PlayGround

On today's episode of PlayGround, we have our very first international guest! Meet Ozzin Jun, who is a digital media consultant originally from South Korea but currently living in Switzerland. She was a shy girl as a child who struggled to speak up in class and in life. However, through multiple breakthroughs that involve a complete mindset transformation, a desire to change the world, and an understanding that we are all human and seek love and empathy, Ozzin is now constantly "jumping in the deep end" and seeking discomfort in her business and personal life. She is also the founder of the Instagram account @youruniversalway and provides science-based personal development advice that has helped her through mental health wounds. She shares a very vulnerable story in our conversation involving loss that highlights the importance of the inner child in humanity. If you are curious about the Law of Attraction, entrepreneurship, or simply evolving yourself through breakthroughs, this is the episode for you!

We kick off Black History Month with this surreal conversation recorded on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Meet Drew Forde (@thatviolakid), a professional viola player known for his entrepreneurial spirit and his online brand, who has played with Ariana Grande at the Grammys, Alicia Keys, and Camila Cabello, among others. Drew relays his experience as an African-American man in the United States of America, and we start the podcast conversation discussing systemic racism and its prevalence in today's world. We then slowly transition into Drew's passion for music and playing the viola. Most of the conversation is two nerds talking about creativity, science, music, and being human. There are many gems and advice in this conversation, and I promise you do not want to miss it! 

If you want to learn more about Drew and his music/brand, follow him at @thatviolakid or listen to his own podcast at @fakingnotespodcast.

Why? This question is central to Mr. Doug Shipman, an Emory alum, the founding CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and former CEO of BrightHouse and the Woodruff Arts Center in downtown Atlanta. Mr. Shipman grew up in a small conservative town in Arkansas, curious about the world he had only read about. In this conversation, Mr. Shipman and I discuss his childhood memories, his undergraduate years at Emory University, and how he became passionate about social justice and politics. He shares many stories about the social justice campaigns happening at Emory in his time, leading the project for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, his thoughts on the Civil Rights Movement(s) and #blacklivesmatter on social media, and how he learned to always ask questions. Our conversation takes us from social justice to philosophy to religion and back to social justice, showing how complicated, yet interconnected, the topics we cover in this conversation are. I hope you enjoy this 60 minute episode about our desire to always ask questions and how to respect the answers we receive!

Did you ever watch Nickelodeon as child? Perhaps SpongeBob SqaurePants, Dora the Explorer, or Avatar the Last Airbender? Or did you ever wonder about the secret formula of their slime? (It's still a secret, but this episode gives a little hint...) 

Meet Brian Tolleson, an Emmy-nominated and Grammy-nominated executive producer in the entertainment business who worked at Columbia Pictures on films such as GLADIATOR and founded multiple companies in the industry. Brian was a pre-medical student at Emory University who dropped pre-med after taking Organic Chemistry. We discuss his childhood growing up in an entrepreneurial family, his crazy experiences of being a 20-year old in Hollywood during the 90's, and his creative marketing campaigns on fan-favorite Nickelodeon shows. Brian and I share similar values, including authenticity, and we dive into the entrepreneurial mindset and the lessons he has learned on his journey. If you are curious about entrepreneurship and/or creativity, this 60-minute episode will inspire you! 

TW: Suicide comes up in this episode. 

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Karlie Cummins, founder of @w1ldcoaching on Instagram. She is a childhood friend of prior guest Lydia and has found herself in a unique situation with the COVID pandemic, as many of us have. Karlie recounts her travel stories around the world with Children's Global Alliance and the changes in perspectives she has gained from these travels. We then transition the conversation to her personal story and struggle in making her dream to change the world a reality. Karlie is an authentic individual who leads with purpose and inspiration for others. She has made an admirable commitment to treat herself with kindness and grace, as life throws curveballs at her, and I have learned a lot from this conversation, as I am sure you will too! 

Arjun is fascinated by virtues - his own virtues and those of his gurus. In fact, he has created his own "litmus-virtue experiment" to understand the number of virtues followed by historical figures. I first met Arjun in an annual play called Jhalak hosted by Emory's Pakistani Student Association. In this episode, we reconnect, and Arjun explains his childhood interest for pure creation, whether it be creating legos with his brother or creating a giant pillow fort in his house. The conversation slowly turns towards religion, as Arjun explains the purpose behind a book he is currently working on. We share our views on religion and spirituality and bring the conversation back to his childhood, and how Hinduism has played a major role in his upbringing. This 90 minute episode shares comedic moments from Arjun's childhood as well as some major life questions he has been pondering that may leave you pondering as well. 

"When was the last time you skipped?" Mahogani Navarette, a single mother living near Atlanta, GA, shares her love for art and the lessons she has learned throughout her life. She is an amazing storyteller who tells experiences of  discovering her talent for art in school, learning a new perspective from her daughter, and being on Tea with GaryVee earlier this summer. A daughter of immigrants, Mahogani has a lot of passions that she wants to pursue, and she is determined to accomplish them all.  

Take some time this Thanksgiving week to listen to a beautiful soul talk about gratitude, positive thinking, and not giving up when the going gets tough! You can find more information regarding Mahogani's art pieces here: https://mahogani-studios.square.site/ 

Estefany is an immigrant from Venezuela who came to the United States of America for more opportunity. She is currently a yoga instructor in New York City living her American dream. She recounts growing up in a small room with her single mother and her sisters in Venezuela, and the lack of resources available to her even though she graduated from university there. After moving to the United States, she had to learn English, work two jobs, and go to school all at once. Estefany is a living example of if you work hard enough and continue to dream big, you can live out your wildest dreams. Thank you Estefany for this inspiration! 

We spoke in Spanish towards the beginning of the episode but switch to English afterwards. If you are looking for an  episode that will change your perspective on life and inspire you to dream big, Estefany's immigrant story is the one for you! 

"Action is everything." These are three words that Jason lives by. Jason is a fitness trainer and a sports card collector from California who is very active on Instagram. His energy and passion for what he does shows through our conversation as we discuss his childhood, growing up with martial arts, dancing to Michael Jackson VHS tapes, and why he maintains that same fun and curiosity he had as a child now as a 29 year old. If you want to listen in on a "pick-me-up" kind of conversation this week, this is the conversation for you! 

In this episode of PlayGround, I have a conversation with Anastasia, a stranger I met through Instagram! We talk about her passion for organic cooking, and how she finds creativity in it. Anastasia is an Atlanta native who now lives in Boston for her job with an airline company. She has been around the world and has some great insights on what it means to be human and shares her perspectives on life. If you want to chill this week and learn more about a stranger's life and their perspectives from traveling all around the world, hit play on this episode!