Cultural, religious and familial tensions as well as childhood trauma stunted Noor’s identity for awhile, but through twists and turns, she eventually evolved from inward thinking and meek to out and loud!

In this conversation, Noor and I explore what it was like growing up in India in a multi-generational household; discuss the impact Sikhism and the anti-Sikh riots of the 1980’s had on her and her family; and share mutual stories and perspectives about our very tough experiences with sexual abuse as children.

Then, we explore the culture shock Noor experienced coming to the U.S. for the first time for her under-grad, as well as the unique experiences she had while attending Oxford University for her M.B.A.; talk about her passion for positively impacting Delhi’s urban slums and the $0.5 million incubation she co-founded to  help improve transportation infrastructure; and dive into her journey to realizing her Gay identity in her 30s and how her long battle with body disassociation prolonged this discovery.

And throughout, we explore what it’s like living as an empath and the significant toll that can have on some; the value of shaping your own identity to fit your true self; and how we could all benefit from finding more happiness in the simple things—just like our fur babies.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

Despite the tremendous hurdles of shame and pain Madeline Ruiz has faced, her passion for empathy has never faded.

In this conversation, we explore the magnitude of shame Madeline endured as a Bolivian/Honduran female throughout her childhood and young adulthood—both inside and outside her culture walls—stemming from her “wifery” grooming; a Mormon upbringing; in-school racism and bullying; and pressures and expectations placed on her as a first-generation Hispanic.

Then, we dive into her super painful, 12-year battle with two hormonal conditions, including endometriosis and PCOS; her tough experiences being undiagnosed and mis-treated for over a decade; the unsettling lack of care that’s given to female health conditions today, especially by male doctors; and her eventual, life-changing road to “recovery.”

And throughout, Madeline exemplifies how crucial it is to think for yourself and challenge “commonly just accepted” philosophies; the immense power therapy, especially culturally-competent therapy, can have on ridding shame; and her long-time love of creativity and commitment to empathy, and how she’s been able to marry these two together in her work as a designer.

** The name of this week's guest has been altered to protect privacy and preserve anonymity.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

Gaining confidence and finding her own voice is something Chelsea Gilchrist, MGS struggled with for awhile, but once she conquered it, she not only had the courage to speak up for herself, she also became the loud vocals for many older adults who had become voiceless themselves.

In this conversation, we talk about what it was like for 14-year-old Chelsea trying to cope with her grandmother’s dementia; some of the regrets she still has today about not fully understanding the disease back then; and many myths and misconceptions that exist about dementia as well as Alzheimer’s today.

We also dive into her extraordinary career in the gerontology/aging space. We explore her work in social isolation and falls prevention; touch upon several issues plaguing the aging community today (e.g., poorly managed long-term care facilities, a lack of resources for younger caregivers and the unfortunate reality of many older adults getting separated from their beloved pets despite myriad data illustrating their immense value); and the incredible contributions Chelsea’s made as the volunteer President of the junior board of the D.C. area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Then, we zoom in closely on some of the ironic ageism Chelsea herself has had to face while working in an industry “dedicated” to fighting ageism, and discuss what it means to be a true leader—especially as it relates to women.

If you would like to learn how to get involved with the D.C. area chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, or send Chelsea a question on anything aging related, you can find her on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

The label “bipolar” is one that Stephan Ringer leans into wholeheartedly, and is what ultimately enabled him to be himself always—regardless of relationship or environment.

In part 1 of this conversation, we set the stage for Stephan’s incredible journey to being diagnosed bipolar in his late 30s (and spoiler alert!), what it was like discovering that his wife was also bipolar in the same year.

We dive into Stephan’s childhood, including what it was like being raised by a Korean mother while also having three older sisters; the intense seven-year experience of him and his family delivering the Washington Post to help make ends meet; and his young performing arts career.

We also share perspectives on the value of higher education today; talk about how Stephan ultimately decided not to finish his degree, but instead launch his career at AOL during the hype of AIM, where he ended up meeting his now wife; and dive into the early years of his marriage, including some struggles and baggage that manifested itself during their three-year stint living in London, which became the catalyst that dropped them into the “insanity pit.”

Throughout this conversation, we attempt to break down stigmas and “judgment” barriers by talking about what it means to be a “misfit,” and how we are all misfits in one way or another.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

From a Black lawyer to a female leader to a loving mother, Kisha A. Brown, Esq. is dedicated to always showing up in the world, and doing it consciously.

In this conversation, Kisha and I journey through her extraordinary legal career—from her time as a practicing attorney, to becoming the first woman to hold the role of Director of Civil Rights for the Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights, and then to today as a legal tech entrepreneur—and deep-dive into a plethora of civil rights and economic issues impacting the Black community, including police brutality, poverty, voter intimidation and more.

We also talk about her journey to becoming the founder of Justis Connection, a Black lawyer referral and legal resources platform, and her mission and vision around impacting the world from the “Black perspective”–including what her and her team are doing to develop solutions that’ll make technology more equitable and inclusive for people of color.

And through this conversation, Kisha opens up about multiple adversities she’s encountered throughout her life, including challenges trying to navigate the culture shock and a “double life” as a child when she moved from a very diverse NY to a very segregated Georgia; racism and workplace discrimination; and internal struggles with female disempowerment in leadership.

To connect with Kisha directly, you can send her an email at [email protected].

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov, Serge Quadrado and Coma Media. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

Across four careers and just as many continents, Yza Shady’s journey through life can be described as many things, but plain isn’t one of them! In this conversation, we talk about Yza’s extraordinary career pivots, starting with her dancing days in 1980s’ NYC go-go bars and Parisian cabaret clubs, as well as cruise ships; to her time as an off-Broadway actor; then her transition to teacher at an elite boarding school for protege golf and tennis students; and finally her  move to the corporate world as a proposal writer. We also dive into what it was like growing up in a multi-cultural, Hispanic/Black family; her experience traveling solo at 15 to live abroad in South America for a year; and some of the prejudices she’s faced being a “dark-haired, dark-skinned” artist, beginning as an eight-year-old ballerina. And through all these experiences, Yza shares several surreal, sometimes life-altering, moments in time that have shaped her, as well as some adversities, including a couple near-death encounters; an unexpected divorce; and workplace inequity. We end by talking about Yza’s dream to eventually become an author and share her autobiographical essays with the world. And at the very end, Yza graces us by reading one of her essays, and it’s packed with so much emotion!

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov, Serge Quadrado and Coma Media. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

Sonia Zamborsky, (she/her/hers), doesn’t just live her truth, she lives it loudly–and proudly!  In this conversation, Sonia shares what her journey was like finding her sexual identity throughout her 20s and 30s; discovering what her queerness meant to her, and sometimes struggling with not being “queer enough”; and what it’s like coming out as a poly femme while also challenging common myths and misconceptions that exist. We also talk about Sonia’s passion for doing good in the world, and the incredible mission-based career she’s had–from helping organizations to better infuse DEIJ (or diversity, equity, inclusion and justice) principles into digital products and experiences to some of the volunteering work she’s done in the social impact space. And we also dive into bringing that J (or justice) piece to life when Sonia shares her experience helping to save a historic African American cemetery from being destroyed back in June 2020, and the humbling contributions she was able to make as a white ally.

Need a DEIJ consultant for your digital products and experiences, want to get involved with Sustainability Matters, or just want to know more about Sonia? You can find her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov, Serge Quadrado and Coma Media. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.

I'm so excited for season 1 of Not Your Average GOAT as well as to share a preview of the first few episodes with you!

Hi, I'm Teisha Gillespie, host of the upcoming podcast, Not Your Average GOAT. In this episode, I share with you my inspiration for why I even wanted to start a podcast; what my mission is and what I'm trying to accomplish with the show; and why I chose the name, Not Your Average GOAT. I'm going live in June, so get ready to tune in!

Please follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to get notified of new episodes. You can also visit us at NotYourAverageGOAT.org.