The Brodhisattva Podcast

Fit Body, Fit Mind | JBax | Ep 20

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0500

Are you physically fit? Are you mentally fit? Is it worth being one without the other? These are the questions Jessica Bax has wrestled with on her journey.

We were so lucky to get some time to chat with Jessica Bax. Or JBax as she is known to her fans and followers. Jessica is a personal trainer, a certified meditation teacher, a podcaster, and a mindset coach. She’s an entrepreneur and a self-made young woman.

If you’ve listened much to our podcast, you know I’m a sucker for a story about someone pivoting in their life and following a dream. Bonus points if they find success in that pivot. Well, that’s Jess. As you’ll hear on the pod, it all started with a mirror selfie back when she was in college, unhappy, out of shape, and overweight.

We had a blast talking with Jess. She tells us about her journey. We talk about the mindset shift she went through last year when the pandemic descended on her life. Something that many of us can empathize with. We discuss fitness, mindfulness, and the intersection of physical and mental health. We try to get some fitness tips out of her, but I leave a bit disappointed that she doesn’t tell me how to get those chiseled abs I want. We talk some about our kids and cultivating good influences online.

Anyway, this was a fun conversation. I think you’ll find some nuggets of wisdom in there. And if nothing else we can introduce you Bros to an amazing, super cool young woman named Jessica Bax.

Where to Find JBax:

Jess's Book Recommendations:

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Emotional Agility by Susan David, PhD

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Amazon Prime documentary: E-Motion 2.0

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music: "The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review! And if you want to support what we're going check out our Patreon and get that sweet, sweet bonus content!

Warts and All | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 19

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0500

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review! And if you want to support what we're going check out our Patreon and get that sweet, sweet bonus content!

How much vulnerability is too much vulnerability? Can we be too open and honest? Brené Brown, the godmother of vulnerability, would say absolutely YES.

Well, this week the Bros are pushing the envelope a bit and over-sharing with you, Bros!

Enoch has a lot of resistance to releasing this episode. They discussed it at length, and decided to share it anyway. You're getting the full monty, warts and all.

The episode opens with Sosh discussing his nascent comedy routine. He's trying to develop a "tight 5" minutes of material. Then we get into some pretty raunchy jokes and stories. We sort of put the "bro" back in Brodhisattva. This is definitely NSFW.

The rest of the conversation is Enoch wailing and gnashing his teeth over his frustrations with the pandemic, particularly the Delta wave, and his struggles over the best thing to do for his kids.

Enoch is a bit drunk and gets drunker as the conversation progresses. If you listen closely, you can hear the ice rattling in his glass. He sounds a bit unhinged, but that's because he was. Right after this, he called a break on the podcast along with most other extraneous activities in his life. That's why we're just now releasing a conversation that happened back in August when Delta was peaking.

The break did Enoch some good. He needed some time to reset and get his head straight. Both of the Bros are now back and feeling better for it.

Honestly, no one should listen to this. You surely have better things to do with your time. But if you're still interested, tune in. It's not pretty, but here they are, warts and all...

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music: "The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Vedic Meditation | Michael Miller | Ep 18

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Don’t forget to check our Patreon to find out how you can support the show and get that sweet, sweet bonus content!

The Bros were completely blown away and inspired this week by our guest Michael Miller. Michael talks to us about his journey to becoming a world-renowned instructor in Vedic Meditation. He also answers some important questions, like: How can I start meditating? What benefits can meditation bring to my life? Why do I need a meditation teacher? Can meditation be dangerous? And... Can meditation make me a better lover?

Enjoy this conversation and expect more on this topic.

Guest's Book Recommendations:

Why Meditate? Because It Works by Jillian Lavender

Other People and Things Mentioned:

London Meditation Centre
New York Meditation Center
Thom Knowles
Meditation almost caused me Anxiety, Depression & Psychosis (& what I did about it). by Enoch Daniel
Jim Gaffigan on kale
Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey
Transcendental Meditation
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The Beatles
Elvis Presley
Speaking of Meditation podcast by Michael Miller

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

The Alcohol Experiment | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 16

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0500

This very special episode of the Brodhisattva Podcast has Sosh in sunny Florida recording from the business center of his somewhat crappy hotel. The sound quality is not at the profession level of perfection you've come to expect from the Bros.

Enoch is doing Annie Grace's The Alcohol Experiment. He's really become uncomfortable with his relationship with alcohol, or at least he's finally admitting it openly. Most of the conversation revolves around alcohol and addiction. But the bros also dive into family, disappointment, disillusionment with their progress in becoming better men, and the usual assortment of nonsense. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check our Patreon to find out how you can support the show and get that sweet, sweet bonus content!

People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

Wounded Masculinity | Kent Turpin | Ep 15

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Don’t forget to check our Patreon to find out how you can support the show and get that sweet, sweet bonus content!

Can our masculinity do us actual harm? Is toxic masculinity the correct term? Or, as Kent Turpin puts it, is it wounded masculinity that is the enemy.

Kent Turpin struggles with his masculinity. He is in many ways a man's man. He's big and strong. He knows how to work with his hands. But it's the softer, more classically "feminine" qualities that bring him the most joy, connection, and meaning in life. Despite that the damaged masculinity in him wants to lash out at any labeling that would mark him as less than a man.

It's messy. But journeys often are. Kent is on a journey. It probably started earlier, but we pick it up when he went through his second divorce. At that point, Kent found himself alone, dejected, and miserable.

Since that time he's been seeking a better way. Through self help and leadership conferences. Through therapy and connection with like-minded others. He even tried horse therapy, which sounds amazing. Sosh totally wants to bang a horse, although he would deny it.

He also has ventured off the beaten path a bit and tried some shamanic traditions and medicinal remedies. He has experienced several Ayahuasca ceremonies and feels it has really opened him up to a spiritual awakening and new growth. The Bros dive into that a bit, including probably more discussion of "purging" than you wanted to hear.

DISCLAIMER: We are neither promoting or endorsing the use of hallucinogens. Kent would be the first to tell you that this isn't a recreational experience. This is not a path to be entered into lightly. If you are interested, you should do your research, consult with experts, and always know what your local laws say about it.

Kent is on a Brodhisattva journey, and the Bros are excited to see where it takes him. You can find him dropping wisdom on Instagram @conscious_heart_warrior

Guest's Book Recommendations:

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert A. Glover

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Evryman

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. Don’t forget to check our Patreon to find out how you can support the show and get that sweet, sweet bonus content! And you can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

Is This the End of Brohisattva? | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 14

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:00:00 -0500

What is a long, meaningful relationship without conflict? How can we navigate these rough patches and come through stronger? We're still figuring it out, bros.

A few weeks ago, the Bros had a fight. Sosh fucked up his schedule and missed some important interviews that Enoch had booked. Enoch got embarrassed and blew up. Sosh fought back. Hilarity ensued.

It was a dark moment, but the Brodhisattva team is stronger for it. Enjoy!

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter & Instagram @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

Why Is Everyone Better Than Me? | Derek Brooks | Ep 13

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 13:01:00 -0500

Derek Brooks is Sosh's friend. Or as she would tell you, he is Sosh's wife's friend. She met Derek in high school, and they've kept in touch since.

He moved around a bit as a kid. He was also always one of the smart kids, though he didn't always realize it. He worked twice as hard as most, partly because he thought the special, gifted classes they kept sending him to were remedial!

He also got in a lot of fights. From elementary school up to high scool he fought a lot. The Bros are big wimps from the word go and thought this sounds terrifying, but he describes it as a positive experience.

And that's the thing about Derek. Hearing him describe his past, as a gifted outsider, as a Black kid in the south, it ALL sound positive. He just has such a positive vibe, that we're really fucking jealous of.

I dunno, bros. I think we found someone else who is just better at this shit than we are.

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog on the website. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Clubhouse at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

Sharing the Wins | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 12

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:00:00 -0500

The Bros are back with another rap session. This time instead of dumping on each other with a bunch of misery, they have some good news to share. They're both doing pretty well, and have some wins.

Sosh held a block party on his new deck. You may remember this was mentioned back in Episode 3, as he had to learn a lesson from fucking up his car while building it. Rodney Block, a Little Rock local celebrity played a "porch concert" to a packed crowd, and Sosh feels like they dealt a serious blow to the pandemic blues. He also met his female doppelgänger, and they seriously hit it off and nerded out together. It was weird but not in a bad, inappropriate way.

Enoch is (mostly) sober these days. His mood has stabilized, and he's feeling really good. He also makes an on-air confession that he allowed his depression to take him back into some old, bad habits--namely smoking cigarettes. However, he has recently cut that shit out too (but only after making his kids cry)!

Overall, just a good, positive episode for a change!

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

What's so Funny About Depression? | Frank King | Ep 11

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 18 May 2021 08:00:00 -0500

In 2019, 12 million Americans considered suicide. 3.5 million made a plan. 1.4 million attempted suicide. And 47,500 Americans died by suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death. By the time you finish listening to this podcast, 7 Americans will have killed themselves.

None of that is funny, but Frank King is hilarious even when he's talking about suicide. He's been doing standup since he was a kid. He's been in show business for decades and was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. He has given 5 TEDx Talks with a 6th on the way. You should look him up on YouTube; he's great. And if you have a dream of giving your own TEDx talk, he can help coach you and make that dream a reality.

He has evolved from a comedian who speaks into a speaker who is funny. And along the way, he has found his "why." His purpose. Sometimes his very reason for getting up in the morning. That "why" is the connections he makes when he shares his personal journey with depression and suicide. He quite literally lives for the moments when he can let someone else know that they are not alone.

This conversation was a blast. The Bros and Frank talk about comedy, mental health, depression, suicidal ideation, wildfires, cats, hallucinogens, heart attacks, self care, diet, exercise, and the most inappropriate song to play for a suicidal person! It's a serious topic but also a lot of fun.

You can find Frank on:

His website.
His podcast: Suicide Prevention Punchline
Twitter
Instagram
Or he says you can call or text him any time for any reason! 858-405-5653

And PLEASE if you or someone else needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at

1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

There's someone there to take your call 24 hours a day. You can even text.

Frank's Book Recommendations:

The New Comedy Bible by Judy Carter
Guts, Grit, & the Grind: a Mental Mechanics Manual by Frank King & Sarah Gaer

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

A Mythic Perspective | Boston Blake | Ep 10

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 04 May 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Boston Blake is the host of the Mythic podcast. Over the past 20 years, he's been a professional actor, writer, massage therapist, and life coach. And like any legit actor, he has worked in nearly every area of service and hospitality. (He'd like you to know he loved it. Well, most of it.) This varied background has led him to an understanding of a fundamental paradox: We all share a common human experience, but every human's experience is totally unique. He'd like to be "a bridge to a greater understanding." You know, like Wonder Woman. But he'll settle for course instructor. Boston holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from C.I.I.S. and is a Certified Trainer for Everything DiSC®. He enjoys creative cursing, Wonder Woman, alliteration, and writing about himself in the third person.

You can find him at:

Podcast: https://mythic.captivate.fm

Website: https://mythicpodcast.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bostonblake

Community: https://mythic-perspective.mn.co

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bostonblake

Boston's Book Recommendations:

Gods in Everyman by Gene Shinoda Bolen, MD (Blake says it's pretty dated but still worth checking out.)
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Anything by Rick Riordan (This was pretty much agreed upon by Sosh and Boston.)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (OK, this was actually Enoch's recommendation, but Boston also claimed to enjoy the book.)

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Dancing with Life | Venkat Murali | Ep 9

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0500

The Bros welcome Venkat Murali to the show. Venkat is a bit younger than the Bros; he's 32. He's also newly married to Enoch's cousin. And he has a fascinating story to tell.

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Venkat grew up in Chicago where he still lives. He attended University of Illinois, Chicago. While there, he says he leaned into Indian American tropes by studying computer engineering. He also started working with a competitive dance troupe.

Venkat had dance since he was a child. In college, his crew of fellow dancers and the work they put in, was one of the things that kept him balanced and sane. He explains some the differences between bhangra and Bollywood. It mostly goes right over the Bros heads.

After college, Venkat went to work in software development while still keeping a toe in the bhangra dance world. In fact, he lead and choreographed his own troupe for several years.

Eventually, whether through burnout or boredom, he discovered that his job wasn't scratching an itch for him. He needed to seek out something more creative which led him to User Experience (UX).

So at a young age, with nothing to lose, he quit his well-paying job and took an intensive UX workshop. And after that he transitioned into a career in UX freelancing.

This could have been the end of the story, but after a couple years of that Venkat felt that old sense of dissatisfaction. But at this point, he was a little older, he was in a serious relationship, and he had more to lose.

But Venkat, with help from his lovely, supportive partner, decided to follow his heart and step away from another promising, well-paying career and take the time he needed to figure shit out.

That was two years ago. He's still figuring it out. Luckily he had build a nice cushion of cash while he was burning himself out through his 20s. And he's been doing some work to develop an online promotion business for a DJ/producer friend of his.

But he's mostly been taking the time he needs to figure it all out. He's been going to therapy. He's playing a lot. He's meditating. He's doing the work.

He can feel the end of this chapter coming. His cash cushion won't last forever. And the Bros can't wait to see where he goes next as he continues to dance with life.

People and Things Mentioned:

University of Illinois at Chicago
Bollywood
Bhangra
Here is a video of Venkat's dance troupe: Ministry of Bhangra!
User Experience (UX)
Thanos
Asymptotic Curve
You can find Klasikhz, Venkat's DJ project on Soundcloud here

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

We Need to Talk About Jonathan | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 8

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0500

The Bros talk about their conversation with Jonathan Rudner.

Enoch struggles with Jonathan's challenge to him about finding peace through his constant seeking. The Bros wonder if their constant seeking and striving is a character flaw or a feature. In the end, it may just be part of who they are.

They also talk about Jonathan's confidence. Enoch has been trying it on and likes the way it feels.

Enoch was also challenged by Jonathan's question about whether the Bros are "good" or "bad" influences on each other. He apologizes to Sosh for how he treated him in the past, and they talk about how their relationship has at times been a negative force in their lives. It's a nice moment.

Finally, Sosh shares a victory on his recovery journey and discusses how his brain has changed over the past couple of years. He's not perfect, but he's a hell of a lot better.

Oh, and they talk about golf and their dicks for a while, as well as an SNL Weekend Update that they can't seem to find a link to.

Enjoy!

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

A Thoughtful Faith | Glenn McCcracken | Ep 7

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0500

Glenn's Bio:

Glenn McCracken is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a busy private practice based in Little Rock, Arkansas. He obtained his bachelors degree and masters at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is the founder and president of The Tov Life as well as SparkFit. With these two ventures he pursues his twin passions for mental health and physical fitness. He is married with one daughter and can reportedly Turkish Get Up his family!

The Conversation:

First off, this episode is a bit of a mess and not up the "high standards" that you've come to expect from a professional outfit like our own. Sosh had some technical difficulties that made the sound less than stellar, and then he had to bail halfway through to pick up his kid from soccer practice! Then Glenn's laptop died at the end, so the interview ended more abruptly than the Bros had intended. Despite all of that, Glenn is a fascinating guest, and there's some good stuff in here.

First off Sosh stumbles through an introduction. Can you believe he still can't pronounce Brodhisattva?

Glenn explains what he means by the Tov Life. Tov is Hebrew and roughly means "good" or "enough." It's Glenn's belief that everyone is enough when they walk through his door, and it's his job to help them find that.

He talks about his practice and how the pandemic has changed mental health treatment for better and worse. He and the Bros consider what effects the surge in mental health awareness brought on by the pandemic might have for the future.

Glenn then shares his journey. He realized that he wanted to be a therapist while recovering in an inpatient rehab between 7th and 8th grades. When he got sober, AA provided a stable community throughout high school. it helped build himself up and ingrain him into counseling.

Glenn fell away from Christianity both due to his dark path and what he calls poor modeling by the professed Christians around him. But Young Life was an anchor for him. It helped keep him sober and showed him good examples of Christians to emulate.

In college he continued on his path to counseling, all the while frustrated at the slow pace. He also got into personal training as a way to pay the bills. Oh, and he was a cheerleader, because he's a smoke show.

He didn't really find his way back to God until he met a preacher through his personal training work. Glenn traded PT time for lessons on the Bible! They started meeting for coffee and the man had a profound influence on him. So much so that he almost ended up going to seminary!

In his adult life, Glenn has continued to be guided by his faith, but it is by no means blind. He studies. A lot. He says he's interested in seeking Jesus, but even more so in seeking the truth. He believes that the Kingdom of Heaven is right here and now. Eternal life and heaven are here. We create it, and we live it each and every day. He brings a lot of mindfulness and ideas about non-attachment to his Christian faith as well. Glenn thinks that the things that get you out of bed in the morning are your gods. For him, study is a big one.

He keeps sane with mindfulness, exercise, play, and maintaining boundaries. He's not kidding about boundaries either. Apparently he doesn't bring his laptop charger home from the office to limit his time working at home--hence the abrupt cutoff at the end of the interview!

The conversation ends with Glenn describing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy which is the foundation of a lot of his work as a therapist.

And that's it, although the Bros wish they'd had another hour or two to pick his brain!

Guest's Book Recommendations:

Other People and Things Mentioned:

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Follow Your North Star | Blake Kimzey | Ep 6

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 08:00:00 -0500

Blake's Bio:

Blake Kimzey founded and directs Writing Workshops Dallas & Writing Workshops Paris and is a co-founder of The Big Texas Read. Named one of D Magazine's Artists to Learn From, he is a graduate of the MFA Program at UC Irvine; Blake also sits on the Board of the Elizabeth George Foundation and received a generous Emerging Writer Grant from the Foundation. His fiction has been broadcast on NPR, performed on stage in Los Angeles, and published by Tin House, McSweeney’s, VICE, Longform, Redivider, D Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Green Mountains Review, Short Fiction, Smokelong Quarterly, FiveChapters, The Lifted Brow, Hobart, Puerto del Sol, The Los Angeles Review, The Masters Review, Booth, Faultline, Moon City Review, FLAUNT Magazine, Malibu Magazine, Day One, PANK, Fiction Southeast, Surreal South '13, and selected by Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler for inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2015. Blake’s collection of short tales, Families Among Us, an Indie Bestseller, was published by Black Lawrence Press in 2014. Blake has been awarded fellowships to attend the Squaw Valley Community of Writers and the Vermont Studio Center and a generous grant from Americans for the Arts Foundation. He has taught in the Creative Writing Programs at SMU, UT-Dallas and UC-Irvine. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeKimzey, or contact him at bgkimzey@gmail.com.

Conversation:

Blake starts out telling the Bro's about his journey from college to work in the "cubicle farm" to his eventual embrace of writing and a life built around creativity. They talk about what gave him & his wife, Danielle (a very talented artist in her own right), the bravery to make that leap.

He tells the Bro's how that journey eventually led him to entrepreneurship and the founding of Writing Workshops Dallas, and how that side hustle became his main hustle. They discuss Blake's current creative endeavors, and the Bro's have to hide their jealousy and their boners as he describes candid conversations with big shot Hollywood executives!

Towards the end, they discuss a shared love of cliches and pithy sayings. Blake tells what it means to be a man in his world as well as how he takes care of himself. They also discuss spirituality and how it has affected their respective journeys. Blake says that at some point you have to be okay just not knowing. Enoch's clearly not as comfortable in that space!

In a parting wisdom and another pithy phrase, Blake shares that "comparison is the thief of joy." That seems as good a place to end as any.

Blake's Book Recommendations:

Other People, Places, and Things Mentioned:

Danielle Kimzey. Blake's wife. Seriously, check out her art. It's fantastic.
Texas A&M University
Brookhaven College
Olive Garden, where Blake slung breadsticks with a head full of writing dreams.
University of Iowa
University of California, Irvine
Raymond Carver
Kurt Vonnegut
The Great Gatsby
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
University of Texas, Dallas
The Frugalwoods
Mr. Money Mustache
Drizzt Do'urden & RA Salvatore
How I Built This by Guy Raz
The Calm App
Noom
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

If you just can't get enough of the Bro's check out our blog. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Clubhouse at the handle @TruBrodhisattva. And don't forget to subscribe and review!

Fear & Living Honestly | Enoch & Sosh | Ep 5

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0500

The Bro's are back and hashing it out!

This conversation begins with Sosh describing some struggles he's having with work. Notably his being an uber-nerd in Excel has landed him a big project he wasn't exactly prepared to take on. We discuss of his work environment. The company is open, honest, and filled with bright people, which brings both tremendous support and its own challenges. We also talk about corporate culture in general and what a difference that can make in a work environment.

This leads into a discussion of the fears that could be holding him back. Sosh thinks fear of failure and fear of pain are the culprits. Enoch thinks fear of success might also play a role. They both agree that a fear of more responsibility is a factor. Sosh also thinks the power of inertia holds him back, and they discuss the strength of a rut on the human condition.

The conversation turns to vulnerability and living an honest life and how the podcast project is helping them both in that dimension. Sosh wants to lay everything out for the world to see, because of the power that lies had over his life in the past. He details how dark that path can get for him. They discuss whether that is a recovery trait, as AA folks tend to really be storytellers. And they talk about how secrets breed in darkness, and shedding light on them robs them of their power. Finally they decide that doing the work and being a better man makes being honest a hell of a lot easier.

Sosh wants to read books to y'all on the podcast. Enoch pushes back. What do y'all think? Should he make a spin-off?

Enoch shifts the conversation again and talks about how he's doing really well mood-wise and feeling almost stupidly happy. They discuss the Zen of story time with their kids. Oh, and Enoch is pissed off at his therapist and is considering finding a better fit.

In the end Sosh makes a final pitch for his book-reading podcast but inexplicably uses a movie quote to demonstrate his skill! Enoch tries it out with the first lines of Lolita, which allows them to close out with the usual bullshit banter.

And that's it!

People and Things Mentioned:

Microsoft Excel
Martin Heidegger
Dr. Carl Totton of What's This Tao all About? If you like our show but would rather hear smarter people and less cursing, listen to this podcast!
Kevin Spacey in American Beauty
Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
50 Shades of Gray by EL James
Zen & the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance by Robert M Persig
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
Rage Against the Machine
Eminem
Steely Dan
Hall & Oates
Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
Magnus Chase Series by Rick Riordan
Lost in Space (the 1998 film)
Glenn McCracken, Sosh's therapist and soon-to-be a podcast guest.
The Jerk
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Living with Confidence | Jonathan Rudner | Ep 4

Enoch Daniel — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0500

The show starts off with Jonathan challenging the bro's on what sort of influence they have on each other. It's... a work in progress.

Jonathan then shares his journey and how he learned from life and bad relationships. He talks about Tulane University & the University of Memphis Law School and the effect Hurricane Katrina had on him. He shares some bizarre & hilarious stories from law school, talks about the pain of failing the Bar exam, how he clerked with some crooks, and how he sort of stumbled into family law.

His first career sounds like a painful experience, but his father saved him by bringing him into the family business. He talks about learning through a job in sales and how nepotism landed him the CEO job after his father retired.

He talks about what a CEO even does, dealing with the pressure of responsibility and nebulous goals and results. He goes into a bit of detail about developing products. The guy really knows hair care products. He also refuses to make the Bro's a ball-sack scented hair tonic.

Jonathan talks about how being a leader means to never stop learning and how you often have to let go and trust others to do their jobs. He also talks about how firing is hard.

Jonathan keeps sane by managing expectations and setting little rewards for himself throughout the day. And he talks about the importance of self-forgiveness and remembering to focus on the things that are most important to him.

The Bro's are a bit amazed at Jonathan's self esteem and confidence. He talks about that and about wearing your own badges of achievement as examples to yourself of success. He also talks about how his father gave him a strong example of a man who is confident and comfortable in his own skin.

He tells the Bro's how he trains his mind to focus on one thing at a time. He tries to be confident when he's right but okay with moving on when he is wrong. He just puts himself into whatever he's doing at the moment and keeps giving himself those small rewards.

Jonathan flips the mic on the Bro's and questions Enoch about his own journey. He tells him that he's too hard on himself and calls him out on his dissatisfaction and lack of self-grace. Enoch talks about his own journey and how he's not good at self forgiveness, but that he's working on building space and grace within his own head.

Jonathan talks about his own experience with meditation. The Bro's are clearly doing it wrong!

He talks about keeping things in perspective in the present while being kind to his future self. He is comfortable not feeling like a "grownup." He explains that being a man is being responsible and not being an asshole.

Jonathan is uncomfortable with the idea of vulnerability, yet seems to sit easily in a space the Bro's would call vulnerable. An extrovert at heart, he gets energy from interactions with others. He also says that bravery is just putting one foot in front of the other, because you have to.

The conversation closes with an interruption from his lovely wife, Alex, who threatens to go full Lorena Bobbitt on him if he wants a third kid! Also their baby son was able to squeeze out a poop. Huzzah!

Jonathan's Book Recommendations:

Siddartha by Herman Hesse, because sometimes all you need is a river and some peace of mind.
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, because it taught him how to think like an AI!

Other People, Places, and Things Mentioned:

Memphis, TN
New Orleans, LA
Tulane University
University of Memphis Law School
Hurricane Katrina
Better Call Saul
Broken Glass by Enoch Daniel -- My short story published in Teleport Magazine!
Gwyneth Paltrow's Vagina Candle
The Quaker School for Disturbed Youth
Khang Ree's Martial Arts Academy where Elvis Presley trained!
Transcendental Meditation
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Dax Shepard
Germantown Community Center and their infamous high dive.

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Learning from Life | Enoch & Sosh talk | Ep 3

Enoch Daniel — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 01:42:00 -0500

Sup Bro's?

Enoch & Sosh are hashing it out again. We discuss the lessons that life can teach us as well as sitting with hard emotions. There's a lot of humor here, mostly at our own expense. Oh, and our genitals come up again, because of course they do.

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music and licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Resilience & Self Care | Dr. Jason Newell | Ep 2

Enoch Daniel — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 12:40:00 -0500

Enoch & Sosh interview Dr. Jason Newell, PhD.

Dr. Newell received a B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University and an M.S.W. and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Alabama. He is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and a private individual practitioner (PIP) with an endorsement in clinical and social casework. Dr. Newell has been in the fields of social work practice, research, and education for over nineteen years. His research and specialty areas include clinical social work practice with the mentally ill; treatment of anxiety, trauma-related, and mood disorders; self-care and professional resilience, practice with veterans and military families, and child welfare.

Jason is a personal friend, which is a good thing, because this is the bro's first interview for the podcast! We're glad everything was over Zoom, because the nervous sweat stink was strong. The whole thing was just as professional an exercise as you would expect from us. He was incredibly gracious and kind and a fantastic guest.

We start by discussing Jason's journey into psychology and social work, discussing what it's like growing up a sensitive boy in a small southern town along the way. We then go into his professional career and research.

Jason's research is on resilience and self-care, and we spend some time discussing how to take care of ourselves and keep a balance in our lives. "Your work should serve you to serve your family and serve your life," was my favorite quote from this section.

Along the way, we also talk about how hard the ages 18 to 24 can be, how men have a lot less to work with in the "personal development" publishing sphere than women, discover that Sosh still can't pronounce Brodhisattva, and why men are often more comfortable to admitting to addiction than to depression. Through it all, Jason puts up with our bullshit perfectly. We REALLY hope to have him back again.

Jason's Book Recommendations:

Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Finding the Space to Lead by Janice Marturano
Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

Other People and Things Mentioned:

University of Montevallo
Jason's book: Cultivating Professional Resilience in Direct Practice: A Guide for Human Service Professionals
Brené Brown
The late, great Chris Farley
Oprah Winfrey
Terry Real & his book: I Don't Want to Talk About It
Enoch's crush Sarah Silverman & her terrible but funny Porn Song
Thich Nhat Hahn
Tarah Brach
Lewis Howes
and with apologies to Joe Rogan

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music is "The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music and is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

Hitting the Wall | Enoch & Sosh talk | Ep 1

Enoch Daniel — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 01:44:00 -0500

This is our first conversation recorded for the podcast. It was recorded in December 2020, and Enoch was particularly low. The pandemic had worn him down, he had stopped his usual self care routine, & his depression had kicked into overdrive.

We talk about depression, self-care, alcohol, and doing the work. Somehow Mel Gibson & Marlon Brando also come up. It's funnier than it should be given the subject matter and does a good job of showing some of the many faces of depression. Spoiler alert: Enoch got better.

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music and licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Sound Effects: “Meditation” by eliasyian & “record scratch” by luffy both licensed by CC BY 3.0.

The Brodhisattva Trailer | Enoch & Sosh

Enoch Daniel — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 16:21:00 -0500

Welcome to the Brodhisattva Podcast! In this short trailer, Enoch explains what Brodhisattva means and defends against Sosh's claims that an amalgam is just a made up word. The Bro's also promise to deliver an honest look at the fumbling journey to being better men. And dick jokes.

Credits:

Writers: Enoch Daniel & Sosh Woodbine
Producer: Enoch Daniel
Theme Music:"The Future is Ours" by Scott Holmes Music is licensed by CC BY-NC 4.0.