The chase is over as Ben Collins finally joins me for this week’s Keoni Chats. Ben was one of the first people I asked to be a guest on this show but opted to work on himself before taking the seat. Geesh did this guy work on himself as we talk about everything from his time as a guitarist, jumping from band to band, to the incident that pushed him to sober living. We talked about the connection of songwriting with comic book writing and the origins of that passion. Check out his website now https://thegonzoraven.com/ and read the writing pieces that were talked about in this episode. Along with the Gonzo Raven social media accounts, follow Ben at these platforms: https://bit.ly/3zesJZZ ; https://bit.ly/3cmYXco

From one-time football player to Vice President of Personal Capital, Kevin Corbin stops by for this week’s Keoni Chats. Kevin has bounced around following college but found his home back in Oregon. I played freshman football with Kevin where he sustained a knee injury making him convert to basketball. We talk about the hardship of handling that injury at a young age. Kevin found Economics and the financial world during his time at the University of Oregon. We talked about his interesting family dynamic as he and his dad were the only ones in a home filled with women. Follow Kevin on these platforms: https://bit.ly/3OYvJ1p ; https://bit.ly/3yag2gV

Fresh off Adelsheim’s Vineyard, Emily McMullen sits down with me for this week’s Keoni Chats. This will serve as Emily and I’s first conversation outside of email. We talked about a wide variety of topics including the life of a mother during early COVID to jumping to Adelsheim after being a teacher. While it was tricky balancing the conversation to cover both work and life, Emily surprised me when she shared about some trauma she experienced early in her life. Dive into my chat with her now and find out how she keeps her smile and upbeat personality through a family motto. Check out Adelsheim here: https://www.adelsheim.com/.

Longtime friend and sibling-like figure Rolando Rado drops in for this week’s Keoni Chats. Rolando is my brother’s age but we always spent time together either watching WWE or attending a ComiCon. As he progressed through life, I noticed that Rolando’s tough exterior started to soften up and he was being more open. We talk about his military experience and the moment that led to his PTSD. While he is no longer in active duty, he is helping those that have lost loved ones to the military. Check out my chat with him now and find out how he found the right way to let people in. Follow him on this platform: https://bit.ly/3pYbqY0

The Oregon based, funk music singer Samira Lobby joins me for this week’s Keoni Chats. Samira and I have both called the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication building - Allen Hall - a second home and that was the first spark that led to me wanting to have this conversation. While it was challenging to make this interview different from previous podcast interviews she's had, I really enjoyed the different topics we jumped in. Samira shared her opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement, her involvement in her various communities and much more. Check out Samira’s website here: https://www.samiralobby.com Follow Samira on these platforms: https://bit.ly/34vKl77

Kristiana Kamara leaves the warmth of Arizona and returns to Oregon for this week’s Keoni Chats. I met Kristiana in high school and when we talked about our time under that roof, I realized that I knew close to nothing about her. Kristiana is the eldest of six sisters and her parents were far from ideal. She had to grow up quickly. Despite her childhood being shortened, she is able to relive it with her two daughters. After leaving the cold and rainy Pacific Northwest, Kristiana found a new life in Arizona. Tune into my chat with her now and find out about her new life in Arizona. Follow her on this platform: https://bit.ly/3AUrWg1

Jen John virtually makes the trip down Interstate 5 and joins me for this week’s Keoni Chats. I met Jen through my partner and the first sentence she used to describe Jen was that she is sober. This was the first sign that I wanted to hear her story and get it out to the public as alcohol is engraved in a lot of society. I had so many questions for her at that moment that bringing her on as a guest was in the near future. What added to my motivation to get her story out, was her survival of a school shooting. The emotional and mental work Jen has done to move forward with life is uplifting and inspiring. Follow Jen on this platform: https://bit.ly/3A0K338