Only One In The Room

Imagine being a conman doing a lengthy prison sentence for a variety of bank fraud charges and finding that instead of the yard or the track, you feel drawn to the library. Matt Cox, former conman and true crime author, spent years in prison writing stories, starting with his own and then going on to write the stories of his fellow inmates. But what would you do if you realized that once you were released the only legal ways you knew how to earn money were now off the table? Would you go back to a life of crime or would you embark on a new career and become a legit true crime author? More From Matt Cox: Youtube channels: Mathew Cox & Inside True Crime Cox Pop Art Website: https://insidetruecrime.com Special thanks to our Sponsor Betterhelp: Start living a happier life today! As an Only On In The Room listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at Betterhelp.com/One. Join the over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of experienced Better Help professionals. Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hari says this about gender language: “I stopped forcing myself into the category of ‘male’ which never seemed to fit me long ago, and though ‘maleness’ is the language that most tongues wrap easiest around when I am seen, it is not the language that makes room for my existence in this world.” Hari Ziyad is a cultural critic, a screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of RaceBaitr. They are a 2021 Lambda Literary Fellow, and their writing has been featured in BuzzFeed, Out, the Guardian, Paste magazine, and the academic journal Critical Ethnic Studies, among other publications. Previously they were the managing editor of the Black Youth Project and a script consultant on the television series David Makes Man. Hari spends their all-too-rare free time trying to get their friends to give the latest generation of R & B starlets a chance and attempting to entertain their always very unbothered pit bull mix, Khione. For more information about Hari, visit www.hariziyad.com. Instagram: @hariziyad Special thanks to our Sponsor Betterhelp: Start living a happier life today! As an Only On In The Room listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at Betterhelp.com/One. Join the over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of experienced Better Help professionals. Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the two-year anniversary of The Only One In The Room, today’s On My Nightstand reading is the essay that started it all. After this 2018 Huffpo article I authored went viral, I received five hundred and sixty-eight direct messages, all from people who connected with the feeling of being othered. Many of those messages were accompanied by this hashtag #theonlyoneintheroom and so we decided to create a podcast that would tell those stories. More from Laura Read the article featured in this episode Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Studio City, California. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Laura is also a founding member of Moving Forewords, the first national memoirist collective of its kind. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, and follow her on Twitter. Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Kristin Casey right after the show. Special thanks to our Sponsor Betterhelp: Start living a happier life today! As an Only On In The Room listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at Betterhelp.com/One. Join the over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of experienced Better Help professionals. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the beginning, she was someone who viewed sex differently from her peers. Sexual desire wasn’t something to be ashamed of or hidden away. It was something to be openly explored and cherished. Intimacy coach Kristin Casey, was a sex worker for years before she discovered that she had abilities to help people, men who were victims of sexual trauma, experiencing performance anxiety or things like pleasure avoidance, dissociation, and inexperience. So what would you do, if there was an opportunity to expand your practice and become a sex surrogate? Would you decide that talk therapy was enough? Or would you choose to engage with your clients in a physical, intimate way? More from Kristin Casey: Visit the website: https://kristincasey.com Explore her coaching options Finding Kristin Casey: Instagram: @kristin_casey_writer Twitter: @MsKristinCasey Special thanks to our Sponsor Betterhelp: Start living a happier life today! As an Only On In The Room listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at Betterhelp.com/One. Join the over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of experienced Better Help professionals. Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s On My Nightstand Reading is from chapter four, Drunk On The Road from Under The Wave At Waimea. Timed to Theroux's eightieth birthday, UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA is the story of aging big-wave champion surfer, Joe Sharkey. Joe’s struggling to come to terms with the fast-approaching end of his career when he accidentally kills a stranger near Waimea, Hawaii after a night of drinking. As Joe and his girlfriend, Olive, deal with the repercussions of the accident she throws herself into uncovering the dead man’s identity and helping Joe find vitality and refuge in the waves again. Paul Theroux has written over fifty books (this will be his 54th) both fiction and nonfiction, making him one of the most prolific authors of our time. Some of his best-known works include The Great Railway Bazaar, Dark Star Safari, and Mosquito Coast, which has been adapted by Apple as a series that is set to be released on April 30 and stars Theroux's nephew, actor Justin Theroux. Instagram: @paul.theroux https://www.paultheroux.com/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Only One In The Room presents: Good Words with Kirk Franklin. Kirk Franklin welcomes people from every cross section of life seeking inspiration and empowerment and through intimate conversations they explore faith, redemption and the realities of today’s world. Kirk invites us to see ourselves in the shared moments between himself and his guests. The show provides a fun and energetic outlet to lift people up and share trials and tribulations that guests have overcome along the way. His star-studded guests include familiar names like Chance the Rapper, Pharrell, H.E.R., Kelly Rowland, Glennon Doyle and more. New episodes every Tuesday starting February 9th. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday you heard the first-ever podcast interview with Robert Chelsea, the first African-American and oldest full-face transplant recipient. Today we’re offering you a rare Only One In The Room follow-up with the man who saved his life. Richard Robles, 49-year-old General Superintendent, husband and father of six, lost his way while returning home one night after work and stumbled upon a fiery crash - what he did next will take your breath away. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine, a drunk driver slams into your car at such a high rate of speed that it explodes before you can get out. Robert Chelsea, seventy-year-old father, and salesman, was pulled from the wreckage of a burning car in August of 2013, but not before over 75% of his body was burned, leaving his hands, arms, and face unrecognizable. But what would you do if no one had ever successfully completed a full-face transplant on someone your age or your race? Would you decide that the surgery wasn’t worth the risk? Or would you volunteer to become the first African-American and oldest American ever to receive a full-face transplant? More from Robert Chelsea: Visit the website: https://www.robertchelsea.org Finding Robert Chelsea: Instagram: @robertlchelsea88 Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Usually, people start out gambling for fun, and they end up chasing their losses until all their money is gone. And in many cases, people are gambling because they have faced emotional and financial losses and they are trying to console themselves. Most people don’t realize that problem gambling is a real disorder, just like alcohol or drug addiction. The good news is that most people who get treatment are able to successfully stop gambling. Here to dive into this with us today we have Life Is Wonderful founder, Hugo Vrsalovic. Hugo has over 20 years in recovery from gambling and alcohol. www.lifeiswonderful.love Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April is Autism Awareness month, so we wanted to bring this powerful essay about autism by phenomenal writer, mother, and teacher, Robyn Wessler Wisinski. Robyn’s bio reads: My name is Robyn Wessler Wisinski. I'm a wife and a mom, and I am currently buried in my 32nd year of teaching. Kindergarten on Zoom is challenging, and amazing, and heartbreaking, and joyful. Every day. I am in awe of what ALL of us have figured out this past year. Twitter: @robwis Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last few months have been taxing for Black people in a myriad of ways, but for Black journalists these have been uniquely challenging times. For decades, Black people have been invited inside the halls of journalism, but not too many at a time. Even fewer advance to the levels where decisions are made about news coverage, reporter assignments, promotion and pay. When we think about journalists, we think about people who regularly put their jobs before their feelings and personal lives, but lately I’ve been wondering what it’s like to cover and cope with the news of 2020 - while Black. Here with us today we have Lisa Respers France. Lisa is a senior writer for CNN's entertainment team and former host of the "Lisa's Desk" franchise. She previously held positions as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun and as editor for St. John's University's magazine in Jamaica, New York. Her short stories have appeared in two anthologies, "Baltimore Noir" and 'A Hell of a Woman." Pop life chronicles with Lisa Respers France CNN Profile Instagram: @lisafrance Twitter: @LisaFranceCNN Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I asked Google for the stats on Black women podcasters, I found about ten articles. When I asked for the number of Black podcasters overall, I got more hits, two or three pages at least. But Google seems to be a bit stumped when I ask for the stats on white podcasters. Why? Because even though there was a Black podcasting boom in 2020, white podcasters are still the norm. 85% of American podcasts have at least one white host and two-thirds have a white male host. To dive into this today, we have Nikita Burks-Hale. Nikita is the CEO and Head Creative of JourneyGurl Magic Productions, a podcast production company that supports and empowers Womxn of Color as they bring their unique voices to the masses through podcasting. Nikita is also the host of 2 podcasts, The JourneyGurl Magic Podcast and The Podcaster’s Journey (launching April 2021). Nikita is a journeyer in every sense of the word and truly believes that life is a journey and you must be open to its endless possibilities. More From Nikita Burks-Hale: Listen to The JourneyGurl Magic Podcast Visit the website Journey Gurl Magic Finding Nikita Burks-Hale: Instagram: @journeygurlmagicproductions LinkedIn: JourneyGurl Magic Productions Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John C Hagan III wrote about NDS or Near Death Syndrome: Imagine a medical syndrome affecting as many as 20% of people who are resuscitated after almost dying in a medical or surgical setting. Realize that this means that as many as 8 million to 20 million Americans have experienced the syndrome. Understand that the syndrome itself is easy to diagnose and treat, but improper diagnosis and treatment may cause lifelong adverse physical and mental health problems. Know, too, that physicians receive no training whatsoever on this syndrome. Here with us today to dive into this subject and talk about his own near death experience, we have John Mathis. In 2005, he got pneumonia which led to respiratory failure, kidney failure, and cardiac insufficiency. He was put on life support, his family was summoned, and last rites were given. For reasons unknown, his body had just shut down. Fifteen days later, for reasons unknown, his body started to come back. Curiously, he was aware of his surroundings and visitors while comatose. Visit the website: https://johnmathis.me/index.html Check out his book The Alchemist's Heir Learn more: http://www.elementalchemy.org Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I heard Robin read this piece at a Storytelling Show last month and I was so blown away that I asked her if I could share it with you. Robin Reiser is a writer, award-winning comedian, actress, and the co-author of The Tao of Zero Fucks. Robin wrote and plays all the roles in the new web series PINK EYE, directed by Sarah Feeley. In addition to being an audience favorite on Last Comic Standing and at the Sundance Film Festival, she can also be seen doing commentary on E! and Oxygen. Robin currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and cat. Her house is a mess. https://www.robinreiser.com/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, podcaster Sara Dean of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast, talks to us about what it’s like to be a white woman during the current Black Lives Matter movement. Sara is a friend, a generous resource for women, mothers and her fellow podcasters. She also gave me the honor of being the opening keynote speaker at Shameless Mom Con 2020 and has been a huge supporter of The Only One In The Room from day one. The Shameless Mom Academy Podcast is a top rated podcast with over 2 million downloads. Her biggest passion is helping women own their space. Today, Sara motivates and inspires women to stop shrinking and start growing in every aspect of their lives. She is on a mission to inspire women and moms, in particular, to live bigger, bolder, braver #everydamnday. Connect with Sara: www.shamelessmom.com Listen to the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast Free Facebook Group: www.shamelessmom.com/facebook Instagram: @shamlessmomacademy Podcasts Mentioned: Check Your Privilege, Hello 7, Unlocking Us Laura's Huffington Post article mentioned: White Women, I’m Glad You’re Showing Up. But I’m Not Sure I Trust You Just Yet Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us have struggled during the pandemic with feelings of anxiety, angst, and loneliness. In a time of such unprecedented uncertainty, some of us have sought out meditation and mindfulness as a means of keeping grounded and to stay positive. Apps such as HeadSpace have skyrocketed in popularity in the last 9 months. To help us dive into this we have Katie Krimitsos. Katie is an ever-curious woman who continues her evolution as a loving being of light - who is having fun being a mom, wife, creator, and friend in this life. Whose softness and wisdom has often come as the result of painful experiences. Whose ego is always trying to get the best of her. Who's deeply in love with a Greek man she's definitely known in another life. Who's lived through 12-step-programs, athletics, and half a dozen businesses. Who creates meditations for women as songs to light their souls and wants to save all the animals of the world. She believes life keeps on getting better the older she gets. More From Katie Krimitsos: Meditation for Women podcast Sleep Meditation for Women Morning Meditation for Women Women’s meditation network https://linktr.ee/womens.meditation.network Pod Fest Finding Katie Krimitsos: Instagram: @womens.meditation.network & @katiekrimitsos Twitter: @katiekrimitsos Facebook: @womensmeditationnetwork Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Black and brown girls don’t see black ballerinas in the world’s most prestigious troupes, they don’t know that dancing is something that’s possible for them. A career in professional ballet is already a long shot for MOST girls, but the odds are even more stacked against Black girls who rarely, if ever, see prima ballerinas of color succeed. So when my dear friend Riva Lombardi told us about 16-year old Imani Lindsay, who is one of the only Black dancers at the National Ballet School of Canada, where she has trained for many years and currently lives in residence, we jumped at the chance to interview her. National Ballet School https://www.nbs-enb.ca/en/home Instagram: @imani_lindsay Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s reading is from Part One of the best-selling, critically acclaimed book, Bed/Time/Story, by author Jill Schary Robinson. Jill Schary Robinson was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of two artists. Her father was Oscar and Tony winner Dore Schary, head of MGM during the ‘40s and ‘50s, the only writer to ever run a film studio. Her mother, the painter M. Svet, studied at the Art Students League in New York. During the ‘60s, she wrote on revolutionary women’s issues for Cosmopolitan and covered political trials for the Soho Weekly News. Her first memoir, With a Cast of Thousands, was a runaway hit. During the late fifties and sixties, she also interviewed political and film personalities on KPFK and had a talk show on KLAC. Jill was given a lifetime grant in 2005 to develop the non-profit Wimpole Street Writers program, which continues in London and Los Angeles, where she has run workshops for the Veteran’s Administration, working with Veteran’s with PTSD, encouraging them to release the stories they fear to tell. She also hosts workshops twice a week for all writers including playwrights and screenwriters. The only rule, “No pages, no dinner.” Find Jill’s episode here: https://theonlyonepod.com/ www.jillscharyrobinson.com www.wimpolestreetwriters.com Twitter: @JillSRobinson Instagram: @jillschary Facebook: @jillscharyrobinson Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leila Marchbanks is a fifth grade teacher in Los Angeles and the creator of the website, A Book At The Table. Leila was able to restructure the 5th grade Language Arts program at her school to remove stories of traditional protagonists that excluded people of color and include literature that reflected diverse children along with their complex experiences. Her curriculum evaluates race, systemic racism, gender spectrum, and eliminating microaggressions and biases. Leila now wants to share her research with educators across the country. Ghost Boys Riley Farm How To Be An Antiracist The Lions of Little Rock POCC Visit: https://www.abookatthetable.com Instagram: @theofficialbookatthetable Email- [email protected] Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you visualize a world where women are barred from eating lunch at certain restaurants or routinely charged more than men for things like, alterations and dry cleaning? Can you picture what it was like before women had the power of choice when it came to their own bodies or were taken seriously when violently assaulted? What if you had to do more than visualize it, but you had to live it…again? And what if there was no one fighting to keep the status quo of the past...in the past? In 1966, Gloria Allred, legendary civil rights attorney and women’s advocate, had a life-changing experience that would serve to solidify her decision to become a lawyer and fight for women’s rights. But everywhere that she went to fight injustice, she was met with resistance, anger and sometimes threats of violence. What would you do if it seemed like you were waging a losing battle for equal rights? Would you take the easy road, putting your energy toward causes that might be easier to win? Or would you take the road less traveled and advocate for the choices of those victimized, no matter what? More From Gloria Allred: website: www.gloriaallred.com Read her book Fight Back and Win Watch her Netflix Documentary Seeing Allred (click to watch the trailer) Finding Gloria Allred: Instagram: @gloria.allred Twitter: @gloriaallred Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damares Ocona Perez writes: "Hollywood is probably the only place on earth where it's acceptable for a woman who weighs 105 pounds to be told she's fat". Luckily, more and more Hollywood starlets are proudly speaking out about staying at a healthy weight and refusing to cave to crazy body-weight demands. The scary part? Production companies seem to have no qualms demanding women to lose weight, and some have even suggested they leave the industry altogether. Thankfully, more and more women of Hollywood are shutting down these dangerous ways of thinking. Here with us today to further break this down is Patrika Darbo. Patrika won the inaugural Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performer Short form for the internet series Acting Dead. She has also been nominated 3 times for Daytime Emmy Awards. She is a television Academy Governor and has worked for over 35 years in film and television. She is known to daytime audiences for her popular roles on The Bold & The Beautiful and Days of Our Lives. She has recurred on Desperate Housewives and Studio City, currently on Amazon. And too many more shows to name. Instagram: @darbopatrika Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s reading is from the essay titled, The Incredible Shrinking Woman from the collection of essays, The Incredible Shrinking Woman by author Athena Dixon. Athena Dixon is the author of The Incredible Shrinking Woman, and No God in This Room. Her work also appears in The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic. Athena’s work has appeared in various publications including GAY Magazine and Narratively. She is the founder of Linden Avenue Literary Journal and is the co-host of the New Books in Poetry Podcast via the New Books Network. She resides in Philadelphia. You can listen to Athena’s episode of The Only One In The Room here And find out more about her here https://athenadixon.com/ You can listen to Cole’s episode of The Only One In The Room: Cole Brown Is The Only One Who Is Always The Only One Episode 61 and find out more about Cole here: https://colebrown.com/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Guy Michlin right after the show. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine finding out that your wife, your partner, the mother of your three young children has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a-my-o-TROE-fik LAT-ur-ul skluh-ROE-sis), or ALS. Guy Michlin, CEO, businessman, and Stanford graduate, was working 80-100 hour weeks when his wife discovered that she couldn’t move her finger, and went to the doctor to see what was wrong. But what would you do if your wife’s disease forced you to look at how you defined yourself? Would you try and keep your career at the top of your priority list? Or would you embark on a journey to raise successful, happy and purpose-driven kids? Listen to the podcast Raising To Rise Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter where one lives, what one does for a living often defines how they’re perceived, for better or for worse. When a person with multiple sclerosis or other chronic conditions desires to work, that person and their employer face numerous issues - some legal, some moral, and some practical. During the first decades of the MS movement, people with MS had little or no protection against employment discrimination because of disability, and there were some who thought that those with a diagnosis of MS should retire. The disability rights movement is transforming the way that people with disabilities perceive themselves and the way that the public perceives them. But is that transformation happening fast enough? And is it as far-reaching as it needs to be? Here to dive into this with us today is Joseph Schneiderwind. Joe Schneiderwind graduated with a BS in Engineering Physics in 2009 and an MS in Applied Mathematics in 2011. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005 and by 2014 he was heavily dependent on a wheelchair. After leaving a Ph.D. program in 2016 due to further progression of his disability, he spent a few years acclimating to this new "norm," and is now attending Metropolitan State University of Denver seeking licensure to teach secondary mathematics. Check out Dr. Janelle Johnson HERE & HERE Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s On My Nightstand reading is titled, “Hi, My Name Is Laura…” and is a favorite from my blog archives. Although it’s a few years old, I feel the message is more relevant now than ever. Especially with the spike in alcohol consumption and overdose-deaths during the pandemic. Along with the whole “sober curious” movement that’s currently sweeping the nation. You can find this post and more of my blogs here: On our THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM WEBSITE Or on LAURA'S BLOG WEBSITE Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Studio City, California. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Laura is also a founding member of Moving Forewords, the first national memoirist collective of its kind. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, and follow her on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Kim Strobel right after the show. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine feeling like you were the only one in the room dealing with crippling fear? Podcaster, happiness, educational, and empowerment coach, Kim Strobel dealt with panic attacks as a teen and young adult. She struggled to do simple things, like drive to work or even walk to the mailbox. But what would you do if it got so bad that you pleaded with God to take your life, and you received a message that you were made for more? Would you dismiss it as a delusion and prepare to die? Or would you become the Chief Happiness Officer of your life and show others how to overcome their fears? More From Kim Strobel: Visit the website: https://kimstrobel.com Listen to the podcast: She Finds Joy Check out her coaching program Big Bold & Brave Finding Kim Strobel: Instagram: @kimstrobeljoy Twitter: @strobeled Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Asian Americans have fought in every American war since the civil war (on both sides) and yet they make up only about 4% of today’s US armed forces. The fact that today’s guest has toured on the USNS Mercy three times definitely piqued my interest. But the fact that hate incidents and violence against Asian-Americans have increased sharply during the COVID 19 pandemic, inspired me to contact him. I wanted to know how it felt to be an Asian-American aboard a hospital ship during a pandemic that was referred to by then-president Donald Trump as the “Chinese virus” or the “Kung Flu.” Here to help us dive into this, we have Phong Trac, a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Service Corps of the United States Navy. http://www.mercy.navy.mil/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s On My Nightstand reading is from the essay titled, The Reveal, from the critically acclaimed, bestselling essay collection, Greyboy: Finding Blackness In A White World by Cole Brown. Cole Brown is a Philly kid; he matured in the city's predominately white private schools and neighborhoods. During his undergraduate years at Georgetown University, Cole began writing his first book, Greyboy: FInding Blackness In A White World. You can listen to Cole’s episode of The Only One In The Room: Cole Brown Is The Only One Who Is Always The Only One Episode 61 and find out more about Cole here: https://colebrown.com/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Irina Gonzalez right after the show. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if while growing up, the messaging you got as a girl was that either you were “normal” and were attracted to boys, or you were a lesbian and were attracted to girls? Nothing in between. Editor, freelance writer, and podcaster, Irina Gonzalez, knew from an early age that either the messaging was wrong or there was something wrong with her because she was just attracted to people, regardless of their gender. So what would you do if after discovering that you were bisexual, the person with whom you fell in love happened to be a man? Would you be relieved to feel “normal” and put your bisexual identity aside? Or would you realize that normal is just a setting on a dryer and live out loud in your truth? More from Irina Gonzalez: Visit her website: http://irinagonzalez.com Listen to her podcast Pandemic Mama Finding Irina Gonzalez: Twitter & Instagram: @msirinagonzalez Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Here’s the thing, I’m not hating on anyone who decides that homeschooling, Catholicism, or being a stay-at-home-mom is their path. What I’m hating on is how so many people, women included, impose on other women how they’re supposed to live. It’s like there’s only one good way to mother and everything else falls in the “not good enough” category.” -Mia Hemstad Mia Hemstad is a mom of two little kids, a full-time paid family leave advocate, mental health advocate, and self-care coach. She began creating content online because in 2013 she was facing a mental health crisis, and had no idea who or where to turn to for support as mental illness was never discussed in her family, so she decided to be a voice in this space by sharing her own experiences of overcoming Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety, as well as living with diagnosed PTSD, anxiety, and depression. https://www.miahemstad.com/ Instagram: @miahemstad Check out her YouTube channel: Mia Hemstad Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s On My Nightstand-read is from the chapter titled, Terrors from the New York Times best-selling memoir, Heavy, by Keise Laymon. Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the 2019, Andrew Carnegie Medal, for Excellence in Nonfiction, the 2018 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Heavy was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Nonfiction and the Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction. It was named a best book of 2018 by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly. You can listen to Kiese’s episode of The Only One In The Room here (once the link is live) and find more of Kiese’s work on his website here https://www.kieselaymon.com/ Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Kiese Laymon right after the show. Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture this: You have a book to write, a memoir which contains so much raw truth that you'd rather write a lie instead. Writer, author, and professor, Kiese Laymon, wrote about the weight: The weight of racism, the weight of obesity, and the weight of sex, gambling, and familial love. And addressed the whole thing to his mother. But what would you do if publishing your book would mean naming all the secrets you’d spent a lifetime avoiding? Would you put your life on blast and let the whole world in? Or would you take the easier, softer way and write a lie that you could live with? More From Kiese Laymon: Visit his website: https://www.kieselaymon.com Buy his book Heavy or check out some of his other books Finding Kiese Laymon: Instagram & Twitter: @kieselaymon Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called SUNDAY EDITION & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many people can say that they grew up on studio lots and learned one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets from their mother? We’re truly excited to bring this conversation with Hollywood/literary legend, Jill Schary Robinson. Jill Schary Robinson was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of two artists. Her father was Oscar and Tony winner Dore Schary, head of MGM during the ‘40s and ‘50s, the only writer to ever run a film studio. Her mother, the painter M. Svet, studied at the Art Students League in New York. During the ‘60s, she wrote on revolutionary women’s issues for Cosmopolitan and covered political trials for the Soho Weekly News. Her first memoir, With a Cast of Thousands, was a runaway hit. During the late fifties and sixties, she also interviewed political and film personalities on KPFK and had a talk show on KLAC. Jill was given a lifetime grant in 2005 to develop the non-profit Wimpole Street Writers program, which continues in London and Los Angeles, where she has run workshops for the Veteran’s Administration, working with Veteran’s with PTSD, encouraging them to release the stories they fear to tell. She also hosts workshops twice a week for all writers including playwrights and screenwriters. The only rule, “No pages, no dinner.” www.jillscharyrobinson.com www.wimpolestreetwriters.com Twitter: @JillSRobinson Instagram: @jillschary Facebook: @jillscharyrobinson Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s On My Night Stand-read, Enter-Racial, was written by Laura Cathcart Robbins. It is the story of when she flew to Richmond, Virginia to meet her boyfriend Scott’s father for the first time, while he lay dying in the ICU. You’ll hear her talk about the fear of being a Black woman walking into the seat of the confederacy and meeting a man on his deathbed, who up until that moment, had no idea that she was Black. Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Studio City, California. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Laura is also a founding member of Moving Forewords, the first national memoirist collective of its kind. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, and follow her on Twitter. Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & SUNDAY EDITION every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Rebecca Metz right after the show. Don't miss our new On My Nightstand series releasing every Friday. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if, while growing up, you found that you preferred sneakers to heels and jeans to dresses? And because you didn’t really fit in with your peers, you thought maybe if things were different, if you were different, life might be easier. Actress, Rebecca Metz, chimed in once on set and joined the chorus of women talking about going on a diet. But what would you do if your co-worker wondered aloud why you would want to alter yourself for a part, when you were already working? Would you dismiss her comment as flattery and start counting calories? Or would you realize that being comfortable in your own skin is actually your greatest asset? More from Rebecca Metz: Website: http://rebeccametz.com Finding Rebecca Metz: Twitter & Instagram: @therebeccametz Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called SUNDAY EDITION & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In December of 2010, the House and Senate voted in favor of repealing and over-turning the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell." President Obama then signed it into law in December of 2010 and then the following year, the nation decided that homosexuals would no longer fear discharge from the military by admitting to their sexual preference. Over 13,000 servicemen and women were discharged for being gay while the don't ask, don't tell policy was in effect. Today, we have Vaughn Rush, a male entertainer and Iraq War veteran who lives in San Diego California. Originally from Jamaica, Queens, New York, Vaughn grew up studying theater and dance. He served 7 years in the military as a Behavioral Health Specialist and Combat medic, deploying to Iraq in 2010 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Facebook: seanvaughncarter Instagram: @deadliftdance Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I was one of those bookish kids who grew up to be a bookish adult. I love to read almost as much as I love to write - and writing is like oxygen for me - it’s that essential. But reading fills me up and makes me whole in a way that little else does. So as a result, I always have a pile of articles, blog posts, dog-eared chapters, memoirs and essays, stacked on my nightstand. Every one of them is precious to me, to be cherished, read over and over, highlighted, and stickie noted. I’m so excited that I’m going to get to share a reading with you every Friday, on our new segment of the Only One In The Room called On my Nightstand. Some of the readings will be mine, others will be from some of my favorite writers and authors, with their permission, of course. And I hope you continue to listen every Tuesday and Sunday when we drop a new, incredible Only One story from one of our amazing guests. Make sure you're subscribed to the show so that you don't miss the first episode of On My Nightstand on Friday February, 12th, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Cara Jones right after the show. Don't miss our Now Normal series releasing every Thursday. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine being born into a cult, and being told that you were a rarity, a Blessed Child, born without original sin. Cara Jones, story coach, writer, former Emmy Award-Winning journalist, and documentary filmmaker was raised in the Unification Church, and at nineteen years old, got married in a stadium along with 10,000 other couples to a man chosen for her by its leader, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. But what would you do if after leaving the church, you wanted to reexamine what it was like to grow up in the “moonies?” Would you spend seven years making a documentary about your life and your family? Or would you keep quiet and leave the past in the past? More From Cara Jones: Visit the website: http://cara-jones.com Finding Cara Jones: Instagram: @thisiscarajones Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I was a kid, everyone in our neighborhood knew about sickle cell disease. That is...we all knew that it made Black kids sick, sick enough to go to the hospital sometimes. We knew that it was painful and that the bouts came on suddenly, and caused kids to miss school, families to miss work. The parents of kids with Sickle Cell Disease made a big deal out of every single sneeze and canceled long-awaited sleepovers during flu season, out of what felt like an overabundance of caution. Looking back, I realize that we who didn’t deal with it first hand didn’t really know that much about it. In fact, until long after I was an adult, and Prodigy from the hip-hop duo, Mobb Deep died in 2017, I don’t think I really comprehended Sickle Cell’s fatality. In this very special episode of The Only One In The Room, we talk to Nahomie Acelin and Ronald Felix. Parents who have chosen to grapple with their family’s sickle cell disease in a very special way -- by making their three young sons the stars of a superhero comic book series. The book is available on Amazon in English: https://www.amazon.ca/BATTLE-OTTOGATZ-SUPER-FELIX-BROTHERS/dp/1777248612 And also in French: https://www.amazon.ca/Bataille-dOttogatz-Super-Brothers-French-ebook/dp/B08CKJSHVD Social medias : Ronald Facebook : facebook.com/ronald.felix.18 Nahomie Facebook : facebook.com/nahomie.acelin Nahomie Instagram: instagram.com/nahomieacelin Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For salon owners, the margins are usually tight. “A good salon makes only 5 to 6 percent on the bottom line and has to have the owner working with a full book of clients,” according to Allure Magazine. Monthly business expenses can include everything from payroll, products, cleaning services, utilities, marketing, and of course rent. Unfortunately, all of these costs don’t disappear just because a pandemic has decimated income. Some landlords are threatening legal action if salon owners don’t pay. As some owners struggle to pay rent, digging deeper into minimal cash reserves available, the effect has been felt by every assistant, receptionist, colorist, stylist, and janitor. Here to dive into this we have Jason Backe. Jason is the Founder of Starring by Ted Gibson Salon Concept and Co-creator of Starring by Ted Gibson products. He is also the founder of Worth Up Alliance. Barbicide website: https://barbicide.com/ The Beauty Federation of California Professional Beauty Associated Beauty Changes Lives Starring by Ted Gibson website: starringbytedgibson.com Amazon.com/tedgibson Ted Gibson Products tedgibson.com Worth Up Alliance worthupalliance.org Instagram @jasonbacke, @worthupalliance, @starring Facebook @Jason Backe Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Dani Shapiro right after the show. Don't miss our Now Normal series releasing every Thursday. Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more. You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine growing up not looking like the rest of your family, and having people make jokes like, “Where’d she come from?! She must be the milkman’s daughter.” Dani Shapiro, best-selling author, and podcast host took an Ancestry DNA test at 54-years old and discovered that her family had been hiding a secret from her for her entire life. But what would you do if you found out that your father, the father who had raised you, the father you adored, wasn’t your father at all? Would you act as though nothing had changed and go with your life, business as usual? Or would you start a podcast to help other people uncover their own family secrets? More from Dani Shapiro: Listen to the podcast Family Secrets Check out her website for books, essays, workshops & more: https://danishapiro.com Finding Dani Shapiro: Instagram: @daniwriter Twitter: @danijshapiro Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a man a man? Chris Hunter tells us about the experience that changed his mind regarding America’s hypermasculine culture. Chris Hunter is the Co-Founder and CEO of Koia, the 100 percent plant protein drink that is naturally craveable and uses simple ingredients to deliver unparalleled nutrition. His stamp on the beverage industry first began in 2005 with Phusion Projects. After seeing the huge popularity in combining caffeine and alcohol, Hunter and his partners created Four Loko, a high-profile flavored malt beverage that grew to be the eighth largest brewers in the country at its peak. Chris believes plant protein is the future, but that it will only work if people love how it tastes. Koia achieves this as it’s low sugar and high protein but doesn’t compromise on flavor. Koia is now sold in more than 5,000 stores across the country. https://drinkkoia.com/ Instagram: @_christopher_hunter & @fourloko Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays and Scott Talks now released on Wednesdays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more. We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show! All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices