On December 29th, 2021, an intoxicated driver going 21 mph over the speed limit hit a stopped car on the side of the road. One of the passengers was 14-year-old Aolani who was killed almost instantly. Her mom slammed into the steering wheel and would soon be put under a coma for the next month. Her oldest daughter was the only one conscious and forced to watch the traumatic event unfold before her eyes. After only 3 months, the drunk driver was let out on bail. This episode is heavy and very emotional for my guests and I. Sam, Jessie and James are all three cousins of Aolani and desperately want you to hear their story. The link below is for a gofundme set up to help cover some of their aunt's hospital bills since she has been treated at Wake Med for the last 3 months.
Anything helps.

For legal purposes, names have been cut out of this episode so cuts in audio may be noticeable.

Support for the Rubio Family
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-rubio-family?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

Anthony Chavez is the coach for the varsity boys' and girls' soccer team at Lee County High School. He played soccer at William Peace University and has opportunities to continue playing at the highest level. His story and relationship with the sport is incredible. Y'all know soccer isn't my sport but Anthony does a great job relating it to basketball as well as everyday life. Later in the episode we talk about our faith and our walk with God.

Quson Brown joins the podcast to cover three pressing topics going on today: The impact and consequences of toxic communities, cancel culture and the growing percentage of lazy people. Quson stays busy working on ways to better himself and the lives of people around him. We talk about the shift into the entertainment industry that mass media has undergone as well as the functions of the American government not being fulfilled. We go into the importance of hard work as well as being grateful for the little moments in life. Going on road trips, listening to music and working out make Quson who he is. He is running for Student Body President at Appalachian State University.

Jesus Martinez is a family man, welder, amateur boxer and is better known by "Big Cawntry." We talk about his newborn son and relationship with his wife and how things never work out the way we expect them to. After that, we dove into our relationship with God and what impact that has on our lives. As future heavyweight champ, we had to talk boxing. Jesus educated me on the details of boxing and what he goes through physically and mentally to prepare for fights.

Find him on instagram @bigcawntry

Part 2 of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is now up! Jessica and I discuss, "The Two Towers" and why Lord of the Rings is the greatest trilogy of all time. If you're a fan of hobbits, swords, good vs evil and the best cinematography you can find, you NEED to watch Lord of the Rings.

Keyona Thomas is the owner and creator of Lani's Cheesecakes. We had a great conversation about relationships, mental health and her newfound journey as a Christian. Keyona goes in depth about her abusive relationships, work life and being true to her core beliefs. Amazing time and great episode with my dear friend. Enjoy!

Carl Bryan has got a full and diverse resume. Cheer leader at UNC Chapel Hill, men and women's head basketball coach at CCCC, instructor of health and fitness and a comic book review writer. Such a fun and interesting conversation that ranged from coaching stories, movies and of course, comic books. Check out his reviews at "dccomicsnews.com"

My 7th grade teacher, Mr. Christopher joins me to talk about his book and the teaching experience. Such a cool experience with one of my favorite teachers. Get his book, "Teacher's Pupils" now on Amazon!

On this episode I talk about depression. The stigma around depression is something that needs to be dropped so that more people can find help. I walk through what it feels like for me. I did this so that hopefully, someone out there going through the same thing could find comfort in it.

Lord of the Rings babyyyy! One of my favorite trilogies and some of the greatest movies ever made. Jessica and I are huge fans of the franchise and a three episode special had to be done. This episode focuses on The Fellowship of the Ring; the first film in the trilogy. You'll find out just how much we love these movies pretty early on. Enjoy!