JUST DO YOU.

What happens when you finally give yourself permission to be seen? For fashion-forward content creator and world traveler Javí Garlic , the journey toward living authentically has been one of discovery, courage, and learning to embrace every part of himself. Growing up Black and queer in a small rural community, Javí learned early that some parts of himself were celebrated while others were expect...

What happens when life knocks you down, your dreams take an unexpected turn, and you're left wondering what the hell comes next? Sometimes, you just have to get back up, find your light, and keep dancing. This week on JUST DO YOU., I sit down with Ryan Lyons, a former Canadian national team gymnast, professional acrobat, world traveler, and self-proclaimed goofball whose infectious energy and...

Ryland Whittington has spent much of his life with people knowing his story before they ever knew him. At just five years old, Ryland transitioned, and a few years later his family's story reached millions through a viral video, the documentary Raising Ryland , and his mother Hillary Whittington's book by the same name. But as Ryland got older, he made a different choice: he stepped away...

We’ve been taught that when you meet the right person, you’ll just know . There will be chemistry, sparks, attraction—and if you fall in love, somehow the rest will work itself out. But what if love isn’t enough? Certified Relationship Coach and creator of The Boyfriend Formula™ , Andrew Betancourt, returns to JUST DO YOU. for an honest conversation about what actually creates lasting relationship...

For the past decade, I’ve been carrying around a feeling I haven’t really talked about on this podcast. I’ve felt trapped. From the outside, my life doesn’t look particularly trapped. I have a career I built and still love, this podcast, coaching, writing, people I love, a home near the beach and a life I’m incredibly grateful for. But my world had gotten smaller. The noise got louder. And I becam...

What happens when life finally gets quiet enough for you to hear yourself? For decades, Geneva Lake was moving. Building an extraordinary career in technology. Raising a family. Traveling the world. Achieving. Succeeding. Doing so many of the things she had been taught a successful life was supposed to include. Then life got quieter. And in that quiet, Geneva began asking different questions. What...

What if you stopped waiting until you felt completely ready? In Episode 86 of JUST DO YOU. , I sit down with Filipino American artist, playwright, filmmaker and entrepreneur Lani Gobaleza for a beautiful conversation about creativity, identity, belonging, love—and letting go of perfection. A proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Lani opens up about coming out, finding community, and her beautiful...

You may know Jonathan Bennett as Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls . But in this candid, funny and refreshingly personal conversation, I sit down with the actor, host, producer, creator, husband, and LGBTQ+ advocate to meet the man beyond the iconic role. Jonathan opens up about the extraordinary career he once dreamed about as a kid — from finally making his Broadway debut in Spamalot , to returning...

What if the thing you didn’t realize you were missing was simply a place to belong? For Sarah Sather, that place was a swimming pool in Carlsbad, California.  After years of surgeries, setbacks and seasons when joy felt out of reach, she returned to the water searching for something that might help her feel like herself again. What she found was a community … and four simple words that changed eve...

What happens when the world becomes so loud that you can no longer hear your own voice? Chaotic headlines. Intense division. Fear. Uncertainty. An endless stream of things demanding our attention, our outrage, our worry — and sometimes, our response. But what happens when caring about all of it becomes so overwhelming that you no longer know what is yours to carry? In this deeply personal episode...

What if the most important masterpiece you'll ever create isn't hanging on a gallery wall — but reflected back at you every morning? Artist David Mont Virgen doesn't simply create reflective sculptures—he creates moments that invite us to see ourselves with greater honesty, courage, and compassion. During this thoughtful conversation, David opens up about his extraordinary journey f...

What if the beliefs you've carried your entire life deserve another look? In one of the most thought-provoking conversations we've ever had on JUST DO YOU. , psychologist, educator, dancer, and newly minted PhD Dr. Tsotso Ablorh invites us to rethink identity, belonging, privilege, trauma, culture, and what it truly means to live authentically. From growing up as the daughter of Ghanaian...

A replay of Season 1, Episode 17 - A MATTER OF PRIDE There are moments when the most important conversation isn't a new one ... It's the one we need to hear again. As San Diego celebrates Pride this week, I found myself reflecting on where this podcast journey began — not with a guest, but with my own story. A story of growing up in silence. Of believing I had to hide. Of carrying shame...

What does it really mean to live authentically when the world constantly asks you to be someone else? In this powerful Pride Season episode, I sit down with Sydney Rogers —speaker, advocate, drag artist, Senior Manager of the Trans Wellness Center at the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, Chair of the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission, and one of the most inspiring people I've had the privilege to...

As we kick off Pride Month on JUST DO YOU., I'm excited to welcome a guest who isn't afraid to challenge assumptions, spark important conversations, and speak his truth with conviction. Matthew Conrado is the Founder and CEO of Alphabet Mafia Consultancy, a groundbreaking LGBTQ+ marketing and brand strategy firm dedicated to helping organizations authentically connect with queer audience...

There are moments in life when the hardest question is not what we do… but who we truly are beneath the expectations, fear, labels, survival, and the roles we’ve spent years playing for everyone else. This week on JUST DO YOU., I’m joined by Northern California entrepreneur, caregiver advocate, author, and LGBTQIA+ voice Nicola Lopez for a deeply honest and heartfelt conversation about identity, h...

Some stories don’t end when the episode does …they keep unfolding in real time. And today, this one brings the news we’ve been hoping for ... Allan is FINALLY HOME! After ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DAYS of detention, uncertainty, and being moved multiple times across the country, Allan is finally back where he belongs — with his husband, Matthew. And while there is deep relief … and overwhelming gratitude...

In the midst of all the chaos , how do we heal, reconnect, and come home?  This has been a question that has consumed my daily thoughts of late so today’s conversation feels especially timely.   In a world that can feel overwhelming where uncertainty, stress, and constant noise can take a real toll on our nervous systems it’s easy to find ourselves drifting into anxiety, disconnection, or even iso...

Matthew Collin Marrero is a New York City–based singer, songwriter, and published poet ... an artist whose work lives at the intersection of identity, advocacy, and truth. Through his voice, he’s spent years telling stories of resilience and self-expression. But nothing could prepare him for the story he’s now living. What began as a routine immigration interview with his husband Allan quickly tur...

This week, I’m bringing back one of the most vulnerable conversations we’ve  had on the JUST DO YOU. podcast .  In this special replay, formerly titled Anxiety, Trauma and Loss , therapist Brittaney Latta, LMFT joins me for an honest and heartfelt discussion about grief, anxiety, trauma, and loss—and why healing requires us to face the hard things rather than avoid them. Brittaney is a compassiona...

Some journalists report the news. Others make sure you feel the people behind it — and that’s exactly what today’s guest, Jay Valle, does. Jay is an award-winning New York City–based journalist whose work centers community voices, accountability, and real-world impact. In a moment when so many in the LGBTQ community feel targeted, isolated, and afraid, that kind of journalism isn’t just important...

Replay Episode This week we're replaying one of the most powerful conversations from Season 2 — an episode that continues to resonate long after the microphones were turned off. Please meet Marc Winski . Marc is a dynamic actor, singer, dancer, and speaker based in New York City who uses his artistry — and his voice — to champion inclusivity. As a person who stutters, Marc knows firsthand wha...

Today’s guest doesn’t just move bodies ... he disrupts them. Toni Nuñez is a Southern California based, award winning professional dancer and movement coach who uses movement to shake people out of autopilot and back into themselves. His work is raw, embodied, and rooted in the belief that the body already knows the truth ... we just have to stop ignoring it!  Toni’s approach isn’t polished for ap...

In this episode of JUST DO YOU , I sit down with Scott McGlothlen — life coach, counselor, and nudist based in Denver, Colorado — to talk about authenticity, body acceptance, and what it really means to feel at home in your own skin. Scott works with LGBTQ+ individuals and anyone curious about reconnecting with their bodies ... and themselves. Over the years, he has developed an approach that blen...

When David Morgenstern and his husband became dads, they quickly realized that while parenting advice is everywhere, community for gay dads is not. The joy of fatherhood was real — but so were the assumptions, the erasure, and the systems still built around the idea that every family has a “mom and dad.” From public spaces to school forms to everyday interactions, their family often felt unseen. R...