Marking The Path

In the final episode of Marking The Path, I am so grateful for you, listeners, supporters, and my team. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you. In this episode, we talk about the importance of building a team you believe in and can trust, the importance of setting goals and defining success for yourself, highlights from all three seasons, and the legacy we hope the podcast leaves behind. So please continue to mark the path forward, knowing that authenticity is the way.

I’m going to borrow a line from Oprah when she spoke to Yara Shahidi and said, “Your future is so bright, it burns my eyes!” That is how I feel about our last guest on Marking The Path. Storyteller, choreographer, actor, performer, and my best friend, Jennifer Florentino. In this episode, we talk about Jennifer’s upbringing and how her parents instilled the value of hard work and the pivotal moments and mentors that changed her life forever. We also talk about Jennifer’s accomplishments, including being chosen out of 30,000 artists who auditioned to be in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and her future as she continues to shine her light on the world. Follow her on Instagram @jenniferflorentino to learn more about her.

Guest Bio:

Jennifer Florentino, (Paterson, NJ) received her BFA in Dance from Point Park University. Upon graduating she had the privilege to perform and receive an honorable mention at The John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts for a duet she co-choreographed called “Till The End.” Most recently was a part of the development in the creation of Moulin Rouge The Musical and Once Upon A One  More Time. Jennifer's artistic career has granted her the opportunity to perform across the country. Musical Theater: On Your Feet (1st National), Moulin Rouge The Musical, Evita (Encores), Once Upon A One More Time. Television/Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, Starling, Modern Love, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Isn't It Romantic, Kennedy Center Honors (Gloria Estefan), SNL.Concert Dance: Kidd Pivot, LA Opera, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and Sonya Tayeh’s You'll Still Call Me By Name.

In the first season of Marking The Path, I chose to interview my big sister. We shared stories of our upbringing and talked about how her priorities changed when she became a teen mom. So for the third and final season, I thought it was befitting to interview her daughter, my niece, Jailyn Alberto. We talk about this idea of discovery and finding yourself, growing up trying to live up to our parents’ expectations while staying true to ourselves, and being grateful for your community and those that came before you. I am so proud of the young woman Jailyn is becoming, and I am pleased to be her uncle. Check out the episode with her mom, Jennifer Martinez: The Path of a Sibling.

For a long time, I have had a strained relationship with the Church. Years ago, I came out as a gay teenager and experienced lateral violence from adults who were leaders in the Church.  Instead of doing what Jesus would do, they put me in a box and pushed me away. However, after years of therapy, I now know that people out there love me exactly as I am and align with my values. Andre Henry, a musician, singer, songwriter, author, and activist I met over a decade ago at a Church event, is this week's guest on Marking The Path. In this episode, we talk about showing up despite your past, the importance of sharing your trauma and triumphs, and gaining a stronger sense of self when you lose friends who don't align with your values. We also talk about Andre's forthcoming book, "All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep," the publishing process, and when to buy it. To pre-order his book, click here!

Andre Henry has a passion for making the invisible visible. In the summer of 2016, he began lugging a solid granite boulder around Los Angeles to show the weight of systemic racism on the black psyche. Months later, he walked around dressed for a funeral with the names of the victims of state violence written on his jacket; and in response to the police-involved death of his mentally ill neighbor, J.R. Thomas, Andre founded an activist collective called “Something Disruptive” dedicated to creative, nonviolent direct action. Together, “Something Disruptive” convened a group of community leaders, students, clergy, and civilians from around Los Angeles County for a year-long vigil in protest of police brutality in the wake of J.R. Thomas’ death at the doors of the Pasadena Police Station called “A Subversive Liturgy.” Through this year-long action, the group raised financial support for J.R.’s family and local Black Lives Matter activists, as well as mobilized support for the Black Lives Matter Pasadena Freedom School serving the youth of Northwest Pasadena.

The past few months have been difficult. I recently was laid off from my job, I made a cross-country move to Atlanta, and I’ve been heavily feeling imposter syndrome and uncertainty. So it’s no coincidence that I have been interviewing spiritually grounded guests that own their connection to their higher power because I am on a journey back to mine. Today’s guest is Caridad De La Luz AKA La Bruja! In this episode, we talk about her first time performing at the esteemed Nuyorican Poets Cafe, her love for her hometown: the Bronx, and the inception of her fantastic piece, Poor to Rico. We even get a snippet! I share my gratitude with La Bruja because, without poets like her, there would be no poets like me. Seeing her and other Puerto Rican artists share themselves so freely gave me a path to follow. To learn more about La Bruja, check out her website https://caridaddelaluz.com/

For our third and final installment of #AskMark, we received various questions from our community, and I enjoyed answering every one of them! In this episode, I talk about advocating for yourself, cultivating a workspace that promotes authenticity, honoring the calling of your life, and so much more. I am so thankful for our listeners and everything I have learned on this podcasting journey. Be sure to follow @MarkingThePath on Instagram to learn more.

Wade Davis is a writer, public speaker, and thought leader on gender, race, and sexual orientation equality. He is also the Vice President of Inclusion Strategy for Product at Netflix, a former NFL player, and my big brother in my head. In this episode, we have a fantastic conversation about defining success and excellence, learning to love through feminist thought, and the importance of celebrating the accomplishments of Black and Brown people, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition, Wade shares that he is a Black man on a journey back to himself! He is in transition, still learning love and acceptance, and his path forward includes more silence, stillness, and introspection. Learn more about Wade Davis on his website, http://wadeadavis.com/.

Guest Bio:

Former NFL Player Wade Davis is an educator and advisor on gender, race, and orientation equality, and is currently the VP of Inclusion for Product at Netflix. Wade was the NFL’s first LGBT inclusion consultant, where he worked at the intersection of sexism, racism, and homophobia to build inclusive leadership strategies and engagement initiatives. Prior to joining Netflix, Wade consulted for Google, P&G, Viacom, and Bacardi, and others. Wade is a board member of the Ms. Foundation for Women, as well as a United Nations Women Global Impact Champion, and a founding member of VICE’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board with Gloria Steinem and others. Wade is also on the boards of Me Too International, the MAD Foundation, Promundo, the Peace Studio, and Sparks + Honey, and a Global Champion for Girl Up, a program of the United Nations Foundation. Understanding the importance of engaging men around gender equity and equality, Wade built a ‘Men’s Gender Equality Development’ leadership program that launched with the United Nations 2018. A former national surrogate for President Obama, Wade has been an Adjunct Professor at both NYU and Rutgers. Wade gave his first TEDx Talk at the University of Florida entitled: The Mask of Masculinity and works to engage men through a variety of vehicles to become more self-reflective and divest in patriarchal practices. He continues to lecture on the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and sports at universities nationally and internationally. Wade Davis graduated from Weber State University and also received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University for his leadership and ongoing efforts to eradicate homophobia and sexism in athletics.

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Your life can change in an instant. One minute you are making plans, hanging with friends, and feeling invincible. The next minute you are hit by a drunk driver and paralyzed from the waist down. This is only a part of Marc Brew’s story. He would find his way back to dance and become an acclaimed international choreographer and AXIS Dance Company’s Artistic Director. In this episode we talk about Marc’s life before and after the accident, how his stubbornness helped him heal, using dance as a vehicle to explore his new body, and finding balance to give himself the time and space to just breathe. Please note that since the recording of this episode, it was announced that Marc would be wrapping up his time as Artistic Director of AXIS at the end of 2021 and would be returning to the UK. Check out http://www.marcbrew.com/ to learn more about him.

Acclaimed International choreographer and AXIS Dance Company Artistic Director Marc Brew trained as a professional dancer at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and The Australian Ballet School. He has been working in the UK and Internationally for over 20 years as a director, choreographer, dancer, teacher and speaker; with the Australian Ballet Company, State Theatre Ballet Company of South Africa, Infinity Dance Theatre, CandoCo Dance Company and AXIS Dance Company. Marc was Associate Director with Scottish Dance Theatre, Associate Artistic Director with Ballet Cymru in Wales and was Associate Artist in 2015 at Tramway Theatre in Glasgow. Since 2008 Marc has been dedicating time to his own choreography with Marc Brew Company and his recent choreographic commissions include San Francisco Ballet School, Dancing Wheels, Scottish Ballet, Ballet Cymru (Wales), YDance (Scotland), AXIS Dance Company (USA), Candoco Dance Company (UK), Touch Compass (NZ), Amy Seiwert’s Imagery (USA) and Scottish Dance Theatre (Scotland). Marc was presented with a Centenary Medal for Outstanding Contribution as a dancer and choreographer. His work Remember When was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Best Performance (individual) and his recent solo work For Now, I am… was listed in the Guardians Top 10 Dance Shows for 2016. 

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It is important for me to pay homage to those people who have impacted my life. The Audre Lorde’s, the Oprah’s, the Brene Brown’s. Viewing their work and seeing them be honest and free, inspired my personal journey of finding myself and my voice. So this episode is extra special because today’s guest is the one and only adrienne maree brown. She is a writer, podcast host, and organizer, and we have an amazing conversation about life, acceptance, and connection. adrienne describes how growing up in a biracial home, and splitting her time between the U.S. and Germany, opened her up to learning different cultures and ways of being. She talks about the interconnectedness of human nature, and how she manages her influence on others. And, she expresses the importance of listening to your body and making choices that will benefit you. Check out her website https://adriennemareebrown.net/ to learn more!

Guest Bio: 

adrienne maree brown is the author of Grievers (the first in her novella series with the Black Dawn imprint), Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Meditation, We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds and the co-editor of Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements. She is the co-host of The Emergent Strategy Podcast, How to Survive the End of the World and Octavia’s Parables. adrienne is rooted in Durham.

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Today’s guest is Robyn Ochs, an educator, speaker, activist, editor of Bi Women Quarterly, and my auntie in my head. Robyn’s work centers on identity and sexuality, and in this episode, we go there! We talk about why there is so much misconception and phobia against bi and pansexual people even from the queer community, the importance of representation in the media and in real life, and how finding your identity is a forever journey. I share the story of how I met Robyn and how I knew it was our destiny to meet. I also talk about how her work has affected me, as a gay gender-nonconforming man. It made me realize that sexuality is a spectrum and it isn’t defined by body parts. It’s about the romantic connection you have with the soul. Robyn’s work isn’t just for people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Her work liberates us all. To learn more about Robyn, check out her website at www.RobynOchs.com. 

Robyn Ochs is an educator, speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men. An advocate for the rights of people of ALL orientations and genders to live safely, openly, and with full access and opportunity, Robyn’s work focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of complex identities and mobilizing people to be powerful allies to one another within and across identities and social movements. Robyn was named by Teen Vogue as one of “9 Bisexual Women Who are Making History.”

Submit your questions for #AskMark here!