You Are The Prize

We often think enlightenment means having life all figured out. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

In our 25th episode, we sit down with secular Buddhist teacher Pablo Das for a big conversation about what we’re all searching for. He introduces us to the concept of The Second Arrow: the pain life inevitably brings, and the extra suffering we create by fighting it. Together, we explore grief, compassion, the wisdom of the body, and why embracing the full spectrum of the human experience (even the unpleasant parts!) is the path to living with more ease.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Pablo Das

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Website: http://www.causesofwellbeing.com , http://www.popupdharma.com

Yes, YOU are the prize. But what happens when you win one of the world’s biggest awards? 

This week, we sit down with singer, songwriter, podcast host, and Grammy-winning artist Iman Jordan for a conversation about what external recognition can change and what it never can (or should). We also talk about why success is at its best when it amplifies who you already are, why healing the artist is essential to healing the world, and how creativity can become a force for meaningful change. 

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Iman Jordan 

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imanjordanmusic , https://www.instagram.com/artivism.podcast
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iman_jordan
Website: https://beacons.ai/imanjordan , https://www.artwellcoalition.org

The truth doesn’t just change your life. It changes your energy. 

We all carry old stories, other people's expectations, and pain that doesn't belong to us. But what happens when we finally set it down?

This week, Emmy-nominated celebrity hair stylist, performer, and trans advocate Gracie Cartier joins us to share the freedom she's found on the other side of healing. We talk about the invisible seasons of growth, the energy that emerges when you're fully yourself, and why some people will always try to dim your light. 

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Gracie Cartier 

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graciecartier/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graciecartier/

How to build a life that not only fits, but makes you feel powerful. 

This week, stylist, entrepreneur, and creative director Lawren Sample joins us for a conversation about craftsmanship, confidence, and the power of community. As the co-founder of both Partlow and Cuatro Mamas, Lawren has built her career around a simple idea: the things we make—whether it's a pair of boots, a meal, or a community—have the power to change the way people see themselves. And that’s what makes it all worthwhile.

We talk about trusting your instincts, the myth of "doing it all," and how the people around us make it possible to do any of it.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Lawren Sample 

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize

Guest Links: https://www.instagram.com/partlowofficial https://www.instagram.com/cuatromamas

A conversation about deep house, deep healing, and the energy that changes everything.  

This week, DJ and producer Juliet Mendoza joins us for a conversation about the deeper purpose of music and what it means to gather with intention. Juliet shares her journey from survival to service, and how music and movement became a path toward healing and self-belief. We explore what happens collectively on the dance floor, why house music has always been rooted in liberation and belonging, and how intention can shape not just a night, but an entire life.

We also talk about Juliet’s label Spiritual Systems Records, The One Hundred, and her mission to create soulful experiences that feel grounded and deeply human.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Juliet Mendoza

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: @juliet_mendoza
TikTok: @youaretheprizepod

Guest Links

Instagram: @juliet__mendoza , @spiritualsystemsrecords

Self-love is a beautiful idea and a complicated practice. The secret might be making it smaller.

In this solo episode of You Are The Prize, we explore the possibility that the path toward loving yourself might actually begin with something smaller: liking yourself. It’s a conversation about integrity, relationships, friendship, self-worth, and the quiet accumulation of moments that make you trust yourself more. Less “how to love yourself.” More: what if love is built through evidence? We don’t have all the answers, but we’re working on it. 

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

What would your life look like if you followed the things that made you tingle?

Justina Blakeney is an artist, designer, NYT bestselling author, and the founder of Jungalow®, the beloved lifestyle brand rooted in beauty, purpose, and soulful living. We talked with her about being your own muse, learning to live more comfortably in the in-between, and how to follow what "tingles." It’s an episode about intuition, creative flow, and becoming a clear channel for what's trying to move through you. 

To start exploring your own expansion, check out GROW: Pathways to Passion, Purpose & Peace, the oracle deck and guidebook that Justina created with her mother, Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. Ronnie Blakeney.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Justina Blakeney

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: @justinablakeney , @thejungalow , @groworacle
Website: www.jungalow.com , www.justinablakeney.com

What if changing the way you play the game changed everything? 

This week on You Are The Prize, we’re joined by Alexis’s tennis coach, Ray Chang, whose approach to the game reveals something deeper: how you move on the court mirrors how you move through life. From timing and balance to building a solid foundation, Ray unpacks the lessons hidden in the sport. It’s about knowing when to wait, when to act, and how to stay grounded enough to recognize the right shot when it comes. Because when it’s aligned, it’s easy.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Ray Chang

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Guest Links
Instagram: @raysayaction

A conversation about what makes therapy work and how to show up fully for it. 

In this episode of You Are The Prize, we sit down with Dr. Mark Tanabe—Alex’s therapist—to get into the nonlinear path of growth and how to get more out of therapy by showing up honestly. We explore what shifts when you stop holding back, the many ways we can understand and meet our needs, and the importance of paying attention to the moments that move us. We also answer the inevitable question: does everyone actually need therapy? 

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Dr. Mark Tanabe

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

What if you found out the opposite of scrolling isn’t productivity, but presence?

This week on You Are The Prize, we’re joined by nightlife impresario Luke Nero, the creative force behind some of the most iconic queer spaces and dance floors in New York and Los Angeles. From running Mr. Black to building STRUT and beyond, Luke knows what it takes to get a room to come alive. We talk about the power of shared movement, the science behind why dancing lifts us out of our heads, and what we lose when we stop gathering in real life. From the evolution of queer nightlife to the simple act of choosing adventure, this conversation is about why we MUST get back into the world together.

You Are The Prize™
A Studio STAB Production
 
Hosted by: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Guest: Luke Nero

Executive Producers: Alexis Kay and Alex Newson

Audio & Video Production by: Jonathan Champion for The Champ Effect

Original Music by: Scott Martin

© 2026 Studio STAB. All Rights Reserved. YOU ARE THE PRIZE™ is a trademark of Studio STAB. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Links
Substack: https://substack.com/@youaretheprize
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youaretheprize_pod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youaretheprizepod
Website: https://www.youaretheprizepod.com
Work with us: https://www.studio-stab.com/

Links
Instagram: @lukenero, @mrblack_party