis was awarded the Chason Directing Fellowship at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Alexis is currently the Senior Program Coordinator for artEquity and she serves as the chair of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access committee for Notch Theatre Company.

David Samuel is a Brooklyn-based actor, musician, writer, and producer. He received his MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep. He has performed as an actor around the U.S. in musicals, new plays, and Shakespeare. He recently submitted his documentary, "Niguse and The Red Terror" to several film festivals. Go to www.kingofaxum.com for more.

Julia Atwood (she/her) is an actor based in New York City. She received her BA in Classics & Psychology from Wheaton College (MA) and her MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep. Recent theatrical credits include: Macbeth (Lady Macbeth) at Trinity Rep. Television credits: The Good Fight, Bull. Julia premiered her one-woman show At Home with Fleetwood Mac at Dixon Place in January, 2020. She has narrated for Penguin Random House Audio and Capstone Publishing and voiced the commercial for the 2019 Calvin Klein Watch & Jewelry Campaign.  Website: juliaatwood.com <http://juliaatwood.com/> 

Lastly, in anticipation of the November 2020 Election, Matt Ketai and fellow actor/activist, Julia Atwood, partnered in launching Energize the Vote: a digital, grassroots organization dedicated to voter education and voter turnout (@energizethevote) 

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

Nutrition is such a loaded topic with a plethora of information from modern-day snake oil practitioners to fitness experts turned self-prescribed dietitians... which is exactly why we are so grateful to have the opportunity to break it all down with an actual expert in the field, the incredible Dr. Rachele Pojednic.

Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Simmons University and a former research fellow at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Pojednic’s work has a specific focus on physical activity and nutrition interventions for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic disease. She is also the founder of Strong Process, a Boston-based wellness education platform designed to integrate evidence based knowledge into the health and wellness space. 

Dr. Pojednic received her PhD from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition & Exercise Physiology. Her research at Tufts was completed in the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, where she was awarded the Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.  While at Tufts, Dr. Pojednic examined the molecular interaction between human skeletal muscle and vitamin D as well as novel contributions of speed and velocity to overall muscular power with aging. Her current research examines lifestyle education for healthcare and fitness professionals and nutrition, supplementation and physical activity interventions on muscle physiology, chronic diseases and healthy aging. Dr. Pojednic serves as co-chair of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Is Medicine® education committee, was the Interim Executive Director for the Prescription for Activity Task Force, and serves on The American Council on Exercise (ACE) Industry Advisory Panel. She also works with ACE to develop NBHWC approved health coaching curriculum for clinicians, fitness professionals and universities.

Dr. Pojednic has also been an active member of the fitness industry and cycling community for the past 15 years and is a Lululemon Ambassador, a former Specialized Women's Ambassador as well as an indoor cycling instructor at Flywheel Sports in Boston. She has been a consultant and writer for several organizations, including Time, Popular Science, Self, Shape, Women's Health, Forbes, Runners World, Boston Magazine, Joy Bauer and the Today Show.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

We are so grateful for this episode and for this human!

Think about these few things before you listen to this powerful episode:
1. The expansion of our mind and our tolerance level for those who are different from us is of immediate importance.
2. The word community holds weight, and by definition should not be exclusionary. (Fitness industry, we're looking at you.)
3. Compassion. Compassion. Compassion. For ourselves and for others.
4. Who you are is more important than what you do.
5.  Life is hard, and looking to social media to gauge your own existence and success does a disservice to your spirit and humanity.

Please enjoy this courageous conversation with Brennan Srisirikul!


BRENNAN SRISIRIKUL (he/him) –  Born in Bangkok, Thailand, and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth, Brennan is a singer, actor, speaker and a certified personal trainer. Brennan also works at local Boston Hospital. He is proudly disabled and uses a wheelchair and forearm crutches to ambulate. Favorite stage credits include: Pillowman, Breaking the Code and Titanic, the Musical. Film/TV: Yuna's Lunch, The Rhode Show. Music videos: "Sticks and Stones" (Atlantic Theatre Company). Dance: The GIMP Project (Heidi Latsky Dance/Rodger Williams University). Brennan has also performed his solo show In My Own Little Corner at the Ocean State Theatre Company, the Courthouse Center for the Arts, the University of Rhode Island, the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, and the Metropolitan Room in New York City. If you listen close enough, you can hear Brennan’s voice on the track "No Time at All” from the new Broadway cast recording of Pippin alongside Tony award-winner Andrea Martin. Brennan received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Musical Theatre from Rhode Island College. As a motivational speaker, Brennan has spoken at numerous conferences, schools, corporations, and events around New England and as far as Hawaii. When not performing, teaching or speaking, Brennan can be found strength training, listening to podcasts, cooking, talking with friends, traveling, and singing around his house. He holds a certification in Personal Training from the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine. Brennan has made it his mission in life  in and outside of his work to help create an equitable and inclusive world for everyone. He is represented by Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin and Associates and Bohemia Group. Visit www.brennansrisirikul.com for more information.

To book Brennan as an actor or speaker please contact his manager at Bohemia Group, Naomi Kolstein via email: [email protected].

For more about Brennan or to say hi follow him on Instagram @BrennanSrisirikul and to join Brennan pay what you can group fitness class (proceeds go to charity), BUILD WITH B, please follow @BuildWithBFitness. 

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.

In this episode we speak with Dr. Evelyn Marsh, MD about pregnancy, popular myths, the importance of relationships in medicine and how sometimes, we need to just chill out! In a world where we all seek to gain and apply control to every variable, the lesson here is that we just can't, and often, things still end up ok.   

We're so grateful to have Evie in our lives. She's an incredible friend and OBGYN, and she's absolutely making the process of having a baby less terrifying and more empowering. You can find her on instagram @mommydocmarsh, and if you're in the Boston area please check her out if you're looking for reproductive care. 

Support the show

Don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Questions? Comments? Curiosities? Reach out!

Via Instagram:
Ash @blackgirlmagicmama
Mark @bushidoandbourbon

Via Email:
[email protected]

Interested in The Courage Campaign? Visit here:
www.thecouragecampaign.com
@the.courage.campaign

Donations
https://www.pledge.to/the-courage-campaign

In this exciting and unprecedented episode, we hear from five different voices who come from various industries, including education, fitness and corporate spaces. Through our dialogue, while you will certainly identify similar threads, you will also bear witness to the unique challenges, complexities and opportunities that exist around being anti-racist and raising our youth in today’s culture. 

Gavin Smith is an educator, and Assistant Principal in Boston Public Schools. He is the former runner up for Teacher of the Year in Massachusetts where he taught Biology for 7 years. Gavin is of Jamaican origin spending the majority of his childhood between Jamaica, West Indies and Long Island, New York. He has worked at a variety of schools in Boston including alternative high schools, charter high schools, and exam schools. Gavin is a firm believer in education being a means of social change, and an advocate for children as a member of the mentoring group Minds Matter Boston. He is the co-founder of YMOC (Young Men of Color), a group designed to create safe space for intergenerational conversation and community building amongst men of color in the Boston area. One of his biggest goals is to diversify the workforce particularly within the STEM field. Gavin holds degrees from Northeastern University, Simmons University, and Boston College. He is an avid runner, Knicks fan and lover of all things black.

Alyssa is the Director of Community Relations and an Instructor/Coach at Rev’d Indoor Cycling. You can find her on Instagram as @therealapbp and catch her classes in person at Rev’d in all studios or online at www.revdondemand.com. 

Mike is a Physical Education teacher at Shore Country Day School in Beverly, MA by day and a spin instructor/coach at Rev’d Indoor Cycling by nights and weekends. You can catch his online spin classes on www.revdondemand.com or in person at any Rev’d location. Follow him @themikeonabike.

Asia is a 20-something year old, trying to survive this thing called adulting, and wanting to help others along the way. She is the creator & co-host of the Done With Adulting podcast, as well as the editor and producer of the episodes.  During the day, Asia works as the Corporate Relations Manager for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Follow Asia on Instagram @simplyasianoelle

Originally from New Jersey, Jareed is another Boston based, 20 something year old who never backs down from a challenge. In addition to co-hosting Done With Adulting Podcast, Jareed is also our talent coordinator, social media manager, and content advisor, all while holding down a corporate career at Salesforce. Follow Jareed on Instagram @bgreatordietryn

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us. 

For more reflections, join us on Substack! 

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

 Until next time—be well, be courageous.