The Junkyard Love Podcast

Today we’re diving into something we use every day - our voice. Most of us are walking around with an unconscious default voice that’s been patched together from old stories, childhood wounds, cultural expectations, and whatever got us through the day. But what if that voice isn’t really you? Meet Barbara McAfee - voice whisperer, author, singer, and playful catalyst for authentic expression. For...

“I found this perfect Porsche Cayenne diesel, white with red interior, low miles, great service history. I hit the lady up, we agreed on a price, everything was lining up… and then it all fell apart. She sold it to some random guy for a thousand dollars more. I was pissed. I was fighting it. But then this little Mercedes GLA shows up at work - cash, fixed it myself, gets way better gas mileage, an...

David, 80, has been teaching ministry for over 60 years. He has decades of experience as a minister, teacher, author, spiritual guide and sound healer - and has journeyed from a fundamentalist Christian upbringing to an inclusive spiritual vista that primarily champions love over fear. David is the founder and spiritual leader of the ‘Academy for Spiritual Awakening’ - a vibrant sanctuary blending...

In this conversation, I sit down with Trey Jones. Trey Jones is a former convict who spent 10 years in a Tennessee prison, and while in prison, he had a near-death experience that awakened him to a very new and different perspective. While tattooing, Trey was offered a bump, of which turned out to be fentanyl, that put him out for 18 minutes. After six cans of Narcan and three defibrillator shocks...

What if mania isn’t a malfunction — but a message from the psyche trying to heal? Sean Blackwell is an author, teacher, and researcher who has spent nearly two decades exploring the spiritual and somatic dimensions of bipolar disorder. His work challenges the mainstream psychiatric model by suggesting that episodes of mania, depression, and psychosis often have trauma roots and can reflect deep in...

In this conversation, I'm joined by mathematician, meditator, and machine learning engineer Blake Hull.  We share stories of therapy, meditation, and Ram Dass, opening up after years of staying in the head, we unravel ideas of masculinity, expand on vulnerability, and dissect what it means to become safe in our own skin. We talk about anger as sacred energy, the strange geometry of emotion, and th...

Curtis L. Harnagel is a creative polymath - a director, consultant, and producer whose career moves fluidly between live entertainment, multimedia, dance, art, and nonprofit worlds. A true pop-culture savant, Curtis carries decades of music knowledge, behind-the-scenes reasoning, and pedagogical wisdom from his perspective that apply across every industry. I first met Curtis on-site at a stunning...

“I grew up with puppetry and voices and weird little characters. I never really let that go — I just found ways to turn it into a life.” - Nate Begle   In this episode, we're joined by Nate - He's a voice actor and puppeteer with over two decades of experience in storytelling across stage, screen, and sound. His career has spanned live theme park shows, national commercials, animation, and narrati...

Ravinder Taylor is a UK-certified psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist, trained at the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and has spent over 30 years researching human behavior, subconscious programming, and self-empowerment. She has co-authored more than 200 personal development audio programs and two books, and worked extensivel...

In this episode of The Junkyard Love Podcast, we meet Wendy Cole, a 67-year-old Transition Mentor who fully transitioned after 65. Wendy shares her inner perspective from her years living as a married man and father while grappling deeply with identity, societal expectations, and secrets that visited her sleep. Wendy shares stories of how she embraced her true self later in life, and we discuss he...

In this heartfelt episode of The Junkyard Love Podcast , I reconnect with one of the most influential mentors of my life—my high school drama teacher, David Crayk. We dive deep into creativity, teaching, personal growth, and the power of human connection. David shares his journey from being a young dreamer to a teacher, the impact of mentorship, and the role of kindness in shaping students' lives....

Nate is a husband, father, stunt-bike rider, motivational speaker, videographer, inspired leader, and an honest man.  He joins us to engage in a deep, introspective conversation about personal growth, spirituality, and masculinity. We explore themes of overcoming adversity, finding purpose, and the importance of fatherhood and personal accountability. The discussion centers on Nate's transformativ...

Rebecca and I sit down for a raw and enlightening conversation about overcoming life’s most challenging moments. From personal trauma to profound self-discovery, we discuss the pivotal moments that shaped our paths toward healing and growth. With heartfelt anecdotes, practical advice, and a sprinkle of humor, this dialogue is a beacon of hope and a guide for anyone navigating their own journey of...

I sit down with Marty Strong, former Navy SEAL, and we explore his unique approach to life and work, characterized by his openness to opportunity and his ability to adapt and thrive in unexpected situations. Marty shares lots of great stories, perspectives, and some key highlights from his latest book. We talked about embracing opportunities, cultivating an open mind, taking risks, adapting to cha...

Anne Riley, armed with an MBA, scientific wit, experience in multiple industries, and the mind of a curious philosopher - has been on a lifelong quest to understand how humans logically fit into life's panorama.  Spending much of her time studying the works of Charles Darwin, Stephen Jay Gould, and Michael Rothschild (among many others), and immersing herself in the basic knowledge of physics, che...

Meredith and Craig Bennett are relationship coaches. Awhile back, at the exact same time, they both left their corporate jobs to pursue being entrepreneurs - they jumped right into real estate, and bombed quickly. And it turned out to be exactly what they needed to head them down a road right back to themselves. They stop by The Junkyard Love Podcast to chat about their pillars for building a drea...

Cameron is a fun, loving, optimist - who will try anything once - and thrives on gathering good people together. He has a contagious and ridiculous laugh that 'most' people seem to love. He is a proponent of medicinal psychedelic usage, meditation, breathwork, flexibility, daily intentional movement, spontaneous dancing, karate kicking to fun music, and taking time to express love when it’s most d...

Matt McGee is an educational expert, tutor, and college admissions specialist. He is the founder of MRM Education - An elite tutoring and college admissions consultancy that aims to fosters academic curiosity, mental health, and confidence in students' - with the ultimate goal of admission into a top university. Matt is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and has...

In 1989, Julie had a radical awakening. Her conscious experience changed indefinitely via shaktipat (energetic exchange of spiritual knowledge) in a lucid dream experience. She was gracious enough to join me on the podcast to share her fascinating experiences, heartfelt wisdom, and warm expertise.  She's a spiritual coach, author, teacher, and she also supports people going through kundalini awake...

Landon Smith is an artist mostly known for his alias “Dirtyzen”. A creative visionary & spiritual teacher, he hangs his hat in the world of music by interlacing a sub-genre of dubstep called ‘chillstep’ with philosophical spiritual talks from well-known masters. Landon takes the listener on a journey that seeks to liberate and amplify one’s experiential understanding of Eastern spiritual pract...

To skip solo intro: @11:03 In this episode, we get to meet Megan Hawkins, one of the Co-Founders of BetterU Psychedelic Therapy. She joins us from her home in Los Angeles, where she and her partner Derek Du Chesne have been recently working on opening the first brick-and-mortar location for BetterU.  Once an international model, Megan's life took a dramatic turn when she was shot at 19 yrs old. Sh...

Keenan is a member of the city council in Kelso, Washington. He's a commercial insurance agent, he's held jobs in the non-profit sector, has been a pseudo-law enforcement officer, has been a parole and probation officer, he has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Law and Justice, holds an advanced certificate of municipal leadership, is Vice President of Kelso Rotary, is active in the Kelso/Longview C...

"This is how a human being can change: There's a worm addicted to eating grape leaves. Suddenly. He wakes up, call it Grace, whatever, something wakes him, and he's no longer a worm. He's the entire vineyard, and orchard too, the fruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom and joy that doesn't need to devour." Rumi 0:00 - 22:00 - solocast intro The interview starts at 22:36 I was recently a guest on "The...

Brent Spirit went through an unintentional spiritual process that is often called “Kundalini Awakening”. Since, he has begun playing the role of spiritual teacher and helps many going through the same or similar process, primarily through his youtube channel and podcast “The Spiritual Awakening Show”. He joins us on the show to eloquently lay out the awakening process in a way that is reachable an...

Hit Follow/like if you enjoyed the episode! - Swami Nityananda is the spiritual teacher of the Awake Yoga Meditation community. Consecrated by Swami Shankarananda, her teachings helps listeners and readers connect with the reality of love, wisdom, liberation, joy, harmony, and kindness. People who meditate with her find Swami Nityananda practices a selfless way of living in the world that asks, "H...