I Am Refocused Radio

Latest Episodes:

Luvvie Ajayi Jones, author of the new children's book Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name May 06, 2025

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ABOUT LUVVIE AJAYI JONES
Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, speaker and book coach who thrives at the intersection of culture, business and leadership.
She has written 4 critically acclaimed bestselling books (including her banner book Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual and her children's book Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name), establishing her as a literary force with a powerful pen. Her expertise as a marketer and a successful published author drove her to create The Book Academy, a masterclass and coaching platform for aspiring and established authors.
Luvvie is an internationally recognized speaker whose thought leadership on culture, authenticity, and disruption enables transformative action.Her renowned TED talk "Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable" has over 9 million views, has been transcribed into 23 languages, and has placed her in the Top 1% of TED Talks of all time. Luvvie has taken the stage at some of the world's most innovative and disruptive brands, such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Spotify, Nike, Bank of America, Salesforce, Deloitte, and Clif Bar. She's been a featured speaker at noted conferences such as: Cannes Lions, SXSW, Leadercast, 3% Conference, and MAKERS Conference.
Her critically acclaimed, bestselling books established her as a literary forced with a powerful pen. And her children's book Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess, has become a beloved series, with two more editions scheduled for release in 2025 and 2026.
She's also written for various publications including the New York Times, ELLE and Essence Magazine. In addition, her work has been featured in outlets such as NPR, Forbes, Inc, Fortune, Fast Company, The Chicago Tribune and more. A 21-year blogging veteran, Luvvie writes on AwesomelyLuvvie.com, covering all things culture with a critical yet humorous lens.
Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name
A story about a little troublemaker with a big heart who must defend her name from a class bully, from the New York Times bestselling author and noted speaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones.
Little Luvvie is ready for her first day at a new school!
But immediately things do not go well. First, a kid in class makes fun of her name. How dare he! But Luvvie’s instant response gets her scolded. Then she forgets her lunch. And worst of all, her teacher sees a private note Luvvie had written to herself where she talked about how much she doesn’t like her new school. What a day! But this little troublemaker figures out how to turn things around.
In this remarkably relatable picture book, Little Luvvie, the star of Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess, learns that she can be kind even as she stands up for herself, and that learning from mistakes can open her up to making new friends who respect and appreciate her.
Written by the New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, with bright, bold art by Joey Spiotto, this funny, sweet story is dedicated to all the kids whose names might feel too different. It reminds us that our names are worth getting right and celebrating.
Get the book: https://a.co/d/hno81u3
https://luvvie.org/books/little-troublemaker-defends-her-name/
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Light in the Storm: Stories of Healing with Rev. Kathi Lockwood May 03, 2025

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In this heartfelt episode of Light in the Storm, we sit down with Rev. Kathi Lockwood, M.Ed.—Interfaith Minister, Reiki Master, educator, and children’s book author—who has turned life’s greatest challenges into stories that heal. From raising three children after the tragic loss of her husband, to navigating her son’s addiction, Rev. Kathi has walked through fire with grace. She shares how her spiritual journey and mystical experiences shaped the creation of her inspiring children’s books: An Adoption Made in Heaven, The King and the Monster, and A Christmas Eve Adventure. These aren’t just stories—they’re tools of transformation for families facing adoption, addiction, grief, and questions of faith. This episode is a conversation about grief, resilience, and the divine light that can be found even in life’s darkest corners. Whether you’re a parent, a spiritual seeker, or someone walking your own healing path—this one's for you.
Rev. Kathi Lockwood, M.Ed. is an Interfaith Minister, Reiki Master, educator, and author dedicated to helping families and children navigate life’s most difficult moments with hope and heart. As the founder and CEO of the Heart Self Speaks Collective, she provides spiritual support to those on transformative journeys—especially single parents and families dealing with the emotional terrain of addiction, adoption, and loss. Her award-winning background in the arts, a Master's degree in Art Education from Penn State, and spiritual training from One Spirit Learning Alliance have shaped her holistic, faith-infused approach to healing. Rev. Kathi’s books empower children to process complex emotions through stories filled with light, understanding, and spiritual insight. A mother of three and grandmother, Rev. Kathi brings personal experience, professional wisdom, and divine intuition into everything she does. Whether she’s writing, speaking, or guiding, her message is simple but powerful: your story matters, and the light always finds a way in.
https://booksbykathi.com/
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Unhooked: Breaking Cycles, Building Discipline w/ Jeremy Lipkowitz May 03, 2025

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In this transformative episode, we sit down with Jeremy Lipkowitz—a former Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, and ICF-certified executive coach—who now helps high-achieving men break free from compulsive behaviors like porn addiction and reclaim lives of integrity, focus, and deep fulfillment. Jeremy opens up about his personal journey from academia to the monastery, how shame and addiction nearly consumed him, and what it truly takes to become unhooked from self-sabotaging habits. We dive into the neuroscience of addiction, the role of emotional intelligence in healing, and the daily disciplines that create lasting change. Whether you're battling compulsive behavior or simply seeking a life of greater clarity and purpose, this conversation will challenge, ground, and inspire you.
Jeremy Lipkowitz is a former Buddhist monk turned executive coach who helps high-performing men break free from compulsive behaviors and live with greater clarity, integrity, and emotional resilience. With degrees in Genetics & Genomics and a deep background in mindfulness and meditation—spanning over 13 years and hundreds of days in silent retreat—Jeremy blends science and spirituality to guide lasting transformation. As the founder of Unhooked Academy and host of the Unhooked Podcast, he is a leading voice in destigmatizing porn addiction and empowering men to build lives rooted in purpose, discipline, and freedom.
https://www.jeremylipkowitz.com/
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Break the Cycle: Dr. Alain Salas on Healing, Belief Systems, and the Mind Clearing Method May 03, 2025

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What if the real blocks in your life aren’t outside you—but buried deep in your subconscious mind? In this powerful episode, Dr. Alain Salas shares his extraordinary journey from living on a sailboat in the South of France to becoming a successful chiropractic physician in the U.S.—only to find himself overwhelmed, divorced, and facing a cancer diagnosis. But it wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of a transformation. Dr. Salas walks us through the breakthrough that changed everything: discovering how limiting beliefs were silently sabotaging his life. He introduces his signature Mind Clearing System, a 3-step method for rewiring the mind, restoring health, and reclaiming your purpose. This episode is for anyone feeling stuck in cycles of burnout, broken relationships, or self-doubt—and ready to break free.
Dr. Alain Salas is a chiropractic physician, speaker, and transformational coach who helps people break free from the invisible chains of limiting beliefs. After building a successful practice in the U.S., Dr. Salas found himself overwhelmed, burnt out, and ultimately facing a life-altering cancer diagnosis. This turning point led him on a profound journey of healing, both physically and emotionally. Through years of deep personal work and clinical experience, he developed the Mind Clearing System—a simple but powerful 3-step process designed to rewire the subconscious, restore health, repair relationships, and reignite purpose. Today, Dr. Salas is on a mission to share this system with individuals, coaches, and health professionals, empowering them to transform from the inside out and create lasting freedom in their lives.
https://themindclearing.com/
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Success Without Purpose: Why High Achievers Feel Empty (and How to Change It) with Max Stephens May 02, 2025

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Why do people with money, influence, and status still feel lost? In this episode, we sit down with performance coach and author Max Stephens, who exposes the silent crisis among high achievers: a deep lack of fulfillment masked by outward success. Max breaks down how cultural conditioning leads us to chase the wrong things—and offers a powerful solution through his concept of “a purpose beyond the self.” Whether you’re a high performer, entrepreneur, or just tired of the grind not giving back, Max drops paradigm-shifting insights on:

The real reason success feels empty
How to spot when you’re off-purpose
Why contribution beats accomplishment every time
A mindset shift that instantly transforms how you chase goals
How to reclaim your life from the noise of expectations

This episode is your invitation to rethink success, realign with purpose, and finally feel like your life means something.
https://maxstephenscoaching.com/
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Cam F Awesome - The Comeback Champion: Turning Setbacks into Success Apr 29, 2025

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Cam F Awesome is a 12-time national boxing champion, 3-time Olympic Trials winner, and former captain of the USA National Boxing Team. But beyond the titles and trophies, Cam is a true comeback story — a powerful example of how setbacks can become stepping stones to greatness. Once a bullied kid who found his voice and confidence inside the boxing ring, Cam rose to the top of his sport with grit, heart, and relentless determination. After being removed from the Olympic team due to a technicality, he didn't quit — he pivoted. Cam turned his personal challenges into fuel for a new mission: helping others rise through adversity. Today, Cam travels the country as a sought-after speaker, inspiring students, professionals, and leaders with his blend of humor, raw honesty, and practical tools for resilience. His message centers on the power of mindset, the importance of internal dialogue, and how failure, when faced head-on, can become a blueprint for success. He’s also the author of Becoming Awesome: How to Make Success Inevitable, a guide to building habits, confidence, and a winning attitude from the inside out. Whether in the ring or on the stage, Cam F Awesome continues to champion the idea that greatness isn’t about never falling — it’s about always getting back up, stronger than before.
https://camfawesome.com/
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Austin Davis Founder and CEO of Clearfork Academy Apr 26, 2025

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Austin is a visionary leader in teenage behavioral health and addiction treatment, spending the past 15+ years committed to transforming the lives of teens & their families. He uses the power of faith in the recovery process to help his clients grow into healthy and happy members of their community. He is the founder and CEO of Clearfork Academy, the go-to treatment center in Texas for troubled teens.
His dedication to teen mental health makes him a driving thought leader in the industry. He has spoken to parents, community health professionals, educators and teens nationwide—sharing insights on effective treatment methodologies, the importance of mental health awareness and the power of faith in the recovery process.
Austin earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and furthered his education with a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. This education laid the foundation for his professional journey in clinical counseling and church ministry.
When he's not helping teens or serving his community, he is found spending time with his wife & three kids, playing guitar, and being outdoors.
https://clearforkacademy.com/
My Kid, My Crisis Book:
Austin Davis' My Kid, My Crisis provides a profound exploration into the turbulent journey of families navigating teenage mental health and substance abuse crises. Drawing from his extensive experience, Davis offers a compassionate guide through the trials and triumphs faced by parents and their teens. This book is not just a collection of stories; it's a beacon of hope, shedding light on the silent struggles and providing a roadmap for healing and understanding. Through personal accounts and professional insights, Davis fosters a sense of community, encouraging open dialogue and offering practical advice to those in the midst of their own crisis. My Kid, My Crisis is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of teenage mental health and substance abuse, advocating for a world where no family has to navigate these challenges in isolation.
https://a.co/d/g7IM4A1
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Julie Brill - Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia Apr 26, 2025

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As a child, Julie held two conflicting beliefs. She knew Germans had murdered her Jewish grandfather in occupied Yugoslavia, yet she somehow believed the Holocaust had never come to his hometown of Belgrade. The family anecdotes her father passed down, a blend of his early memories and what his mother told him, didn’t match what Julie had heard about Germany, Poland, and Anne Frank in Holland during World War II.With so few Jewish survivors and descendants from Serbia, the story of the Shoah there has gone untold. Julie’s quest to understand and share what she learned led to Hidden in Plain Sight.Julie’s numerous short pieces related to this larger project appear in Haaretz, The Forward, Balkan Insight, Kveller, Cognoscenti, Alma, the Globe Post, and elsewhere. Julie is a contributor to the Read650 Anthology Jew-ish: True Stories of Love, Latkes, and L'Chaim and has been featured on Memoir Mondays. She shares her family’s Holocaust experiences in classrooms through Living Links.Additionally, Julie is a lactation consultant, doula, birth educator at WellPregnancy. She is the author of the anthology Round the Circle: Doulas Share their Experiences. She lives near Boston and is the mother of two adult daughters.
Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia (Holocaust Heritage)
Discover a powerful, untold chapter of Holocaust history and a daughter’s enduring quest to know the story that began a generation before her birth. From childhood, Julie Brill struggled to understand how her father survived as a young Jewish boy in Belgrade, where Nazis murdered 90 percent of the Jewish population without gas chambers or cattle cars. Through exacting research, a bit of luck, and three emotional trips to Serbia, she pieces together her family’s lost past, unearths secrets, and returns to her father a small part of what the Nazis stole: his own family history.
https://juliebrill.com/
Get the book:
https://a.co/d/bdHtCyZ
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Kristin Casey, author of Casey Dancer Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

ABOUT KRISTIN CASEY AND CASEY DANCER
The follow-up to Kristin Casey's widely acclaimed memoir Rock Monster: My Life with Joe Walsh Casey Dancer is the true story of a thirty-nine-year-old part-time stripper, full-time real estate agent, and struggling writer navigating the chaos of love and ambition. Fresh from a tumultuous breakup and newly sober, Kristin finds herself struggling to re-enter the dating scene. When she falls for Lalo, a charming but troubled ex-coke dealer, their steamy affair leads to deep emotional conflict, testing her boundaries and stirring memories of past relationships. Through the highs of passion, the lows of financial strain, and the harsh realities of erotic labor, Kristin fights to reclaim her sense of self. Bold, raw, and unapologetically honest, Casey Dancer is a story of resilience, vulnerability, and self-discovery. "In Casey Dancer, Kristin Casey invites readers into an unfiltered exploration of her journey through the complexities of sex, dating, and intimacy, transcending the superficial allure of romantic entanglements to uncover the raw truths that lie beneath. This candid memoir serves as a fearless examination of the often-unspoken realities of modern relationships, revealing not only the euphoric highs of passionate encounters but also the deep vulnerabilities that arise when one dares to be truly seen by another. With an honesty that is both refreshing and disarming, Kristin confronts her own choices and experiences with genuine curiosity, challenging societal norms and expectations along the way. Throughout the memoir, she thoughtfully references her first book, Rock Monster, which chronicled her whirlwind relationship with rock legend Joe Walsh. These poignant callbacks serve as effective reminders of where she's been and how those experiences have shaped her understanding of love and self. Through her journeys, both physical and emotional, Kristin pushes boundaries in ways that are not only refreshing but also deeply relatable. She invites readers to join her on a path of self-acceptance, exploring the intersections of sexuality, identity, and the relentless passage of time. Casey Dancer dares to ask the difficult questions, embracing the messy, beautiful, and sometimes painful realities of being human. It is a celebration of resilience, a testament to the strength found in vulnerability, and an invitation for readers to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery." -Chris Epting, memoirist and author of forty-five books including Where One Hears the Rain
ABOUT KRISTEN CASEY
Kristin Casey is a writer and recovered alcoholic and addict. Her first memoir Rock Monster: My Life with Joe Walsh documents their tumultuous six-year relationship and drug-fueled, train-wreck breakup. Her second, Casey Dancer: A Memoir About Dating, Stripping, and a Little Hot Yoga, chronicles her journey overcoming fear of intimacy in early sobriety. She's survived clinical depression, numerous addictions, the panhandle of Texas, and seventeen years of Catholicism. Her writing has appeared in the Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, The Nervous Breakdown, Please Kill Me, $pread, and elsewhere. She writes about addiction, dependency, sexuality, and relationships. She resides in Austin, Texas, where she's a certified sexuality counselor and retired intimacy coach and IPSA-trained surrogate partner.
Get the book: https://a.co/d/aeUfgQn
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Deborah Archer, president of the ACLU Apr 23, 2025

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ABOUT DEBORAH ARCHER AND DIVIDING LINES
From an eminent legal scholar and the president of the ACLU, an essential account of how transportation infrastructure-from highways and roads to sidewalks and buses-became a means of protecting segregation and inequality after the fall of Jim Crow.
Our nation's transportation system is crumbling: highways are collapsing, roads are pockmarked, and commuter trains are unreliable. But as acclaimed scholar and ACLU president Deborah Archer warns in Dividing Lines, before we can think about rebuilding and repairing, we must consider the role race has played in transportation infrastructure, from the early twentieth century and into the present day.
As Archer demonstrates, the success of the Civil Rights movement and the fall of Jim Crow in the 1960s did not mean the end of segregation. The status quo would not be so easily dismantled. With state-sanctioned racism no longer legal, officials across the country-not just in the South-turned to transportation infrastructure to keep Americans divided. A wealthy white neighborhood could no longer be "protected" by racial covenants and segregated shops, but a multilane road, with no pedestrian crossings, could be built along its border to make it difficult for people from a lower-income community to visit. Highways could not be routed through Black neighborhoods based on the race of their residents, but those neighborhoods' lower property values-a legacy of racial exclusion-could justify their destruction. A new suburb could not be for "whites only," but planners could refuse to extend sidewalks from Black communities into white ones.
Drawing on a wealth of sources, including interviews with people who now live in the shadow of highways and other major infrastructure projects, Archer presents a sweeping, national account-from Atlanta and Houston to Indianapolis and New York City-of our persistent divisions. With immense authority, she examines the limits of current Civil Rights laws, which can be used against overtly racist officials but are less effective in addressing deeper, more enduring, structural challenges. But Archer remains hopeful, and in the final count describes what a just system would look like and how we can achieve it.
ABOUT DEBORAH ARCHER
Deborah N. Archer is president of the ACLU, where she serves as chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She is a tenured professor and associate dean at New York University School of Law and the faculty director of the Community Equity Initiative at NYU Law. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.
Get the book: https://a.co/d/3Gw8unf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.
Subscribe now at YouTube.com/@RefocusedNetwork
Thank you for your time.

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