Vulnerability is damn uncomfortable but immensely rewarding

Ask the cast: I am not a risk taker. I like creating and dreaming, then planning and executing. That’s the world I come from as a health care technology executive.

So, to put my own face, thoughts, weaknesses, and shortcomings on a public stage, amplified through a microphone, felt raw and naked. As author and thought leader Brene Brown shares in “Daring Greatly,” “It’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.”

I marched on regardless and took to the mic alongside my fellow cast and shared week after week with candor, humility, and plenty of awkwardness with the universe. It was surprisingly therapeutic in a time of great uncertainty. I found that even in my darkest of secrets and struggles, I was far from alone. keep. One of my core beliefs is that every person we meet has a message for you if you can only stop to listen for it.

The guests we booked came from every connection the cast and I had in the community, including friends, friends of friends, passionate responses on social media, and even a bold DM from Bennett — which led us to having THE Todrick Hall on OUR podcast. Historic.

Every one of our guests left a mark on my soul and improved who I am today. We intentionally sought out a wide range of voices across the queer community, across age, experience, and ilk. Every story was unique, yet the shared struggles, sufferings, visions, and dreams for our LGBTQ future serve as bonding agents to create an interwoven family of sojourners for our listeners to appreciate greater and love more.