In These Uncertain Times

Dr. Sara Rabinovitch, PhD (she/her) joins Derek for a timely chat about ways in which we can build resilience for ourselves and communities during this deeply uncertain moment. Dr. Sara shares some tactical tips about how we can support ourselves and loved ones as we process current events, pre-coping for unwanted outcomes, the importance of building community, and how to navigate seemingly irreconcilable views in relationships.

Dr. Sara is a Clinical Psychologist, and the founder of Pacific Mindful Wellbeing at Work and EquiSkills App, focused on employee wellbeing and inclusion. She supports organizations across sectors with on-demand, evidence-based culturally sensitive wellbeing support. She has deep expertise in supporting high-performing professionals in cybersecurity & engineering, and elite athletes. She also loves teaching and clinical training, serving as an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at USC Keck School of Medicine.

Connect with Dr. Sara:

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Please Note: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Nick Maddock (he/him) joins to discuss his nomadic way of life and all of the uncertainty that comes with it. Nick shares how meditations on mortality led him to living his life in this way, memorable stories from his years abroad, considerations and tips for those who might be interested in nomad life, and why he identifies as a “serial optimist.”

Please note: this episode contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide or other mental health crises, please call 988 to speak with people who are waiting to help you.  

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Nick Maddock is no stranger to transformation. From his days as a car mechanic and LGBTQ+ advocate to a corporate financial analyst turned globe-trotter, he's now embracing his newest avatar: an author. With a passport stamped by 115 countries and counting, he captures his global journey in his upcoming memoir. Nick's narratives already resonate with over 30,000 people through his active social media presence and newsletter, A Global Perspective. A passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and mental health, he also served as the Board Chair for the suicide prevention non-profit called Lost&Found. His journey, far from its finale after eight years as a nomad, continues to create tales of adventure, resilience, and inspiration. With each new endeavor, he's committed to sharing stories that ignite wanderlust and encourage others to live a life authentic to them.

Follow Nick on Instagram at @NickMaddockGlobal!

Derek is joined by returning guest Susan X Jane (she/her) to unpack the opportunities and challenges of DEI practice in 2024, reflections on the ever-evolving political stories of the moment, intergenerational dialogue and how/when leaders should pass the torch, the power of narratives in shaping reality and unreality, and how Susan contends with uncertainty by softening and surrendering.

Susan X Jane, Principal of Navigators Consulting, has over 30 years of experience exploring race and representation in both the public and private sectors.  Susan is a transracial adoptee—a Black woman raised in a White family and community—an experience that created an early focus on the way race shapes our concept of ourselves and each other.

Susan has worked to address race and racism as a community organizer, nonprofit program developer, professor of communications, and consultant to corporations and impact-focused institutions.  As Principal of Navigators Consulting, she draws on decades of experience to work with organizations in the public and private sectors.

To any who seeks to build a better world, she offers her skills as a teacher, coach, and strategic partner to help create diverse and inclusive environments where the humanity of all is respected and protected.

• Follow Susan on Instagram

• Learn about Susan’s practice, Navigators Consulting

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Please Note: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Magdalena Travis (she/her) and Derek have a jam-packed conversation about the applications and ethics of generative AI, how AI tools can create opportunity for those who are differently abled, the ways in which our society is not prepared for the AI revolution, and why she’s not worried about machines replacing human creativity just yet (hint: it involves storytelling).

Magdalena is a design director, aspiring writer and, regretfully, a voracious consumer of online content. Born and raised in Kraków, a longtime New Yorker and now in her mountain hermit era, she is always hungry for new experiences and places to explore. She is passionate - and will gladly infodump about - neurodiversity advocacy, animal welfare, and the power of design to create meaningful change.

Here’s more about some of the specific examples we discuss:

Connect with Magdalena on LinkedIn

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Please Note: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Dr. Thomas A. Vance (he/him), Psychologist, joins Derek to dive into how uncertainty shows up in his work, his culturally responsive approach to therapy, the role of community in mental health care, and how he’s been riding the waves of a career path that isn’t exactly what he had planned for.

Dr. Thomas A. Vance boasts over a decade of experience in clinical practice as a counseling psychologist, academic, and researcher. Specializing in multicultural psychology, he is committed to community empowerment, well-being, and amplifying historically marginalized voices.

As the founder of ClearMinds LLC, a leading tele-mental health and tele-coaching practice, Dr. Vance and his skilled team are dedicated to creating significant social impact. ClearMinds enhances well-being and quality of life by providing accessible, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed holistic care. Dr. Vance believes everyone deserves compassionate support and a genuine chance to thrive.

Residing in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Vance enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, enhancing his Spanish proficiency, and staying active through workouts. He is also a proud Lifetime Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

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NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Long time, no see! 👋

In Season 1, Derek spoke with creators and thought leaders about how they forged their path forward in the new normal created by COVID-19. This season, we’re opening up the frame to unpack ideas of uncertainty at large and how we navigate them as human beings.

In each episode, we imagine a brighter world on the other side of the challenges that lie ahead of us.

For updates, follow the show on Instagram at @uncertaintimespod

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NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Katie Martell (she/her) returns to interview me (Derek) for a special Season 1 finale episode. We discuss my journey over the past year, including the creation of this very podcast, how empathy could help us conquer many of the challenges facing society, body image standards and how they were impacted by lockdown, and unpack the very idea of uncertainty.

Derek J. Horn is a designer and podcast host. He works remotely as a Senior Designer for New York City-based agency, Beardwood&Co., where he has contributed to award-winning global design projects. His writing has appeared in publications including Dieline and Ad Age and he started a podcast, In These Uncertain Times, in Fall 2020. Derek is a longtime volunteer and now brand advisor for Out for Undergrad, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ students reach their full potential. He lives in Orlando, FL with his fiancé Joey and Shiba Inu pup, Luna.

And in case you missed them the first time around: 

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Deon Mixon (he/him), Graphic Designer, Author, and Entrepreneur, joins for a thoughtful discussion about his various projects including the Design Eye board game and his proposed redesigned flag for the City of Detroit, how he balances his various creative pursuits, and the causes and potential solutions for racial inequity in the design industry.

Deon Mixon is a graphic designer, author, and entrepreneur from Detroit, MI who specializes in brand identity design. He is an alumnus of Cass Tech (2013) and Western Michigan University (2017) with his BFA in Graphic Design. Mixon is a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, designer of the Detroit Rise Flag (a new flag for the City of Detroit), the author of the Lethal Creed Saga, and creator of the world's premier graphic design education board game, Design Eye. A movieworm, violinist, Naruto and Jason Bourne enthusiast, and practitioner and student of Krav Maga, Spanish, and Japanese, Mixon believes not in creating for himself but in giving great design to the world to help realize and voice ideas for others.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.

Black Luxe Creator Charlene Izere (she/her) joins to share how she built her personal brand and several ventures, strike down the notion that guilty pleasures need to be guilty, and share some great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, thought-leaders, and well-meaning non-Black allies.

Charlene Izere is a Black Luxe Creator and three-time entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Melanin & Money, a comprehensive hub for entrepreneurially-minded Black women; Soulful Systems, a boutique online business management agency supporting high-level entrepreneurs with sustainable systems; and Wellness Delivered, a self-care and community care brand. Her mission is to leave the world Blacker than when she entered.

Charlene has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Thrive Global, and Disrupt Magazine.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests and do not reflect any official policies or positions of any employer or affiliated organizations.