[I'M]Possible Podcast

Welcome back to another week of the [I'M]Possible Podcast! Today, we encounter one of the world's rarest and elusive species known to mankind: a Suitcase Heart. More formally deamed Professional Nomads, these creatures perpetually yearn for adventure and global exploration. They dedicate their lives to tramping around the vast reaches of our planet, immersing themselves within its natural beauty, rich culture, and devoting their time towards educating others about our precious rock we call home. The Suitcase Heart of the hour: Eric Dillemuth! Eric joins John to chat about Professional Nomadism. We learn about what inspired him to take the leap out of the norm and live out of his backpack to follow his passion for exploration and travel. Both talk about the nuances of traveling and working within the outdoor education industry in 2020, as well as the many future prospects both arenas present to building a better future for our society. We discuss the value of support systems and work culture through the context of nomadic work, in comparison to traditional career pathways, along with the developmental benefits of experiential learning and travel.  

Join us as we follow the life and experience of Gabriella Lewis, a queer Afro-Latina from the media industry currently working as a Senior Video Journalist at the New York Times. This episode provides us insight from a powerful Afro-Latina video producer, director, podcast host and journalist with over 5 years of experience creating digital content. Our conversation transcends the media industry, and touches on community building, advocating for yourself in the workplace, working with celebrities, valuing yourself outside of labor and capitalism. 

This Bay Area native currently lives in Brooklyn and received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from The New School. You can find her work in Vogue, Vanity Fair, BuzzFeed, Pitchfork, Bon Appetit and Vice. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @gurl.jpg or on Twitter @gabriellalewis.  

We are all on a path, and with that path comes many doors that require us to determine which ones we should walk through and which ones we should skip.  At times we may think we know what the right path is for us, but sometimes an open door presents to us something intriguing that may align more with what we truly need and want. In this week's episode (and Season 2 opener!), our featured guest Kenzie Richards explains the importance of embracing what life presents to us by following your heart and taking chances. An avid environmentalist and scientist turned consultor of environments and natural wetlands across the Southeastern United States. Kenzie opens up about the winding path she has taken surrounding her personal and professional journey through her 20s. Highlighting both the amazingly good and disappointingly bad moments, she talks about how walking through unexpected and unconventional doors of opportunity have benefited her growth and have led her to cultivate the life she lives now. We get into detail about her choice to defer grad school and flea to California to live the island-beach life, the doors of opportunity that opened due to her not-so-ideal grad school experience, and how a supportive family and network has provided confidence in the choices she has made thus far.

Who are you today?  A question up for so much introspection.  It is one that certainly offers us the ease in providing virtually any answer we feel comfortable giving, but one also putting you in a compromised position invoking discomfort when attempting to answer authentically.  What is that discomfort you are feeling?  Why it’s vulnerability!!!  In the last of our bonus “Inside the [I’M]Possible Creators” Season 1.5 spread, Lee interviews Co-Host John Cornett, a professional nomad turned student affairs professional and guider.  John tells us a bit of his story of how he came to be today’s version of himself and how embracing his vulnerability led him there.  Both John and Lee dig into the topic of vulnerability, debunking the negative connotations that surround the word and its nature, while highlighting the massive rewards one can gain from leaning into discomfort, staying true to themselves, and following one’s heart.  They additionally crack into the conversation around white privilege, as John explains coming to terms with his whiteness in recent years and how that has influenced his growth and perspective on life. Take a listen and learn how being vulnerable can open your world up to you.

What does safety look like in your personal and professional life?  For Antonio, finding and creating spaces that welcome and nurture his multifaceted identity bring a sense of security and comfortability that amplify who he is and what he finds passion and value in.  His creativity and ability to inspire others thrives off of a strong sense of community, which not only welcomes his spirit, but allows him to build comfortable environments that invite others to express their most optimum and authentic selves.  

In this week’s second addition to our bonus 3-parter "Inside the Creators of [I’M]Possible”, Lee interviews our production engineer, Antonio Banrey.  Part of the Northeastern Community (and the individual behind making us sound super good), Antonio shares how his love for storytelling and building community brought him to the podcast, the intersectionality between his creativity and who he is as a whole, what professionalism means to him now compared to his 16 year old self, and what he hopes the podcast will provide to others.   

Part 1 of a 3 epsiode spread featuring Northeastern University's LGBTQA+ Resource Center Director, Lee West, interviewing the co-creators of the [I'M]Possible Podcast.

In this bonus episode, Lee interviews co-host Alessandra Bryant. She provides her perspective of how she got involved with [I'M]Possible, the dynamic journey of conceiving and building up the podcast, as well as a little bit about her professional background. Alessandra introduces the concept of "pleasure activism", a term used to campaign the rightful act of seeking out a fulfilling life that is authentic and purposeful to oneself and their desires, especially within a changing world, and how that has helped to shape how she leads her personal and professional life.

We are back, Dear Listeners! Before we launch into Season 2, we have some bonus content to help ease you into the enriching conversations and topics we have coming soon.  

Marking the first of four bonus episodes in our Season 1.5, this week's posting features an extension from our diversity and inclusion talk from Season 1 with Jamie Bergeron and Alessandra Bryant. A short case study examining a real-life conflict Alessandra faced in a previous job in her teen years, surrounding racial prejudice and harassment. Tune in to hear more of Alessandra's experience, as well as Jamie's advice on how to recognize, embrace, and address situations similar to this one and other general conflicts in the workplace.   

Happy Holidays, Listeners! Happy 2021! Whew, we made it.  

A quick, little pick-me-up message from hosts, Alessandra and John, thanking all of you for tuning in to [I'M]Possible and supporting us on this new and exciting endeavor. Season 1 has wrapped and Season 2 is on its way! Tune in to hear Alessandra and John's reflections on building this podcast, what they have both learned throughout its developmental journey, and what is in store for [I'M]Possible's future.  

Cheers to a new year, with fresh beginnings and energy coming your way. Stay healthy and safe, positive and adventurous, and open y'all.

Welcome back to another episode of the [I'M]Possible Podcast - or more appropriately - the finale of Season 1! Wuuutttt!? I know, we're shooketh too.

In this week's fun and spirited episode, join host John Cornett as we delve into the fabulous and trailblazing journey of local Bostonian queer and Latino performance artist, Chris Colon. Throughout the conversation, John explores with Chris how honoring his creative spirit has allowed him to defy cultural expectations and stigma towards professional artists, especially during a global pandemic and a time of civil unrest. You will hear Chris discuss how he has built the life that authentically compliments him as a person, including the double life he shares alongside his drag alter-ego, Pristine Christine.  Join us as we send off 2020 with Chris and learn how one can "live the dream and feel the fantasy".  

 Hello Dear Listeners! Welcome to another week with the [I’M]Possible Podcast. In this week’s episode, we dive in and explore the benefits and challenges of diversity and inclusion, employee resource groups, and activism in the workplace with host Alessandra Bryant and our guest/NASA Space Queer Amila Cooray. Through discussions on previous experiences with discrimination, managing and leading resource groups for employees, as well as navigating through the typical actions and behaviors of individuals within an organization, Amila and Alessandra will explain some strategies and lessons learned that can provide folks with direction on how to supportive work environments that are authentic to you and the organization you work within.