Who were you before the world told you who to be? In this episode, we chat with Bruna Nessif who helps people return to the self and live their most full lives, navigating the pressures and expectations that are often put upon us. Bruna walks us through what it takes to liberate the self and live unapologetically and without limits.

Find Bruna on Instagram and Twitter at @brunanessif and learn more about her work and writing at https://www.brunanessif.com/

Marc and Denzell return for Season 2 of the M.A.D.M.A.P. podcast - a simple acronym for Marc and Denzell Make A Podcast! M.A.D.M.A.P. is centered on the concept of “returning to self”. You - or the self - is never lost. It's always there within so instead of trying to “find yourself”, simply return to the person you've always been before the world told you who to be.

Season 1 focused on key elements of living authentically such as being compassionate, accountable and self-aware. It takes courage to be yourself in a world that breeds conformity. Of course, this process of returning to the self is a marathon, not a sprint and it is our life's unending work.

In season 2, we interview guests from different walks of life to discover their personal journeys toward a meaningful life. Join us as we gain amazing insight from individuals who’ve made some big life changes including starting a farm, pursuing professional sports, manga editing, stand-up comedy, and much more!

Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays, beginning this Wednesday June 22nd! 

Find us on Instagram at @madmap.podcast and check out our website madmappodcast.com for all content.

There are systems all around us - whether we like it or not - that tell us to conform to a certain way of living. But the fundamental question is one of choice. Wrapping up MADMAP season 1, Marc and Denzell encourage you to ponder what is your life worth living? To answer this question, you must first lift the veil the World has shroud over your eyes and find your truth.

In this hyper competitive world full of criticisms and judgments, the path to happiness can feel ever elusive. While it is easier to focus on our differences, humans are still far more similar to each other than not. Each one of us will experience stress, doubt, and insecurity that may make us feel estranged from the world. While it may seem counterintuitive, often we must decenter the self and recognize the humanity within and among us to find true joy and meaning.

What does it actually take to be your best self? In a world filled with dishonesty, misinformation, and false narratives, we are often tempted by instant gratification. This can make it increasingly difficult to achieve fulfillment. Marc and Denzell suggest returning to your core values as a roadmap to realize your fullest self. But that’s only step one - you also have to continually live into these values.

Marc and Denzell continue to discuss the lies that people may tell themselves - this time focused on love and relationships. We’re all way too familiar with the cliches about true love and the pressure to find “the one”. But the chances that you're probably going to hit a few speed bumps on the road to everlasting matrimony are high. Fortunately, there's no time like the present!

Do you feel successful? Marc and Denzell discuss success and the forms it tends to take in society, especially jobs and finances! But what is success anyway? Many of us may not be the most honest with ourselves about our own definitions of success. Some of us might even be chasing false ideals of success. Fortunately, the keys to a life of success are always within reach.

In this episode, we’re talking about lies and self-deception. It turns out lies begin as early as age 3 and some lies actually boost confidence. Humans tend to lie on average twice per day and are lied to between 10 and 200 times per day. Wild! Marc and Denzell talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of self-deception and what it can do in our lives.

From our Can Men and Women Be Friends? episode, we wanted to bring a woman's perspective. In this bonus episode, we do a Q&A with Marc’s good friend Ophélie to hear her views on this topic.