Epics Podcast

About Epics Podcast

Welcome to the Epics Podcast where we tell Epic Stories from Epic People. My name is Alex Wait, host of Epics Podcast. We have not been told all of the stories worth telling. Through interviews and reflection, on the Epics Podcast, we will hear from the “ordinary”, the ignored and the broken of our communities, and what their stories are. Together, we will work to gain an understanding of hardships that are unfamiliar to us. Our intention is to find a common ground with one another from which we can start creating real change. Subscribe now to hear the next epic story!

Publisher

Alex Wait

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jun 2021

Latest episode

28 Apr 2023

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Apr 2023

   25. Mac McGregor │The Gender sensei teaching about the yin & yang of gender norms. A journey of transition after years as a world class female athlete.

   In this episode of the Epics podcast, Alex interviews Mac McGregor, also known as the Gender Sensei, who is an activist and public speaker focused on creating a world where people can be their authentic selves. Mac talks about how martial arts impacted his life, his transition, and the importance of looking at gender norms in a new way. He also discusses his book, Positive Masculinity Now, and his self-help workshops for men to develop healthy masculine qualities and overcome toxicity. This conversation is an insightful exploration of how to combat hate and discrimination through understanding and education. Mac McGregor is the author of Positive Masculinity Now and is known as the Gender Sensei. Before his transition, he was a successful female athlete and inductee to the U.S. Karate Hall of Fame and a business owner. Mac has served as the Seattle City Commissioner from 2011-2016 and acted as a keynote speaker on the subjects of masculine behavior and sexuality. He runs several self-help workshops for men to develop healthy masculine qualities, learn about the queer community, and to overcome toxicity. Mac is a dedicated, heartfelt activist and educator who focuses every part of his existence on creating a world where people can feel free to be their authentic selves. The listener will learn about Mac's background in martial arts, their personal journey with gender identity, and their work as an activist and educator on topics of diversity, gender, and healthy masculinity. The episode offers insights on how to look at gender norms in a new way, including the importance of re-examining gender biases and stereotypes, challenging traditional gender norms, and embracing differences. Mac also discusses the concept of yin and yang energies and how they relate to gender norms and masculinity. Timestamps: [00:01:34] Martial arts as a soulmate. [00:06:05] Positive Masculinity. [00:09:42] Gender neutrality in martial arts. [00:13:02] Rare opportunity in sports. [00:16:11] Transitioning as an athlete. [00:20:23] Women's rights in sports. [00:24:10] Creating change from within. [00:27:38] Gender journey and martial arts. [00:31:56] Men learning from women's experiences. [00:35:48] Gender socialization and beliefs. [00:41:30] Redefining gender norms. [00:43:53] Masculine and feminine energies. [00:50:55] Masculinity and nurturing. [00:53:46] Challenging traditional masculinity norms. [00:55:27] Learning from Different Experiences. [01:00:27] Safe space at conventions. [01:02:54] Don't Miss Our Epic Stories. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. 🎙 Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/macmcgregor (EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/macmcgregor) Mac’s Links: Website https://www.positivemasculinitynow.org/ (https://www.positivemasculinitynow.org/) Book https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Masculinity-Now-Emotionally-Intelligent/dp/B0B34V8HTZ (https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Masculinity-Now-Emotionally-Intelligent/dp/B0B34V8HTZ) TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@positivemasculinitynow/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@positivemasculinitynow/) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/positivemasculinitynow/ (https://www.instagram.com/positivemasculinitynow/) FB Page https://www.facebook.com/Positivemasc/ (https://www.facebook.com/Positivemasc/) YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/@positivemasculinity3458 (http://www.youtube.com/@positivemasculinity3458) 🎙 EpicsPodcast.com (EpicsPodcast.com) 🎙 EpicsProductions.com (EpicsProductions.com) 🎙 SHPE Out Loud Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728) 🎙 Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod (Patreon.com/EpicsPod) 🎙 Join Podcasts with Purpose Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc) Alex’s IG: @alexraywait

2. 

   14 Apr 2023

   24. Janell Jones │Breaking Barriers and Empowering Women. From teenage mom to best selling author.

   In this episode, Alex announces an exciting referral program for his production company Epics Productions, where for every successful referral that results in a new podcast with Epics, the referrer will receive $500. The focus of the podcast remains on sharing stories and promoting understanding between people, and the guest for the week is Dr. Janelle Jones, a Ted X speaker, life coach, author, and therapist who overcame poverty, violence, and teenage motherhood to achieve success. Dr. Janelle Jones is a clinical therapist, author, and entrepreneur. She was born into poverty and raised in the projects of Columbus, Ohio, where she lost her father and sister to intercity violence as a child. Despite these challenges, Janelle was determined to live a life different than the one she saw playing out around her. She founded her own company, Melon and Grace Publishing, and created the Mahogany Beautiful Bright Me program to help girls with self-love and self-acceptance. Janelle is also the host of the Girl You Got This podcast, where she empowers women to live their dreams. Janelle's journey includes overcoming barriers to become the first-generation high school graduate on route to earning her master's degree, writing several books, and starting many businesses to support and empower women. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and hope. Dr. Janelle Jones shares her experience of teen pregnancy and overcoming barriers to become a successful entrepreneur and advocate for women's empowerment. They will also learn about Janelle's background, personal journey of self-discovery, and her work in helping women identify their passions and expertise. The episode covers various topics such as childhood experiences, societal norms, breaking generational cycles, and the importance of sharing personal stories to help others. The listener will also be provided with links to Janelle's work and encouraged to support her. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. 🎙 Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/janelljones (EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/janelljones) Books It All Begins With You: 9 Affirmations to Help You Love Yourself and Know Your Worth https://bookshop.org/a/40214/9781733643900 (https://bookshop.org/a/40214/9781733643900) Beauty in Mahogany https://bookshop.org/a/40214/9780692872055 (https://bookshop.org/a/40214/9780692872055) IG https://www.instagram.com/janelljonesempowers/ (https://www.instagram.com/janelljonesempowers/) Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-janell-jones-msw-lsw-tedx-speaker-23530028/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-janell-jones-msw-lsw-tedx-speaker-23530028/) FB: https://www.facebook.com/janelljonesempowers (https://www.facebook.com/janelljonesempowers) LinkTree https://lnk.bio/drjanelljones (https://lnk.bio/drjanelljones) YT https://www.youtube.com/@drjanelljones (https://www.youtube.com/@drjanelljones) Courses: https://janelljonesempowers.com/courses (https://janelljonesempowers.com/courses) Ted talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi_n169BVk&t=3s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi_n169BVk&t=3s) Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6rUKV9W7MaCGOspjBtLRn6 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6rUKV9W7MaCGOspjBtLRn6) 🎙 EpicsPodcast.com (EpicsPodcast.com) 🎙 EpicsProductions.com (EpicsProductions.com) 🎙 SHPE Out Loud Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728) 🎙 Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod (Patreon.com/EpicsPod) 🎙 Join Podcasts with Purpose Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc) Alex’s IG: @alexraywait

3. 

   31 Mar 2023

   23. Emily Anne Vargas │A latina engineer and graduate student to inspire and encourage others.

   Today’s episode is a joint episode that is being released both here on the Epics Podcast but ALSO on the SHPE Out Loud Podcast! SHPE (the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is the nation’s largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field. There is a huge disparity between the Hispanic population and their representation in STEM.SHPE raises awareness, provides access, and prepares Hispanic students and professionals to become leaders in STEM. Our members are driving innovation, the global economy, and a prosperous Hispanic community. I have had the privilege of producing their podcast, SHPE Out Loud and our joint episode today is a preview to an upcoming series on their podcast. In November I got to be a part of their National conference recording testimonies of their amazing members.These testimonies are being released weekly on the SHPE Out Loud podcast and I highly recommend you going to listen to them because I was able to interview so many incredible people there! One of the great people I had the pleasure of interviewing in November was Emily Anne Vargas, who is our guest this week! Emily Anne is a Ph.D. student at the University of Southern California. Her story is one of breaking barriers and achieving success in the face of adversity. As a first-generation college graduate and engineer from a family of Cuban immigrants, she has paved the way for future generations to follow in her footsteps. Emily Anne has also been actively involved with SHPE since 2013, serving in multiple leadership positions, including as the youngest Vice-Chair for the SHPE National Board of Directors in nearly 50 years. On this episode we dive into her unique journey and gain insight into the importance of representation and community support in pursuing a career in STEM I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. More info on our Epic Referral Program! 💰💰: EpicsProdcutions.com/referrals (EpicsProdcutions.com/referrals) 🎙 Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/emilyannevargas (EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/emilyannevargas) Follow Emily Anne on Social Media: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyannevargas/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyannevargas/) Instagram @vargasemily12 : https://instagram.com/vargasemily12 (https://instagram.com/vargasemily12) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vargasemily12 (https://www.facebook.com/vargasemily12) 🎙 EpicsPodcast.com (EpicsPodcast.com) 🎙 EpicsProductions.com (EpicsProductions.com) 🎙 SHPE Out Loud Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shpe-out-loud-leading-hispanics-in-stem/id1640180728) 🎙 Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod (Patreon.com/EpicsPod) 🎙 Join Podcasts with Purpose Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc) Alex’s IG: @alexraywait

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.