Diner Talks With James

Mental health is important, talking about it is hard and that is exactly why my guest, Ross Szabo is consistently sought after as a go-to teacher on the topic. It was awesome having my friend in the diner and we kicked things off chatting about Pennsylvania diners and circus fries. We then took a classic James hard left and we talked about how Ross got into doing mental health work and the time he tried to take his life in high school. He told me about rebounding from bullying and being labeled from sharing his story. There were some of the role models who helped him early on that I loved hearing about. I then asked him why Physical Education is taught in schools but Mental Health Education is not. One of the reasons is because mental health is often approached from a reactive place, and that is something that needs to be changed.  Ross told me some ways teachers can bring mental health work into the classroom. We then shifted focus to men and mental health – what happens in adolescence that needs to be undone later.

About the Guest: 

Ross Szabo is an award-winning pioneer of the mental health movement. During his 8 years as Director of Outreach at the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, he helped create the first youth mental health speakers’ bureau in the country and personally spoke to over one million people. He is currently the Wellness Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA and CEO of the Human Power Project. He has spoken to over 2 million people about his experiences with mental health, written 2 books and created a curriculum that is used by over 200,000 students. He also knows how to track lions in Botswana and enjoys running, but never runs from lions.

Connect with Ross and learn more:

Website: http://RossSzabo.com and www.humanpowerproject.com

Instagram: @rossszabo

Twitter: @rossszabo

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

Y’all, Tasheka Grant, motherhood community creator and influencer, took the diner by storm this week. Tasheka is a fellow New Yorker, so naturally, we kicked things off talking about our fondness of New York diners. We then talked about being a stay-at-home mom and how that came to be in her life. She told me about the strained relationship she has with her mom. We discussed just how hard being a stay-at-home mom is. Letting yourself and your children feel what they are feeling and talk through it. I was excited to talk about setting boundaries as parents. That lead to Tasheka telling a powerful story about a time she felt pressure to have an abortion. We discussed why you have to put yourself and your marriage at the forefront of your family. We then shifted gears and talked about being in an interracial marriage and why it matters. She told me about the importance of talking to her kids about being bi-racial and the world they are growing up in. We ended our time in the booth with Tasheka talking about how she is creating a community for mom with Life with Tasheka on Instagram and her blog.  

About the Guest:

Tasheka Grant is a mommy content creator/influencer about all things parenting. She posts, teaches, and shares about Motherhood, Marriage, Women Empowerment, her Favorite Brands and Food. She is a proud stay at home mama to FOUR tiny humans and married to a man who makes her laugh until she gasps. They reside in beautiful Texas. Tasheka is a Gemini, true Enneagram 2, and a lover of just loving.

Connect with Tasheka and learn more:

Website: http://LifeWithTasheka.com

Instagram: @LifeWithTasheka

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

Relationship expert and media personality, Rachel DeAlto brought highly caffeinated (her words, not mine) joy and energy to the Diner and we covered A LOT of ground. We talked about deviating career paths and both of our desires to be actors and how we ironically went in very different directions (lawyering for her marine sciencing for me) only to end up back in media/speaking roles. Then we dove in deep with conversations about self-worth, divorce, and finding love again. She shared about her dating company that got picked up by a Shark from Shark Tank, her entry into being a relationship expert, and her new book that’s coming out – “relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You)”. Finally, we ended our amazing conversation on a note about leaving self-deprecating humor behind and believing you’re enough. This was such a fun episode, and you’re not going to want to miss it.

About the Guest:

Rachel DeAlto is a relationship expert, media personality, and the author of “relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You)” (Simon & Schuster’s Tiller Press, Fall 2021).

Rachel has appeared as a relationship expert on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, TLC’s Kate+Date, and over 200+ national media outlets.

Rachel speaks on relationship building, the power of connection, and authenticity with her most recent TEDx, Being Authentic in a Filtered World, featured on TED.com.

She lives in NJ with her family, where she enjoys laughing at her own jokes, Crossfit, and telling people she does Crossfit.

Connect with Rachel and learn more:

Website: https://www.racheldealto.com/

Instagram: @racheldealto

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

 I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

 Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach.  If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

 Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

It’s not every day you get to hop in a diner booth with a professional basketball player, but today was that day! Taylor Rochestie is an incredible man with a great story and a brand new bestselling book. We naturally started with when the goal of being a professional basketball player started for him. Surprisingly, NBA was not the dream! It was fascinating to learn about his work ethic and learning progress over perfection in order to become elite. Just to keep it fun he met his wife in France and they had their first baby in China and their second back in France. The stories he has around those experiences are great and eye-opening!  I love hearing which country surprised him the most that he had gotten to live in and the reputation of being an American abroad. Taylor ended by talking about how to create generational happiness – a concept I will not soon forget! 

About the Guest: 

Taylor Rochestie is a professional athlete who's traveled the world playing basketball for over 11 years. Having lived in 12 countries, immersing himself in local cultures and learning about the diversity of life's "truths." He offers a unique perspective for the future in his new book, "A New 20/20 Vision: Cultivate Joy, Reprogram Your Mind, and Define Life Through an Authentic Lens." Using a positive filter to all that he encounters, Taylor is unwavering in optimism and powered with a purposeful voice to inspire positivity and happiness. Taylor is a father of two. met his wife in France, who gave birth to their daughter in China and their son in France.

Connect with Taylor and learn more:

Website: www.TaylorRochestie.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/trochestie

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Follow the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you could leave an honest review.

Today I was joined in The Diner by Erin King, a badass with serious Big Deal Energy (tune into the episode for more about that). We kicked off the conversation talking about life in a big Irish family (we both used our best Irish accents) and Erin shared some wisdom from Nana: “You can be someone’s shot of whiskey or everyone’s cup of tea.” Okay, Nana! Erin shared about growing up at an all-girls school and what that did for her confidence and her love of being a woman, and how her experiences (and hearing experiences from other women) played into her new book that’s coming out. She explained the concept of “Big Deal Energy” (BDE), a prevalent theme in her book, which blends confidence with the audacity to do big things. We heard about her experience pitching to venture capitalists, her business failures and successes, and the idea of borrowing BDE from others to accomplish big things yourself. We rounded out the conversation with Erin encouraging us all to believe that our story is big enough to impact others and to believe in the power of telling it. This conversation was so dope, you’re not going to want to miss it.

About the Guest: 

Erin King is a best-selling author, 3x entrepreneur, and the CEO of the Socialite Agency. She’s helped clients ranging from The Academy Awards in Hollywood to The United States Navy at the Pentagon communicate more compellingly using her award-winning PUB method. She is the author of “Digital Persuasion” and “You’re Kind of a Big Deal” which both draw from her personal and professional experiences having founded three companies before the age of 40. Off-duty, you can find her either mountain biking with her husband Hartman, Facetiming with her huge, crazy Irish family, or being an annoyingly extra dog mom to a cavapoo.

Connect with Erin and learn more:

Website: www.erinking.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W5DYFNW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_EY2FE8XMFPCV7GNDVSDJ  

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrs.erin.king  

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I love the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community in the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is aligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you could leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

When a World Champion Beatboxer comes into the diner you turn the jukebox off and buckle up. That’s exactly what happened when Kaila Mullady slid into the booth with me. Since we are both Long Islanders we first reminisced about the beauty of diners and we ranted about bagels. Kaila then told me about her goal of conquering 30 fears before she is 30, and she decided she is starting with snakes. In asking about her childhood, she told a horrific story about a nightmare audition that changed everything for her. It wound up leading Kaila to meet her mentor and starting to beatboxing. She talked about performing for money on the streets of NYC alone in high school. Then as she got deeper into the beatboxing community she had to deal with bullying and sexism being the only girl beatboxer…and being great on top of that. She also casually won a World Championship, or two, or three, and performed in Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway with Lin Manuel Miranda. It was powerful to hear about how Kaila used the arts as a way to both hide and overcome depression. Taking her love and applying it to helping others is Kaila’s most recent endeavor. She has worked with NYU and other elite institutions to help kids with speech impediments using beatboxing. Her school, The Academy of Noise, is helping many build their confidence and have a ton of fun along the way. 

About the Guest:

Kaila Mullady is the 2015 & 2018 World Beatbox Champion, the 2014 American Vice Beatbox Champion, 3x Loop Station Champion and 3x reigning Beatrhyme Champion. Kaila performs all over the world infusing beatboxing, singing, rapping, and theater to push the boundaries of creativity and show just what the human instrument is capable of.

One of the most fulfilling parts of Kaila's career has been traveling the world teaching workshops promoting expression and leadership through music. Her work using beatboxing as a tool for speech therapy led to a partnership with New York University where a class was explicitly designed to build tools in the classroom for blind students based off of her curriculum.

Giving back to communities is an integral part of Kaila’s creative process which motivated her to take over producing the American Beatbox Championships in 2016 which is the largest platform for Beatboxers in North America.

Whether on stage in front of beatbox fans, in an auditorium speaking to students, or helping staff training at a corporate event, Kaila has seen the benefits of beatboxing and how it allows people to open up, work together and build listening skills, no matter what their musical skill level is. Kaila believes beatboxing is the perfect vehicle to allow audiences to come out of their shell and build confidence in their voice.

Connect with Kaila and learn more:

Website: www.Kailamullady.com

Company: www.Theacademyofnoise.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kailamullady

About the Host

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Follow the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also follow on your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you could leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

When I met Dr. Bryan McElderry in a Clubhouse room (that’s the new social media all the kids are into… and by kids, I mean grown-ass adults, the “kids” have no interest in the platform), I knew I needed to have him to The Diner. And I’m glad I did! We talked about his life growing up in Birmingham, Alabama and his days playing college golf. We touched on race in the sport of golf and the shifts that are beginning to happen to make it more inclusive. Then we talked about his time in pharmacy school and the pivotal moment when he realized there needs to be more focus on prevention rather than simply medicating. This curiosity (and a pivotal moment when he lost his grandmother to a preventable disease 2 days before graduating) led him into a life of holistic health and ultimately into coaching. We rounded out the conversation with insights on how our coaching tends to align with our own needs as a coach and how it’s important for us to take our own medicine (and yes, the pharmacy pun was intended and executed perfectly).

About the Guest: 

Dr. Bryan is a servant leader, believer, avid scratch golfer, and former pharmacist who is secretly clumsy, but serves powerfully as a holistic life and business coach to thought leaders looking to turn their purpose into profit.

After denial, betrayal and abandonment of loved ones, he was left to figure this personal development & entrepreneurial journey on his own, which lead him to believe is that through more effective communication, genuine connection and curiosity of others we can create a daily shift in our lives that will exponentially expand our horizons.

He is also the founder The SHIFT Academy, Alchemy Leadership Mastermind, the Evolve U Podcast and new author of The Purpose Shift set to officially release in 2021.

Connect with Bryan and learn more:

Website: www.bryanmcelderry.com

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s, Lauren Adams, slid into the diner booth with me this week! We kicked it off reminiscing about New York diners now that we have both moved. We poked the bear of New York vs. LA culture, too. Then we dove in and I asked when did the theater and being an actress become the dream. We discussed the musical theater program at Elon University and diving into the Upright Citizens Brigade improv scene after moving to New York. Both of us got some deeply personal improv notes from Chris Gethard and we laughed about when notes expose personality traits and comfort zones you didn’t expect from a comedy class. Lauren disclosed that she is a fixer in social and family dynamics and working to let things be. She told me about making the choice to use her platform for social good (shout out to the LA Food Bank). We ranted about how it’s easier to talk about politics than it is to talk about humanity and why that’s frustrating. After she shared some great random facts about herself, I asked her about being on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, working with Tina Fey, and if she enjoyed the moment or if she wishes she did. Not to spoil it but that turned in to her discussing the highs and lows of chasing the dream of being an actor and why she loves playing the weird characters. 

About the Guest: 

Lauren is a dog lover and pizza eater who sometimes appears on your TV screen on shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Modern Family or the recent IFC film Greener Grass. She loves talking about grief and never forgets a meal- like seriously it’s scary how she remembers what you ate at dinner 4 years ago.

Connect with Lauren and learn more:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ImLaurenAdams

Follow the LA Food Bank too: @LAFoodBank

Donate: LAFoodBank.org

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

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If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. 

I jumped into the diner booth with author and entrepreneur, Adam Smiley Poswolsky! His newest book, Friendship in the Age of Loneliness is coming out in May but before we got to that you know we had to talk about our late-night food preferences. He gave a shout-out to El Farolito in San Francisco and we also bonded over the fact that pineapple has no place on pizza. He then told me wow the nickname “Smiley” happened to him. We discussed his assorted dreams around being a writer and winding up as a film major at Wesleyan University. Smiley had a number of jobs/careers that he tried and none of them felt right so he decided to create his own lane as an entrepreneur. I loved hearing him talk about learning to see opportunity instead of adversity in front of you. Figuring out that you do not need to wait for permission – there are many paths to success if you keep putting yourself in the way of opportunities. We then discussed how to find friendship in the age of loneliness and why finding it matters. He reminded me of the always startling statistic that social relationships are the largest determiner for how long you will live… more than health and genetics. We talked about how awkward making friends as an adult is and Adam ended by sharing some quick tips for how to help.

About the Guest: 

Adam Smiley Poswolsky is a millennial workplace expert, motivational speaker, and author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, The Breakthrough Speaker, and Friendship in the Age of Loneliness. Smiley regularly speaks at Fortune 500 companies and has advised heads of state and foreign leaders about millennial talent, multigenerational engagement, and fostering belonging in the digital age. Smiley’s TED talk on “the quarter-life crisis” has been viewed over 1.5 million times, and he has spoken in front of fifty thousand people in twenty countries. Smiley’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Fast Company, CNN, and the World Economic Forum, among many other outlets. Smiley is a 13-time camp counselor at Camp Grounded: Summer Camp for Adults. FUN FACTS: Nickname Smiley since freshman year of high school. Favorite food: bagels with lox and cream cheese. Quirk: I love rom coms.

Connect with Smiley and learn more:

Website: smileyposwolsky.com

New Book: smileyposwolsky.com/friendship

IG/Twitter: @whatsupsmiley

LinkedIn: Adam Smiley Poswolsky

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:   

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh!  

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live. 

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Soon-to-be Doctor, Victoria Alexander, jumped into the diner and dropped a whole bunch of knowledge about identity work and being anti-racist. This one got delightfully academic, but before we dove into all that we talked about Victoria’s preference of eating baklava and challah bread French toast at New York diners. Victoria told me about growing up with 7 siblings and what it feels like to to be the oldest. Her father told her at an early age “Success is what happens at the end of the race and either you get it or you don’t.” Naturally, we then had to talk about carrying the pressure of never being satisfied. I then asked about Victoria’s journey to learning, owning, and loving her racial identity. We discussed what being an ally actually means and what’s the difference between advocates and allies. I asked her about what anti-racism means and what it looks like on a daily basis. I loved how she spoke about trying to balance self-care and burnout in her social justice work. Then we ended our discussion by talking about how we can do the work and learn more about our own identity and why that is important.

About the Guest: 

Victoria Lynn Alexander is a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland College of Education, studying Higher Education. Her research interests include anti-racist pedagogy, critical consciousness building, and experiences of Black students in predominately white institutions. She enjoys running and spin classed though recently she has been enjoying naps and Netflix more.

​The aim of Victoria’s work is to conduct critical research with which to challenge myths regarding the historical and present-day distributions of power, investigate the role of racism and anti-racism in social, professional, and educational spaces, and empower people to analyze and leverage their own social identities and positions within systems of power.

Connect with Victoria Alexander and learn more:

Website: victorialynnalexander.com

Twitter: @victoriaalxndr

Instagram: @victoriaalxndr

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/victorialynnalexander/

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:  

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh! 

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from the listeners are extremely valuable to me and greatly appreciated. They help Diner Talks podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, it would mean the world if you couple leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.