Courageous Conversations

Kevin McShan is a journalist, speaker,  disability advocate, and podcast host who has cerebral palsy. In this episode he and Jonathan Mahan have a vulnerable conversation about his experiences living with the disease. Disability is a sensitive topic that most of us prefer to avoid, today we're taking some time to bravely talk about uncomfortable topics such as his real versus perceived physical limitations, the emotional toll having a disability has, and the struggles of social isolation faced by most people with disabilities.

If you want to watch this conversation in video format you can do so here: https://youtu.be/uE5dRygjqBg

Tyrone is a cyber security professional in the banking industry who has spent most of his career working in almost entirely white work places.  In this episode we talk about topics such as how he handles microaggressions, what makes it difficult for Black professionals to advance,  and even the different ways unconscious racial biases impact both white and Black people in the workplace.

If you want to watch the video version of this conversation you can find it here: https://youtu.be/NrfkcD7_pf8

Whether it's folks on the religious right or the woke left or that vegan cross fitter you know one thing that is common in all groups of people is that many of them use their commitment to live by a certain standard as justification to be a jerk to people who aren't living by that same standard.   

Greg Fontus is both a DEI consultant and a Christian minister and in this episode he and Jonathan Mahan compare this phenomenon across various groups of people, explore why it is that this is such a common occurrence, and even discuss how we all can avoid this common pitfall in our own lives.

If you want to watch the video version of this conversation you can find it here: https://youtu.be/M46s4Y9nRAs

When you feel like you have to change who you are and act out a role in order to make those around you feel more comfortable, and you do so in order to gain access to social capital, career opportunities, etc that is code switching. People of all backgrounds may do this at some point in their lives, but members of marginalized groups (racial/ethnic minorities, neuro-divergent people, members of LGBTQ community, etc) experience it constantly in our schools and workplaces.  

This is a truly fascinating conversation between Jonathan Mahan and Zeena Greene that not only covers code switching but also gets into where the notion of "professionalism" came from and how it is tied to the patriarchal, heteronormative, white supremacist aspects of our culture.

If you'd like to watch the video version of this conversation you can find it here: https://youtu.be/PeiE-O73aQk

Empathy is a superpower, and one that everyone has the capacity for. However, oftentimes in life we find ourselves interacting with people who aren't showing any empathy. We may even have people in our lives who make a habit out of not showing much empathy.   

In this episode Kevin Shah and I talk about empathy; what it is, how to develop it in yourself, and how to help others show up with more empathy in their interactions with you. You'll even get a better understanding of why it's so hard for some people to show up with empathy in various situations, and how you yourself can get better at this as well.

If you want to watch the video version of this conversation you can do so here: https://youtu.be/Qb2c5x6gWjw

The issues of police brutality, racial profiling, qualified immunity, and others have become hot button issues here in the U.S. Slogans like "Back the Blue" and "Defund the Police" are thrown around and those on opposing sides tend  to strongly dislike each other. 

In this conversation I am joined by Brandon Lee, of Training for Transformation (T4T), as we discuss what's good, what's bad, and what's complicated in American policing both today, and throughout history.

If you want to watch the video version of this conversation you can find it here: https://youtu.be/OQe6ae6RwBA

None of us could own all the things we own at the prices we paid for them if it wasn't for the regular exploitation and trafficking of other human beings for their labor. In this episode Kelli White and I have a conversation about the current state of modern day slavery, including both labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Unfortunately the situation is complicated with few easy answers about how to fix it. It is, however, an incredibly important aspect of reality to be aware of so we can each do our small part to resist it when we are able.

If you want to watch the video version off this conversation you can do so here: https://youtu.be/LdCu5RQ787I

Your critics can often point things out to you that your fans are blind to. If you genuinely want to get better you should listen to what your critics have to say. That's exactly what Jonathan Mahan models for you in this episode as he talks to Dr. Karlyn Borysenko, an ex-Democrat who now supports Donald Trump. They talk about why she left the Democratic party, what information most people on the Left are missing out on, and how they can do better in the way they show up online and engage with those in their lives who disagree with them.

If you'd like to listen to the video version of this conversation you can find it here: https://youtu.be/efHECf-3aD4

Tristan is one of relatively few people who has lived life both as a woman and as a man and has experienced how he's been treated differently by the world in each case. In this episode we'll be examining the concept of male privilege through the lens of his past experiences both pre and post transition.

If you'd like to watch the video version of this interview you can do so here: https://youtu.be/D2JCRT4IRUA

Celia and Jeff are both members of marginalized groups and have experienced quite a bit of bigotry and hate in their time. In this episode we talk about the various ways you could respond in the face of such things and why a compassionate patient approach can often be the best option. You’ll hear Celia and Jeff tell real life stories of how they’ve responded to incidents they’ve experienced, as well as hearing about what their limits are for when they won’t choose to patiently engage, but will rather disengage to protect their own mental and emotional health.

If you want to watch the video version of this conversation you can find that here: https://youtu.be/8guPzIZJI-Q