SoCal Voices

By Angela Ross

SoCal Voices is an award-winning podcast that shares authentic stories and local wisdom to help Southern Californians navigate the region’s challenges and thrive in the place we call home.

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· Society & Culture

5

2020 ratings

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FAQs about SoCal Voices:

How many episodes does SoCal Voices have?

The podcast currently has 149 episodes available.

SoCal Voices episodes:

December 04, 2025 Dr. Disneyland, Walt's Wisdom & the Power of Belief
Southern Californians know a thing or two about chasing sunshine and big dreams, and there’s no better example of that spirit than the man who created the happiest place on earth.
In this episode of SoCal Voices, you’ll hear from Dr. Disneyland, also known as Jeff Barnes, the author, speaker, and founder of The Wisdom of Walt. He shares how exploring Walt Disney’s life reshaped his own journey.
He unpacks what it really means to build your own reality and why those “wild” ideas you’re afraid to say out loud might be exactly what puts your world on a whole new path.
Resources
thewisdomofwalt.com
Enjoy the Show? Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Thank you for listening! Support SoCal Voices Podcast. Your contributions help us continue to bring you quality content about navigating life in Southern California. It’s easy! Just click this link:
Support the show
...more
22min
November 20, 2025Beating Burnout in SoCal Hustle Culture
Southern California is filled with overachievers. Without some balance and healthy practices, the relentless drive to accomplish more can leave us feeling like we're running on fumes. Licensed marriage and family therapist Laurel van der Toorn of Los Angeles specializes in helping high achieving professionals overcome burnout and improve their mental well-being. In this episode of SoCal Voices, she shares how burnout sneaks into the bodies and minds of high performers and what it really takes to heal. From simple mindset shifts to redefining success beyond achievement, this conversation might help you find the balance you need to thrive without losing your edge.
Resources
Laurel Therapy Collective
Enjoy the Show? Join our community!
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Shop SoCal Voices Bookshelf
Shop SoCal Voices Merch
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Support SoCal Voices
Your financial support ensures we can keep producing content that helps you thrive in Southern California. Thanks for helping us keep the mic on!
Support the show
...more
27min
November 06, 2025All In - The Power of Believing in Yourself
Since booking his first gig in 2004, LA voice actor Kyle Chapple has built a career across video games, animation, and commercials but he didn't reach those milestones on talent alone. His journey has also been about grit, risk, and belief in self. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Chapple talks about everything it took for him to achieve his dreams and why it was so important for him to go all in. If you’re grinding toward a goal and wondering whether to stay the course or walk away, Chapple’s journey may be just the inspiration you need.
Resources
Learn more about Kyle Chapple.
Enjoy the Show? Join our community!
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Shop SoCal Voices Bookshelf
Shop SoCal Voices Merch
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Support SoCal Voices
Your financial support ensures we can keep producing content that helps you thrive in Southern California. Thanks for helping us keep the mic on!
Support the show
...more
31min
October 23, 2025What SNAP Changes Mean for Local Food Banks
The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” included funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. These cuts mean Southern Californians dealing with food insecurity may need to turn to local food banks in increasing numbers to put food on the table. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Rachel Bonilla of Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino, explains how her organization is preparing for the potential increased demand, and how Southern Californians can come together to help meet the growing need.
Resources
Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino
Enjoy the Show? Join our community!
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Shop SoCal Voices Bookshelf
Shop SoCal Voices Merch
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Support SoCal Voices
Your financial support ensures we can keep producing content that helps you thrive in Southern California. Thanks for helping us keep the mic on!

Support the show
...more
24min
October 16, 2025Protecting Democracy in a Targeted State
Serving as an effective state legislator in 2025 requires “next level” commitment and courage, as California finds itself targeted by what some political observers describe as the Trump administration’s retribution campaign. Despite this challenging political environment, State Assemblymember Corey Jackson of SoCal’s 60th assembly district is focused on leading with purpose and clarity. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Jackson shares how staying focused on what matters most builds resilience and serves as an act of resistance. He breaks down how Southern Californians can stay informed, stay hopeful, and take meaningful action when democracy feels under attack.
Resources
Official Website - Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson
Enjoy the Show? Join our community!
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Shop SoCal Voices Bookshelf
Shop SoCal Voices Merch
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Support SoCal Voices
Your financial support ensures we can keep producing content that helps you thrive in Southern California. Thanks for helping us keep the mic on!
Support the show
...more
20min
October 02, 2025 What's Next for Public Media?
The end of federal funding for public broadcasting has many Southern Californians wondering what's next for public media. In this episode of SoCal Voices host Angela Ross sits down with Connie Leyva, executive director of the Inland Empire's public radio and TV station, KVCR. Leyva shares insight about the uncertain public media landscape, her determination to stay focused on KVCR’s core mission, and how listeners can help ensure public broadcasting thrives in Inland Southern California.
Resources
KVCR.org
Enjoy the Show? Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Thank you for listening! Support SoCal Voices Podcast. Your contributions help us continue to bring you quality content about navigating life in Southern California. It’s easy! Just click this link:
Support the show
...more
25min
September 18, 2025 How Schools Make Race
Laura C. Chávez-Moreno is an assistant professor at UCLA and author of How Schools Make Race. Her research digs deep into the ways schools don’t just reflect race—they actually produce it. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Dr. Chávez-Moreno talks about what that means in practice, and why teaching about race matters as much as teaching about math. She also shares her thoughts on the policy, community, and personal actions necessary to help classrooms become spaces for building a more equitable future.
Resources: How Schools Make Race is available at booksellers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Ask for it at your local public library.
Enjoy the Show?
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Looking for your next adventure in SoCal? There’s lots to enjoy from San Diego to Ventura. Book with our affiliate partner, Viator.
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Thank you for listening! Support SoCal Voices Podcast. Your contributions help us continue to bring you quality content about navigating life in Southern California. It’s easy! Just click this link:

Support the show
...more
31min
September 04, 2025 Helping immigrants thrive in the workplace
In a time when inclusion efforts are under pressure and immigrant communities are too often misrepresented, Dr. Lola Adeyemo is leading with courage, clarity, and heart. As founder of Immigrants in Corporate, she empowers first-gen and immigrant professionals to thrive by building meaningful careers, connecting to mentors, and creating communities of belonging inside and outside the workplace.
In this episode of SoCal Voices, Dr. Lola shares how Southern California’s unique diversity offers both challenges and opportunities, and why community, allyship, and storytelling are key to navigating today’s climate. Whether you’re an immigrant professional finding your place, or a SoCal native who wants to build stronger bridges of understanding, this episode will remind you that resilience grows when we stand together, and that thriving in SoCal means no one has to do it alone.
Resources: Immigrants in Corporate
Enjoy the Show? Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Join the SoCal Voices email list and receive our free mini-audio series, 5 Ways to Live Well in SoCal (without losing your mind).
Looking for your next adventure in SoCal? There’s lots to enjoy from San Diego to Ventura. Book with our affiliate partner, Viator.
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Thank you for listening! Support SoCal Voices Podcast. Your contributions help us continue to bring you quality content about navigating life in Southern California. It’s easy! Just click this link:
Support the show
...more
29min
August 21, 2025 Why 2025 Feels Like 1925 in SoCal
Living in Southern California in 2025 means navigating rapid tech change, intense culture clashes, and nonstop reinvention. Sound familiar? It’s exactly what was happening here 100 years ago.
In this episode of SoCal Voices, Tom Lutz, author of 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia takes us inside a year when Hollywood exploded, LA’s religious and political scene turned into a spectacle, and new voices reshaped American culture. Lutz reminds us of forgotten stories that explain why SoCal feels the way it does today, and helps us make sense of living here now.
Resources
Learn more about Tom Lutz and get his book.
Enjoy the Show? Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Looking for your next adventure in SoCal? There’s lots to enjoy from San Diego to Ventura. Book with our affiliate partner, Viator.
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Support the show
...more
25min
August 07, 2025 How to Age with Power & Purpose
San Diegan Jeff Seckendorf defies expectations in the most inspiring ways. At age 70, he’s a competitive cyclist and a dedicated scuba coach, proving that age is not a limit, but a frontier.
In a culture obsessed with youth, he’s charting a different course, one rooted in strength, resilience, and deep connection to body and breath. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Sekendorf talks about breaking stereotypes around aging, the mindset that fuels endurance, and what it means to find power because of your age, not in spite of it.
This conversation might just change the way you think about getting older.
Resources
Visit Jeff's website
Enjoy the Show?
Leave a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts or socalvoices.com.
Looking for your next adventure in SoCal? There’s lots to enjoy from San Diego to Ventura. Book with our affiliate partner, Viator.
Follow SoCal Voices on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @socalvoices.
Follow Host Angela Ross on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on SoCal Voices? Reach out to host Angela Ross on PodMatch.
Thank you for listening! Support SoCal Voices Podcast. Your contributions help us continue to bring you quality content about navigating life in Southern California. It’s easy! Just click this link:
Support the show
...more
28min

FAQs about SoCal Voices:

How many episodes does SoCal Voices have?

The podcast currently has 149 episodes available.