Despite its prevalence in our society, pornography is not a topic that is discussed very openly. Without having these difficult conversations, there is no way we can create the cultural shifts needed to move past the issues in the space. As someone who has never shied away from tough conversations, Maria Ahlin is on a mission to get people talking. Maria's viral TEDx Talk, Let's Talk Porn, has garnered over five million views, and she has given hundreds of educational talks over the years. Maria also runs her own non-profit, Changing Attitudes, which looks to eliminate the attitudes which lead to sex-buying. In this conversation, we hear about Maria's childhood, how her parents fostered her inquisitive spirit was fostered, and the final year high school project she did that opened her eyes to sex trafficking. She talks about some of the lessons she has learned and how her own attitude has shifted along her journey. We talk about porn addiction, where Maria shares her refreshing point of view, the importance of teaching children critical thinking skills, and the power of tackling a big issue by taking small steps. Maria's mission is a grand one, and her commitment, tenacity, and open-mindedness around topics that so many of us would rather avoid is incredibly inspiring. Tune in to hear it all!Key Points From This Episode:Hear about Maria's childhood and her love of horses and books. The leadership lessons Maria learned from looking after her horses. What Maria's home life was like and the independence she had early on in her life. Maria's first exposure to porn when she saw a Playboy at 12, and her reaction to it. The spirit of debate and discussion in Maria's home growing up. Hear about Maria's first involvement with activism. The encouragement Maria has always felt from adults with regard to her writing. Why Maria views her mental health and strength as success. Addiction struggles in Maria's close family. The genesis of Maria's final year high school project which explored sex trafficking. Research Maria undertook for her project and what she learned along the way. How Maria knew that she had found her calling after completing the project. The findings that surprised Maria most about sex trafficking and porn. What happened when Maria Googled porn, putting herself in a curious child's shoes. Two sides to the debates around porn addiction; some people don't acknowledge that it's real. Why Maria decided to start her organization, Changing Attitudes. How Maria's understanding of pornography and sex trafficking has changed over the years. Maria's passion for preventative work and getting to the root cause of issues. A moment where Maria felt discouraged on her journey. The value and the cumulative effect of many small positive steps. Where Maria has seen the biggest shifts occur. Maria's definition of success for her mission; sparking conversations. Advice Maria would give a young person who wants to devote themselves to a cause. The books Maria has written, which will hopefully be released in English soon.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

The more compassionate we are, the more we will want to help others, and often it is our own suffering that helps us understand those experiences outside of ours. Today we speak to Joseph Bradford about how the challenges of his childhood led him to dedicate his life to helping the homeless. Joseph started a non-profit called B.A.R.E. Truth, an organization that provides mentorship, independent living assistance, and wellness services to impoverished individuals and families, helping them attain healthy, purpose-driven lives, ultimately changing the economic and living conditions of communities. Our conversation begins as always with Joseph’s upbringing and he tells a story about being born to a very young mother as the oldest of his siblings. He talks about the responsibilities placed on his shoulders to look after those more vulnerable than himself, even while he was just a small kid. This sparked an early tendency in Joseph to be caring and to see that the people around him were safe before he thought of his own wellbeing. We hear about the many challenges Joseph faced through school and college before he finally wound up in California and began to help the homeless after giving away half his dinner one night. Joseph talks about consistently trying to lend a hand and how this process slowly scaled up to the point where he started B.A.R.E Truth. We spend the last part of our conversation focusing on good approaches to helping the homeless, the work Joseph does to keep his non-profit running, and the centrality of his desire to care in keeping him motivated each day.Key Points From This Episode:What childhood was like for Joseph growing up in the projects of Kansas City.How basketball helped Joseph feel free and escape being the oldest sibling.The feeling of responsibility that Joseph had as a child with no father figure.Lessons Joseph learned about the value of taking care of others as a child.The many people in Joseph’s family who died after his father did.Joseph’s relationship with his neighbor and his early definition of success.How Joseph offset being teased for being dark-skinned by being good at school.Life and responsibilities for Joseph in different shelters after his house burned down.More wealth and big changes for Joseph and his family after his mom got a boyfriend.How Joseph sold drugs during his struggling phase and why he stopped.Work and college for Joseph after high school and his mom and her boyfriend separated.Why Joseph wishes he encouraged his siblings more.Joseph’s opinion on drugs and alcohol and why he abstained.New challenges Joseph faced through different moves after finishing college.A desire Joseph developed to feed the hungry after giving a homeless person half his meal one night.How receiving help would have made Joseph’s life better and how this influenced his choice to help others.How Joseph learned property management with the goal of providing housing to the homeless.Joseph’s core desire to help people and how this feeds into his work with B.A.R.E Truth.The role Joseph’s mother played in keeping him motivated to achieve his dream.Connections Joseph built up as he secured food and spoke to different people.How Joseph straddled his job while also handing out food at night.Joseph’s explanation of the words that make up the name B.A.R.E Truth.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Light WatkinsJoseph Bradford on LinkedInSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Some of you might be wondering why this podcast is called At the End of the Tunnel. Well, it’s because all of Light’s guests have had to go through some period of uncertainty or darkness or had to take a huge leap of faith in order to find their inner light, which ends up leading them to their path and purpose. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Jasmine Mason, a Los Angeles-based contemporary dancer turned author. She has been dancing since she was three years old but, in the last few years, she became inspired to take a big leap of faith in the direction of self-publishing a book about breakups.One day, while doing laundry in between shows, Jasmine realized that she had acquired a collection of oversized t-shirts from some of the people she had dated. Wondering how many other women were keeping an ex-boyfriend’s shirt after the breakup, she had the idea to publish You Ain’t Shirt, an inspiring and uplifting coffee table book about the breakups, healings, and lessons of 65 women that held onto an ex’s t-shirt. Of course, there is no way Jasmine could have known that her initial curiosity around a shirt from an ex-boyfriend could have led to the production of a stunning coffee table book that helps people move through breakups, but that is the beauty of following your inspiration; you never know where it might lead you!In this interview, Jasmine shares the backstory of how she grew up, how that influenced her ideas around relationships, why she had that curiosity, and all of the steps that led to the conception and the execution of You Ain’t Shirt, as well as how she knew that she had to take action on the idea, even though it could potentially be a money pit. Make sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Back to the beginning: Jasmine shares a bit about her childhood and family life.Why she says she was born to dance and the impact that having an ‘alter ego’ had on her.Jasmine reflects on what it takes to become a world-class performer: her love for dance.Find out how she viewed success early on and why she never had a plan B to dance.How her parent’s divorce and her mother’s pain informed Jasmine’s view of relationships.The career decisions she made once she graduated and how she learned to deal with rejection without taking it personally.Hear about her formative dating experiences and what they taught Jasmine about herself.Some traits of an impactful relationship, including the importance of healthy communication.Even though her mom didn’t provide the best examples of healthy relationships, Jasmine says she gave great breakup advice.The origins of You Ain’t Shirt: how realizing she wasn’t creating for herself anymore sparked the idea to create a book.The t-shirt that inspired the book and Jasmine’s personal experiences with breakups.What drove her to keep moving forward with the book and devote her love and energy to it.How Jasmine knew that the project was worth every penny she spent on it; it’s expensive to make a coffee table book!Jasmine speaks candidly about overcoming the voice in her head that said she couldn’t do itFind out what Jasmine learned in the process of creating You Ain’t Shirt, including that it’s okay to lean on others.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Jasmine Mason on InstagramYou Ain’t ShirtYou Ain’t ShirtYou Ain’t Shirt on InstagramSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Many of the stories we share on this podcast feature a winding journey, with unexpected events and results, and none more so than that of today's guest, Jason Wachob. Jason went into early adulthood, as an aspiring basketball player with a serious hedonistic streak. This led to him scraping through university and ending up as a money-focused equities trader on Wall Street, and it was only the world-shaking events of 9/11 that woke him up to the possibility of finding work that was more aligned with something deeper in his core. We get to hear about these moments of transition, and the challenges that Jason went through while traveling the country for a chocolate chip cookie startup! It was while confronting a resurgent back issue that Jason began his journey into yoga, health, and a different way of living. This personal quest ended up sparking the beginning of his business, mindbodygreen, an early blog-turned-health brand that aimed to share the lesson that Jason himself was learning. In our conversation, we hear about the tricky first three years of the business, and the resulting success and growth that they have experienced. Jason underlines the power of surrender, conducting your own wellness orchestra, and so much more, so be sure to join us today!Key Points From This Episode:Jason's childhood fascination with Star Wars and sports.An emerging passion and talent for basketball and the work that went into improving. Early life lessons that Jason learned while pouring his time and energy into basketball. The round-about way that Jason found his way to Columbia University. Work that Jason did during his college years, waiting tables, delivering beer, and more! How reading Liar's Poker inspired Jason to pursue bond trading out of college.Personal loss that Jason encountered and his emotional response to the events. The legacy of Jason's father and the philosophy he absorbed growing up. Beginnings of Jason's career as an equities trader and how he found his feet. The impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Jason's outlook and goals. Prioritizing fulfillment over money; looking for a career with more meaning, purpose, and significance. Jason's organic cookie company and the terrible back issues he ran into around this time.The changes that Jason made in his diet, approach to health, and his adoption of a yoga practice.How a personal journey into health and wellness birthed the mindbodygreen business! Jason's belief in letting go and surrendering in order to heal. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

The path to success in the culinary world is almost never an easy one, and reaching the top of the game in New York City as a black chef is undoubtedly even more difficult. Today, we are joined by the amazingly inspiring and energetic Marcus Samuelsson, world-famous chef, the founder of Red Rooster, and author of several great biographical and culinary books, including his latest, The Rise. In our conversation, we chart Marcus' winding and challenging journey, from his earliest memories in Ethiopia, to his adoption in Sweden and the journeys he made across the globe chasing his dreams of working in the world of high cuisine. Throughout our chat, Marcus' progressive perspective and positive outlook shine through. Even when faced with hurdles and unfair circumstances, he has managed himself and his aspirations in a way that has clearly paid off. He talks about the importance of community and how he tied that into Red Rooster, the failures that preceded his bigger successes, and the legacy of great black chefs that he hopes to continue. We also talk about the influence of family, making it on a shoestring budget, and why he forgot about how hard he was working! Listeners can expect to come away with great insight into the life of an activist chef, someone committed to excellence as well as social change, so make sure to tune in!Key Points From This Episode:Marcus' awareness of his early years, losing his birth mother, and his adoption. The focus that Marcus inherited from his Swedish mother, and how this has served him through his life. The moment that Marcus realized his calling was bringing new flavors to the world around him. Developing a strong work ethic and the prioritization enabled Marcus to live cheaply. Marcus' mentality around working outside of his comfort zone in the early years. What it meant to find a groove, work hard, and forget about the hours and labor it took.  The professional failures that helped Marcus with his eventual success with Red Rooster. How Marcus brought together his past and present, and the community in his restaurant.   Moving on from a difficult dispute over the intellectual property of Marcus' own name!The bumps in the road; losing and gaining friends, and persisting through tough times. Community work in Harlem and Marcus' involvement in responding to the pandemic. Marcus' view of the opportunity presented by the pandemic for a potential reset. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Tracee Stanley is a noted and lineaged teacher of Yoga Nidra, meditation, and self-inquiry, and one of Light’s dear friends and mentors. Back when he was a yoga teacher, Tracee’s studio, Divine Motion in L.A., was one of the very first studios that Light taught at after his teacher training program. Since then, Tracee has become one of the foremost leaders of Yoga Nidra and mindfulness, teaching all over the United States.Her practices are inspired by the tradition of Himalayan Masters and Sri Vidya Tantra, into which she was initiated in 2001. She is the co-founder of the Empowered Wisdom Yoga Nidra School and created the Empowered Life Self-Inquiry Oracle Deck. Tracee practices internationally, leading retreats, teacher training, and presenting at festivals and conferences, including Oprah and Gayle's Girls Get Away. In this episode, she shares a bit about her experience of being one of the only Black yoga teachers in L.A. when she started out, how she felt about hiring Light as one of the first yoga teachers in her studio, and she describes of the many leaps of faith she had to take in order to become a teacher, community leader, and author. Her recently released book, Radiant Rest, is all about Yoga Nidra, which is the best kind of yoga there is; the yoga of sleep. Tracee is an all-round inspiring person as a wife, step-mom entrepreneur, teacher, student, community leader, and host of the Radiant Rest Podcast. She has so much life experience and wisdom to share with you, from leading her successful career as a film producer to opening a yoga studio and following her heart when it came to getting out of an earlier relationship, as well as overcoming self-betrayal and finding her purpose in life. This conversation will resonate with you, no matter who you are, so make sure to tune in today! Key Points From This Episode:Tracee reflects on her favorite toy or activity as a child; reading.Find out more about her family structure, her strict upbringing, and where she grew up.Some of the lessons that stand out from her childhood, like always be on time.How she perceived success as a child; why she wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up.How conscious her family was about race and what it was like for Tracee growing up Black in her neighborhood.Why Tracee got spanked often as a child and the most defiant things she did back then.Her father’s entrepreneurial spirit; how he started his own insurance agency in Long Island. Watching him building his empire and how that influenced Tracee.What informed the decision to go to Stony Brook College and her experience as an introvert.Learn about the moment Tracee got scouted as a model and the travels that followed.Traveling to South Africa after Nelson Mandela was elected and the epiphany of peace and stillness she experienced there.Tracee speaks about her spiritual foundation and the influence of books like the Bhagavad Gita, The Prophet, and Way of the Peaceful Warrior.Why, after her first experience with chakra meditation, she knew she needed to learn more.How having her bag stolen in South Africa signaled the end of her modeling career and her first steps into “something more.”To offer an indication of the culture in South Africa, Tracee tells “the water bottle” story.Find out more about her family aspirations at the time; why she wanted to adopt children.Her foray into film production and the first internship she did at a production company in L.A.Returning to L.A. from South Africa; how her attitude towards modeling changed.When Tracee discovered yoga, the studio at Yoga West, yogic philosSend us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today we speak with Steven Pressfield, a successful author of several books covering self-help and fictional genres. Inspired by ancient history and archetypes, Steven has used his fascinations to inspire readers around the globe. As our guest, we talk to Steven about his childhood, various career paths; good and bad, and what it took to become a full-blown writer. We begin the show by catching a glimpse of Steven’s younger years, as he recalls some of his earliest memories, like walking around his block with two Hopalong Cassidy cap pistols. Little did he know at the time, this warrior archetype would define his career through his writings and outlooks on life. We then talk about Steven’s professional experiences as he touches on avoiding going to Vietnam, hating the advertising industry but learning so much from it, and forcing himself to write a novel. Before Steven reached author success, he’d failed several times over. In this rich and varied interview, Steven walks us through these failures and touches on how it impacted his finances and relationships. Of his success, we find out from Steven about some of his most popular titles which include Tides of War, Gates of Fire, and The War of Art. To hear more on life, failure, success, and the journey across it all, be sure to join us in conversation with Steven Pressfield today.Key Points From This Episode:Introducing today’s guest, Steven Pressfield.Hear about a variety of Steven’s books and the genres he writes.We touch on Steven’s early years and childhood. Steven tells us about his experiences in the Marine Corp.Why Steven hated advertising but learned the most from it.Steven tells us about the turning point he made when he was 31.Hear why Steve feels fortunate to have experienced so much failure.We ask Steven to tell us about some of the archetypes that feature in his books.Steven talks about his first mentor figures.What shaped Steven’s experiences in Hollywood.Steven tells us his thoughts on the feminine warrior archetype.Why Gates of Fire was as popular as it was.Steven touches on Tides of War and why it was so long and complex to read.Steven explains details about The War of Art.Hear the comparisons between Steven’s Telemon character and himself.How Steve defines success.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Les and Tamara Payne are the co-authors of The Dead Are Arising, a biography detailing the life of Malcolm X. For almost 30 years the book was being added to and refined until it was eventually published in 2020. In 2018 Tamara inherited the author's reigns when her father sadly passed away. Although heartbroken, Tamara lived by her father’s words and aimed only to publish the book when it was ready. As today’s guest, we speak with Tamara about her experiences researching and writing The Dead Are Arising. She shares details about the writing process and touches on learning from her father, a journalist, about why it is so important to build relationships with your sources.  Much of the show is also spent talking about the contents of Les and Tamara’s book. We take a look at how it differs from Malcolm X’s autobiography and learn the truth behind some of Malcolm’s biggest life events. Tamara clears the murky waters around the death of Malcolm’s father, Earl, his relationship with Elijah Muhammad, his eventual breakaway from the Nation of Islam, and his assassination. For listeners, this is a chance to get to know Malcolm X like never before. To hear about Malcolm’s power of influence, studious nature, critical eye for social injustice, and desire for upliftment, be sure not to miss this episode. Key Points From This Episode:Introducing Tamara Payne, co-author of The Dead Are Arising.Hear about the genesis of Tamara and Les’s book.Les’s habits of routinely playing Malcolm X’s speeches to his family.Tamara talks about her experiences in China.Why Tamara and Les’s book was 30 years in the making. Tools Tamara would use to approach her stories.How Les taught Tamara the tools of the trade.Tamara shares lesser-known details about Malcolm X’s childhood.We explore the environment in which Malcolm X grew up.Hear about “Shorty” and who this mysterious character was from Malcolm X’s autobiography.How Malcolm X managed to get parole.Tamara tells us about the tensions between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad.Malcolm X’s knack for engaging an audience and persuasive speaking.How the killing of Ronald Stokes impacted Malcolm X.Tamara touches on Malcolm X’s final months.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Sharon Salzberg is a New York Times best-selling author and teacher of Buddhist meditation. The foundations of her teachings haven’t come from countless hours of practice and mastery, but rather from a life of suffering. Although difficult, Sharon’s childhood molded her to become one of the most influential meditative teachers in the United States and western world. As today’s guest, Sharon walks us through her journey, touching on her traumatic upbringing, journey into meditation, and life as a teacher. First off, Sharon tells us about her daily meditation routine. She then walks us through her childhood in more detail and describes the loss of her mother, her relationship with her estranged father, and the effect her immigrant grandparents had on her.Later, listeners will hear about the transitional period Sharon went through in college and about how she discovered philosophy and meditation. As we find out more, Sharon talks about her travels to India, as she shares various anecdotes about her teachers and experiences. Upon her return to the United States, Sharon embarked on a mission to create a center in Barre. She talks about the challenges she faced as well as what life was like discovering Western ways of living in a brand new community. Toward the end of the episode, Sharon tells us about her books, how the pandemic has impacted her teaching, and how she has adapted to a rapidly evolving world. To find out more about Mindfulness, Meditation, and Metta, be sure to tune in today.Key Points From This Episode:Introducing today’s guest, Sharon Salzberg.Sharon describes her meditation practices.Hear about Sharon’s childhood in more detail.Sharon details the night her life changed when her mother was rushed to the hospital.We ask Sharon about her spiritual and religious foundations as a child.The journey Sharon took to become a teacher. How choosing a philosophy course in college would ultimately change Sharon’s life.Sharon tells us about her teacher and mentor, Trungpa Rinpoche.Hear about Sharon’s experiences in India.What Metta is and how it works.Sharon’s experiences opening her center in Barre.What the history of meditation waves can teach us about where meditation is going.How Sharon stays relevant as an influential meditation teacher.Principles mentioned in Sharon’s book, Real Change.How Sharon sees links between Thai sex trafficking and poor farming conditions.Why Sharon believes Thai violence is linked to a public health problem.Ways meditation can help you get good at life.Sharon tells us about her interactions with Buddhist teacher U Pandita.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

‘When we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.’ This is a quote by Ava DuVernay that rings true in many ways throughout our conversation with today’s guest, Natalie Paterson. Natalie is a spoken word artist, educator, and activist and in today’s show, we talk to her about her relationship with poetry and how she is using it as a tool to build a more transparent, vulnerable, and equitable world. We begin with the story of Natalie’s childhood, where she remembers moving from Kokomo, Indiana to LA with her mother after her father fell into addiction. Natalie talks about having an early interest in the dynamics between people and shares how the effacement around her mother and father’s relationship gave her a tendency to want to get to the bottom of things and state them as they are. From there, we get into Natalie’s experiences at school and college, years where she discovered the magic of poetry, began obsessively writing poems of her own, and also got involved in activism against racism. Natalie goes onto describe the live poetry events she began attending, communities she became apart of, and her first, terrifying experiences of performing live. We then hear about the early career Natalie began to build for herself, first as a slam poet, and then later as a teacher and activist. In today's conversation, we also take a deep dive into Natalie’s process, hearing the philosophy about how she sees herself as an artist as well as the goals behind her work. In addition, we explore issues of combatting racism and other violent societal norms, and how Natalie has done this at various stages in her life, including through her mural initiative, A Love Language Project, which was responsible for painting the above Ava DuVernay quote on a vegan cafe in Los Angeles. Tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:A recording of two poems exploring dating and body positivity by Natalie.The story of why Natalie’s mom left her father and moved from Kokomo to LA.How her parents’ dynamic and growing up with no father affected Natalie.The habit of directness Natalie developed as a result of her childhood experiences.Why Natalie’s childhood wasn’t that fun and she was more interested in people than toys.Natalie’s childhood perceptions about people, adulthood, marriage, and her future self.How Natalie experienced being Black and used her identity as a light-skinned Black person in high school.The experiences Natalie had of hearing poetry that made her fall in love with it.How Natalie regularly visited Da Poetry Lounge and began working on her own poems.Natalie’s memory of how terrified she was when she read her first poem on stage.Struggling with what it means to be a true poet and some of Natalie’s idols at the time.How Natalie took a year off college to pursue poetry and joined the LA Slam Team.How Natalie fell into teaching after experiencing the dishonest sides of the poetry scene.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!