Adam Becenti becomes the newest member of the two-timer club, as he returns to be this week’s guest on Keoni Chats. A lot of Adam’s first episode revolved around his participation in the Black Lives Matter movement and his support to community causes. We built off that episode and talked about his work as the Tribal Affairs Director at the Oregon Department of Human Services and having a balance between his work and his culture. What always sparked my curiosity about Adam was how he finds the line between work and culture when his job involves his culture. We also talked about his participation at speaking engagements at schools such as University of Colorado and University of Oregon. Follow Adam here: https://bit.ly/3wlbVkX , https://bit.ly/3uxp9un , https://bit.ly/3UGDXRQ 

Confessions Of A Tiny Teacher Founder Tasha Emmerson joins me in this week’s Keoni Chats. Tasha and I have similar social circles, but this was the first time we’ve talked with each other. Her openness and engaging nature made this conversation quickly comfortable. We talked about her upbringing with absentee parents, and having to be the parental figure for her sisters. Tasha opened up about her marriage to her husband and being involved with each other for almost two decades. As Tasha became a mother of 2, and her teaching career was taking off, the world was introduced to COVID. This would lead to the creation of Tiny Learning Box. Follow Tasha Here: http://bit.ly/3tiPCeE . Visit Confessions Of A Tiny Teacher website here: https://bit.ly/3tsHEiU

I met Keith Nelson for the first time in this week’s Keoni Chats.  He was born and raised in Portland, OR and we are both alumni from the same high school and college. I reached out to him through our high school’s facebook group and he graciously accepted. This chat was a challenge for me, not only because this is our first time meeting, but because of his extensive resume and figuring out where to go first. Keith is a Comedian and Actor of over 30 years. Outside of the comedy stage, Keith has been in projects such as: Electives, Not for Nothin’, and Mobsters and Mormons. Keith and I talked about the importance of being on time in his world and he shared some stories from the stand up comedy world. Check out his website here: https://www.keithrossnelson.org/ . 

After keeping up with Angela Lackey through social media for so long, it was time that I brought onto the show for this week’s Keoni Chats. Ever since Angela and I were calling each other “co-workers,” she had talked about clothes and her fashion line Diversified Clothing Brand. We talked about the beginnings of Diversified Clothing Brand and some of her future plans for the company. Angela is a former professional athlete so she brings the same focus and energy to her brand as she did when she was playing basketball. We talked about the multiple hats she has to wear (for now) and how she keeps going, even when COVID began to spread. Check out Diversified Clothing Brand here: https://diversifiedclothingbrand.com/ .

Olan Muller opens up about his journey in this week’s Keoni Chats. Olan was one academic year younger than me but our paths always found a way to each other. During our time together in high school, we did dragon boats together and our social circles overlapped. Olan and I talked about his new look of shoulder length hair and a mustache. We also talked about his unconventional path that began during his middle school years as his childhood home went further and further into the distance. Olan opened up about always being on the move and how he is transitioning to his career as an Air Traffic Controller. Follow Olan here: http://bit.ly/44CH1R2 

As Bryton Wilson is getting settled into his new home, he takes a break from unpacking and we reconnect in this week’s Keoni Chats. I met Bryton when I was working at Nike and he was working at Apple. As the Nike Apple Watch was being released, he would be in the Nike store to answer any customer questions. When we weren’t talking about watches, Bryton and I would talk about everyday life. I kept up with Bryton as he went deeper into the photography and videography world as a freelancer. We talked about the progression from a hobby to a business and how he is shifting his focus to projects he really enjoys. View Bryton’s website here: https://brytonw.com/ 

Dom Huynh returns for another conversation in this week’s Keoni Chats. The last time we spoke was late 2020 so trying to cover his life since then was tricky but really fun to hear about. After pairing up with Dillon Vibes (former guest), Dom gained some traction in the fitness world as he was casted for some fitness equipment commercials. I asked Dom about that experience and keeping in shape as he ages. We also talk about his character “Hank” in the movie Obsessed With The Babysitter and how he was able to mold that role into his vision. Before our chat, Dom wrapped up a stint on the Disney Cruise line ship playing the character of Shang-Chi. He dived into that experience as well as techniques on unwinding in a small space. Find Dom’s films here: https://imdb.to/3BOUGId. Follow Dom here: https://bit.ly/3jsXzma; https://bit.ly/31C7LTo; https://bit.ly/37ExmiA

Ashby Rodriguez and I take our usual small talk a step further in this week’s Keoni Chats. Ashby is married to former guest David Rodriguez. We talked about how their relationship started and how they endured long distance. Ashby and David are renovating their homes without any proper training outside of what they call “YouTube University.” We talk about how they handle a home project gone sideways. I met Ashby as she was working for the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV). I wanted to know more about how she doesn’t take the heaviness of her work with her back home. We also talked about her experience teaching in Peru, at a young age, and her naive braveness when it came to living in a foreign country. Follow Ashby here: https://bit.ly/3GZNVWM

Kelsey Sievert virtually joins me for this week’s Keoni Chats. I met Kelsey during my time at the University of Oregon. While in Eugene, my roommate and I took in a stray cat (that ended up being pregnant with three kittens). Kelsey and I went on a couple dates, and while that never led to anything, I still thought of her as a great friend and gave her a kitten. One aspect that made me want to talk with her was that she is a professional makeup artist. I wanted to know how early covid affected her and how she adapted. We also talked about the grief for her brother. I usually try to learn from my guest but talking with Kelsey about her grief helped me gain a new perspective on mine. Since leaving Eugene, Kelsey has outstood two marriages and is in her third; I wanted to know how she didn’t give up on love. Follow Kelsey here: https://bit.ly/3FCdxsl; https://bit.ly/3JREU3Z; https://bit.ly/3ZVyLtc

Edward Bernier V steps away from the microphone and cameras to join me for this week’s Keoni Chats. I met Edward in middle school and even then, we never had a conversation longer than a sentence. I kept track of Edward's musical career as he dove further and further. He would find traction as he would perform live and start to open for big name artist. He really caught my eye when I saw his music video for his song The Accused. The editing and lyrics sparked my curiosity. The more I listened to his music, the more I wanted to talk with him about his journey since I last saw him. Follow him at the links below to engage with his art.

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xQAYts

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3IzpShI

IG: https://bit.ly/3YZhDlK

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3IPvwgG