Were You Still Talking?

#128 Teaching Uncomfortable History with Dr. Ettie Zilber. We talked about her career in international education and her work documenting and sharing her family's Holocaust experiences. Ettie discussed her extensive background working in international schools across six countries and her research on third culture kids. She explained how her family's history as Holocaust survivors led her to write a book based on her mother's testimony and her own journey retracing her mother's wartime experiences. The conversation covered the importance of teaching and learning about the Holocaust, the challenges of misinformation, and the value of personal stories in education. Ettie shared insights from her speaking engagements worldwide, highlighting the impact of Germany's mandatory Holocaust education. We also discussed the broader importance of understanding and confronting uncomfortable histories to prevent future atrocities. The dialogue emphasized the significance of recording family stories and the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Learn more and get the book: A HOLOCAUST MEMOIR OF LOVE AND RESILIENCE: MAMA'S SURVIVAL FROM LITHUANIA TO AMERICA

https://tinyurl.com/56ujwk35

THIRD CULTURE KIDS: Children of Educators in International Schools

https://tinyurl.com/4udrzz55

This book is out of print, however, if this subject is of interest to you contact me through

my website https://www.ettiezilber.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

#127 with Multi-talented Rosie Tran! On this episode I talk to comedian Rosie Tran, we talk about Rosie's 24-year career in comedy, her creation of the "Rosie Tran Presents" comedy showcase series streaming on Amazon, and her approach to building a platform for underrepresented voices in entertainment. Rosie shared her journey from being discouraged by a misogynistic rejection letter for a female comedy tour to developing her own successful showcase series. We also discussed the challenges of touring, the importance of context in comedy, and the evolution of comedy genres beyond just "funny or not funny." We explored topics including the impact of social media on comedy, the craft of stand-up comedy and how, even experienced comedians must practice new material in front of audiences to determine what works, and the pressures entertainers face to constantly perform and maintain visibility in the industry.

Get all the info: https://www.rosietran.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#126 with Writer/Director Taylor Morden on Directing a movie a year, Getting Lost Doc, his latest movie Eat Your Heart Out, things I didn't know about and so much more. We talked for what seemed like 10 minutes, but it was maybe a little longer.

First time I've done a podcast in person in a while and I learned a lot.

#gettinglostdoc #thelastblockbuster #eatyourheartout

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

What an amazing conversation with Dailyn Matthews, we discussed Dailyn's diverse background and experiences. Dailyn shared details about her recent rowing experience in an eight-man boat, her adventures observing the Kilauea volcano eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii, and her travels across the United States and to seven continents.

Then we got into Dailyn's 26-year career as a stunt performer and actress in Hollywood. Dailyn explained how she got into stunt work after escaping an abusive marriage and her dual role as both an actor and stunt performer. The conversation covered Dailyn's athletic background in skiing and her current mountaineering training, as well as her experiences working in the film industry and the risks involved in stunt performance, including a recent broken bone.

https://dailynmatthews.com/about/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#124 A Cup of Tea with Flowing River

On this episode we sit down with Flowing River, a heart-centered mystic and ceremonialist who runs a tea house in Montecito, California. The conversation covered Flowing River's spiritual journey, including his travels to 34 countries seeking personal healing and spiritual understanding, beginning at age 29 with yoga training in Guatemala. We discussed the challenges of Western capitalism and consumer culture, with Flowing River sharing stories from his time living in a Filipino ghetto where he learned about contentment and the human capacity for adaptation. The discussion touched on topics ranging from technology addiction and social media habits to alternative governance models, permaculture, and the importance of reconnecting with nature through growing food. We end with Flowing River reading a poem about the futility of pursuing material wealth in the search for true happiness and spiritual fulfillment.

https://drishti.house/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#123 Experiencing Trauma at a Young Age with Noah May

My guest this week is Noah May. We talked about Noah's journey into podcasting and his mental health story. Noah shared how he started podcasting randomly during quarantine in 2021 after taking a podcasting class at Auburn University, which helped him launch three podcasts: Lethal Venom (his main show focusing on personal stories), a book podcast, and a music podcast. He explained how his mental health struggles with depression and anxiety began in eighth grade when his family situation deteriorated due to his grandmother's dementia, and how he has openly discussed his mental health journey both on social media and his podcast to help others. Noah also discussed his background in journalism, which led him to podcasting after finding it difficult to get traditional journalism jobs, and revealed he has never been to the beach despite living relatively close to it. The conversation covered technical aspects of podcasting, including equipment and software preferences, as well as broader topics about the current state of journalism and the challenges of making a living through podcasting.

https://noahspodcasts.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#122 with Aaron Ryan – The Threat of AI to Creatives

On this episode I'm speaking with Aaron Ryan. Aaron discussed his prolific output of 46 books across various genres, including his best-selling Dissonance – The Alien Invasion Saga and his recent pivot back to full-time authoring. We also talked about Aaron's approach to self-publishing, his current movie adaptation project with Dissonance, and his marketing strategies including vendor markets and unique promotional tactics. The conversation also covered Aaron's musical background, his family life including his two sons and pet finches, and his writing process including his unusual approach of designing book covers before writing the stories.

Aaron talked about his transition from voiceover work to authoring books, explaining that he pivoted back to authoring in 2023 which resulted in increased creativity. He noted that the voiceover industry has become more conversational and authentic, especially with the rise of AI, and shared his experience writing around 14-15 books in recent years. He shared his frustration with the current music industry, particularly regarding streaming revenue, and talked of his nostalgia for physical media formats like CDs and cassettes.

See more about Aaron: https://www.facebook.com/groups/authoraaronryan

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#121 with Bilal Ahmed - Should you do your own research?

This episode I'm speaking with Dr. Ahmed Bilal Ahmed, an interventional structural cardiologist and co-founder of Lylah Health, a microbiome therapeutics company. We discussed the evolution of microbiome research, AI's role in medicine, and the challenges of the supplement industry. Dr. Ahmed shared insights about heart disease in younger populations, the limitations of current medical research funding, and the importance of proper medical regulation. The conversation also covered personal experiences with smoking cessation, the challenges of staying current with medical literature, and the accuracy of medical TV shows like "ER" and "The Pitt."

Find out more: https://lylahhealth.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#120 with Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer

We talked about men with breast cancer, having a presence on social media, getting the message out about men with cancer and why they are misdiagnosed more often and a lot more!

Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer, is a pioneering speaker and advocate, shattering stigmas around male breast cancer.​ With the largest social media platforms dedicated to the subject, he inspires men and women alike to confront breast health challenges, advocate for early detection, and build a community of support and awareness for survivors.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

We talked about men with breast cancer, having a presence on social media, getting the message out about men with cancer and why they are misdiagnosed more often and a lot more!

Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer, is a pioneering speaker and advocate, shattering stigmas around male breast cancer.​ With the largest social media platforms dedicated to the subject, he inspires men and women alike to confront breast health challenges, advocate for early detection, and build a community of support and awareness for survivors.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#119 with Ralph Velasco Photography around the globe.

Great conversation with Ralph talking travel photography, most visited countries, why it's good to put the camera down and enjoy the view sometimes and much more.

More info and all the links right here:

Since 2008 (17+ years) Ralph Velasco has been a full-time travel photographer and international tour

organizer, having created and led over 130 five star-rated international tours in well over 30 countries on

7 continents (plus over 100 domestic tours in the U.S.)

When not traveling, Ralph is currently based in Chicago. However, he's been location-independent for

13+ years and traditionally spends anywhere from 8 - 9 months on the road internationally scouting and

leading his tours.

Ralph has authored several books on travel photography, travel tips and mindful travel, and he just

released his newest book called Bucket Lists for Travel: Places to Go Before Your Knees Give Out!

(https://tinyurl.com/bucketlistsfortravel). Ralph also just combined several of his most recent books into a

3-in-1 book bundle titled The Mindful & Intentional Traveler

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DKTL61PL) and you can find the individual books at this link

(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3YY3ZY3).

These books include:

1. How to Be a Mindful Traveler Using Your 5+ Senses

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DFM2P87D)

2. Travel Activity Book for Adults: GRATITUDES Edition

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D3MKB1TP)

3. 60 AFFIRMATIONS for Travel (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQPLBM6T)

He has a YouTube channel called The Continental DRIFTER® (https://youtube.com/continentaldrifter)

and a related website (https://ContinentalDRIFTER.co) where everything about his business can be

found, including tours, blog posts, his YouTube channel, podcasts, merchandise and more.

Ralph is often asked how people can learn to do what he does and so he created a self-guided online

course called Tour Organizer Training: Get Paid to Travel. In this course made up of 7 Modules and 26

Lessons, he goes step-by-step through what's involved in creating a tour business.

Ralph has spoken all over the world and in the U.S. at the Travel & Adventure Shows and the New York

Times Travel Show, as well as at travel blogger conferences (in Spain, Sweden, Israel, and Ireland) and

the IOETI digital marketing conference in Cairo, Egypt (see more at https://continentaldrifter.co/speaking/)

Finally, he created an iOS app called My Shot Lists for Travel more than 14 years ago, but it's no longer

on the app store and instead he turned the information into a book called 52 Categories of a Shot List:

Create Images that Tell a Story, also available on Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/52categories).

Website: https://continentaldrifter.co

Social Media

https://fb.com/thecontinentaldrifter

https://instagram.com/ralphvelasco

https://www.linkedin.com/company/continental-drifter

https://x.com/ralphvelasco

https://tiktok.com/@continentaldrifter

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/