Becoming Wilkinson

Send us a textDavid Zecca describes the amazing gay journey that's brought him to where he is today.He talks about the hardships of his childhood as a young boy -  discovering his sexual identity,  being on his own and learning how to survive.He's had multiple careers and he's truly very entrepreneurial! He discusses what made him get into sex work for a season and he shares the tender lessons that he learned through these experiences.Finally, he shares why he had a tattoo placed on his armpit (one of the most painfully sensitive parts of the body) and what that symbolizes.His story is interesting, heartfelt, poignant and it contains some wonderful advice for all who would listen.David lives in Palm Springs with his fiancé Doug.

Send us a textSteve Oppenheimer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with a private practice in Palm Springs.  Steve also has over 30 years of executive-level business experience, and has worked with several Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Universal Health Services and J Walter Thompson.  In 2021, Steve made a career pivot and transitioned from his role of Hospital CEO to become a full-time Mental Health practitioner and entrepreneur.  In his practice, Steve blends principals of business leadership, Mental Health Wellness and a solution-focus.  Steve has lived in Palm Springs for more than 20 years, and works with individuals and couples throughout California (in person and online). For more information, please visit his website at www.stevenoppenheimermft.com In Steve's own words:"Although the concept of change is difficult for many of us to consider,  I choose to look at change as an "opportunity" to re-imagine, and re-prioritize what we want.  ​It's an opportunity to re-examine our path in life, make positive changes, and experience personal healing. Although this is typically not an easy time, it is an opportunity filled with the potential of great personal power.  As we move forward through our lives, we learn that life is not always fair.  We face challenges and obstacles on a daily basis.  Some of these we overcome; some of these, we come short. ​It's the moments of our life experience, which create, and then reinforce, not only our belief system and values, but also shape our "automatic thoughts."  Some of our automatic thoughts may lead us to create barriers for ourselves, which prevent us from finding a sense of satisfaction and personnel happiness. Additionally, some of our automatic thoughts may lead us to feel anxious, afraid, sad, stressed, depressed, unsatisfied, desperate, angry and alone.​We can find ourselves trapped in a dead-end job or stuck in unhappy, or unhealthy, relationship.    Even when we know things in our lives are just not working and we say that we want a change...It may be the fear, embarrassment or sadness that keeps us from moving forward.  It's our automatic thoughts that keep us from creating a life that we so deeply know we deserve.  ​Through authentic, honest and caring conversation and reflection, one can problem-solve, face life challenges, and find contentment and success. You can grow, make positive changes in Your life, and find personnel happiness". To contact Steve:   https://www.stevenoppenheimermft.com/Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textScott Vitale is a gay man who weighed 312 pounds when he went in for his annual check up.  His doctor said: "Scott, you're going to die".Scott: "Everyone is going to die."'Doc: "No, I mean soon."He was told that if he didn't lose a lot of his 312 pounds, that would be it...He was then referred to a doctor who did bariatric surgery.  Scott credits a lot of his success to the nutritionist who helped him learn to eat differently.  Under her guidance, he lost 45 pounds before the surgery.  Subsequently, the surgeon removed two thirds of his stomach, which caused some drastic changes in his life.His husband Eric supported him all along the way in this journey, and accompanied him to that first visit with the nutritionist.  When they returned home, Eric began to toss all of the bread, pastas , cereals, etc. into the trash and he told Scott that he too, would not be eating those things any longer.With his new-found energy and new life, Scott took up cycling and completed the San Francisco to LA Aids/Life Cycle ride in 2022.    He continues to cycle today and it's become his passion. Today he's maintains his ideal weight at 165 pounds.You may contact Scott via email at: svitale03@yahoo.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textBrett Paesel is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller, “Mommies Who Drink, Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom”  (Warner) and the novel, “Everything is Just Fine” (Grand Central). Paesel’s humorous essays have appeared in several collections including “Toddler”, “Behind the Bedroom Door”, “Lights, Action, Travel”, and “Afterbirth”. She has been a contributing editor to three national magazines: Violet, Wondertime, and Parents. She has also published pieces in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Kennedy Center, and Salon.com.In Hollywood, Brett has developed television shows for HBO, ABC, Fox, Comedy Central, WB, Nick at Nite, and Lifetime. As an actor, Brett was a cast member for several seasons on two critically acclaimed shows: HBO’s “Mr. Show with Bob and David” and Amazon’s “Transparent”.Contact Brett:  http://www.brettpaesel.com Find her books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=brett+paesel&crid=2VAIWK81VPQD7&sprefix=brett+pae%2Caps%2C160&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_9Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textSTEVEN SKEELSSINGER • SONGWRITER • ACTOR • PRODUCER"TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE" - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARESteven was living the "perfect" life in NYC.  He was married to the man who was the love of his life and they were both living an enviable, successful life on stage and in the arts.  Then one day, after picking up his husband Jerad after his matinee performance in "Wicked" on Broadway, they headed to a day off at their cabin in the Poconos.  Their car hit an unexpected patch of black ice and the unimaginable happened in the blink of an eye.He shares the story of agonizing physical and emotional pain in the aftermath of the accident, and he also shares some very important lessons that he and his husband Jerad learned.  And he tells us some of the principals he lives by...Over his 40 year career, Steven Skeels has established himself as one of music’s most versatile artists, equally as passionate as a performer on the concert stage singing his own material to writing and producing for other artists as well. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he has explored nearly every genre of music and continues to explore new sounds and experiences. He has performed in over forty countries and has been seen on the Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as numerous television programs throughout Europe.As an actor and performer, Steven was handpicked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to originate the starring role of “Rusty” in the hit musical Starlight Express, both in Germany and Las Vegas. This role garnered him a European radio Top 10 single with the title song “Starlight Express” for CBS Records. Other roles include Lt. Cable in South Pacific (American Hawaii Cruise Lines), the Scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz (Macy’s Theatricals of NYC), and Tom Thumb in Barnum (The S.S. Norway). In film, Steven has been featured in the award-winning short film, Leaving Malcolm, and as well as composing music for the film. Steven is currently in post-production for his documentary, Becoming Whole, which chronicles his journey from humble beginnings to the top of the entertainment business.To see his entire bio and to contact Steven, go to https://www.stevenskeels.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textIn 2015, Alan Fraser was in the best physical condition of his life.  But then one day after training he went home and realized that something just wasn't right.  Thankfully his (now) husband Tim jumped into action and drove a couple hours to see why Alan had stopped responding when Tim kept checking on him.  Tim found Alan unconscious in his bed, helped revive him and then rushed him to the nearest ER.  They were told later that if he hadn't come in at that time, he wouldn't be with us today.  His condition was so bad that the medical team had to put him in an induced medical coma in order to save his life.  He was "out" for two weeks.  He describes how the induced coma saved his life, but it had other severe consequences that would impact him the rest of his life.His story is real, it's heartfelt and it has meaning and a message for all of us... Listen as he describes the ordeal that he had to endure and he shares what he's learned from this experience.NOTE: This is a re-issue of an earlier episode when my podcast was new.  I'm re-sharing some of the best ones as a Friday feature, since more people will now be able to hear and learn from it.Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textDavid Eugene Perry is the founder and CEO of the public relations firm David Perry & Associates, Inc. For 10 years, he was the host and creator of 10 Percent TV, the longest running LGBTQ TV show in California history. He has written for such publications as The Advocate, the San Francisco Examiner, Omni, The Desert Sun and The Utne Reader and hosts an online interview show Ahoy! He and his husband, Alfredo Casuso, live in Palm Springs with frequent trips to San Francisco, and when possible, Orvieto and Spain. His first novel, Upon This Rock, has been critically acclaimed, including praise from Tales of The City author Armistead Maupin who called the book “an elegant, twisty thriller” and from Fenton Johnson who said Upon This Rock is “the gay ‘DaVinci Code’ but a lot better.” Upon This Rock is the winner of the 2021 Ben Franklin Silver Medal from the Independent Book Publishers Association and “Best Gay Book of 2021” from the San Francisco Book Festival. The book is currently being shopped for TV and film options and actively seeking European distribution, especially an Italian translation.  Perry is currently at work on the sequel to Upon This Rock. Entitled Thorns of the 15 Roses it is a murder mystery and historical thriller inspired by the Andalusian town of Grazalema and the Spanish Civil. It is slated for completion in 2023.Contact David:https://www.instagram.com/davidperrysf/https://twitter.com/DavidPerrySFhttp://www.facebook.com/davidperrysfhttps://www.davidperry.com/clients/upon-this-rockBuy the book:https://www.amazon.com/Upon-This-David-Eugene-Perry/dp/0941936066Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textSTEVEN SKEELSSINGER • SONGWRITER • ACTOR • PRODUCER"TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE" - WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREOver his 40 year career, Steven Skeels has established himself as one of music’s most versatile artists, equally as passionate as a performer on the concert stage singing his own material to writing and producing for other artists as well. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he has explored nearly every genre of music and continues to explore new sounds and experiences. He has performed in over forty countries and has been seen on the Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as numerous television programs throughout Europe.As an actor and performer, Steven was handpicked by Andrew Lloyd Webber to originate the starring role of “Rusty” in the hit musical Starlight Express, both in Germany and Las Vegas. This role garnered him a European radio Top 10 single with the title song “Starlight Express” for CBS Records. Other roles include Lt. Cable in South Pacific (American Hawaii Cruise Lines), the Scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz (Macy’s Theatricals of NYC), and Tom Thumb in Barnum (The S.S. Norway). In film, Steven has been featured in the award-winning short film, Leaving Malcolm, and as well as composing music for the film. Steven is currently in post-production for his documentary, Becoming Whole, which chronicles his journey from humble beginnings to the top of the entertainment business.To see his entire bio and to contact Steven, go to https://www.stevenskeels.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textVinnie Rotalo is an amazing man.  He hasn't had an easy life.  When he was only 14, he tried to save his mother's life via instructions in CPR given by a 911 dispatcher.  After her death, he had to go live with his father whom he didn't really know.He became a trainer and was settling into a successful career with modeling potential when he became paralyzed.  It took him a year of fierce struggle to come back to his normal self.He got involved in drugs, spent some years in the gay porn industry and lost his partner to suicide.  He also lost his beloved feline buddy Baxter, who had stuck with Vinnie through all of the ups and downs.Vinnie is a courageous, beautiful man who's a bit shy - but he's very funny when you get to know him.  His beautiful energy will be obvious to even the most casual observer as you listen to his story and be encouraged...Vinnie's contact info:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/vjr39/Email: Vjrotalo@gmail.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.comNOTE: This is a re-issue of an episode I did earlier in 2022 when my podcast was "newish".  I've been re-posting some of the really good ones on Fridays this year, so that a wider audience can now enjoy listening to them.

Send us a textIt's highly unusual for teens to know the direction they want to take in life.  But these two did... here's their story.Preston Shatwell and Brenton Thomas have been together for over 13 years. Brenton added Preston on Myspace when they were 14 and 16 years old and that started their love story.Preston is a born and raised Oklahoman with a passion for local progressive politics and advocacy. He is a creative professional using his skills to support causes he cares about and currently works in the adolescent sexual health nonprofit field.https://www.instagram.com/prestonshatwell/Email: prestonshatwell@gmail.comBrenton works as a consultant at a software company. Brenton is fun-loving, excitable, and always ready to dance and laugh. He loves to travel, experience new cultures, and meet people.https://www.instagram.com/brenton.thomas/Email: brentonthomas1@gmail.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com